Red Savannah: Tailor-Made Travel And Luxury Villas

By CTH Editors

12 months ago

Red Savannah is a Great British Brand 2024


Red Savannah is an entry in our Great British Brands 2024 book. 

Red Savannah: Great British Brand 2024

‘In a world in which travel companies seem locked in a race to be bigger and better, the industry has become overrun with large brands chasing the benefits of scale at the expense of originality and true raison d’être. But Red Savannah bucks that trend. Our mission is to take travel back to a time where top-level service, knowledge and human connection matter above all else. It all comes down to our team: a tight-knit group of highly professional experts with an unparalleled specialism in their particular patch of the globe. Nearly all boast over 20 years of experience, meaning their address books – and their ability to craft the most authentic, sophisticated and intelligent trips – are the best in the industry. 

A pool at The Datai hotel in Malaysia

‘With the advent of AI, tailormade trips can be created at the click of a button. But without human interaction, travellers miss out on truly getting under the skin of a destination. That’s why we focus on the esoteric, experiential side of travel. So a trip to Japan might involve a private lesson with Sushi Master Shinkichi Mitsugi, or a Zen session with the Jikijitsu of a Japanese Zen monastery not open to the public. Clients staying at our luxury villas are able to access extraordinary experiences and privileged access to wonderful hidden churches, boutique wineries, art galleries and of course, delightful pasta making classes. 

‘That’s not to say we shy away from technology. Instead, we use it to enhance rather than replace our people-orientated service. Our dynamic travel app holds every detail of a client’s trip, but a real person at the end of a phone knows exactly what makes them tick. Technology has enriched our lives, yet nothing stands in for the human touch. And once people realise this and start travelling with Red Savannah, they very rarely leave us.’ 

George Morgan-Grenville, founder and CEO

Woman laying a table outdoors

Five Proudest Moments

  1. Launching Green Savannah, our philanthropic arm, in 2019, which has to date protected over 25,000 acres of tropical rainforest through donations to mitigate client and staff flight emissions.
  2. Winning the 2020 Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category, together with several other major industry awards.
  3. Completing the successful acquisition of US Italian villa specialist Homebase Abroad in 2021, at a time when the industry was being ravaged by the pandemic.
  4. Celebrating Red Savannah’s tenth anniversary in 2021 with a dinner on board a BA 747 (the last one ever to take off from London Heathrow) at Kemble Airfield.
  5. Becoming an internationally recognised £15 million+ luxury travel brand within 11 years, with an enviable brand reputation and an A-List clientele.

Swimming pool at Lemon Tree House hotel in Greece

What I’ve Learnt…

  • Always under-promise and over-deliver in spades – and operate with a spirit of generosity.
  • Going that extra mile, both for clients and team, always reaps rewards.
  • Embrace truth, transparency and trust. We tell it how it is and crucially, never endorse anywhere we don’t know or understand. The notion of ‘luxury’ has become swamped in jargon and hogwash.

RED SAVANNAH

Eagle Tower, Montpellier Drive, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 1TA

+44 (0)1242 787800

redsavannah.com

@redsavannahhq