How do the ultra-rich view the 2024 Paris Olympics?

CNN
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Many people are expected to flock to Paris this summer for the Summer Olympics. Hotel room rates are likely to rise. Tickets for smaller events are also eagerly sought after. And almost every aspect of visiting the French capital trop shale For general travelers.

But for some elite spenders, nothing is too expensive.

Olympic luxury packages are already on sale, offering exclusive access to sporting events along with highly exclusive travel and accommodation experiences. The lucky few who don't mind the expense can expect to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars or more to watch a match at ringside.

For example, a North American family of five traveling to Paris for the Olympics with experiential travel company The GR8 Experience can expect to spend between $250,000 and $380,000, depending on the five-star hotel and luxury rental they choose. It will be.

The six-figure sum includes 11 nights' accommodation, premium seats for the opening ceremony and tickets to sports such as swimming, water polo, diving, beach volleyball, track and field and soccer. You'll also enjoy VIP transportation around Paris and a personal host during your stay in the city.

As the above prices indicate, the sports tourism industry is making huge profits. It will be worth about $588 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow by 17% by 2030. And this year, there is no bigger sporting event than the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“Our clients want direct access to the most popular sporting events: gymnastics, tennis, and basketball, to name three,” Barnabas Carrega, CEO and co-founder of GR8 Experiences, told CNN Travel told. The company is receiving a record number of inquiries from customers, primarily in North America, in the lead up to the two-week event.

Paris' iconic River Seine will be the focal point of the opening ceremony, with organizers replacing the traditional stadium stage with a national water parade. The opening night, as usual, is the most popular. As long as “you can experience it in the most special way possible,” Carrega said.

“Some clients actually come in the day before to look at the setup. [of the Opening Ceremony] It’s a really cool behind-the-scenes experience,” Carrega said.

According to GR8, some customers personally hired Alain Ducasse's riverboat Ducasse-sur-Seine, the first chef to run three three-star Michelin restaurants, for one night only. At the Trocadero, where the parade ends, some will rub shoulders with Olympic executives, heads of state, A-list celebrities and past Olympic champions.

In the itinerary seen by CNN Travel, the experience company is taking advantage of the most exclusive package offered by official hospitality provider On Location for tickets to the Olympic event. These include access to a fully catered hospitality suite where alcohol is also available. Meanwhile, France's strict alcohol ban inside sports venues prevents the general public from purchasing alcohol.

Tour operator Kensington Tours said it has two customers coming to Paris for the first seven nights of the Olympics. They will start their stay by watching the opening ceremony from a vantage point on the Pont d'Alma and seeing the Eiffel Tower rising before their eyes. This official Bridge 360 ​​package has a base price of $10,300 and includes a champagne sink in a brasserie-style environment, live music, and a meet-and-greet with Olympians.

Kensington says the best tickets, Gold 1st Category A, have already been reserved for customers for the tennis and basketball events at prices ranging from $500 to $1,000 each. On days you're not attending an event, you'll be taken for a private whiskey tasting led by the distillery owner.

Angela Ad Tepper of AZA Luxury Travel said her company designed the entire program in Paris specifically for families of financiers who come from Oahu, Hawaii to watch basketball and wrestling. .

“Paris offers plenty of opportunities for luxury travelers to indulge in luxury during the Olympics,” says Adt Tepper. “We created an itinerary that included guided tours of Michelin-starred restaurants, select shopping trips in Paris' fashion district, and private tours to iconic attractions such as the Louvre.”

Similarly, Craft Travel designed a hectic 15-day itinerary for a family of four, including two teenage children, from New York. Among the special experiences is a private concert at the Opéra Garnier, Paris's gilded opera house.

“Performers include dancers from the National Opera and Ballet Company, classical quartets and opera singers. Along with the performance, you'll enjoy a gourmet dinner, followed by a behind-the-scenes tour of the Opera House, including a visit to the costume workshop where all the magic happens,” says Andrea Galvez, director of Craft Travel.

The family's home base in Paris will be La Réserve Apartment, opposite the Trocadéro. “They wanted a prime location and a luxurious environment that was homely but with the services of a five-star hotel, and this is exactly what they are getting,” says Galvez. The apartments will have a full-time attendant and private driver, allowing them to bypass the city's already strained public transportation system.

Palaces and superyachts

To ensure their clients have access to Paris' most prestigious hotels, many luxury travel advisors book accommodations in bulk across the city.

“We contracted blocks of rooms at eight different hotels for the duration of the match. We then made short-term stays available within these blocks for our guests,” said Internova Travel Group of companies. says Dave Guenther, president of sports travel specialist RoadTrips. Among them are Rosewood Hôtel de Crillon, Le Bristol Paris, and Shangri-La Paris.

Those who secure rooms in Paris's top hotels are paying top dollar for the privilege. At Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris, one of France's ultra-luxury “palace” hotels (a title given to exclusive luxury hotels), the 190 square meter (2,045 square foot) Royal Monceau Suite will cost $27,000 a night during the Olympics. is reserved.

And just like the athletes who come to cheer, wealthy tourists also bring their entire entourages to Paris. “Some of the top suites are customized to suit the guest's décor preferences and include a hair and makeup area,” said Nicolas de Gorce, general manager of Le Royal Monceau.

“Regular guests travel with a personal chef, who works with the hotel's culinary team to tailor the in-suite kitchen to their needs.” At the front of the hotel, there is also a designated fleet area for guests only. Masu. “Some people travel in close to 20 cars,” De Gorse added.

With Olympic events being held in other French cities such as Marseille and Nice, and even as far away as French Tahiti, it's no surprise that superyacht chartering is also an Olympic trend.

Fraser Yachts says its French Polynesia-based 33-metre (107-foot) classic yacht Askari has received several inquiries about a surfing event in Te Aupoo, Tahiti.

In the Mediterranean, the Monaco-based yacht brokerage has confirmed the charter of a 27-meter (89-foot) motor yacht in Marseille after the Olympic windsurfing competitions in early August, and has also confirmed the charter of a 27-meter (89-foot) motor yacht from its US fleet. It is also considering deploying it to the Mediterranean. Mediterranean will meet increased demand for charters in the south of France this summer.

Given the host country's choice, many luxury travelers are likely hoping to secure a quota of gold medal-worthy wines to enjoy during their stay in Paris. Clément Boulud and Charles de Brosse, the duo behind Cookoon, a gourmet service that connects customers with Michelin-starred chefs in exclusive, private locations, have been receiving high-end wines and gifts from Olympic visitors. He says he is already seeing high demand for rare wines.

“We've had American professional athletes contact us and say they really like old burgundy,” Blue says. Thanks to their network of services, they have already been able to produce wines such as the nearly 40-year-old Henri Jayer Vosne-Romanée Clos Parentou (a wine that averages about $16,000 a bottle) and another respected Burgundy wine. We are able to procure wine. Estate of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.

The wine will be served at the ultra-luxury private property the two have secured. “We are working with leading chefs and sommeliers to create special evenings in stunning venues overlooking the Champ de Mars,” says Bleu.

However, despite their complex network of connections, there are some requests that even the most well-connected ultra-wealthy concierge cannot guarantee.

“Our clients are interested in having a full behind-the-scenes experience. [US gymnast] “I’m Simone Biles,” explains GR8’s Carnega. “She is very complex because she is focused on winning.

“But we're working on it.”