“I don’t know if this was a mid-life crisis,” says Anthony Lassman, co-founder of luxury travel concierge, Nota Bene. “But I’m very passionate about what we do and getting it right as far as we’re concerned.”  Changing the entire course of your career at a certain age comes with its risks but after talking to Mr Lassman about his decision, it seems like it was his calling. For one, establishing yourself within the luxury travel world of the ultra-high net-worths is not something one can just learn. As he puts it: “If you don’t have fundamental rhythm, you’re never going to be a decent dancer. You have to have that rhythm to start with.” This is his rhythm.

Nota Bene is one of the UK’s leading luxury travel concierge. It was co-founded by Anthony Lassman, a businessman who used what he learned in his past real-estate career to turn travel into a luxury experience, and his wife Elaine. Whilst he is aware of the industry’s competition, Lassman is committed to the way that Nota Bene go about doing things. “I’d like to think we take travel to an art form,” he says. “We’re designing and contextualizing everything. It’s not just about that hotel, it’s about the floor and the right suite.” Nota Bene is dedicated to the world’s most exclusive type of travel, where anything and everything goes. 

It all started on a plane. Mr Lassman and his wife were discussing an article that he had just read and he didn’t believe that travel journalists were always having first-hand experience. “So she told me to try it out,” Mr Lassman explains. From his admiration of noting things down with pen and paper and his attention to detail, an idea was born. This lightbulb moment started off as a company publishing books about travel in a notebook aesthetic. As people started to slowly ask for more, in 2012 Nota Bene turned into an opportunity which Mr Lassman just couldn’t say no to. 

His successful real-estate career — which made him attune to the finer things in life — together with his obsession with detail created the perfect storm. From whether or not the sand is real or fake in a Maldives resort to if there is a single building dotting the view from the balcony, the company’s slogan (every last detail) could not be more true. “I want to know if this is a natural island or man-made,” Mr Lassman says, giving more examples to just how far Nota Bene goes for their members. “It might sound obsessive but we are entering the world of the ultra-high net-worths.”  

The team at Nota Bene, including Mr Lassman, know what it is like to seek things that other people may find extreme. “I’m the kind of lunatic that has to go the restaurant the day before to check it out, see where to sit, check what time is the best time to go, all of that,” he admits. With that in mind, members are guaranteed to relate to this luxury travel concierge at a higher level than what they are used to. 

In contrast to fam trips and larger, more accessible concierge services, Nota Bene tries to stay clear from the mob mentality as much as possible. Instead, they prefer going down a more local, underrated and self-explored path. “We go independently. We go in the same way that the client will go,” explains Mr Lassman. This type of research creates thoughtful trips, such as going down the whole length of Chile and then flying to Antartica. Or it might consist of taking a journey through the whole of the coast of Norway and then flying to the Skargard Islands. Whatever it is, every itinerary is refined and polished to make sure that every little detail is cured for.

One thing to keep in mind is that when entering the universe of ultra-high net-worths, time is more precious than money. This is something which Nota Bene keeps tabs on. “There’s nothing worse than having something wonderful in your mind, thinking you’re going on a great trip and then you go and its disappointing,” says Mr Lassman. “We do the leg work so that the clients reap the reward.” 

Catering to such interesting people and discovering such opulent yet authentic locations worldwide guarantees a few memorable anecdotes. Since founding Nota Bene, Mr Lassman recounts numerous funny, impressive and passionate stories which make up the history of the company.

One such trip has become an annual affair, sponsored by an 81-year-old philanthropist from the US for veterans of modern day wars. The group is taken to France where they will explore Paris, Versailles and the Normandy battle fields in the most exclusive ways. 

Whilst this trip was originally done through another provider, Nota Bene has since completely changed it around and added more detail. One such addition is the chance for them to charter a 1944 DC3 plane that flew in the war from Paris to Normandy. Other itinerary plans include a private visit to Versailles, a gala banquet in Paris, and a private visit to the Louvre. “It will always stand out as a trip that combined design and curation with philanthropy and people,” says Mr Lassman. 

Nota Bene provides their members with quiet luxury. It includes the exclusive nature of a rich vacation whilst balancing it with the right amount of experience and great down-time. “A certain amount of this comes with bragging rights,” Mr Lassman suggests. “Sometimes when clients have just done everything, we are there to inspire them. It is part of the joy of what we do.”  It is no longer just about traveling to new countries but doing so in a way that remains enriching and once-in-a-lifetime.

“To do this really well, you need to be curious and passionate,” he continues. “You need to have love for all these fine details but not in a pretentious way.” In fact, Nota Bene doesn’t just work with anyone. The resorts, estates and restaurants need to have values and principles which align with those of the company. “We work through the industry very carefully to decide who we will work with and who we trust,” mentioning that it takes a level of fine tuning by Mr Lassman and his team before including them in itineraries. 

There is luxury and then there is detailed luxury which Nota Bene has been an expert in for over 20 years. It is no longer enough to trust that a service will meet your expectations, especially if these expectations are higher than the norm. This is something which Mr Lassman knows all too well. His expertise, personal experiences and attention to detail have not only given the company its name but its integrity and foundation. There aren’t many luxury travel concierge that will ensure a red carpet is rolled out at your arrival to your hotel upon request. But we’ll let Mr Lassman tell that story in one of his future books.