When he's not starring with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Kevin Hart in the 'Jumanji' films, or on the reboot of the television series 'Charmed,' actor Ser'Darius Blaine has his pet project to attend to.
Travel.
Blain has started a company called Top Shelf Getaways, a high-end travel concierge service that provides one-of-a-kind, budget-friendly, elite travel experiences specific to those who have an appetite for decadence and who are looking to get the best out of life.
What might seem like an odd time to pursue an initiative in the travel industry - COVID-19 is still running rampant in much of the world and air travel is still down 50 percent compared to 2019 standards - turned out to be the right time for Blain.
"100 percent. The whole purpose to start it now is to cater to people who want to have a good time in a safe environment in their own herd," Blain told TravelPulse in an interview.
In addition to several exclusive international and domestic group getaways planned each year, Top Shelf Getaways offers private, curated, getaways where clients can celebrate important events, host gatherings of friends, family and colleagues and have experienced luxury travel specialists make sure it is a world-class, memorable experience.
Blain began the company in August of 2020 and called this first year a soft opening of sorts. But for New Year's Eve, he hosted 47 tourists on a trip to Tulum. He has another event in Antigua later this month, and near the end of the year, he plans to go to Paris and Indonesia.
"All of our vacations are COVID-compliant," Blain said. "Three days before a trip we ask everybody to provide proof of a negative test, and they are tested again two days into the trip. We have taken 227 people out of the country since October, and I'm proud to say that not one single positive test has come back."
That's one thing Blain was very diligent about. When he can, as with the Tulum trip, he will rent out luxury boutique hotels so that his traveling party has the run of the place. Visits to restaurants are either done in a private room or, if need be, renting out an entire eatery.
He also has two security guards on duty at all times, prompting him to joke that "There are no hookups on the trips. We have our own security and they won't allow someone who is not part of the group into our hotel."
Blain has two films coming out later this fall and another movie coming out next year. When he himself can't accompany a trip, he will have trained tour leaders take his place.
But his absence won't stop him from promoting his new venture.
"Oh, I'll definitely talk about this during the press tours," he said with a laugh. "We're still in the infancy. I'm doing my best to keep all trips at-cost, so I haven't made any profit yet. I want people to experience the top shelf life that we're talking about. After the first year, we'll talk about doing more. Right now, there's a mystique to it. For now, I want it to be more of a word of mouth thing."
For more information on Top Shelf Getaways, please visit their website at www.topshelfgetaways.com or @topshelfgetaways on Instagram and Facebook. You can also follow Founder and CEO, Ser'Darius Blain directly @serdariusblain where he occasionally posts behind-the-scenes clips from Top Shelf Getaways epic adventures.
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