travel
EXPERIENCE NEEDED
I OBSERVED THAT MY FRIENDS WERE REDIRECTING THEIR TRAVEL PLANS TOWARDS LIFE-ENRICHING EXPERIENCES.” — TREVOR TRAINA 70
Decades ago, the standard in luxury travel was staying in five-star hotels, dining in Michelin-starred restaurants, and perhaps getting a private tour of a museum, led by an art expert. These days, high-end travelers are looking not just to spend a few nights in Paris, but to indulge in once-in-a-lifetime experiences. They may still go to Paris (and even stay at the Four Seasons), but that trip might now include a front-row seat at a Paris fashion show followed by a visit to designer Coco Chanel’s atelier. Celebrity worshippers might prefer to not just attend the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, but also go to one of those buzzed-about private parties with the stars, while thrill-seeking travelers will not pass up a chance to go ballooning over the Napa Valley before sipping wine in its famous vineyards. “I observed that my friends were redirecting their travel plans towards life-enriching experiences,” says Trevor Traina, explaining why he founded Californiabased membership-site ifonly.com three years ago. “So I built a website offering some of the coolest experiences available. I’m always amazed by how broad people’s interests are, and how many people want to do things that enrich their imaginations.” To make his
TOP IMAGE ISTOCK © DIANE DIEDERICH
LUXURY VACATIONS REACH THE NEXT LEVEL. BY BRIAN SCOTT LIPTON