UPdates prices out gold-diggers with £250,000-a-time luxury dating experiences

Super-rich romantics are being offered a rare chance to find love in a gold-digger-free zone – at £250,000 a time – by the world’s most expensive dating site.

UPdates International, the brainchild of entrepreneurs Léon McPherson and Gareth Thompson, solves the eternal problem of the ultra-wealthy: how do they know a prospective partner wants them for themselves instead of their money?

As a private members’ club, UPdates screens and vets applicants so thoroughly that the only people allowed to join are already wealthy in their own right, so members can be confident that losing their heart to someone won’t mean losing their assets, too.

UPdates members will be flown by private jet to exclusive locations to enjoy gourmet dining, wine tasting, river cruises, luxurious pampering and unmissable cultural experiences.

Founder Gareth says the idea is to help people get to know each other in luxurious surroundings and make their own matches through traditional courtship instead of at the mercy, if any, of a computer algorithm.

“Online, app and rapid-fire dating are tremendously popular,” he says, “but these cannot replace the enchanting encounter that a shared experience of the trip of a lifetime creates.

“Sharing new experiences creates irreplaceable memories and establishes an intimate connection between two people.”

His co-founder Léon adds: “UPdates gives high-net-worth individuals the opportunity to meet people with similar interests outside of their social circle.

“On our sojourns they become part of the action – forging new relationships but within a trusted network.

“Our members are successful, interesting and high-calibre individuals. UPdates carefully select each new member to ensure they complement and enrich our existing membership base.”

He says UPdates members are typically high net-worth individuals aged 35 to 50 who are attractive and stylish, like to keep fit and have interests across the arts, culture, food and wine, outdoor pursuits, philanthropy and world travel.

The elite trips, costing from £60,000 to £250,000, have the world as their oyster and range from a long weekend to a whole week, with the first due for take-off in April.

The exclusive getaways are aimed initially at London’s super-rich, with membership restricted to residents of the capital and its surrounding counties.

Applicants must be referred by the agency’s trusted network or by calling the agency directly to join the waiting list. All members are interviewed before being accepted and membership is not guaranteed.

A small but expert concierge team manages members’ requests while an on-site relationship manager handles all the dating dynamics of the group including mini-dates and their itinerary.

So members can get on with their lives, and their loves, without ever finding themselves, like Debbie McGee, being asked by Mrs Merton on a TV chat show: “So, what first attracted you to the millionaire Paul Daniels?”

UPdates – Where and How

More information at to www.up-dates.london or on +44 (0) 203 808 8388.