The bizarre demands of the super-rich when traveling.

According to The Washington Post, an increasing number of films and television shows depict the lives of the world's super-rich, particularly highlighting their eccentric tastes and habits. The television series The White Lotus gained acclaim for its satirical portrayal of the egos and excesses of wealthy travelers. Swedish director's Triangle of Sadness received top marks at the Cannes Film Festival for its biting satire on the rich.

The Menu, an upcoming film in the US, features a trailer hinting at a bloody end for guests at a luxurious, exclusive restaurant on a remote island. Many viewers are wondering whether the elite actually make such extravagant demands as depicted in the film. According to those working in the tourism industry and serving the world's wealthiest 1%, the answer is "yes."

The Washington Post interviewed waiters, tour guides, and hotel staff who specialize in serving this type of luxury traveler to hear more about their experiences interacting with 1% of the world's population.

Strange requests

Nightfall Group (California, USA), specializing in luxury villa rentals and luxury travel planning, always has a list of suitable professionals available to cater to any client's desired ideas.

On one occasion, a guest renting a nearly 1,300-square-meter villa in Los Angeles requested a mermaid in the pool for a cocktail party that was scheduled to begin in an hour. Furthermore, the staff had to heat the pool to 27 degrees Celsius for the mermaid's performance.

"The guests didn't want just any girl; it had to be a mermaid with a realistic tail. They wanted to see things like gills on a human body," recounted Angelica Bridges, a spokesperson for the company.

"Luckily, we always had the emergency number of an actress who specialized in playing mermaids. We only needed an hour to get ready," Angelica said.

Nightfall Group typically has more time to prepare for larger requests. For example, one female client rented a villa for seven days and wanted a 1.5 x 1.5 meter, temperature-controlled safe installed to hold her mother's ashes. Another client wanted Santa Claus and reindeer to appear at the property he rented on Christmas Eve.

"We have a reindeer breeding company. We even have elves there," Bridges said.

Imported mineral water for washing hair.

Sandra Webaget, co-owner of Inside Europe Travel Experiences, frequently hears stories about the demanding behavior of wealthy guests from friends and business contacts working in five-star European hotels. According to a hotel owner in France, one Russian guest requested a large shipment of Sanpellegrino sparkling mineral water from Italy to France on the same day.

"That woman needed them not to drink, but to wash her hair. She absolutely refused to use any other type of carbonated water," Webaget recounted.

A $4 million shopping bill.

Christina Stanton, a New York City tour guide with decades of experience, is hired to accompany the wife of a Russian tycoon on a family trip. During the trip, Stanton helps the mother shop for her three children's back-to-school supplies. The Bergdorf Goodman store even opens early so they can shop privately. They select 58 pairs of shoes at the Little Eric Shoes store.

Over the four days of traveling with the client, Stanton estimated that the woman spent approximately $4 million on shopping. Furthermore, the tour guide had to hand over their personal phones to the family's bodyguards during those days. Stanton also noticed that the wealthy family did not speak to the waiters; the bodyguards handled that task.

Free upgrade to a luxury room.

Stacy H. Small, founder of Elite Travel Club, who often designs $100,000 vacations, once entertained a client who was a reality TV personality on Bravo. This woman yelled at her driver for not getting her luggage fast enough. She then refused an upgrade to a luxury hotel suite, but remained angry with Small over the exorbitant price.

"They have plenty of money, but they don't want to pay. They complain a lot because they want more, better things, but they have to be free," Small said.

Pets come first.

In February 2021, when the Covid-19 pandemic made travel difficult, private jet charter company Monarch Air Group received a request to fly from Santa Barbara, California, to Vancouver, Canada. However, the passenger on that $60,000 flight was a pomsky dog ​​named Bella.

In another instance a few years ago, staff at the five-star Dolder Grand resort (Zurich, Switzerland) received a bizarre request from a Russian guest. She wanted a patch of grass placed in her room so her pet dog could urinate without leaving the hotel. The staff offered to take the pet for a walk in the resort's forest. However, the guest refused and insisted on a patch of grass approximately one square meter within two hours.

It costs $50,000 for a frog.

According to Curtis Crimmins, a former concierge at five-star hotels and founder of the hotel booking startup Roomza, a prominent guest requested a special imported tree frog for his daughter. He had to enlist the help of a congressional acquaintance to expedite the approval process with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, so that the frog could be brought into the country.

"The whole process cost $50,000, and the frog only stayed in the hotel until they checked out," Crimmins recounted.

Anh Thi