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Quintessentially Tailored Concierge Services for the Wealthy

"Wealth doesn't just mean money, it also means a high-quality life," said Zhang Qi, managing director of Quintessentially China. And that is exactly what Quintessentially is about, introducing the best of everything to people who have money and who want to enjoy life.

Quintessentially is a London-based private club, but instead of providing an elegant clubhouse to its members, it provides high-end, tailored concierge services.

A visit to Quintessentially's Web site is all it takes to view a list of services covering nearly every aspect of life. Do you ever have a last-minute need for front-row seats at fashion shows or a chartered yacht? Perhaps you desire impossible-to-book theatre tickets or special dinner reservations.

Members are continuously kept up to date with what's hot and what's not through regular newsletters that give indispensable advice on essential events of the moment, top tips and money-saving ideas, as well as exclusive invitations to charity events, galas, balls, shopping evenings, film premieres and VIP after-parties. Members also have privileged access to its online events calendar, which lists hot happenings around the globe that they won't want to miss, including concerts, festivals and sporting events.

But Quintessentially membership brings even more benefits: members receive automatic access and exclusive privileges at the finest gyms, spas, restaurants and nightclubs around the globe. Its travel department, which is virtually a fountain of globe-trotting knowledge, has the best hotels, villas and even private islands at their fingertips and often with money-saving discounts. And if you want a Hermes handbag which normally requires a year or two of waiting, you can get it right away, as your club has agreements with Hermes so that it can put up your order on top of the ordering list.

In a word, it's about enjoying a higher quality life, experiencing the best the world has to offer those who have dedicated a major part of their lives to making money.

Now is the time to enjoy the life that comes with it.

Great Britain is but one among a few countries that have a long monarchical history and that still has a royal family and patrician class. Although today's upper-class is mostly dominated by capitalists that have risen along with the industrialization and development of new sectors like the IT industry, the traditions of noble class are still well-preserved and admired.

As a royal member of the British noble class, Ben Elliot, nephew of Camilla, Duchess of York, founded Quintessentially with his partner Aaron Simpson in 2000 to introduce a high-quality life to those who can afford it.

"Sometimes, it's not just about money," said Ms. Zhang, "when you walk into the hottest restaurant in the city with a long queue of people waiting and are immediately taken to your table by the Maitre d' and find a bottle of champagne already there, it is more about a feeling of exclusivity."

Of course, it is about money, and a lot of it, otherwise, the 330,000 yuan (US$42,900) annual fee for its Elite Membership would seem unreasonable. However, wealth is not the only threshold to the club. Quintessentially has a very strict screening process when admitting new members. If an applicant had bad behaviour at major parties or social events, they won't be accepted as a member. That's why Quintessentially has a limit on its elite membership of no more than 500 in one city.

"All our members should be well educated, behaved and of course, have a very strong economic power," said Zhang Qi. 

Quintessentially set up its Beijing branch half a year ago. Now, it has several Elite-class members that include entrepreneurs, bankers, and real estate developers. It is very optimistic about the market in China. With offices in Beijing and Shanghai, Quintessentially is planning to open branches in Shenzhen, Dalian, Chengdu and other cities whose economic presence is growing, according to Zhang.

But unlike the upper-class societies in western countries that were created over a long historical period, the wealthy in China are products of China's reform and opening since the end 1970s. They are just starting to get a taste of a luxurious lifestyle that is partly reflected in the wealthy's obsession with world top brands.

In the eyes of Zhang Qi, wealthy people in the West are more "low-key." They tend to hide the brand tags of their clothes and accessories. Only those with a real sense of luxury and fashion would recognize the real value of personal possessions, based on their delicate understanding of materials and design.

"The wealthy group in China learn very fast," said Zhang, "Some of them were really obsessed with top brands before and would show up covered with logos such as Gucci or Chanel, but now, they are beginning to learn the art of understatement."