From libraries that will change your life to what Gen Z really wants when they fly private, we glean insights from a panel of industry insiders who presented at the debut Ultra conference in Dubai earlier this year.

Hosted by Private Luxury Events, panel moderators were Mary Gostelow, founder of GirlAhead and The Gostelow Report, and Globetrender founder and CEO Jenny Southan. The panelists included:

• Kym Barter, general manager and senior vice-president of Atlantis Resorts
• Charles Robinson, founder of Enterjet
• MPS Puri, founder of the P Factor
• Britnie Turner, owner of The Aeriel, BVI
• Adam Sebba, CEO and Co-Founder of The Luminaire
• Dr Naim Maadad, CEO and Founder of Gates Hospitality

1. Gen Z want fizzy water not champagne

Charles Robinson:
 “I think the really interesting thing we're starting to see with the younger audience now is actually as desire for more simplicity. They just don’t want to speak to people any more, they just want to be living in their own world they want everything to be as seamless as it possibly can be. You have some groups [of private jet users] that will sit there and all they want is a bottle of sparkling water and they’ll sip that for three hours while they scroll through their phone. Other groups will be requesting everything under the sun, and for the aircraft operators they’ve got to work around that and understand that.”

2. It takes time to become iconic

MPS Puri: 
"Ultra luxury is about the ability to be able to have withstood the test of time. Some of the most iconic hotels – Claridge’s in London, Raffles in Singapore – didn’t become legendary overnight. Their reputation was built through uncompromising excellence across generations. It’s not so much the buildings that are the icons, it’s the people who have come to the hotels over the decades.”

3. The under 50s will soon inherit trillions of dollars

MPS Puri:
 "Getting to know your customer – the Zennials, Millennials, Gen Zs – is so important. They are the new customers. We are in the age of inheritocracy. Trillions of dollars are transferring from Baby Boomers to Millennials and Gen Z ultra-wealthy individuals. These next-gen UHNW travellers have completely different priorities."

4. 'New money' and 'old money' are clashing

Dr Naim Maadad: "What were seeing in the world today is that ‘new money’ and ‘old money’ define 'authenticity' in a very different way. I think that being able to understand how the two intertwine, if they can at all, is proving very difficult for the luxury travel industry."

5. Private jets are a necessity, not a nicety

Charles Robinson:
 "The new generation of UHNW travellers don’t see private jets as a status symbol – they see them as a necessity. They’re not flying private for luxury; they’re flying private for convenience and control. We’re also seeing a shift where younger family members are booking separately from the older generation, prioritising efficiency over tradition."

6. The answer is 'yes', now tell me the question

MPS Puri:
 “Emotional intelligence and guest observation skills are essential in ultra-luxury hospitality. You can learn a lot by assessing how guests use their rooms, for example. One of the best lessons I ever learned was from Ritz-Carlton: 'The answer is yes – now tell me the question.’ That’s the mindset of true ultra-luxury service. You don’t say no. You solve problems before they arise."

7. Mind reading is expected

Kym Barter:
 "The best service is when a guest doesn’t have to ask for anything, yet everything is exactly as they want it. I think we need to understand the guest before they arrive and then make sure that their experience is as seamless experience. It’s not staged, its not programmed.”

8. Influencers need to live the lifestyle

MPS Puri: 
"Historically, the true influencers were actual patrons – royalty, Hollywood elites, society figures. They didn’t just promote luxury brands – they lived them. Today’s influencers are brand amplifiers, but they don’t always embody the lifestyle. There’s a difference between authentic influence and manufactured visibility."

9. Transformation is gold

Britnie Turner: “At The Ariel, BVI, we take a different approach to luxury – one that prioritises personal transformation. I have been around many incredibly wealthy people who have everything except the thing that truly makes them happy. We help people truly find themselves. From the food we serve to our entire ethos, our experiences strip away distractions and help guests rediscover the very essence of their being."

10. One book can change your life

Britnie Turner: “The Aerial BVI has been designed to wake people up. Obviously guests can have beautiful holidays on the island – we’ve had incredibly high-level people come from all over the world, but they often find something they’ve been looking for their whole life. Everything at The Ariel BVI is designed with intentionality. We have a guest library where visitors leave books that changed their lives. Our equine therapy sessions allow guests to reconnect with nature and themselves. The food we serve nourishes both body and soul. Despite skepticism, we have built something extraordinary. Guests have life-changing moments, and seeing that transformation validates everything I envisioned.”

11. Nothing trumps authentic

Adam Sebba: “You can’t industrialise authenticity because you can’t manufacture it. Many luxury experiences focus on extravagance – like a dinner atop the Duomo in Milan where people eat tuna wrapped in gold leaf. But the problem is, there is this proliferation of luxury whereby everyone’s trying to increase the levels of luxury but for me, the answer is authenticity because nothing trumps authenticity. So instead of a Michelin-starred restaurant, the Luminaire take guests to a family-owned farm, for example, where they dine with the farmers who produce the ingredients used by those Michelin chefs.”

12. Purpose is the new power

Britnie Turner: “When you can inspire people with means, you can truly change the world. My island is my vehicle in which I can help myself and other live that purpose. If you want to radically change your life in a short period of time, immersing yourself in an environment that has the right speakers and integration practices can flip the script and catalyse change very quickly."

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