The word boutique has been around in the fashion industry for 50 years, and in hotels for almost as long. Now Private Luxury Events PLE is spearheading the relevance of this niche sector in global communications.
One of the essences of boutique is feeling comfortable. Says PLE’s MD Christy Kuplic. That was evident from the moment over 150 arrived at Albufeira Pine Cliffs for the first dedicated Private Luxury BOUTIQUE gathering, 2-5 October 2024. A section of the main hotel’s lobby was a sun-filled reception, with the word BOUTIIQUE, in 60cm-high gold letters, as assurance that this was the correct gathering place. A choice of Champagnes, and one-bite Portuguese custard tarts, were welcomed as you lay back on cushions marked with that B word. Gold-printed and ribbon-handled white goody bags held necessities, including white card name labels, printed both sides and hanging from gold chain lanyards.
Boutique is not a question of size. Think Sardinia’s Forte Village Resort, 716 keys total but broken down to 7 different resorts. Kuwait-owned Pine Cliffs, Luxury Collection, is 733 keys total but spread between 2 main hotels and numerous multi-unit clubs and villas. In both instances there’s a powerful man at at the top. Italian Lorenzo Giannucci on Sardinia and Portuguese Hélder Martins here in Algarve. Having a publicly-visible boss seems to be one of the ingredients for a boutique hotel.
Not that the exhibitors were limited to hotels. There was a 6-cabin boat in the Galapagos, and villas in the Dolomites, and a pair of fixed game lodges in Tanzania owned and run by a fascinating local guide and his Russian American wife. Eleven, the experience+lodging company owned privately by Blackstone’s Chad Pike, explained fly-fishing in Canada, and heli-skiing in France, New Zealand, and growing. A Copenhagen woman offered Delicious Denmark immersions, Italians were touting test-drive Ferraris and see Lamborghinis being made, and a Bhutanese recognised by his knee-length gho coat, had all the minutiae to hand. On the hotels front, many of the travel-advising buyers heard about the Azores and its main family-owned Bensaude group for the first time – many guests, it seems, are from the north-east US, descendants of Azorean whalers.
As is now the template at the growing number of industry shows, hard confrontation is done at speed-dating sessions, in this case 15 minutes. Exhibitors sat at white linen-dressed tables under significant chandeliers in Pine Cliffs’ wood-floored and air-conditioned permi-tent meeting room. A PLE feature is that one afternoon is devoted to experiences. Sign up for classic car touring, hiking, Portuguese tile decoration or many more options and over a period of about 3 hours you really got to know the 14-or-so others in your group.
Catering was well thought-out, with all service buffet Pine Cliffs handled breakfasts, in a lemon tree-filled courtyard, and lunches to showcase 3 of their 18 restaurants. The first night Pine Cliffs also hosted, first a clifftop newcomers’ cocktail and then an extravaganza in a 2m-tall corral lined with mirrored panels: entertainment ranged from sky-high stilts to a diminutive female saxophonist in a backless black gown. Night 2 was hosted off-site by the young-at-heart Qatar-owned W Algarve (entertainment included a dancer wielding a kaleidoscope of lights). The final night’s host was at Vila Vita Parc, owned by German financial behemoths, the Pohl family.
After a fado welcome Christy Kuplic announced awards, based on assessment of those one-to-one meetings. Top rated exhibitor was Dolomites Retreats, led by Rachele Belladelli and Ingeborg Castlunger. Top-rated buyer was Singapore-based travel advisor Amanda Chang. After that came a kitchen party. Everyone was given a turquoise cooking apron and an oompa band showed the way to restaurants, where cooking was going on, and to the kitchen itself, where a near-maniacal demonstration of arm waving was in full spate from the resident DJ.
Some stayed on, for an after-party nightclub, but showing the professionalism of this event, everyone was at their respective tables for the morrow’s first, 9am, meeting. Overall assessment of the exhibitors and buyers to whom your correspondent spoke? Absolutely well worth it, promise of good business and evidence yet again of consumer demand for something unique that is highly personalised. Great networking with worthwhile people. Thank you Private Luxury Events, DMC Domitur for arranging the experiences, Pine Cliffs, and main sponsor the Algarve Tourism Bureau, led by its president André Gomes.
MARY GOSTELOW
Mary Gostelow, the creator of Girlahead, shares her expert insights while on the road about 300 days a year. Through Girlahead, she brings you exclusive content and valuable insights into various categories such as Advisors and Consultants, Culture, Design and Arts, Fashion, Food & Wine, Lifestyle, Luxury Hotels, People, Travel, Trends, Wellness & Spas. Explore the latest trends and hot news in the world of luxury lifestyle as curated by Mary Gostelow for the discerning reader seeking unparalleled experiences and knowledge. Mary reports on the recent Private Luxury Boutique event that took place in the sunny Algarve at Pine Cliffs Resort.
