The world of luxury first came knocking for me in 2015. I was hired by The Savoy to work as the Personal Assistant to the Managing Director, who to this day, is one of my favourite people, and texts whenever he’s coming to London and needs something sorted.
“Sarah, can you find five tickets for Tina the musical, organise a river cruise for the kids, and get a key to the house cut?” Yes, I can.
After six years in the role at The Savoy, I moved across to The Dorchester and between working in these two iconic properties, every day since has been filled with guest extravagance and unrestrained indulgence.
I’ll never forget the international guests who travelled to London with the sole purpose of buying their groceries in Harrods, before boarding their private plane a few days later and returning home with their haul (think steak and ale pie, wheels of cheese, and sausage rolls). Or those who tasked us with recreating the hotel's breakfast, lunch and dinner menu for a transatlantic flight, including menus and flowers exactly replicating those of the restaurant, so they could be enjoyed at 35,000 ft. Nor the fact that selling the then-£14,000 Royal Suite for 10 consecutive nights became the norm.
We were also once asked to help find a full-time Wardrobe Manager for a guest who needed someone to curate and manage their ample clothing collection at their LA home, and take charge of the family's laundry.
Needless to say, my eyes were well and truly opened to the needs and the wants and must haves of high, and ultra-high net worth individuals. And I loved it.
It’s another world. I found the attention to detail of five-star hotels, and the lengths teams will go to to ensure guests have an exceptional stay inspiring. It taught me the level of expectations of service my future clients would look for and expect when I launched my personal private PA consultancy, LANE.
And Summer is the season we wait all year for in my industry.
For most it equals their annual two-week escape from the office and weekends kept busy with barbecues and beer gardens. For the wealthy, summers look slightly different. It's the season for pure indulgence and refined experiences.
This year, superyachts have been big on summer itineraries for that much-needed, uninterrupted escape and time away from the pressures and demands of reality. Unless you're Jeff Bezos, who hosted a pre-wedding foam party on his superyacht in Venice. It’s the opposite of the quiet luxury approach, but sometimes you've gotta do what you've gotta do.
Imagine the heatwave, but on a 100m yacht in the French Riviera boasting a fully stocked and staffed bar, and a gym with Pelotons facing outwards so even during the most gruelling of workouts, you can enjoy the sea breeze. Or, yacht booked just for the day for you and your inner circle with a helipad on board, so any latecomers don’t miss out on the fun.
Escapes on solid ground are also high on the agenda of the ultra-high net worth this summer. Think a 10-bedroom secluded villa in Ibiza for six weeks, but just make sure it has a dedicated spa as party fatigue might hit hard, and bi-weekly massages are non-negotiable. It also must be pet friendly which of course means, the flight to IBZ must allow your fluffy friend in the cabin too. It really is all about holistic wellness and slowing down this summer.
Adare Manor has an 18-hole golf course which will host the Ryder Cup in 2027, a Michelin starred restaurant and padel courts. The holy trinity
Like Labubu, padel is having its moment in the spotlight. People are obsessed and looking to combine their love of the sport with true luxury hospitality. If you’re wondering what old money looks like in 2025, it's Adare Manor in County Limerick.
Not to be mistaken for somewhere that needs a good lick of paint and only welcomes the old boys, Adare Manor is home to a pristine 18-hole golf course which will host the Ryder Cup in 2027, a Michelin starred restaurant and perhaps most importantly right now, padel courts, located in The Padel Club. The holy trinity.
And although Ireland isn’t known for its sunshine, it is known for its golf courses — another favoured pastime of the ultra-high net worth in a truly loved destination for the wealthy, particularly those Stateside.
Trends come and go. What's in vogue today is out tomorrow. But what never goes out of fashion is Wimbledon, Centre Court, on the final Sunday of the tournament. The number one social event of the summer. There’s something so different about The Championships which other Grand Slams just can’t compete with, not even nearly, and the request for these tickets, every year, is huge.
With Wimbledon, it’s all in the planning. Tickets to the private suites aren’t necessarily hard to get — but if you want them, it'll set you back a few thousand per person, minimum. The panic sets in when people leave it too late. Suddenly it’s logging on in a frenzy and asking every tennis related contact you've ever met if they can work wonders and get you tickets. The key, as always, is timing.
Our clients at LANE plan months in advance to ensure they’re exactly where they should be: front and centre at one of the biggest sporting events of the year.
It’s an opportunity to see greatness on the court and be surrounded by it off the court too, in a private suite just moments from the action, where you can enjoy a menu created and prepared by an award-winning chef. Settling for anything less just isn’t an option.
But if I had to summarise what the ultra-high net worth want this summer, and every day of every season, it’s ease. They want it all taken care of and handled. They want to be looked after, for their preferences to be known and remembered, and not to be bothered with the details they don’t need to get involved with.
True luxury for the wealthy comes with knowing that every detail is managed and anticipated, that their time and peace of mind are valued, and that they have a reliable, trustworthy, on the ball PA in their corner who genuinely cares about getting it right.
Sarah is the Founder of LANE, an exclusive personal private PA consultancy for the high and ultra-high net worth. lane.london
