NZ Herald - Meet the Kiwi expert

Read Jacqui’s interview with NZ Herald Editor, Richard Simich, as she lifts the veil on what it takes to cater to the world’s most discerning travellers.

The skills Jacqui Spice learned as a 20-something chief stewardess on the international super yacht circuit set her up well for her later career — catering to the world’s uber-wealthy through her luxury tourism business Touch of Spice. In operation for nearly 20 years, Spice serves high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth visitors to New Zealand, catering to their every whim, making her the “First Lady” of all luxury travel concierge services.

“Most of our clients are international, hailing from the US, Europe, Saudi Arabia, and Asia, as well as Australia,” Spice tells Spy.

The strictly vocal nature names, but there’s a long list of high-profile guests we suspect have used Touch of Spice’s services — like Tom Cruise, Adele, Justin Bieber, Jason Momoa, Rita Ora and husband Taika Waititi, as well as ultra-wealthy sports stars and tech billionaires, and one of the world’s richest men, Jeff Bezos.

“Spy won’t confirm client list but says, ‘We’ve yet to receive any pushback for filling in New Zealand-based homeowners or business who might be doing live concerts or screen the latest award shows, to international government officials; international royalty; very famous tech entrepreneurs; international athletes at the top of their game and super-high-net-worth individuals’.”

The company assists only the very best of the best luxury villas and lodges starting at $3500 per night, as well as premium residences and estates, with pricing as high as $80,000 per night, given the prize space and scope of what they offer.

Facilities can include heated swimming pools, infrared saunas, libraries, gyms and massage rooms, soundproofed music rooms and cinemas, incredible art collections, exclusive wine collections and vineyards, helicopter landing facilities and boats, and private jet flights, parables and even in-property restaurants.

“We have become the country’s most luxury lodge and client owner’s cottage source of residences and houses approved as part of our Residence Collection – including The Hills Collection, Still Point, Pure Pod, The Nest, The Potting Shed and super yachts such as The Rua Moana,” she says.

After an inevitable drop from 24 staff to three during Covid, Spice has micro-focused the TOS offerings to the top 1 per cent of the world’s uber-wealthy and recently saw business again booming. She took the business back up to the team of 12 TOS crew.

TOS also operates requests for Australian and Fijian itineraries in some of the very best luxury lodges and private residences on offer. Spice has been personally head-hunted to work on new projects coming out of New Australia, consulting and additions to the offerings of major lodges, with acquisitions all of which she says are mind-blowing.

Last year TOS re-launched their Fiji offerings working with all the top resorts such as Laucala, Kokomo, Dolphin Island, Six Senses, Vomo and Likuliku.

“You can build your private jet at Laucala, if you have one, and the concierge easily out to many island resorts,” says Spice.

Back in NZ, private jets are commonplace for guests arriving into the country. So are Queenstown as a favourite stop. Spice says Queenstown Airport is quite hospitable in offering a warm welcome to guests of TOS, and also at private hangars for guests arriving into private jets. “If guests do not want to be seen, we take them directly from the windows to jet boats, or even private yachts on Lake Wakatipu.”

Spice says what initiated Queenstown was that TOS held the desired slot in both commercial and residential portfolios.

“From slow-paced to fast-paced, from relaxing stays to high adrenaline ones, food and wine, golf and walks, nightlife and spas, Queenstown has it all,” she says.

TOS has a growing portfolio in Auckland and its surrounds and is now a destination in which they recommend guests stop before they move on to see the rest of the country.

Waiheke might have some of New Zealand’s flashiest houses, but many Rich Listers on the island actually prefer to stay at their private estates, she confirms. It’s not actually an overnight option, but she is building up a portfolio of premium villas on the island. “The Bay of Islands also has a studio and some TOS-created itineraries. Favourites into the market are The Landing, Eagles Nest, Kauri Cliffs, a sneaky residence called Somewhere, as well as a generational digital stays at Tara Iti and Te Arai.

TOS largest bespoke itineraries are send them to Cape Kidnappers in Hawke’s Bay, Huka Lodge in Taupo, Falcon Brae Villa in Nelson, Otahuna in Canterbury, Bay of Many Coves in Marlborough, Annandale in Akaroa, outskirts of Christchurch, then usually ending in Matakauri and Queenstown,” she says.

The company is currently growing the accommodation portfolio like an exclusive use “lodge”, with a minimum of five bedrooms all with ensuites – some catering for up to 30 people.

“We provide a full complement of trained in-house staff to cater to their every whim – private chefs, butlers, housekeeping, private guide, drivers, security and so forth,” says Spice.

Spice says the travellers and agents who love to work with TOS want to really immerse themselves in New Zealand’s unique environments. Through her connections, they get to venture to places that are often off limits to the public. The company will introduce their guests to like-minded Kiwis or to people with the same business interests and lifelong connections as often made.

“We plan their stay end to end, always showcasing the best New Zealand has to offer in terms of not only experiences but also world-class food and wine, entertainment, wellness and adventure,” says Spice.

“We have turned gyms into gorgeous bedrooms, we have added rooms to the house, purpose-built wine carpet, plush lifts or TVs, sitting areas. We’ve put trusted suppliers to go over and above and do a little bit more to every experience – which has seen us referred to repeatedly with many guests returning year after year.

The service can include everything from staff and activities at the park not the museum, just for their entertainment, as many guests are tired of stores too close to where the big properties sit, and lose the gallery tours. Spice says one guest once injected close to $1 million on a single visit.

“We have access to the very best private planes and helicopters within the country, as well as private car collections owned by New Zealand’s Rich List. In recent months this included lease of an Aston Martin Vulcan, the only one within the southern hemisphere.”

TOS can have guests spending anywhere between $3000 up to the $1.8m mark on their holiday or incentive trip.

Spice says this is not dished off the back of general spend in the local economy, restaurants, asset purchases or activity; it includes back-to-back impact of all the activity blocks flowing through into the local economy.

It’s no surprise Spice hits the nail head for tourism, travel and luxury travel trade events, all while measuring what local and overseas competition house what trends A-Listers are enjoying and demanding.

Spice has been awarded a Condé Nast Travel Specialist – Villa category for 13 years – the only person in New Zealand in the Villa category.

She and her well-trained team operate on a 24/7 availability where nothing is ever a “no”. Nothing is impossible – if they ask for a pink blue elephant, we ask them what shade of pink,” she says.