PHILLIPE KJELLGREN US7 :5nov 25/6/09 08:43 Page 84
there,” says Kjellgren, recounting some of his for a few couples and just hang out. Sometimes else has been. It’s more adventurous in a sense,
greatest hits. “I stayed in a hotel in Amman we do things like go diving, but then, unfortu- but there are only so many times you can rein-
where you can arrive by car, boat, or paraglide, so nately, it makes more sense for me to stay in a vent the wheel. Richard Branson’s Virgin Galac-
of course I opted to paraglide in.” hotel where I can get everything set up.” tic is kind of the end of that, there’s not much
The trends in luxury travel have clearly Some of the simple pleasures he indulges in more extreme that you can invent.”
moved away from places that are overdeveloped, are good food and drink; his tastes run from the And sometimes, extreme doesn’t have to be
but even then Kjellgren is hesitant to dismiss simple to the most upscale. “My favorite cham- extreme in its conventional sense; in an in-
anyplace outright. As he discusses the advan- pagne is Krug, I love Krug; I think the bottle is so creasingly planned and sanitized world, some-
tages of numerous different sorts of vacations, foxy. I love the taste, and I love the design, that times the most exciting trip is simply to step as
Kjellgren demonstrates one of the distinguishing long slim neck… it’s very sexy. I like things that far as possible outside your own boundaries. For
characteristics of the most seasoned, cultured are a bit different.” Ever the cultural nomad, he example, he says, “I stayed in a traditional
travelers. He recognizes that people exist along a still maintains, “I try to drink Absolut vodka be- ryokan in Japan, and the experience was all
continuum of pleasure, with those who are not cause I’m Swedish; “absolute” is a big word in about being somewhere historic, having a really
used to luxury appreciating even the smallest bit Sweden, we use it a lot, and I like to help build authentic experience – a cultural safari.”
on one end and people like Kjellgren on the “If I wasn’t working here I would still be
other: someone who has lived with luxury for so
“If I wasn’t working
doing this, but just for fun. I book myself into 10
long that they have comparable perspective on
here I would still be
different hotels on my own trips, just because I
the small things – Kjellgren appreciates how dif- like to see them; I rent a car and drive up and
ferently he experiences things from other people.
doing this, but just for
down every street looking for the best little
He talks about travel to Western Europe: restaurants and bars and shops.” He expects
fun. I book myself into 10
“Some places in Europe live a little too much to travel about 150 to 200 days this year, with
on their history, I am thinking specifically of
different hotels on
upcoming trips to Buenos Aires & Sao Paulo,
Rome. It’s not as interesting to me, but it’s a
my own trips
the Maldives, Turks & Caicos, then back to
, just
matter of taste. For someone who has never Europe. He is most excited about the new de-
been to Rome, I would say you have to go to because I like to see them” velopments in Buenos Aires & Maldives –
Rome, but I don’t feel the need to go back they are locations drawing people from a vari-
every year. Same with the Louvre, it’s a mu- the brand. I generally prefer European wines to ety of places, making them ripe for develop-
seum, but unless you really love museums North American wines, but there are great things ment, and therefore ripe for visitation and
there’s no reason to see it more than once.” all over.” He also admits to a weakness for review by cultural arbiters like Kjellgren. He
Similarly, not every worthwhile experience clothes stemming back to his days in the fashion says of his own expertise, “I have been blessed
has to be a luxury experience, since as he industry; he keeps in touch with his old contacts with a huge range of experiences. I can actu-
says, “I enjoy a five-dollar meal in a tiny and will sometimes wear clothes from his former ally judge and look at details that most people
neighborhood place or a cold drink in a local clients, but now he branches out; as he jokes, would never notice. I’ve lived on four conti-
bar as much as a 3-star Michelin restaurant; “When I worked in fashion I spent all my money nents, been so many places, I can appreciate
it’s all about the experience.” on travel; now that I work in travel I spend all my things for what they are – I really enjoy so
So how does Philippe Kjellgren vacation? money on clothes.” many little things.” And after so many years
The same way most people spend most of their As trends in travel continue to grow ever working around the hospitality industry, he has
time – at home with friends. “I have a very more personalized and exotic, Kjellgren feels enough ideas that he anticipates creating
rustic summer home just outside of Stockholm the next big thing in extreme vacations will be something great of his own design. “In the end,
in the inner archipelago. My vacation is I try really far-flung destinations. “People will want I’d like to start a resort on Madagascar, where
not to stay in a hotel. We see friends, I do work hotels in the Himalayas, in Bhutan, places that I used to live, it hasn’t been too developed yet
on the house, repair the deck, have people are very hard to reach. I sit around the table at but it’s a beautiful place. I would live on a lit-
over to cook dinner and have wine. It’s all about so many dinners with so many rich people, and tle island off the coast of Madagascar, and
quality time with friends. One year we rented a it’s all about bragging rights for being somewhere hopefully all my friends would come visit me.”
sailboat in the Barrier Reef, or we’ll rent a house first. Everyone wants to go somewhere no one Philippe, I’m there. square6
84 100 Thousand Club
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149