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today’s fast-paced, experience-first world, concierge are evolving to satisfy their clientele. Incompanies Adventures and celebrations are getting more personal,
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more spontaneous, and they’re lasting longer. “More and more people have realized that life is short,” says Lauren Wilt, U.S. CEO of Quintessentially, a London-based global concierge that provides luxury lifestyle services such as travel experiences, restaurant access, and creating personalized events. “They want to enjoy the time they have, and they are willing to have a professional plan for them.” The growth in interest has led the company to nearly double its U.S. staff in the past year. Before the pandemic, clients would book 12 months out for big family vacations, but now 70% of these bookings are for trips in the next 60 days, Wilt says. “If prepandemic they took more vacations, they’re taking fewer now, but for longer,” she says. “It feels like, ‘It’s good now, let’s do it. We don’t know if things are going to change, so if it looks safe, let’s do it.’ ” And as such the company is ready to change flights at any hour, Wilt says. Kimberley Watt, director at The Fixer, a London-based global concierge providing bespoke experiences and travel itineraries, says: “Before, we were probably doing 25% last-minute versus 75% planned. Now we’re probably doing 75% last-minute. Covid completely changed the way people act. They live in the moment a lot more.” For example, The Fixer received a late-June request for 20 boat rentals on July 4, and restaurant requests and cancellations