Ultra-luxury takes the best to an even higher level than you didn’t hitherto expect. In fact, the recent inaugural Ultra by Private Luxury Events, suitably at Atlantis the Royal in Dubai, showed how some fabulous operations are already looking up and giving luxury travellers what they hadn’t anticipated.
Image courtesy of Atlantis the Royal
Atlantis the Royal does just that. Its 17 dining, drinking, and entertaining venues include a beach-set Nobu with water features on the outdoor terraces. The 18-area Gastronomy includes a wall of help-yourself vignette dressings, and a 55,000-bottle winery. Up on the 22nd floor, appropriately named Cloud 22 includes an outdoor pool surrounded by lounging areas and bars. Some of the 795 rooms also have stunning Dubai high-rise or ocean rooms. Suite 32520 is one that, in addition to views, has a totally private outside pool—heated, glass-walled, and secret enough for skinny-dip swimming.
Privacy, authenticity, and service: these are the three words that dominate ultra-luxury. Why have aficionados long admired Kauri Cliffs, now Rosewood, in Matauri Bay in New Zealand? One reason is that the 26-room lodge sits in 6,000 acres of working-sheep-farm land. Oh, the privacy of space.
When it comes to authenticity, ultra-luxury warrants the real deal. At Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, for instance, offered experiences include curated walking in historic areas and learning about parts of the city that tourists generally don’t see. For instance, take in the Old Wan Chai Post Office, which operated from 1915 till 1992 before being repurposed as an Environmental Resource Centre (in 2024, it evolved again, to become the Know Carbon House to promote carbon neutrality in Hong Kong).
Our highest-end travellers do like a bit of education, if it isn’t overdone. In Sydney, the Capella on Bridge Street is a conversion of two early-20th-century structures, the Department of Education and Department of Lands buildings. Capella Culturists—concierges who are more akin to tour guides—are on hand to share invaluable insights on the local central business district, neighbourhood, and to make restaurant and nightlife recommendations. Every visitor should experience BridgeClimb, the escorted walking ascent over the city’s Sydney Harbour Bridge. In addition, as in all Capella hotels, there’s a Living Room, which hosts a daily ritual for everyone to share in immersive storytelling.
Image courtesy of Joali Being
Authenticity requires genuine well-being. In the Maldives, the two Joali properties have, between them, over 39 transformational disciplines. An expected lineup of Ayurvedic and TCM practitioners is complemented by naturopaths, nutritionists, sound healers, watsu therapists, herbalists, mind and body specialists, and energy healers, all contributing to what Joali calls the joy of weightlessness. Alongside this is the ESG that is also an integrated part of today’s ultra luxury—the company’s sustainability programme, Joy of Caring, includes such offerings as reef restoration and turtle rehabilitation.
Image courtesy of Joali Maldives
Add, too, the fact that Joali Maldives’ recent Ruinart beverage pop-up featured bottles with recycled second skins by New York-based English-French artist Sophie Kitching (she’s also partnered with Bulgari on its Serpenti range, Bergdorf Goodman, and Nassau’s The Ocean Club, a Four Seasons Resort).
Image courtesy of Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
And finally, service. Well, we can all recognise interactions that are truly bespoke. A male globalist who always appreciates raspberries for his Champagne, a female counterpart who simply wants one empty pillowcase rather than six heavily-stuffed pillows (she’s trying to prevent yet another double chin)—it’s back to where we started. It’s service that ultimately raises the luxury level, and that’s why Greg Liddell, who runs Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, believes that enhancing traveller communication before arrival elevates anticipation and the stay.
