Whether it is travelling on a budget or seeking out luxury, finding a secret island or planning a pet-friendly escape, holidaymakers are jumping on the growing trend of travel concierges. With a contacts book of the hottest names across the globe, these facilitators can jump the waiting list at Noma, hunt down the finest embroidery in Rajasthan (Andraab, Jaipur), order from the top pastry shop in Paris (Goût de Brioche, St Germain) and bag the best family beach spot in the Mediterranean (St George Beach, Naxos, Greece).

Ten years ago, travel concierges were the preserve of high-net-worth individuals. Now, their services are accessible to a wider demographic, from business executives and single parents to gap-year students and extreme adventurers.

Millennials are driving the trend with their reliance on digital access and expert advice, a need heightened by a saturated internet and a world that is increasingly on fast-forward.

“Time is one of the most precious things and one most of our clients lack,” says Zara Dawson, the co-founder of the Golden Ticket property and concierge service. “We can save them hours of searching for perfect private accommodation with a portfolio of tried and tested properties.”

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To meet demand, the company has expanded from a dining-room table at home to offices in London, Los Angeles and Barcelona. Its real estate arm launches this month.

Travel concierges are more than just a service; they become friends, confidants, advisers and ambassadors. “We look after clients from the second they touch down to the minute they take off again,” says Zara. “Our ethos is to provide the most personal, discreet service possible.”

Such discretion is essential when security services are part of the brief. “One high-profile client was desperate for a loft apartment in Shoreditch and wanted the security team to have direct sight of them 24/7,” Zara recalls. “In true east London style, we set up our own ‘pop-up art gallery’ as a vantage point and borrowed some prime urban art including a few Banksys. However, our ‘gallery’ quickly received a number of customers who thought a 24-hour art gallery was very cool, and pieces were being offered on left, right and centre.”

Street art in Shoreditch Credit: Mike Kemp/Mike Kemp

Expect the unexpected; that is the key to success as a concierge. Here we profile the different “tribes” who seek out their services, each matched to a specialist who can fulfil their needs:

Jet set

The tribe They’re rarely off a plane, taking 12 holidays-plus a year. Aspen twice. Mykonos thrice. Never far from a superyacht.

The concierge Luke McCormick, Edge Retreats

Specialism Luxury villa company with 5,000 properties worldwide. Fans include F1 drivers, Russian ballerinas, famous authors, socialites and heads of industry, all willing to pay up to £200,000 for a week’s stay. From St Barts to Santorini, it’s life on a big scale with a glittering portfolio including The Brando (Pippa Middleton and James Matthews’ honeymoon destination), Musha Cay (which hosted Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem’s wedding) and the former home of Brigitte Bardot – Bastide Provençal, on the Côte d’Azur.

But it’s not just about bricks and mortar. The devil is in the detail, from the sublime (organising 25 paddle boards for a yoga retreat in Bali) to the ridiculous (counting the number of bees surrounding a French chateau – the client wouldn’t arrive until he knew how many).

Then there were the three helicopters that left late and were unable to land at their destination. In a matter of hours, Luke found his clients another villa on a neighbouring island – with a helipad and a place to guard the helicopters overnight.

Edge Retreats can find you the ultimate villa in Cannes Credit: Getty

Travel tip “Book an experience you won’t forget. It’s a given that there are the most incredible properties on the planet, but it’s the memories created against that backdrop that stand the test of time. So, take a helicopter for a picnic on the side of a mountain, hire a famous DJ for a house party or take a yacht to a secluded slice of sand for a romantic lunch.”

Ultimate recommendation Villa Alang Alang, Cannes, which has a mounted tyrannosaurus rex skull on the staircase; Ibiza’s Can Zama – an amazing property for its seclusion, surroundings and design; and Villa Triton in Turks and Caicos Islands for absolute beachfront perfection.

Contact: edgeretreats.com

Pet parade

The tribe Like owner, like dog. Pet-sitting is out. Pooch on tour is in. Only the best canine care will do.

The concierge PetsPyjamas

Specialism The first pet concierge service in the UK, these dog lovers cater for every breed and budget with a portfolio spanning B&Bs, glamping, pub rooms, boats, retro VW camper vans, chic cottages and country houses, each with assurances of homemade sausages for breakfast. They’ve seen it all: six dachshunds that needed their own room with all the furniture removed, a swimming pool and chicken breast every night from a china bowl.

VIPs (“Very Important Paws”) are out in force. Miranda Hart (and her shih tzu/bichon frise cross Peggy) is a fan, particularly of the company’s Welsh properties; and PetsPyjamas has recently hosted Elle Macpherson’s dogs Bella and Moon, Mark Ronson’s Lab/border collie cross Maude and Daisy Lowe’s Maltese Monty. Henry Holland’s French bulldog Peggy also recently inspired a capsule collection, featuring loud tartan and striped prints with dashes of Mongolian lamb shearling.

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Travel tip “Ask questions. Can the hotel provide beds and bowls? Is there an enclosed garden so you can relax while your dog explores? Can your dog join you for dinner?”

Ultimate recommendation Bailiffscourt Hotel & Spa, West Sussex, which has great grounds plus access to Climping Beach – one of the most unspoilt beaches in the area. For multiple dogs: Feversham Arms Hotel, Yorkshire, which takes up to four big dogs in the poolside room and has access to the North York Moors National Park.

Contact: petspyjamas.com.

Digital nomads

The tribe Millennials. The generation lost without a smartphone. And Snapchat for that matter.

The concierge MeetnGreetMe

Specialism Like Uber, but for personal concierge services, this platform is a stroke of genius, blending an online social network with offline localised travel services. Spanning Europe, it connects travellers with locals from every walk of life (from PAs to beauticians, sportsmen to students). Favourite “MeetnGreeters” include Ben Malpass, former head concierge at the Savoy, who has organised a private recording at Abbey Road Studios and a walking tour at night for overseas royalty, and hired a West End theatre for a client who wanted to watch a Nineties action movie at 4am.

At the more affordable end of the scale, student Anastasia Vaitsekhovich is the go-to girl for sampling local cuisine in Florence, and the many experts available to show you around in Barcelona boast an encyclopedic knowledge of the city’s best bars (Hotel Pulitzer’s rooftop bar is top of the list).

Private recording session at Abbey Road Studios? No problem! Credit: Getty

Travel tip “Do your research – the most interesting places are not in the guidebook.”

Ultimate recommendation London: Kew Gardens or a river boat to Greenwich; Florence: Villa Medici at Castello; Barcelona: “tapas street”, aka Carrer de Blai.

Contact meetngreetme.com

Style set

The tribe Fashion first. Hidden behind Tom Ford shades. Identify them by their tower of Louis Vuitton trunks. Ever-immaculate, with their flight wardrobe nailed.

The concierge Anthony and Elaine Lassman, Nota Bene Global

For unmmatchable views, take a private jet over Antarctica Credit: Getty

Specialism Michael Kors, Sarah Jessica Parker and David Lauren flock to this chic company, which operates like a private club focused on travel. As well as accommodation (Ol Jogi Ranch, Kenya, is particularly special), they can whip up private jets to Antarctica, organise lunch with the maharaja of Jodhpur at his palace and cater to every whim, including a client who wanted his own brand of water shipped to the Caribbean resort where he was staying, with express instructions that no other water should be served to him.

Shopping is also on the agenda with Elaine, fashion consultant for Sloane Street, full of sartorial nuggets: for rugs, Olga Fisch in Quito, Ecuador; Tender in Portofino, Italy for a great fashion edit; and strong, bold jewellery by Christophe Graber in Zurich.

Travel tip “Look for a place with an undeniable X-factor. Don’t trust brochures (they are far too generic) and do your research through trusted sources. Go to the experts if you can afford it, especially when you want more than booking a flight and hotel.”

Ultimate recommendation A converted sheep farm, Deplar Farm in northern Iceland; The Mercer in Soho, New York, which attracts an interesting, eclectic crowd; Royal Mansour, Marrakech, for its mystique; and the district of Bairro Alto, Lisbon, for its intimacy and charm.

Contact notabeneglobal.com

Hollywood set

The tribe These are the A-listers making their escape. Entourage included. Paps trailing in their wake.

The concierge Golden Ticket

Specialism 40 Academy Awards, 22 Baftas, 12 Emmys, 9 Grammys, 3 Brit Awards – and counting – sums up Golden Ticket’s clients. It’s the variety that is impressive here: from curating an all-out holiday in Puglia to buying up the wine collection at Harrods for an oenophile; from chartering a yacht down the Thames to organising care for kids while their parents are filming. They also sort out accommodation in the UK for visiting talent, working on productions including Quantum Of Solace with Daniel Craig, Mission Impossible with Tom Cruise and Jurassic World with Bryce Dallas Howard.

Dealing with paparazzi is up there, too – strategising escape routes, providing doppelgangers and sourcing properties with underground entrances. The company’s own properties, Little Cotswolds Cottage and Little Norfolk Cottage, go under pseudonyms, of course.

Travel tip “Do your homework. The more you put into the planning, the less stress (or no stress) you’ll have when you’re there. Also, don’t always go for the most expensive option – it doesn’t mean it’s the best.”

Ultimate recommendation The island of La Digue in the Seychelles – a real treat and utterly worth it.

Contact goldenticketlondon.com

La Digue is a treat - but so worth it Credit: Getty

Five other 'tribes' and the concierges they seek

Super Rich

The tribe People with serious money to burn. Often financiers. Sometimes media moguls. And a never-ending line of entrepreneurs who’ve hit gold. Always on their phone.

The concierge Niel Fox, Based On A True Story

Specialism Aimed at “thrillionaires”, this under-the-radar company organises trips, which cost from £200,000.

Contact basedonatruestory.co.uk

Spiritual Seekers

The tribe The Eat, Pray, Love brigade. The soul-searching sisters. The Buddhist band of brothers. And usually a divorcee trying to find themself.

The concierge Antoine Sepulchre, The Key

'Spiritual seekers' might want to head to Tibet Credit: Getty

Specialism “Transcending” journeys including a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, Tibet, and a trip down the Amazon in search of sacred plant medicines.

Contact the-key.ch

Corporate

The tribe Suited and booted. Day or night. They butter up clients across the globe. Usual haunts: New York, Japan and Singapore. Caribbean if they can swing it.

The concierge Jenny Graham, Quintessentially Travel

Specialism With long-standing clients including Vertu, Jaguar and Samsung, this grande dame has recently expanded its offering to provide the complete corporate solution.

Contact quintessentiallytravel.com

Adrenalin Junkies

The tribe Sun and sand are out, unless it’s the Marathon des Sables. Stomping up mountains is their norm. Death-defying stunts is their goal.

The concierge Henry Cookson, Henry Cookson Adventures

Specialism Former military man Henry organised Prince Harry’s Walking with the Wounded trip and specialises in scaling monumental mountains.

Contact henrycooksonadventures.com

Techies

The tribe Apple addicts (with the odd Google device thrown in). Glossy tech magazines are their bedtime reading. Money already in the piggy bank for their own robot.

The concierge Mezi

Specialism Award-winning app of the moment, this “personal assistant to travel” uses instant chatbots available 24/7.

Contact mezi.com