Bjorn Hanson, a former PricewaterhouseCoopers hotel analyst told USA Today that more hotels won this year than usual because both AAA and Forbes are letting their inspectors be more flexible. However, Hanson also told the publication that AAA and Forbes offer "a more consistent basis for comparison" when compared to travel website such as TripAdvisor.com.

After a quarter of a century circling the globe, the original Andrew Harper retired six years ago and was replaced by his handpicked successors. Today, two contributing editors, both of whom remain anonymous—one based in New York, the other in Paris—carry on the role under the same pseudonym.

Andrew Harper is no longer just a little broadsheet, but a full-fledged service owned by CapStar Partners, an Austin, Texas-based private equity group that bought it in 2005.

“We really are a travel service that places a focus on customizing trips for individual members or even larger groups who have met through being members,” explains Harper’s director of travel planning, Sandi Ferreria. “Where we differ from a standard travel agency is the reach of our ground operations ability, which includes connections with local concierge services and, for example, park rangers who know just when to bring guests to remote locations. That information and the ability to use it is what we specialize in.”

Harper has made increasing use of intermediaries in its dealings with clients, says Ferreria.

“These days, we rarely hear directly from those traveling,” Ferreria says. “It is usually a trusted associate who requests information about becoming a member. Once they join, it is also rare to book a trip directly with them.”.

“Our private auction sales are definitely up, as everyone is looking for value, and our recommended hotels and travel partners are creating some of the best offers we’ve ever seen,” says one of the anonymous Harper correspondents.

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Boutiques like Harper are cost-effective ways for advisors to deliver specialized services to ultra-high-net-worth clients, according to experts.

“For an advisor, it is difficult to give great service in a small niche,” explains Richard Weylman president and CEO of the Weylman Center for Excellence in Practice Management, the only online university for financial professionals in the affluent marketplace. “The affluent are seeking out an elevated experience. By hooking up with a firm like Andrew Harper, you position yourself as not just a financial resource but a trusted go-to source for life issues.”

“Our firm considers more than just the financial health of our clients, and when appropriate, seeks to take an interest in their personal well-being,” the representative says. “We frequently recommend Andrew Harper membership, as it provides the best in travel advice and planning services. We’ve actually seen two generations of clients become members.”