In the realm of holiday wish lists, a new offering from luxury travel company Red Savannah belongs on one that could be titled “Once-in-a-Lifetime Splurges for the Jewelry Lover.”
The very lucky VIPs on this London tour get a private viewing of the crown jewels as well as some treasures for themselves from fine and antique jeweler Humphrey Butler. Price for the “Couture and Crown Jewels” package starts at $550,000 for two guests.
The experience begins with VIP arrival at London’s Heathrow Airport, with transfer from the plane to a private lounge. Accommodations consist of four nights in the Heritage Suite of London’s new Raffles hotel, which opened over the summer inside the OWO (Old War Office), a 1906 Edwardian landmark. The six-year renovation that created private residences, restaurants, and the hotel at the OWO preserved much of the building’s heritage.
Dining on the itinerary includes a private afternoon tea in the tasting room of Fortnum & Mason; dinner with wine pairing at the Michelin two-star Kitchen Table; and a lunch in the French dining room of Cliveden, a 17th-century country house, following a private morning cruise on the Thames aboard an Edwardian riverboat. Cliveden, now operated as a hotel, was built by the second Duke of Buckingham and is located in Berkshire, just outside London. Red Savannah clients will travel to and from Cliveden by helicopter.
If that’s not enough, the trip also includes tickets to a top West End show and custom-made outfits created by a London couture house, with a dedicated fashion expert to ensure guests look their absolute best for the occasion.
But the kicker—for jewelry lovers, at least—is a private after-hours viewing of the crown jewels and dinner in the Tower of London’s White Tower. Guests will be transported to the Tower of London in a Union Jack–hulled Venetian water taxi down the Thames.
The following day, they have the opportunity to add jewels to their personal collection with the help of Humphrey Butler, a fine jewelry expert with over 20 years’ experience in auction houses, including Christie’s and Sotheby’s, who now has his own store on Pall Mall street in the posh St. James neighborhood. At a private lunch with Butler, guests can select jewels and will receive a suite comprising a tiara, pendant, and earrings to take home.
Red Savannah, a travel company established in 2011 by George Morgan-Greenville, offers a host of options for luxury travelers, but when it comes to jewelry, what could be better than this exquisite experience?
Top: An aquamarine and diamond tiara offered by Humphrey Butler
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