A travel app says it will save luxury advisors valuable time after noticing a gap in the market for a smarter way to design itineraries. 

Launching today, The Luxurist has been created to help agents better serve their affluent clients, ahead of the inevitable “disruption of AI tools” like ChatGPT. 

The app can also be used by hotels, and already has a membership count of more than 3,300 luxury properties in 141 countries. Its goal is to “create a new ecosystem dedicated to luxury”, which will equally benefit the advisor, supplier and client. 

“We felt there was something missing in this space,” The Luxurist founder David Amsellem tells TTG Luxury. “The luxury travel market is currently very fragmented, and we found that both agents and suppliers were growing frustrated with the system.” 

In preparation for the launch, Amsellem interviewed 100 advisors to ask about their pain points with the industry. Many agents voiced frustration at spending hours making itineraries, and using multiple platforms to do so. This laborious process creates extra administrative stress for agents, and naturally, leaves less time for interacting directly with the client. 

Backed by B2B travel tech provider HBX, The Luxurist aims to simplify and speed up the art of itinerary making. 

“We found that agents were using four or five different platforms to plan trips – going on flight websites, accommodation websites, Google reviews and the like,” Amsellem says. “We decided to take all of that and to put it into one platform. In seven seconds, the whole itinerary can be ready with rates and availability. Agents can then fine-tune it, and personalise it to the client.” 

“We found that agents were using four or five different platforms to plan trips”

Amsellem knows well, however, that The Luxurist needs to stand out from existing travel planning platforms on the market. He adds research showed ChatGPT as the most popular generative AI tool for organising trips, while others like Roam Around and Guide.com, are fast gaining traction. 

What makes The Luxurist different to these sites, however, is its investment in human-led concierge. 

Members have access to a team of luxury hospitality experts, who are on hand to help with everything from booking a hotel’s top-tier suite to the best table at a famous restaurant. What can be found on The Luxurist simply cannot be replicated by today’s AI, claims Amsellem.

“Our concierge service is designed by humans and delivered by humans,” he continues. “We are the connector between the luxury properties and the advisors, and we are here to be an enabler for both.” He also highlights the importance of ‘non-transactional pieces’; recommendations that can only be offered by real people. 

“Our concierge is all about the details. You can ask them to secure you the best table in the best Italian restaurant in town. You can ask them to vouch for the chef. You can ask them to get the chef to come to the table. That is the type of thing that only a concierge can make happen. 

“You can have the best customer service, but if they don’t have this concierge network, you cannot meet the standard of today’s luxury consumer. 

“On top of that, during the trip. We know that the traveller may need a concierge, and we are available 24/7 during the trip for that.” 

Advisors will also be able to share The Luxurist itinerary with their client, who can then make edits or suggestions. 

Amsellem says this feature gives "transparency power” to the advisor, while also making it far easier and faster to update the itinerary. “It’s not a mixture of PDFs, emails, and phone calls. It’s just one click.”