Travel with a pro on your side, Travel insights
Travel Influencer: Patricia Schickling
Courtesy Four Seasons Miami
As a travel advisor, I’m often asked about the value of my services. Even I had questioned the value of a travel advisor prior to becoming one; my family had previously enlisted the services of a travel agent in the past and the services offered by this particular agent did not seem to be anything beyond what we would have been able to accomplish ourselves. You can imagine my surprise when I entered the travel industry myself and learned how an advisor can elevate the travel experience without any additional cost to the client. Any travel advisor can book you for a pre-planned tour itinerary and collect your money, I would also be hesitant to call those that do an advisor as they really aren’t providing much advice. A good travel advisor will not only find the hotel that meets your individual needs but will have the knowledge of the most minute details that you may not even think to ask about. In addition to the hotel, a travel advisor should be able to suggest or plan the activities that fit your tastes while you are on your trip. What good is being in Paris if you don’t know the best way to see the sights without being scammed and what cafes are serving fresh made local dishes instead of pre-made heat and serve food?
If you’ve traveled more than once, you may have realized that there are several things to consider when you are planning your trip. You must plan how you’re going to get from your house to the airport, then how you should get from the airport to the hotel or further how you will navigate your destination while visiting. On top of this, you may want to ensure that you are paying a fair price or maybe even the lowest price. Travel as know this and can not only plan the small details but also price shop across multiple vendors to get the best deal or
Traveling with a travel advisor is traveling with a personal concierge at your service.
even check that the price offered is a fair price for the service. Additionally, many hotel brands prefer to have clients of travel advisors as guests stay in their hotels and offer special benefits to guests who are clients of specific travel agencies.
After troubleshooting the transportation, you want to plan what you will do while visiting your vacation destination. If you’re a family traveling with young children, you want to make sure you’re not planning an activity that’s inappropriate for the ages of your children. You don’t want to plan a hike that goes over several miles of rugged terrain when you plan to travel with your infant that will be in a stroller. Additionally, you also would want to know that your family will be safe from unforeseen dangers that can come along with participating in tours from less than reputable operators. A travel advisor will know your travel party’s current travel desires and physical ability which will guide how they curate your activities so that your trip is as stress- and injury-free as possible.
Many of us travel with a set budget or maybe just limits for what you are comfortable spending on a particular service or activity. You may even have a budget for what you wish to spend on travel for a year. By booking your yearly trips through a travel advisor, you can be assured that the money spent on your trips is well allocated and your trips are planned with careful consideration. A travel advisor knows the ideal months to visit specific places or knows what elements should be considered when traveling to different locations. You would want to know that the reason that you were able to book an overwater villa in the Maldives for a steal in September is because that is typically the rainiest month of monsoon season.
Next on the list of things to consider for a trip is what or where you’re going to eat. Are you going to be able to rely on getting any of your meals at your hotel? Is there going to be a cost to this? Do you want to dine at local restaurants that offer authentic meals from the destination, or do you want to stick to familiar favorites? Traveling with a travel advisor is traveling with a personal concierge at your service. A travel advisor can recommend local restaurants or even arrange reservations if they are needed. While this is something that many hotels might offer, bear in mind there may be an additional fee associated or they could just be offering a generic list that they give to every guest. If you use a travel advisor, you receive personalized service with someone who ideally knows you as well as your closest friend may know you. Your travel advisor knows you and your unique dietary needs to recommend restaurants with menus that will fit your specific needs.
Even after reading through all these benefits of using a travel advisor, you may think that you still wouldn’t see a benefit in booking travel with one. Let’s consider a small but probably typical trip that someone from Jupiter may take, a few nights in Miami where you will be staying in a hotel while enjoying some of the amazing sights and restaurants that Miami has to offer. In this instance, it’s a special occasion and your family would like to splurge a bit by staying in a luxury hotel and having dinner at a Michelin rated restaurant. You want to stay at the Four Seasons Hotel Miami specifically.
As a client of a LuxRally Travel advisor, you would be eligible for Preferred Partner benefits which include:
Four Seasons Preferred Partner Benefits
• Daily full breakfast for two people per bedroom, served in a hotel restaurant or through In-Room Dining
• Hotel/Resort Credit* (based on room category booked) enriching your clients’ stay with their choice of experience – from spa and dining to recreation:
- Guest Rooms: USD $100 credit per stay
- Suites and Specialty Suites: USD $200 credit per stay
- Private Retreats: USD $200 credit per bedroom per stay
• Upgrade of one category, based on availability at time of check-in**
• Welcome note at check-in, acknowledging you, your travel agency and the Preferred Partner benefits
These benefits are in addition to any currently running promotional offers. Not only are you receiving the best nightly rate, but you are warmly welcomed at check-in and treated like the VIP you are during your stay.
Dining at a Michelin star restaurant is considered a destination itself for many travelers, with some restaurants having months-long waiting lists for a reservation. Miami happens to be home to the only Michelin 2 star rated restaurant in Florida and it is the highest star rating of any restaurant in the state, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Miami. Located in the design district, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Miami offers an exquisite menu that combines the interactive dining experience found at Japanese sushi counters and the tapas style from Spain with modern French cuisine. Guests can choose from a 3 or 4 course seasonal menu, a la carte menu, a degustation menu, and as of May of 2024 a seasonal lunch menu. A meal at L’Atelier is sure to delight your taste buds no matter how you choose to experience it.
As a client who is traveling with a LuxRally Travel advisor like myself, our in-house concierge and I work together to leverage our relationships with hotel managers and restaurant hosts to have our clients accommodated for an evening at these coveted establishments. This is done at no additional cost to the clients. For many locals who visit Miami, a weekend trip may be planned at the last minute which may mean that popular restaurants may not have seating available while you are visiting. Booking even this short trip with a travel advisor would ensure that your weekend trip fulfills your every desire.
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