Classic markers of luxury travel, like five-star hotels and hard-to-get dinner reservations, are no longer enough for some ultrawealthy travelers. Instead, they’re increasingly seeking a subtler status symbol: privacy.
“The privacy factor is higher than it’s ever been. In fact, we have some clients who are ‘no more hotels,'” Rob DelliBovi, a luxury travel planner whose clients include celebrities and high-net-worth individuals, said. “Even the five-star hotel experience is too crowded.”
As international travel has grown and destinations have become increasingly crowded, luxury travel planners say their clients’ top priority is to get away from everyone else.
The ultrawealthy are increasingly skipping luxury hotels and turning instead to private villas, private jets, and private chefs. A trend report from Capital One Travel last month found that 86% of luxury travelers said privacy and seclusion were top considerations when choosing where to stay, and 83% said exclusivity of access.
“The true value of luxury lies in the guarantee of an exclusive experience that cannot be accessed by the general public,” the report said.
DelliBovi said this kind of travel was always popular with his celebrity clients, “who have a problem being seen literally anywhere.” However, since the pandemic, and especially as we head into 2026, demand has skyrocketed among his high-net-worth clients.
“Now it’s some more of our investment banker types,” he said. “People who would rent out a penthouse at a Four Seasons are like, ‘What are my private home options?’ Because even walking through the Four Seasons now can be a bit of a to-do.”
Off-the-market rental homes and privacy-friendly hotels
Seeking out private homes and villas that meet ultrawealthy standards can be challenging. DelliBovi said his team works with international real estate experts and luxury services networks to find properties that aren’t actually listed for rent.
“We have to literally source these private homes and villas from locals. We have to know somebody in-market who’s in the know,” he said, adding they are renting from owners who don’t normally lease their home or apartment. When his team calls and offers $50,000 for a week, he says owners often accept.
Those homes then need to be outfitted with hotel-level services and more, including daily cleaning, Michelin-trained private chefs, high-end security, and accommodations for pets. After booking the home, DelliBovi’s team will set all that up separately.
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For the Super Bowl last year, he said one client spent a total of around $1.35 million on a house in New Orleans for six days. The home itself cost roughly $1 million, with the rest going toward the planning fee and services.
The inaccessibility of these homes is part of their appeal. DelliBovi said that some luxury hotels feel less exclusive because they’re part of large brands with loyalty programs, allowing less wealthy travelers to stay there by accumulating points.
“That mix kind of irks some people,” he said, adding it can feel like a less luxurious experience even if the hotel itself is great.
When his clients do opt for hotels, DelliBovi said they prioritize properties built for discretion, like the Hotel Café Royal in London or the Rosewood Villa Magna in Madrid, which has an underground garage with an elevator that takes guests directly to their suites, bypassing public spaces altogether.
“That type of thing is priceless,” he said.
NDAs and full island buy-outs
Non-disclosure agreements are a standard part of travel for the ultrawealthy, whether they’re staying at private homes or luxury hotels. Daria Guristrimba, founder and CEO of Globe7, an ultra-luxury travel agency, said confidentiality isn’t a preference but a baseline expectation.
“The more private it is, the better,” she said.
Guristrimba said NDAs are often signed at every stage of a trip, including with staff, vendors, and hotels. Her firm even avoids storing clients’ names in internal systems, instead using coded identifiers, and sometimes handling payments to hotels or other services on behalf of clients so their travel doesn’t leave a financial paper trail.
She said she routinely asks hotels not to keep any record of her clients, including deleting their information from internal systems. If a hotel requires a client’s last name to confirm a booking and the client doesn’t want it disclosed, they simply won’t stay there.
Because of the high demand for privacy, Guristrimba said more and more of her clients are choosing fully private islands, where they can ensure there will be no other members of the public — beyond employees who have signed NDAs.
Thanda Island in Tanzania, which can be rented by a single group, accommodates 18 guests who are exclusively served by about 35 employees. Meals are served in different locations around the island, and no outside guests are allowed. The cost is about $33,000 per night, and Guristrimba said she’s had clients rent out the entire island just as a couple.
Traditional upscale aesthetics and locales are now taking a back seat to the top priority of privacy and not being seen.
“It’s not about marbles anymore. It’s not about the Loro Piana textile walls anymore,” she said, adding, “They don’t want anyone to know where they are going or what they are doing.”
