We here at Bloomberg Pursuits are big adventurers. And we’re very conscious of the importance of doing it properly every time. So, we’re conducting interviews with professional travellers to pick their brains about their most bizarre and helpful experiences. These VIP Vacation Hoaxers are the best of the best. Hotchkiss, Kyle Carone’s Grand Tour Hospitality is the brains behind major New York City institutions including American Bar and Saint Theo’s. The 35-year-old has worked with Soho House Group and the mastermind behind Chateau Marmont, André Balazs, and now has plans to grow outside of New York City with new ventures in Abu Dhabi, London, and Palm Beach, Florida.
Carone adds, “It just sort of happened that I became a Delta person,” since the airline has the most convenient routes to all of the cities he usually travels, including London and Paris. It’s the only one that fits my lifestyle well. I’m afraid to try another airline since I’ve gotten so accustomed to this one.
whether I do that, I won’t know what to do or even whether I made it through security. Carone consistently flies over 125,000 miles each year, which is more than enough to maintain his Diamond status with Delta. I try to make a last-minute vacation to Rio on December 31st, even if it means rushing about at the end of the year.
The West Village is his New York City home.
You should bring your old iPhones with you on trips.
In Paris, I once misplaced my iPhone and had to shell out two grand to replace it. A group of teenagers grabbed my phone straight out of my hand on a Rio beach, and another phone of mine sank into the Aegean Sea. And one was thrown off a horse on Careyes’s beach. We circled back around on the horse in an attempt to locate it, but to no avail. Now I always keep my old iPhones as spares.
Alternatively, you can purchase a refurbished model. I usually include one in my suitcase since it comes in so helpful. I always have a backup on hand in addition to a replacement SIM card. These cards run roughly $10. If you still have your old iPhone handy, you may phone your carrier and ask them to transfer your number to the SIM card.
Avoiding sleep deprivation on a long-haul journey.
I have trouble sleeping on aircraft. I’ve never been a fan of the entire “hit the ground running” mentality, and most trips to Europe are too short to allow for a decent nap. Instead, I stay in a hotel the night before landing and catch the first available flight home. If you leave New York at 4 p.m., you’ll arrive at the equivalent of 11 p.m. ET, and you’ll be exhausted by the time you check into your hotel.
Yes, once you reach your hotel, you will sleep for a good portion of the day. But it beats spending half a day trying to pass as normal while walking around Paris like a zombie. You won’t have to worry about being inconvenienced while waiting for your room to be prepared, and by the time it gets dark, jet lag will have set in and you’ll be exhausted anyhow. You can arrive at any time at the Hoxton Hotels.
Rio de Janeiro is a top pick for vacations for him. To help you out, I’ve included a reference sheet. My love for Rio de Janeiro is undeniable. I’m not one to waste a vacation sitting idle on the sand, no matter how picturesque the beach may be, which is why visiting a city like Rio that is situated on the coast is ideal. If I just have time for a short trip, my favourite places to stay are the Ipanema Inn or the Hotel Arpoador. Located between Ipanema and Copacabana, the Hotel Arpoador has direct beach access. Every day, I have lunch there and work on their balcony till it closes.
After lunch, you may go out and see the sights. Even the most cliched tourist attractions, like Christ the Redeemer or the Jardim Botânico or Parque Lage, have me longing to return. Coffee at Confeitaria Colombo in Centro, pizza at Canastra, a heaping plate of seafood at Satyricon, a cocktail at the Copacabana Palace, and a late lunch at Rubaiyat while watching a horse race at the Jockey Club are regular stops. The residential areas are lovely, but quite quiet. It’s quiet and peaceful on the business streets where I remain till 4 a.m. My goal is to never be alone.
This tip will help you locate the most cost-effective method of making a long-distance trip to a secondary city.
When I’m on a vacation and have a few days to spare, I always check Google Flights to see where in Europe I can get there for the cheapest price. To book a nonstop flight from New York to Europe, enter your departure city and then “Europe” in the destination box. It will automatically fill in nonstop flights to cities like Barcelona, Milan, Prague, and Berlin. Choose the most affordable option, and then continue your journey on a budget carrier like EasyJet or Wizz Air.
In recent years, instead of taking the pricey and crowded New York–Athens flight, I’ve been flying into Berlin and then taking a budget airline to Kos, Greece, where I get a boat to Patmos. It’s also possible to save money on business class by flying to a market where the majority of travellers are on vacation. I use a service called Kiwi to book my return flight, where I specify that I will depart from any location in Europe and arrive in New York.
Find the best restaurants in town by talking to locals, both business owners and customers.
I’ll inquire at a restaurant that came highly recommended. “I’m overjoyed to have stumbled upon this location. It blew my mind. Which way should I head in the morning? You may also ask the locals for directions. If that were asked of me at my restaurant, I’d have a response ready. I would be able to direct them in New York in under two seconds. Many people working in the hospitality industry would love to be asked that.
When compared to American airlines, European ones make it simpler to find affordable business-class seats. Let me explain.
Business class tickets to Paris for Fashion Week cost me a cool $10,000. Well, I’m not going to do that; the cost of that trip is too much for me to shoulder on my own. Instead, I opted to book economy class on both legs and upgrade in-flight. A $800 plane ticket with two $600 upgrades brought the total cost of the vacation down from $10,000 to $2,000. American airlines often do not provide this discount. When you look at the inventory and the available seats, you might think it’s strange that they don’t upgrade people, but there’s no way to buy your way up or upgrade with miles. But on Delta’s partner airlines Virgin and Air France, they will.
When organising a trip, use the hub-and-spoke method.
I used to spend every summer at the beautiful and luxurious Hotel Le Sirenuse in Positano on the Amalfi Coast. It’s the best possible launching pad for the kind of travel I enjoy, which provides opportunities for daily adventures.
I’ve seen people’s South of France itineraries and been confused, like, “Wait, you’re going to all those places?” You’ll spend three days in Nice, two in Antibes, one night in Monaco, and then circle back to St. Tropez via car, right? In that case, I would just spend a week in Antibes and drive around to all the different locations. Personally, I enjoy establishing roots. I look forward to seeing the barman every night and hearing, “Oh, how did you like the beach?” when I return to the hotel. Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of packing and unpacking my bags.
