11 Experiences That Make Exceptional Gifts

This month brings the launch of the Sloane Street Private Shopping service, which sees expert stylists guide clients through the luxury boutiques and flagships of Chelsea. Showcased at London Fashion Week, this appointment-based service will provide clients with hand-picked items from the latest collections that fit their brief, taking in the likes of Chanel, Dior, Hermès, Prada and Louis Vuitton along the way. Each client will leave with an in-depth report, equipping them with the tools and inspiration to dress to best suit them and every occasion within their lifestyle. Appointments begin at The LaLee restaurant inside The Cadogan hotel, before stylists and their shoppers take to Sloane Street.

Prices from £880 for a full-day experience for two guests

Visit SloaneStreet.co.uk

The Lanesborough Club & Spa is one of the most in-demand wellness spaces in London, so a membership is sure to be a gift that impresses month after month. On Hyde Park Corner, the striking spa was developed to suit those with high-pressure, busy lifestyles – and membership includes 20% off spa treatments, complimentary guest passes and 15% off rooms and suites at the five-star hotel. The spa recently partnered with L’Atelier Green to offer an experience that goes beyond traditional nail treatments, such as the manicure, where 24-carat pure gold leaves are applied to encourage skin cell renewal.

Prices available on request

Visit LanesboroughClubAndSpa.com

The ‘Pull Out All The Stops’ package from Selfridges is a 360° celebration for two. There’s a personalised make-up appointment at The Beauty Concierge, followed by a nail appointment at Nails Inc, then a blow-dry and style at Daniel Galvin or a prestige shave at Acqua Di Parma Barbiere, along with a skin and eye revitalisation, a neck and sideburn trim or eyebrow tidy. All of this is followed by a three-course meal and champagne at The Brasserie of Light and – after a spot of shopping through the department store – a private film screening of your choice in the VIP room at The Cinema at Selfridges, complete with snacks and refreshments. The day also includes complimentary car parking and access to a suite for complimentary drinks during the experience.

Prices from £820 for two people

Visit Selfridges.com

This Holborn museum was once the home of Sir John Soane, one of the foremost architects of the Regency era. He was also a dedicated collector of paintings, sculpture, architectural fragments and models, books, drawings and furniture, which can all be seen in the museum, which occupies three buildings on Lincoln’s Inn Fields. One of the best under-the-radar cultural experiences in London, its one-of-a-kind evening tours offer exclusive access to the museum, which will be beautifully and atmospherically lit by candlelight – a re-enactment of how Soane entertained his own guests. Guests are welcomed with a half-hour champagne reception in the library before embarking on a tour through the collection of truly impressive artefacts.

Prices from £1,500+VAT for a 90-minute experience

Visit Soane.org

If home renovations are high on someone’s list, you might like to know that The Conran Shop launched a styling service this year. Informed by the sharp eye of its late founder Sir Terence Conran, the store’s team of stylists will be on hand to work with your ideas and create a wish list of products and schemes that will work best in your home. We’d opt for the level three package, which includes a two-room focus, two in-store or video consultations, a personalised wish list, interior styling ideas, a mood board with concepts and swatches, two moodboard revisions, scale floor plans and an optional home visit, where the team will take care of everything from placing products and layering accessories to offering floral decorations and adding finishing touches.

Level three starts from £500, redeemable against orders over £12,000

Visit ConranShop.co.uk

Want to fill someone’s wine cellar? Berry Bros & Rudd’s Cellar Plan is a luxe – and trustworthy – way to build up a collection of wine. As a Cellar Plan member, recipients will have a private account manager to help them plan a rewarding cellar tailored to preferences. Customers just have to decide how much to pay into the account every month, then you can leave all the buying decisions in the hands of the account manager or be involved throughout the whole process. Benefits include events, early access to desirable wines and reduced storage rates if you choose to store the collection in the team’s carefully maintained warehouses. When you want to enjoy your wines, you can have them delivered to you.

Prices from £250 a month

Visit BBR.com

A trip on the Orient Express is high on many people’s dream getaways and this year the historic train has gained a new Suites cabin category. The eight new suites on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express were inspired by the dramatic landscapes seen through the train’s picture-windows. Each comes with a personal 24-hour cabin steward, and features a private marble ensuite bathroom and a lounging area by day, which converts to a double or twin beds at night. Alongside the train’s famous lunches and breakfasts, evening entertainment is a strong suit: head to Bar Car 3674 for an evening of cocktails and music. At midnight, ‘brunch’ is served – think lobster rolls and truffle club sandwiches – and the bar doesn’t close until the last person leaves.

Prices from £5,500pp per night

Visit Belmond.com

Beautiful Bhutan celebrates 50 years of tourism in 2024. Travel company The Luminaire is offering guests the chance to explore its ecological wonders in the company of local Bhutanese conservation experts for an authentic trip around the kingdom’s landscapes, ancient forests and protected mountain sanctuaries. The nine-day trip starts in Nepal and takes in Everest from the air, with guests joined by Dr Tiger Sangay, a charismatic Bhutanese researcher, to monitor camera traps tracking the movements of Bengal tigers. Accommodation along the way includes Six Senses Thimphu, an off-grid lodge flanked by dense forest; Punakha River Lodge, where traditional Bhutanese interiors meet minimalism; and Gangtey Lodge, a striking rural retreat.

Prices from £16,990pp

Visit TheLuminaire.com

Want to treat someone to a golf trip or weekend away in style? Try Thunder Aviation, which offers helicopter flights across the UK (as well as to Paris and Amsterdam) as the ultimate way to get from A to B. Each is captained by pilots who have led frontline operations in the most challenging environments on earth – from the expanse of the wide-open desert to the unforgiving mountains of the Arctic Circle. From three spots in London, the fleet flies to the likes of Soho Farmhouse, Babington House, Estelle Manor, Wilderness Reserve, Glastonbury, The Highlands and St Andrews in Scotland, and The Hut on the Isle of Wight – and they can also be chartered.

Prices from £2,000 per hour for a chartered flight

Visit ThunderAviation.com