Touching down in a destination via private jet, helicopter or yacht 鈥 or some combination of all three. Sweeping into a five-star hotel via a private entrance 鈥 alias ready, entourage in tow. Checking into a penthouse suite decked out for every desire. Dinner and drinks at the hottest restaurant in town.
This is how celebrities travel the globe: 鈥淪eamlessly, without a stop, without an issue,鈥 as travel agent to the rich and famous Rob DelliBovi puts it.
This ease doesn't happen automatically. It's DelliBovi's job to ensure a 鈥減erfect process鈥 鈥 whether he's coordinating clients' leisure travel, orchestrating a global arena concert tour or moving celebrities from one destination to another as part of a cinema press junket.
DelliBovi manages a small team of 17 expert travel agents at his company, RDB Hospitality. And he has a network of connections across the globe who help facilitate his clients' every need 鈥 no matter how outrageous.
鈥淢ost things are available for a price,鈥 DelliBovi tells CNN Travel.
He's on the go almost 24/7, keeping tabs on his clients' travels, phoning restaurants and hotels, asking for favours, putting out fires 鈥 or ideally, ensuring there are no fires needing to be put out in the first place.
DelliBovi's clients are big names with big demands and big expectations. And there's big money involved 鈥 so anything going wrong is unacceptable.
This can be 鈥渟tressful,鈥 says DelliBovi.
But if you're thinking co-ordinating celebrity travel also sounds fun, glittering, intriguing 鈥 DelliBovi says you're not wrong.
鈥淚t's flashy and it's glamorous,鈥 DelliBovi says. 鈥淚t's a little cooler to deal with clients that you hear about, and read about, and see on TV and listen to at a concert or on the radio every day. It's more interesting than dealing with lawyers, or bankers.鈥
And yes, DelliBovi's non-disclosure-agreement-ridden job comes with 鈥渢ons of perks.鈥
鈥淚t's just fun to be in that world,鈥 DelliBovi says. 鈥淵ou're invited to everyone's concerts. It's filled with perks and makes your day-to-day a little more exciting.鈥
And even when 鈥渃lients mistreat us鈥 or the demands seem too complex, DelliBovi thrives on the thrill of the chase.
鈥淚t's a very, very stressful, high touch, sometimes thankless job, but at the end of the day, when we do things right, it's the best feeling in the world,鈥 he says.
A peek behind the curtain
DelliBovi got his start in the hotel business in the early 2000s, working as an entertainment sales manager for a string of high profile New York City hotels, including the Soho Grand, the Hotel Gansevoort and the Dream Hotel group.
Entertainment sales manager is a job that 鈥渆xists at any high-end lifestyle or luxury hotel company in the world,鈥 DelliBovi explains.
The goal of this role is to attract 鈥渃elebrities, bands, musicians, athletes 鈥 people from any segment of film, television, music, sports鈥 to your hotel. Then, when these VIPs check in, entertainment sales managers are on hand to ensure their hotel experience is top tier.
In return, the hotel reaps the benefits: a famous person snapped in its lobby can put a hotel on the map, upping booking requests from fellow VIP guests, fans and everyone else in between. If the hotel's on everyone's lips, that trickles down to those who're unaware why it even started being talked about in the first place.
Working as a hotel entertainment sales manager, DelliBovi also got a peek behind the curtain, learning what's involved in getting celebrities from point A to point B. And soon a business idea started to percolate.
鈥淚'm dealing with these people every day, face-to-face at these hotels, and if I was representing them, and booking the hotels and flights and restaurants and all that stuff for them, I could do a better job,鈥 DelliBovi thought.
In 2015, after over a decade of entrenching himself in the hotel business and the celebrity circuit, DelliBovi started his bespoke travel agency.
DelliBovi says the business quickly 鈥済rew and grew and grew through word of mouth.鈥
Today, DelliBovi still has a foot in the hotel business as a consultant, but his travel agency has almost 1,000 clients. They're not all celebrities, but 鈥渕ostly high net worth鈥 individuals, with 鈥渉igh demands.鈥 And it's DelliBovi's job to make sure these demands are met as his clients travel across the globe.
Flying private or commercial
Celebrities regularly travel halfway across the world and back again for awards ceremonies, film premieres, concert tours and personal vacations.
Much of this travel takes place via private jet 鈥 a fact that's become a much-discussed topic in recent years, as conversations about the emissions of fuel-guzzling jets ramp up.
Those who defend celebrity private jet use suggest the VIPs of the world couldn't travel commercially for safety reasons.
But it's absolutely possible for famous people to fly on commercial planes undercover, says DelliBovi 鈥 and many do. Airports have greeter services, VIP areas and tightly run procedures for handling celebrities' transit.
鈥淐elebrities don't need to be in the regular waiting area,鈥 says DelliBovi. 鈥淕reeters can take them from the lounge or from the VIP area to the plane.鈥
Famous faces will usually board long after economy passengers are seated 鈥 in fact, they're usually not on board until 鈥渞ight before the plane takes off.鈥 At that point, the First Class passengers they'll be sharing a cabin with have also stopped surveying their fellow travellers. And during the flight itself, VIPs are unlikely to be noticed 鈥 upper class plane cabins, with their secluded suites, are designed with privacy in mind.
Plus, the celebrity travelling with Singapore Airlines or British Airways isn't going to resemble their Instagram posts or red-carpet appearances. DelliBovi insists 鈥測ou wouldn't notice them鈥 and says they'll be kitted out with 鈥渟unglasses, hats and stuff like that.鈥
But while big names can travel commercially incognito, DelliBovi says one of the main reasons celebrities fly via private is because 鈥渢hey don't want to be seen鈥 鈥 and private travel offers that guarantee.
He says the private jet experience also comes with a certain hard-to-replicate ease 鈥 鈥淵ou can take off and land whenever you want, there's less TSA and there's no crowds.鈥
As a result, DelliBovi says 鈥渢he majority of the big A-listers are all flying private鈥 鈥 although he notes there are exceptions.
鈥淧eople you'd expect to definitely use a private jet are sometimes in economy plus on Delta, whereas others, where you're like 'That person can afford a private jet?' have to be on a private jet every flight.鈥
Once the flight lands, DelliBovi's team will have car transfers waiting. If needed, police escorts and helicopters can be arranged.
For VIPs, there's no waiting around for cars stuck in traffic, or taxis that don't show.
鈥淭he car is out ready on the Tarmac. The talent gets out of the jet, gets into the car, the car is going to the hotel,鈥 says DelliBovi.
Hotel 101
So what hotel is the car heading to?
It all depends on the celebrity and their preferences 鈥 DelliBovi has an encyclopedic knowledge of the world's best hotels and if clients ask for recommendations, he'll offer them up 鈥 but more often than not, he simply accommodates their requests.
鈥淲e're 100% reactive,鈥 he says. 鈥淧eople call us and say, 'This is what we want. And we make it happen.鈥
Plus, when it comes to booking accommodation, 鈥渢here's no real rhyme and reason as to who wants what, and where everyone goes,鈥 according to DelliBovi.
鈥淭here's some guests we have that are wildly famous, who are like, 'The Hilton is fine.' And then we have some people that are not that famous, who are like, 'if I'm not in the penthouse of the Four Seasons, I'm not even talking to you.'鈥
In general, the elite, glitzy hotel brands 鈥 think the Four Seasons, the Ritz, the Mandarin Oriental, the Peninsula 鈥 are always on celebrities' radars.
But independent, boutique hotels are also appealing 鈥 they often have a more distinctive feel (think local art, striking decor) but they're also compact.
鈥淭hey're literally smaller, so they are easier to control,鈥 says DelliBovi. 鈥淭here's a new hotel in London called the Broadwick, which is really good for celebs.鈥
The Broadwick Soho has just 57 rooms, which is part of the appeal for famous faces, according to DelliBovi.
鈥淲e could buy that whole hotel out,鈥 explains DelliBovi. 鈥淎nd then we own the hotel, there's no one else that can come and see us or anything.鈥
Regardless of the size and the scale of a hotel, if they're a 4- or 5-star establishment DelliBovi says they usually 鈥渉ave infrastructure to protect their huge name guests.鈥
Think private entrances, private parking garages and private elevators that deliver guests straight to their suite. Other hotel guests spend their whole stay unaware this infrastructure exists.
Hotels also cater for celebrities in other ways. Take movie press junkets, for example, when actors sit in situ for hours at a time while journalists rotate in and out of the room to ask questions. These events often take place in four and five-star hotels.
High end hotels want that business, says DelliBovi, and they're prepared to accommodate it.
鈥淭hey build a floor that's all wired with all the power and all the lighting and everything that's needed for press junkets when the hotel is going up,鈥 he says. 鈥淚t's a big asset to have these big assets.鈥
And in case you were wondering, celebrities checking into hotels with aliases isn't just an urban myth. While some don't bother (鈥渟ome A-listers are like, 'Put it under my real name and I'll walk through the lobby, I don't care,'鈥 says DelliBovi) fake names are generally common practice for security reasons.
DelliBovi says if fans know a certain name is in town 鈥 whether it's to attend an event, to perform a gig, to play a game 鈥 they might ring around hotels weeks in advance, hoping for tidbits of information.
So how does DelliBovi keep track of his clients' various aliases? There are internal databases, he explains, and his team communicates with celebrity management via WhatsApp.
For music tours, confirming aliases is part of the far-reaching, intricate pre-tour discussion 鈥 aliases will likely be used for cars and jet bookings too.
Bizarre requests
Once a hotel's been booked, DelliBovi's team works with management to ensure the chosen room's kitted out with everything the celebrity needs.
鈥淓verybody has their type of bottle of water, which is really funny,鈥 says DelliBovi. 鈥淭o me, there's no difference between all the bottles of water, but what do I know?鈥
Temperature is also often a conversation 鈥 from the temperature of the room, temperature of the bath and shower water.
And sometimes requests verge into more surreal territory. DelliBovi recently made headlines when he appeared on his friend and revealed a former client used to request a 鈥渕edium-sized dog鈥 be ready and waiting in every hotel room.
This was a 鈥渇un, harmless thing 鈥 the guy played with a dog for two hours,鈥 says DelliBovi. Still, it was often complex to orchestrate. DelliBovi's team had to find an appropriately sized, appropriately behaved dog at every destination. They'd usually start with the hotel staff, offering dog owners payment, or concert tickets, in return.
On the less wholesome end of the spectrum, DelliBovi gets asked for 鈥渁 lot of illegal things.鈥
鈥淚'm just too scared about getting involved in that stuff,鈥 he says.
But any client request 鈥渨ithin the realm of legality鈥, DelliBovi will work to make a reality. And after all these years he's 鈥渋mmune to the absurdity.鈥
He's been told 鈥渃heese is my favourite food鈥 and asked to 鈥渃reate a three-foot long cheese board.鈥 He's separated many packets of M&Ms by colour, a common request from musicians (鈥淭hat's one that's kind of passed down through many acts,鈥 he says. 鈥淪ome might argue they do it to mess with us.鈥)
One client who 鈥渄oesn't like to pack clothing鈥 asks 鈥渇or new underwear and socks and shirts and everything鈥 to be waiting for them in each hotel room.
鈥淣ew clothes are being bought in every city,鈥 explains DelliBovi.
DelliBovi also gets clients front-row seats at sports games. He ensnares reservations at restaurants that are booked up weeks in advance 鈥 think the Polo Bar and Carbone in New York City, for example, or Dishoom and the Chiltern Firehouse in London.
Sometimes celebrities want to go to a restaurant to be seen, other times they want 鈥渁 little corner table, so nobody can see them.鈥
Whatever the request, DelliBovi phones managers, publicists and local experts, and barters with them, 鈥済iving a little to get a little.鈥 He'll offer to send clients to a restaurant during a slow period if they can secure him an impossible-to-book table on a Saturday night.
In some cases, his request is met with an automatic yes.
鈥淲e have enormous 'A-list' names that if you call and say who it is, you're going to get the reservation 鈥 they want that person at their restaurant,鈥 says DelliBovi.
You may assume celebrity meals and drinks will be comped, but DelliBovi says the belief that famous people 鈥渘ever want to pay and get it all for free鈥 is a myth.
鈥淭hese people are spending enormous money,鈥 he says, adding large tips are often involved too.
But even with big price points on the table, sometimes ensuring a reservation just isn't possible 鈥 if the restaurant is booked out for a private event, for example, there's nothing DelliBovi can do.
That's where his network of experts across the globe is essential.
鈥淚 don't know what's going on in Melbourne, Australia 鈥 I've been there, but I don't know the market. But we have people on the ground there,鈥 says DelliBovi.
These 鈥減eople on the ground鈥 will be fellow travel agents, hotel concierges, celebrity publicists, restaurant managers.
And sometimes these connections help DelliBovi out in a tit-for-tat kind of way 鈥 they know he'll have their back on another occasion. Other times he's offering up concert tickets or movie premiere invites in return for their assistance.
Other restaurant reservation options secured, DelliBovi presents the alternatives to his client.
鈥淚n most cases people are like, 'Oh, great 鈥 somewhere equally as cool and as exclusive, let's do that instead,'鈥 he says.
But some celebrities don't handle 鈥渘o鈥 well.
鈥淲e do have a few clients that kind of go bananas when things don't go their way,鈥 he shrugs. 鈥淏ut, you know, that's showbiz.鈥
Going wrong
Another travel agent, Erica Wilkinson, who once worked as part of a team handling travel for a celebrity tech entrepreneur, also spoke to CNN Travel about her work.
When asked about what happens when things go wrong that are outside of an agent's control 鈥 Wilkinson cited the scene in 2004 movie 鈥淭he Devil Wears Prada鈥 where imposing big-name magazine editor Miranda Priestly, played by Meryl Streep, is trying to fly home in a hurricane.
鈥淗er assistant is like, 'It's a hurricane, we can't get out.' And she's like, 'It's a sprinkle, it's a little bit of moisture in the air,'鈥 recalls Wilkinson.
This, Wilkinson tells CNN Travel, is an accurate portrayal of how some VIP clients view travel issues 鈥 they will not accept any excuses, even inclement weather.
This can be frustrating, but sometimes it's these moments 鈥 not the big glitzy gets or the bizarre requests fulfilled 鈥 when celebrities most appreciate their travel agents.
鈥淵ou never have to wait on hold with an airline for three hours,鈥 says Wilkinson. 鈥淭hat's my job. And I usually don't have to wait on hold for three hours, most of the time, as well 鈥 because I have access to these back-end lines.鈥
DelliBovi echoes this.
鈥淧eople always say that every mistake is an opportunity. But it's literally, for us an opportunity to showcase,鈥 he says 鈥 saying that 99 times out of 100, he'll fix a cancelled flight 鈥渋n two seconds on our system, put them on another flight.鈥
People appreciate when everything goes smoothly, he says, 鈥渂ut the value isn't thrown in their face until something goes wrong.鈥
And as an agent, he enjoys fitting together complicated puzzle pieces, ensuring things go smoothly, against the odds.
Sure, there are difficult characters, but on the whole DelliBovi says it's 鈥渇un鈥 to make the impossible possible for the 1%.
鈥淚t's a pleasure to take care of these people and make sure that they're living their best life on the road,鈥 he says.
