The actor and former travels how host shared the humorous anecdote during Travel + Leisure’s annual World’s Best Summit
Credit: Noam Galai/Getty
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Key Takeaways
- Richard E. Grant revealed a not-so-one-of-a-kind experience he had while traveling with billionaires on Italy’s Amalfi Coast
- The actor and former travel show host revealed the insider anecdotes during a panel at Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Summit
- Grant previously hosted the U.K. travel series, Richard E. Grant’s Hotel Secrets, which explored luxury hotels worldwide
Richard E. Grant revealed what he values most on vacation — and it’s not what three ultra-rich travelers shared with him.
During a panel at Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Summit in New York City, the actor and former host of Richard E. Grant’s Hotel Secrets shared an anecdote about vacationing on Italy’s Amalfi Coast with three different billionaires last summer, revealing their exclusive experiences might not be so special after all.
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“They all took me to the same Lo Scoglio restaurant,” Grant, 69, said while participating in the panel about defining good hospitality. “Each of them went into the kitchen, met the chef, met the family, [were] given boxes of vegetables, and each one of them said, ‘This is an experience that nobody else will get.’”
“I thought, these are the best f—king actors on the planet,” marveled Grant.
Lo Scoglio is a famed, family-run restaurant in Marina del Cantone, known for its fresh seafood, stunning setting, and, often, famous clients. Stanley Tucci visited on his CNN travel show Searching for Italy and called the spaghetti alla Nerano “life changing.” David Beckham and Jennifer Lopez have also dined here.
Credit: Noam Galai/Getty
During the panel, which was centered on what defines “good service” in luxury travel, Grant emphasized that it’s not always those displays of exclusivity and access that are really most important when traveling, but the personalized touches.
“When there’s a flower or chocolates or some kind of thing that’s personalized to you, I can’t tell you what sort of effect that has, but people are so grateful for that,” he added.
On Richard E. Grant’s Hotel Secrets, which aired for two seasons in 2012 and 2014, the star visited five-star, ultra-luxury hotels across cities like Paris, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and New York. An avid traveler outside of work, the actor knows a thing or two about hospitality.
“Rich people, no matter how rich they are, love a freebie. Myself included,” he said with a laugh.
He added, “Initiative is the thing that, in a hotel, if somebody said, ‘It’s not a problem, I will sort this out for you’ that to me is the goldness of a human being.”
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