Worldwise: Luxury Travel Guru Jaclyn Sienna India’s Favorite Things

Text size

Jaclyn Sienna India founded her ultra-luxury lifestyle, concierge, and travel company, Sienna Charles, in 2008. The Los Angeles-based company, which operates on a membership model, prides itself on being among the first in the space to be female-founded and -operated. Since the company’s inception, she’s arranged vacations for the world’s billionaires, world leaders, and A-list celebrities.

Not only does she curate trips for her discerning ultra-high-net-worth clients, from simple European jaunts to renting remote private islands or closing down the Egyptian pyramids for a night, but she helps clients secure last-minute reservations at Michelin-starred restaurants, find rare wines and spirits, and purchase bespoke, one-of-a-kind gifts. Her clients rely on her taste to recommend the top hotels, restaurants, shopping, and excursions in all corners of the globe, and through her personalized network, India makes it happen.

“I was inspired to create
Sienna Charles
because there was no company that truly excelled at handling lifestyle requests on a detailed level for clients worth $US100 million and more,” India tells Penta. “Travelers are truly looking for privacy and authentic experiences, at the same time.” 

Prior to founding her company, India worked in a five-star French restaurant in Philadelphia and became enamored with fine dining and hospitality. It was through this experience that allowed her to know what her ultra-wealthy clients were looking for. 

India travels more than 200 days a year in an effort to personally experience each hotel, restaurant, villa, or yacht that she recommends to her clients. 

“I am driven in business to find the best of the best and pair my clients with it based on their preferences,” she said. “I am also driven by the uniqueness of each person’s requests and their vision, and I will work tirelessly to find and deliver it to them.”

A bonafide luxury expert and global traveler, read on for India’s favorite things and her top travel tips. 

Next I’ll be traveling to… Dubai, Qatar, Lebanon, and Egypt

My go-to travel essentials are… 
Maison Ullens
pants, Etro headwrap,
Meng
silk pajamas,
Christine Byer
at-home facial lifting machine, and a Smythson cosmetic case 

The best book I’ve read recently is… Nutrition and the Autonomic Nervous System by
Dr. Nicholas Gonzales,
because it goes into detail how stress causes disease and how to avoid it. 

During the pandemic, I brought luxury travel and dining into my life by… entertaining at my home for friends. I brought the fine-dining world into my own home. I got super into all the serveware, hiring top chefs, and creating menus.

A travel routine I swear by is… packing my own food for travel. I also don’t have carbs or wine on the plane, and I try to rest and relax as much as possible.

One trip I’d love to do again is… remote Indonesia, including
Raja Ampat
and
Borobudur.
 

A passion of mine people don’t know is… wellness and reading medical books. Don’t ask why, but it helps me unwind.

The one place I recommend my clients visit is… China. To me it’s the most multifaceted, interesting, and rapidly changing country. I love the juxtaposition between the rural parts, the history, and the innovation of the future. 

My favorite hotel in the world is…
Aman
Tokyo. 

A bucket-list trip of mine is… the Trans-Siberian express. To me, luxury is… always being one step ahead and anticipating people’s needs without asking.