Joshua Hebert, the CEO and founder of Magellan Jets, is well-versed in flying high. A former Wall Street exec, Hebert now pilots the Quincy-based private jet travel service, which recently unveiled its new Build-A-Card program. “We looked at technology in the automotive industry, specifically Mercedes, and saw how you can customize and build your car online,” Hebert says. “In our business, no one has been able to customize a jet card with an online portal. The only way to do it was to call into the office and negotiate, but in most cases the high-end consumer did not know what options they had.” (To have those problems, right?)
On why people fly private: “One reason people use private aviation is to get to numerous airports in one day and back home in time for dinner. Another concern is needing an air ambulance. When someone gets hurt in Aspen or cuts their leg on coral in Fiji, they want to know they have safe transportation to get them to help. We also transport clients who enjoy a cigar or smoking while traveling, which you cannot do commercially.”
On famous clients: “One of the world’s top pop stars is one of our most loyal customers. We won her loyalty by actually declining a trip for her during her tour. The flight she had scheduled was going to be flown by a flight crew who did not meet our safety standards. We told her we didn’t feel comfortable booking the jet for her, but we could find one with the correct safety markings a few hours later…. At first her team was furious with us, but a few hours later realized we had her best interests, and safety, in mind.”
On perks, perks, perks: “Pulling your car directly up to the plane, having your pilots take your luggage as you walk on the Magellan Jets red carpet, being greeted by your flight attendant with Champagne, and juices for your kids, catering from your favorite local restaurant—for instance, we flew someone out of New York last week, and they wanted Carnegie Deli sandwiches. We also had a customer who wanted French food from Gaslight Brasserie in Boston.”
On furry passengers: “A lot of clients don’t want their four-legged family members traveling in a cargo hold on commercial airlines, so we transport passengers and pets all the time…. There was also a time we flew a dog from New York to Hawaii all by itself. Lucky pup.”
Magellan Jets, magellanjets.com
Guides to the Good Life
By Improper Staff Nov. 6, 2014
How does the other half live? With professional help, of course. So we tapped some of the experts who create indulgent experiences for pro tips, behind-the-scenes stories and their personal definitions of luxury.
Hit the Jackpot
Lyndon Stockton has plenty of experience with high rollers, having worked in Atlantic City and the Bahamas, where he helped open Atlantis Resorts’ Royal Towers and the Cove. Now as vice president of casino marketing at Mohegan Sun, which offers amenities like 24-hour butlers and complimentary rounds of golf, he aims to make all guests feel like they’ve won big.
On door-to-door service: “We have guests that come here that cannot land their jet at Groton’s private aviation FBO because the runway is too small. So they land their jet at a private FBO at Hartford, and we have a Sikorsky helicopter pick them up and land them at our helipad, which is located at the entrance of our main casino. No one in the world can offer that kind of experience to a guest, only Mohegan Sun. I refer to us as the Beast of the East.”
On catering to every whim, day and night: “We’re the only casino that I know of in the country that has a private gaming room adjacent to the number-one suite product that we have within our hotel. Someone can wake up at 3 o’clock in the morning and have a propensity to want to wager high, and all they have to do is walk out of the double doors from the best suite we have here and walk five feet, and they can enter a private gaming room.”
On meeting a real VIP: “The most memorable moment was receiving a call from the White House and personally coordinating all aspects of first lady Michelle Obama’s visit with her children and watching the Beyoncé concert with them. It was something I will never forget—not only meeting them, but how wonderful and down to earth they are.”
On his idea of luxury: “I enjoy playing golf.… But from a dining experience, going to Jean-Georges at 1 Central Park West and having a great dinner.”
Mohegan Sun, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville, Conn. (888-226-7711) mohegansun.com
By Improper Staff | Photo Credit: Joe Greene
Savor Some Rare Scotch
In addition to crafting menus and training staff, Boston Nightlife Ventures beverage director
Michael Boughton heads up the Scotch Club at Wink & Nod, alongside bar manager Brian Mäntz. Twenty dollars gets you a members-only coin and access to exclusive bottles, special events and talks with brand reps, and there’s even an overseas trip to a distillery in the works. The club’s ranks are currently full, but you can join the wait list—and Boughton gave us a taste in the meantime.
On his top-shelf stuff: “We’re featuring rare bottles in the sense that nobody else has them on the shelf…. There are some really nice Ardbegs that are currently available but not fully showcased, [and] there are some nice Highland Park scotches that are not really seen at many other places. Every single distillery has some form of limited release or special product that’s not really a day-to-day sell for them that we like to take advantage of and have fun with.”
On advice for the novice: “I would recommend something a little lighter [that’s] more approachable. Start off with blended scotches, even well-known names like Johnnie Walker or Chivas. Beyond that, single malts, which are highly coveted of the scotches, are what are used in those blends. It’s nice to take a blended scotch and appreciate that for what it is, and then taste the single malt and deconstruct it to find why it tastes that way.”
On stocking a home bar: “For a good representation of a nice Islay scotch—you know, smokier and peatier-style stuff—I would say Ardbeg. As for Highland, Macallan is always a great pour. [And] If you’re looking for a good blend, Monkey Shoulder is really smooth, really well-rounded.”
Wink & Nod, 3 Appleton St., Boston (617-482-0117) winkandnod.com
By Improper Staff
Find the Perfect Fit
After working at Chanel and Valentino, where clients relied on her for round-the-clock fashion advice, Ali Ehrlich left the corporate retail world to start styling solo. Now with her service Right Up Your Ali, this Boston-based personal stylist (and owner of a cat named Jimmy Chew) runs the gamut from closet organizing to wardrobe makeovers. And though she once arrived at an appointment via a client’s private jet, she’s just as comfortable shopping the outlet sales. “It makes people feel good about themselves,” she says. “That’s what I love.”
On her youngest client, age 12: “She’d be in the fitting room crying…so the mother was like, ‘Could you help her?’… It was such an ego-boosting experience for her, and it made me feel great. And it wasn’t necessarily luxury. I took her to Abercrombie and Aeropostale and all these places in the mall, but to her she felt like a million bucks.”
On the importance of closet organization: “It’s more time-effective and cost-effective for them if I already know what’s in their wardrobe, because I’m not going to lead them to yet another pair of black pants if they have 10 in there…. And a lot of the times there’s Champagne or wine involved—we make it fun.”
On ignoring fashion rules: “If it’s quality and still in style and fits you, maybe it might need a shoulder pad removed or something, but I don’t believe in getting rid of something just because it’s old.”
On her idea of luxury: “It all depends on where your mindset is at that time. It can be a broken-in pair of jeans; it can be a Birkin bag.”
Right Up Your Ali, rightupyourali.com
By Improper Staff | Photo Credit: Peter Pierce
Mark an Extra-Special Occasion
As the Four Seasons’ catering manager for almost a decade, Robyn Yee knows a thing or two about crafting elegant events. Yee’s job is all about making sure special occasions meet her clients’ expectations—no matter how lofty they may be. Her favorite part of the gig? “Few people get to see someone’s dream moments come true right before their eyes,” she says. She does.
On lavish affairs: “Whether it’s over-the-top flower arrangements draping every surface of our ballroom and corridors, or a six-course tasting menu for 150 people in [event space] Aujourd’hui, I always leave every event wondering how the next client will top the last—and they always do. One of the most memorable events saw our ballroom transformed into a 1960s diner, complete with checkered black-and-white floor, retro furniture and celebrity entertainers.”
On extravagant requests: “Everyone in the luxury hospitality business has stories about challenging requests. Some are seemingly simple, like finding goat’s milk for a small child with special dietary needs, while others might involve our entire staff, as we literally rolled out a red carpet for a single guest to access the elevator in VIP style.”
On the little details: “It sounds cliche, but our staff has an amazing way of making every guest that comes to the hotel feel special. During a wedding, a mother of the bride mentioned her feet hurt from the shoes she was wearing. Moments later she noticed a pair of slippers under her chair. The server had gone to housekeeping to retrieve the slippers so the mother of the bride was more comfortable.”
On her dream soiree, if money was no object: “My dream event would be in Spain surrounded by my closest friends and family. I picture a long wooden table in the middle of gorgeous villa, covered in traditional Spanish tapas, with lots of dancing throughout the evening. Sometimes less is more.”
On throwing an elegant event on a budget: “Going with my philosophy that less is more, candles can have a huge visual impact and undeniably set the tone for a romantic evening. Substituting a lavish floral arrangement with a simple display of candles and a few bud vases can minimize the decor cost and still have precisely the effect needed. Substitute a variety of exquisite miniature desserts for a larger wedding cake—it saves money and gives your guests options. It’s a win/win.”
Four Seasons, 200 Boylston St., Boston (617-338-4400) fourseasons.com/boston
By Improper Staff | Photo Credit: Nick Minieri
Eat Like an Epicure
Anya Zelfond has spent the past decade dealing in decadence at Gourmet Boutique, her Copley Square shop stocked from floor to ceiling with Caspian and American caviar, duck foie gras and single-origin chocolates. Her goal? “To inspire our customers to pause for a moment… to enjoy a piece of attainable luxury that gives your mind a moment of peace and pure pleasure.” Like the 23k gold flakes she carries to gussy up martinis or champagne, this purveyor is all about the luxe touch.
On enjoying caviar: “Using proper utensils—such as mother-of-pearl spoons and caviar servers on ice—is essential. Eating caviar out of a jar right out of the fridge is also OK as long as it’s not with metal utensils. Traditionally, you place a dollop of caviar on the top side of your hand, where the thumb meets the index finger, and taste the delicacy before combining it with blinis and crème fraîche and all the accoutrements found on menus of fine restaurants.”
On identifying the good stuff: “I cheat before I taste chocolates—I smell them. If you sense, like, really sweet notes or vanilla, that’s usually chocolatiers trying to cover up for something underneath. It’s a cheaper way.”
On her idea of luxury: “One of my favorite daily moments of indulgence is sharing a single-origin piece of dark chocolate—be it a filled bonbon or piece of chocolate made by a master chocolatier—with my daughter. This pause on life, this shared moment of indulgence, for me feels like the ultimate decadence.”
Gourmet Boutique, Westin Copley Hotel, 10 Huntington Ave., Boston (617-266-2906) gourmetboutique.net
By Improper Staff
Light a Cigar
Stephen Willett still remembers the Cuban cigar he had on Christmas Eve with his father many years ago. It was a Montecristo No. 2, and he got up from his chair dizzy with a “good buzz.” Aficionados like him have kept L.J. Peretti Co. in the cigar and pipe business for 144 years. “We get guys from age 18 to 90,” says Willett, who got his start there as a graduate student in 1970, returned to the biz about 20 years ago, and is now the president of Peretti’s, which still makes hundreds of handcrafted pipes each year.
On matchmaking for his customers: “You can come in and try any type of tobacco that’s open. There’s probably 100 of them open, and you can sit in the back room, smoke it, and if you don’t like it you can dump it out and try something else until we ascertain what your tastes are.… In terms of a cigar, we try to start people out on lower-end cigars because I don’t want a customer to feel like he’s been jammed up when he leaves. It’s my job to find good $5, $6 cigars, not just good $15 or $20 cigars for my customers.”
On whether Cuban cigars are worth it: “When a Cuban cigar is right, it is like no other cigar in terms of taste and strength. The problem is the best Cuban rollers have left Cuba and work for companies in the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua now. The second part of the problem is the ones you get now are not consistent. You might buy a box of 25 cigars and have 10 of them plugged…. There are many cigars that taste just as good if not better than Cubans. Guys who have to have Cubans, it’s all about cachet. When I’m in Europe, I have a couple, but I’ve never had any that were that extraordinary that I thought I should get a box. When guys come to me and say they smoke Cubans, I give them a Fuente Don Carlos, a Casa Cuba, a stronger Davidoff.”
On his personal tastes: “I’m more into pipes than cigars. I have more than 800 pipes personally, and about 600 of them were made by us, so I’m partial to those.”
L.J. Peretti Co., 2 1/2 Park Sq., Boston (617-482-0218) ljperetti.com
By Improper Staff | Photo Credit: Barry Halkin
Add Wow to the Walls
“It’s not like picking a phone system; it’s a really intimate relationship,” says Elizabeth Erdreich-White, who’s developed art programs for clients from Merrill Lynch and Fidelity Investments to Aerosmith and Boston Ballet. But don’t think the owner of Erdreich White Fine Art spends her whole day with bigwigs in boardrooms. “People might be surprised with the amount of time I spend in construction sites wearing a hard hat,” she says. “Then the next thing you know, you’re in this really formal office in New York City. Or I’m at my gallery moving paintings or in an artist’s studio.” She took time out of one of those peripatetic days to school us on the art market.
On her favorite clientele: “It’s really the clients that get so engaged and excited that they really open themselves up to this exploration that enable us to excel…. A couple of years ago, we had a large corporate headquarters of a company whose entire space was idyllic landscapes, nauticals. They’re OK, but they’re fairly pedestrian. They went all out and really pushed themselves. We put in video art. We put in monumental sculpture—all abstract. We put in things made of metal and things made of wood. They’re pieces that you could see in a museum; they’re really spectacular. And they had the best time.”
On the biggest mistake buyers make: “There is one thing that I seem to see over and over, and that’s people who buy something because it’s cheap. It’s always what they get rid of. It’s fascinating. I’m working with a client right now whom I’ve worked with for about 20 years. They’re moving from 16 floors to a whole new office tower, so we’re re-evaluating 800 pieces of art and planning for all the new art. And all the pieces they bought because they felt the need to fill space, everything they bought cheap, people have tossed.”
On advice for art newbies: “A really good entry point for young or new buyers are the school art sales. A lot of cities don’t have good art schools, but Boston has the SMFA sale, the MassArt sale; RISD does a sale. Those are opportunities where you’re seeing artists that are on the trajectory to be the next well-represented artists. Those are places where artists are still pricing their own work. They don’t have another person who’s taken hold of them, and you can really get a lot of value for your money. And again, don’t go with the side agenda of trying to find who’s going to be the next artist and playing Larry Gagosian. You know, who cares? Find something you love.”
On the art she’d most love to own: “I instantly can think of 40 names…. But there is a Spanish artist named Juan Muñoz, who regrettably died in 2001. He was only 48 years old, and his work I think is just so poignant and phenomenal, so he would top my list. I’d be happy with anything he ever made.”
Erdreich White Fine Art, erdreichwhitefineart.com
By Improper Staff
Bring on the Bling
This spring, group director Jennifer Sciolto will celebrate her 15th anniversary with Tiffany & Co.—a company that knows a lot about major milestones. “We get to celebrate engagements, the birth of a child, special birthdays,” says Sciolto, who’s even helped one gentleman hide 10 friends in the private sales room so the whole crew could join in a post-proposal Champagne toast. She paused from prepping for Tiffany’s shiny new Newbury Street store, which opened Nov. 5, to drop some bling knowledge.
On her top styling tip: “Mixing metals is something that I’m a huge believer in. Years ago, people wouldn’t even think of it. There are lot of purists out there who want to wear all white metals or yellow metals. Now, you can layer and stack and have all different elements. Our new Tiffany T collection, for instance, comes in four different metals: rose gold, yellow gold, white gold and sterling silver. And that part is exciting to me—just playing around with things and mixing them and having them mesh. A lot of people love layering a number of bangles, and even in regard to necklaces—having a 16-inch necklace but then layering it with something that’s 30 inches and maybe something in between at 20 inches. I’Il do that in my own personal style, and it’s almost the more the better.”
On jewelry TLC: “One easy thing is I do encourage all of our clients to come back, even if it’s once or twice per year. I tell people, think of it like dry cleaning a really beautiful gown. You have to bring it in; you have to have someone professionally do that. It will really help maintain the life of your jewelry.”
On a real breakfast at Tiffany’s: “We did a donation for one of our top clients’ charities last year; it was for a breakfast at Tiffany’s at our flagship store, as well as a tour of our jewelry manufacturing studio, where the craftsmen are making these beautiful pieces. I just saw this client last week when we had a big event in New York. She had to pull me aside and tell me that the recipients of that breakfast were just blown away. And you can’t just come into the store and buy that experience; it’s not something that’s for sale. She was able to bring her daughter, and it was so memorable that they’re still talking about it a year later.”
Tiffany & Co., 5 Newbury St., Boston (617-217-5778) tiffany.com
By Improper Staff
Join the Jet Set
Joshua Hebert, the CEO and founder of Magellan Jets, is well-versed in flying high. A former Wall Street exec, Hebert now pilots the Quincy-based private jet travel service, which recently unveiled its new Build-A-Card program. “We looked at technology in the automotive industry, specifically Mercedes, and saw how you can customize and build your car online,” Hebert says. “In our business, no one has been able to customize a jet card with an online portal. The only way to do it was to call into the office and negotiate, but in most cases the high-end consumer did not know what options they had.” (To have those problems, right?)
On why people fly private: “One reason people use private aviation is to get to numerous airports in one day and back home in time for dinner. Another concern is needing an air ambulance. When someone gets hurt in Aspen or cuts their leg on coral in Fiji, they want to know they have safe transportation to get them to help. We also transport clients who enjoy a cigar or smoking while traveling, which you cannot do commercially.”
On famous clients: “One of the world’s top pop stars is one of our most loyal customers. We won her loyalty by actually declining a trip for her during her tour. The flight she had scheduled was going to be flown by a flight crew who did not meet our safety standards. We told her we didn’t feel comfortable booking the jet for her, but we could find one with the correct safety markings a few hours later…. At first her team was furious with us, but a few hours later realized we had her best interests, and safety, in mind.”
On perks, perks, perks: “Pulling your car directly up to the plane, having your pilots take your luggage as you walk on the Magellan Jets red carpet, being greeted by your flight attendant with Champagne, and juices for your kids, catering from your favorite local restaurant—for instance, we flew someone out of New York last week, and they wanted Carnegie Deli sandwiches. We also had a customer who wanted French food from Gaslight Brasserie in Boston.”
On furry passengers: “A lot of clients don’t want their four-legged family members traveling in a cargo hold on commercial airlines, so we transport passengers and pets all the time…. There was also a time we flew a dog from New York to Hawaii all by itself. Lucky pup.”
Magellan Jets, magellanjets.com
By Improper Staff | Photo Credit: Tif Hunter Photography
Cruise the High Seas
Marblehead’s Carol Kent Yacht Charters sends clients all over the world, from the Mediterranean to the South Pacific islands. But for Midwesterners, sometimes the sights they want to see are what New Englanders take for granted: Nantucket, the Maine coast, Newport. Carol Kent has seen it all in her more than 25 years in the business, and she dished on some details behind six-figure vacations.
On her wildest client request: “It was down in the British Virgin Islands a couple of years ago, with a family on a 120-foot yacht. These folks were very particular.… They wanted a particular brand of caviar that they couldn’t get, and they requested that the mates use a dinghy to go to St. Thomas and get that particular brand. And they did. They had to.”
On the price tag: “It’s usually from $90,000 to $300,000. I would say the largest amount spent on just a week was $200,000 to $250,000. I had one charter that was two people, a fellow and his mother. He had just sold his company, and his mother had always wanted to go to Greece. They had a 120-foot motor yacht to themselves.… This particular son and his mother, when they got back, entertained all the crew and their family. They paid for music and dancing and food.”
On the most important part of choosing a charter: “The crew, the crew, the crew.… I’ve had people repeat two or three times because of the crew. Even if the crew has changed boats, they go with the crew. That’s because they know each other. Some of the crew might have homes elsewhere, and they’ll invite their charter guests to come visit them in the offseason. It’s unlike a resort, where you’re not quite connecting to the maid as much as you would to the stewardess who is bringing ice water to you at night on your mega-yacht.”
Carol Kent Yacht Charters, carolkent.com
By Improper Staff | Photo Credit: Andre Lambiase Photography
Party Like a Rock Star
Sure, when it comes to Boston nightlife, casual pubs are more prevalent than the kinds of glittering nightspots that line NYC’s Meatpacking District or the Vegas Strip. But the team behind nightlife app Tablelist believes that just because Bostonians tend to prefer boat shoes to stilettos—and just because we can’t all afford to roll like Tom Brady—doesn’t mean we can’t party like a VIP once in a while. “What makes Tablelist so great is that it takes all of the process and culture barriers out of the equation, leaving a much more a la carte experience,” says managing partner Kyla Moore. “By demystifying table service, Tablelist suddenly opens it up as an attainable luxury even for those who might have seen the word VIP in play and assumed it was out of their reach.”
On her favorite Boston hotspot: “Minibar is my favorite lounge. I’ve had many great nights there and celebrated many occasions. It always has a fun, laid-back vibe. For a club, it would be Tunnel at W Boston. It’s a smaller space but still has the feel of a big nightclub—great if you want to dance.”
On why rolling VIP is the best: “No lines, no covers, no waits at the bar, better service, more space, a home-base for your night out … It’s a no brainer!”
On Tablelist’s big spenders—and modest ones: “We literally offer all kinds of options, for the couple that wants to share a bottle of champagne on a roof top for $100 to our Platinum members that spend upwards of $30k to have a dance floor table for a special performance.”
On what luxury means to her: “A luxurious experience to me is all about convenience and the ability to be carefree and enjoy yourself….. It doesn’t matter if you’re getting beer buckets or parades of Jeroboams—you feel taken care of.”
Tablelist, tablelist.com
By Improper Staff
Get Door-to-Door Service
Parking in Boston’s a bitch, at least for those of us who don’t roll with a chauffer. SpotLight Parking, a new app that summons on-demand valet service with the tap of a finger, aims to alleviate that particular annoyance, allowing users to reserve a valet who will meet them at their destination—a restaurant, a store, a theater—park their car, and then meet up again at any point of their choosing. Says COO and CMO Joe Price, “Our CEO Mike Miele and his family happened to be one set of those unfortunate travelers who ventured into city by car last summer. After searching for a spot in the Back Bay for nearly 20 minutes, his mother finally exclaimed, ‘I wish I could just toss someone our keys and be done with it!’ At that moment, the idea for SpotLight Parking was born.”
On their clientele: “Our customers come from a variety of backgrounds—everyone from C-level executives who wish to provide easy and elegant parking options for employees, interviewees or themselves to suburban stay-at-home moms who venture to places like Newbury Street to unwind with spa services, dine with friends or just shop while the kids are at school.”
On parking perks: “Our valets make personal recommendations when drivers arrive. Going to Karma Yoga? Then try the Maki Latte at Trident Booksellers and Cafe afterwards. Having dinner at La Voile? Make sure to save room for le moelleux au chocolat fondant avec sorbet au Champagne. Also, we make sure to leave appropriate items with our drivers as they pick up the cars. Just worked out at Healthworks? Enjoy this bottled water and power bar on us!”
On hot wheels: “We have a fairly rigorous training program for our valets, and there’s a second level of certification for what we call our ‘Lead Valets.’ These are the select few that will handle the high-end specialty cars… So anytime we have a request from an Aston Martin or Porsche, those lead valets will be on it. Our nicest park has been a Mercedes C300, so far.”
SpotLight Parking, spotlight-parking.com
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