This year, like every year, the top 25 Oscar Nominees (with Steven Spielberg, Judy Dench and Nicole Kidman among them) received the most talked about and expensive gift bag in the world. In that bag there is often an ultra-luxurious travel experience that, for many, is a once in a lifetime trip that dreams are made of.
What many people do not know is that the luxury travel expert who selects these amazing trips each year for the Hollywood elite is a British woman. Cleo Anderson, the Forbes featured Luxury Travel Specialist and Founder of the Anderson Media Group - an international luxury PR agency - is the woman behind these specially curated getaways. For over a decade, Cleo has worked with luxury hotels around the world and mounted PR campaigns for exclusive boutique hotels and large hotel resorts alike. Travelling the globe - and experiencing what these hotels have to offer – means that her ability to distinguish the ordinary from true luxury is second to none. For the past few years Cleo has carefully selected some of the most unique global stays for the exclusive “Everyone Wins” Nominee Gift Bag, and has this year been crowned the Luxury Travel Curator of this exclusive bag by Lash Fary, the bag’s creator. “An extraordinary trip has become the cornerstone of our lauded ‘Everyone Wins’ Gift Bag, and it is such a privilege to have Cleo as our secret weapon to make sure we have something truly special to offer the nominees each year. The destination comes to us already vetted by a seasoned pro, so I am able to share it without reservation and with incredible pride,” noted Fary.
This year’s exclusive hotel top pick was Turin Castle, a stand-out property situated in the lush Scottish countryside built in 1659. This ten-bedroom property offers a fully inclusive butler service and dining, a bagpiper welcome on arrival, a private gin tasting and a fully-personalized concierge service. Previously, Cleo searched far and wide and finally selected Faro Cumplida as a unique luxury hotel to include in the bag. This ultra-private lighthouse hotel, located in the Canary Islands, Spain, offered celebrities including Leonardo Di Caprio, Tom Hanks and Scarlett Johanson a romantic retreat, featuring four luxury suites, an infinity pool overlooking the Atlantic and views of the Canary Islands.
Cleo admits “Searching for unique luxury getaways to include in the bag each year can be a difficult task as there are just so many wonderful places to choose from. At a time when the hospitality industry has taken a huge hit due to the pandemic, this is a really wonderful way to shine a light on the properties that could really use that right now - being included is like hitting the jackpot for many hotels. I am always on the lookout for properties and locations that are incredibly exclusive in some way, unique, and provide that luxury experience that we all yearn for right now.”
Cleo is currently in the process of deciding which luxury hotel or hotels will be included in next year’s exclusive Nominee Gift Bag, and currently has her eye on a couple of private islands in Thailand and The Bahamas. Whoever the lucky participants turn out to be, the Hollywood spotlight will be huge, and, of course, “Everyone Wins”.
