“Are you throwing down the gauntlet? Are you daring to challenge Bluefish?” declares Steve Sims, ceo of the concierge service to the stars, millionaires and most discriminating clientele. Well, yes that’s the idea, I found myself blurting out, somewhat meekly responding to his booming voice. There’s a pause down the phone to Palm Beach, Florida, where the headquarters is located – Bluefish grew so big in the last few years, Sims was compelled to open another office in London and it currently has over 2,000 staffers worldwide. I could imagine him musing over the situation, turning it over and over in his mind, flipping it on its head, as I wait for a his answer, “You’re on!” he says with childlike excitement. We both laugh a little. With our gloves now off, respective positions were taken. There was too much at stake: his reputation and this feature.
The challenge was quite simple: to create a one week, 20,000 USD new age itinerary for the fabricated Saleh family in some of the more traditional countries in the region: Algeria, Yemen, Oman and Jordan. Dubai would have been too easy and Beirut was a usual suspect. By new age we meant: ground-breaking, off-the-beaten-track, progressive, alternative eclectic and modern. And in an attempt to put a spanner in the works, the Saleh family members had very little in common with each other, except for the love of travel and exploration. Bluefish only had a week to come up with the goods and the sands in the hourglass were beginning to make their way through the narrow tube and into the bottom bulb. The heat was on.
Bluefish is not your regular concierge service, at the ready to pick up your laundry, get you on the list for the latest Hermès bag or fly your poodle half way across the world because you happen to miss it. The company organises customised travel, events, transport and the more adventurous experiences. The brainchild of the Irish-born Sims, the company launched in the early 1990s when the entrepreneur realised he could make money out of getting people into the hottest parties, Michelin-rated restaurants and over-booked luxury hotels. “When people call us up,” says Jillian Vann, a senior representative at the company who handled our request, “They look for what no on can provide – and that’s no sales pitch. There are plenty of companies out there willing to do your dry cleaning, but how many can boast the ability to have you lunch with royalty and then party with a rock star.”
You could say that Sims always had a knack for entertainment. A high-school dropout (at 14-years-old), he worked for his father’s construction firm before going to technological college and then on to the financial-service division of American Express, before being hired as a runner for a London stockbroker. However, Sims’ natural flair for incorporating business with people’s sense of fun was piqued after he was given a banking position in Hong Kong. He proceeded to gain and keep clients by offering complementary passes to exclusive parties; all they had to do was offer up a silly code at the door, of which bluefish was one. The concierge service was born when Sims moved to Florida and his former clients kept requesting he hook them up with exclusive tickets and bookings.
What the company essentially does is cater to the whims and wants of the likes of Pamela Anderson, Steve Tyler and The Sopranos patriarch James Gandolfini. And such services don’t come cheap. Wanting to make her husband’s dream come true, the wife of a computer executive called Sims up and asked him to organize a one week James Bond experience for her dearly beloved. The exec was summarily picked up, flown to Monaco where he stayed in a hotel and spent a week being kidnapped in Saint Tropez by a sexy Bond girl and then rescued by American Navy Seal. All this for the neat little sum of 500,000 USD. How do they do it? “Bluefish has within its extensive network a slew of contacts we have worked with in the past to provide a particular type of itinerary. We begin every request by returning to those who have already proved an exemplary service. In the unlikely scenario that a contact is not available for the particular event, we first seek recommendations from those we know and trust. And as a last resort, we start fresh and make an educated decision on coming together with a new supplier,” explains Vann.
Consequently, a new age trip in the Middle East should be a walk in the park?
According to the Vann, the only difficulty was that the Saleh family was a Bespoke concoction, making it difficult for a ‘travel-stylist’ to get a real feel of the clients involved. “It’s vital to gather impressions of the people you are working to please. To an attentive listener, details such as the syntax of a person’s sentences and the choice of and repetition of some words helps gain a well-rounded understanding of not only the person, but also their expectations of your itinerary,” she says.
When I received the itinerary, it looked impressive enough for me to hop on a plane and head across to Yemen (see programme in box). The journey includes activities like dance and music lessons in Yemen, informative tours such as a Bedouin escapade in Oman and some much-needed rest and relaxation at the Mövenpick Hotel and Resort by Jordan’s Dead Sea. But, hold on, where’s Algeria?
“We had a problem with Algeria because in doing our research of this country, we became increasingly aware of conflict and military presence there. And we were apprehensive as to whether tourists would really want to go there. Often, when clients make their requests, they are not entirely aware of the conditions. They come to us for help. Period. It is our moral obligation to outline the bad as well as the good. Their trip will be made all the better for it,’ clarifies Vann. Now, what if I ask them to create an experience of GI Jane in the North African country? Maybe that would work just fine.
Contact
Bluefish Concierge
Palm Beach, Florida, USA
Tel + 1 866 270 3879
HYPERLINK "http://www.thebluefish.com" www.thebluefish.com
Bluefish New Age Family Adventure (*)
DAY ONE: Arrive in Sanaa, Yemen.
After a long flight, you deserve a day of rest! Explore the medieval town of San’a, awash with palaces, mosques and quaint little bazaars, in the afternoon. Be sure to pick up your traditional garb – a great way to begin experiencing the culture first hand! Typical clothing for Yemeni men includes stripped kilts, called futa, with a skull-cap or turban covering the head. Women wear elaborate robes and shawls.
Accommodation: Taj Sheba Hotel
DAY TWO: See Yemen as the locals do!
At the local studio, try your hand at a slew of traditional Middle Eastern musical instruments and take dance lessons with a renowned instructor. Lunch at a local hotspot for authentic Middle Eastern cuisine before sitting with local artists for your elaborate Henna tattoo. This tradition is often used in rites of passage and a fantastic way to be welcomed into the Arab culture.
DAY THREE: Flight to Oman.
Explore Muscat, Oman. Available activities include golf, ice skating, an automobile club, shopping and museums. Within the hotel, guests can enjoy the pool and lazy river, play tennis and use the gymnasium. Dine at the Tuscany Restaurant – an excellent seasonal menu featuring food from varying regions of Italy and the Mediterranean prepared on the wood burning oven.
Accommodation: Hyatt Hotel
DAY FOUR: Life as a Bedouin!
Explore: Quriyat, a sandy plain on the eastern coast overlooking the Hajar Mountains. Bait Al Afreet, a giant sinkhole in Dibab to swim in the clear turquoise waters. Ferry to Wadi Shab, “gorge between the cliffs,” for breathtaking views. Pass through the village of Tiwi and continue down the coast to Qalhat. Lunch in Sur and walk the labyrinth streets, the fishing dhows still built by traditional designs. Visit a Bedouin family for an intimate insight into their lifestyle. Take an optional camel ride with a Bedouin or take a thrill ride through the dunes to watch the sun set over the land. Track your trip with your handheld GPS system!
Accommodation: Bedouin Camp
DAY FIVE: Life as a Bedouin!
Breakfast at the camp. Depart for lively Sinaw Souq, the main meeting place for the Bedouins. Watch as camels, goats and calves are auctioned off and bartered for. Shop! Take in the imposing 17th century fort built by Imam Sultan bin Saif Al Yar’ubi. Buffet lunch at the Falaj Daris Hotel and visit Bahla, famous for its Pottery Centre. Study Jabrin Fort’s ornate display of 17th century ceiling paintings and woodcarvings. End your tour at the picturesque village of Misfah Al Abreen, perched halfway up the mountainside. Return to Muscat.
Accommodation: Hyatt Hotel
DAY SIX: Flight to Amman. Transfer to Dead Sea.
Enticing to those who favour good health and happy families, Jordan’s Dead Sea offers the most spectacular natural and spiritual landscapes in the world! At 410 metres below sea level, it is the lowest place in the world. The main attraction, of course, is the soothing and abnormally salty water itself – where even non swimmers float with ease. A trip to the Dead Sea is not complete without a trip to their world-class spas! Studies have found shown that the combination of the Dead Sea water and the rich black mud found along the shoreline to have significant health benefits, including increasing circulation and easing any discomfort from arthritis as well as healing allergies and revitalizing skin. A great way to wind down after your time in the Desert!
Accommodation: Mövenpick Hotel and Resort.
DAY SEVEN: Hammama Ma’in (Ma’in Hot Springs).
Desert oasis! Thousands of visiting bathers come each year to enjoy the mineral rich waters of these hyper-thermal waterfalls, heated by underground lava fissures.
Accommodation: Mövenpick Hotel and Resort.
DAY EIGHT: Return flight home.
(*) Itinerary available from Bluefish.
