The Gift They'll Actually Remember

Every December, a quiet drawer fills up somewhere: the third scented candle, the gadget used twice, the sweater still folded with its tags on. Well chosen, generously given, and somehow forgotten by February.

The research suggests a better use of your list. In four studies published in the Journal of Consumer Research, Cindy Chan of the University of Toronto and Cassie Mogilner Holmes found that experiential gifts strengthened the relationship between giver and recipient more than material gifts did. The reason was emotion. Experiences tend to stir more feeling than objects, and that feeling attaches to the person who made it happen.

In other words, the gift that lands is the one they feel, not the one they unwrap.

How to give an experience well

Give the hour, not just the treatment. The people on your list rarely lack things. They lack permission to stop. A gift that comes with a reserved chair and a phone set face down is a gift of time.

Match it to their year. Think about what the next few months actually hold for them, then choose accordingly.

• The frequent flyer: a Wheels Up IV, built for the day before takeoff or the day after landing.

• The one who never sits down: any Signature IV, a functional beverage from our wellness bar and an hour in a zero-gravity chair.

• The one playing the long game: a NAD+ infusion, a quiet, unhurried ritual.

• The bride (or the whole party): our Wedding Collection, from Golden Hour to Happily Ever After.

• The one who has been meaning to try it: a VAI gift card, so their first visit is entirely their choice.

Make the unwrapping part of it. A gift card tucked into a card with a date already suggested turns "someday" into a plan.

Give more, keep a little

All November, for every $300 in VAI gift cards you give, you'll receive a $75 card to keep for yourself. Gift cards work for any service, and our team will help each recipient choose what suits them best.

Medical clearance required for all IV services.

Give the gift of an hour. Shop VAI gift cards in the lounge or reach out to our team, and we'll take care of the rest.