has the travel economy turned the corner?

Has the economy turned the corner? The collapse of the credit markets in the fall of 2008 was devastating. My own sales dropped 38% from the preceding month in October '08. For the six months following the crash, my sales were 15% lower than the six months preceding the crash.

2010 has started with a bang. While my own experience is hardly paradigmatic of the entire economy, January and February, 2010, have been the two busiest months I have ever experienced (and many of my colleagues at Brownell make similar reports). I specialize in luxury travel, so I cannot speak to what is happening with mass market travel, but these are some impressions I can convey about the state of the luxury travel market.

(1) There are long hold times when calling wholesalers who put together packages to Hawaii, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

(2) Third, fourth, and fifth-night free rates continue to be very popular with upscale travelers and have helped fill these properties. Throw in hotel amenity programs that include such as free breakfasts, spa credits, lunches or dinners, and there continue to be some compelling luxury values out there.

(3) Hotels have been willing to extend upgrades at the time of booking in order to make a sale, especially with preferred partners who send them lots of guests.

(4) Now is the time to take advantage of these values. As the economy continues to strengthen, these steep discounts will become harder to find. In the long term, this is good news for the luxury traveler, because it's in everyone's interest for luxury hotels and resorts to return to profitability.

(5) If you normally stay at mid-level hotels (Marriott, Sheraton, Hilton, etc.), take a look at some of the values you can get at Four Seasons and Ritz-Carltons in the destinations you're visiting. With discount programs still in place - and generous hotel amenity programs that will continue even when the discounts are over - you can often enjoy the best for practically the same price as the big mass-market chains charge.


hotel amenity programs (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2010 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
.

hotel upgrades at time of booking

When you can get a guaranteed upgrade at the time of booking, it's a great deal for you. It simply means you get more value for your money. Pay for a smaller, lead-in room and get a free upgrade into a larger room. Pay for a Garden view room and get to enjoy a room with a view of the Ocean. Or pay for a Deluxe guestroom and enjoy the spaciousness of a Suite. A guaranteed upgrade is an automatic discount over the rates that everyone else has to pay.

Listed below are Virtuoso hotels that graciously offer "upgrades at time of booking" — and offer, in addition, complimentary daily breakfasts and other valuable amenities. To get your guaranteed upgrade at any of these hotels plus free breakfasts and other perks, just make your booking through a Virtuoso travel consultant.

UNITED STATES

Canyon Ranch — Tucson, AZ

Fairmont Scottsdale — Scottsdale, AZ

Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain — Paradise Valley, AZ

Capital Hotel — Little Rock, AR

Clift Hotel — San Francisco, CA

Four Seasons — San Francisco, CA

Mandarin Oriental — San Francisco, CA

Montage Resort — Laguna Beach, CA

Montage Beverly Hills — Beverly Hills, CA

Grand Del Mar — San Diego, CA

Vail Cascade Resort — Vail, CO

Four Seasons — Palm Beach, FL

Ritz-Carlton South Beach — Miami Beach, FL

Halekulani — Honolulu, HI

Mauna Lani — Big Island, HI

St. Regis Princeville — Kauai, HI

Park Hyatt — Chicago, IL

Boston Harbor Hotel — Boston, MA

Canyon Ranch — Lenox, MA

Inn and Spa at Loretto — Santa Fe, NM

Mandarin Oriental New York — New York, NY

St. Regis New York — New York, NY

Park Hyatt Washington — Washington, DC

EUROPE

The Goring — London, England

Ritz London — London, England

Grand Hotel — Eastbourne, England

Hotel Le Bristol — Paris, France

Adlon Kempinski — Berlin, Germany

Hotel Die Hirschgasse — Heidelberg, Germany

Regent Berlin — Berlin, Germany

Rocco Forte Hotel de Rome — Berlin, Germany

Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski — Munich, Germany

Hayfield Manor — Cork, Ireland

K Club — Kildare, Ireland

Hotel Brufani Palace — Perugia, Italy

Ca' Sagredo Hotel — Venice, Italy

Aquapura Douro Valley — Lamego, Portugal

Lapa Palace — Lisbon, Portugal

Reid's Palace — Funchal, Madeira

Hotel Baltschug Kempinski — Moscow, Russia

Gleneagles — Perthshire, Scotland

Barcelo La Bobadilla — Loja, Spain

Claris Hotel — Barcelona, Spain

Badrutt's Palace — St. Moritz, Switzerland

Beau-Rivage — Geneva, Switzerland

Dolder Grand — Zurich, Switzerland

Widder Hotel, Zurich, Switzerland

ASIA

Island Shangri-La — Hong Kong

Peninsula Beijing — China

Ananda in the Himalayas — Uttaranchal, India

Fullerton Hotel — Singapore

Sukhothai — Bangkok

AUSTRALIA

Lyall Hotel and Spa — Melbourne

CANADA

Fairmont Banff Springs — Banff

Fairmont Empress — Victoria

Fairmont Chateau Whistler — Whistler

CARIBBEAN

The Cove Atlantis — Nassau

The Reef Atlantis — Nassau

Half Moon — Jamaica

MEXICO

Villa Montana Hotel & Spa — Morelia

ARGENTINA

Iguazu Grand Resort — Puerto Iguazu

Park Hyatt — Mendoza

Virtuoso travel consultant (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2010 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
.

Virtuoso Best of the Best

Virtuoso's 2010 guide to the best luxury hotels and resorts in the world has been published. Featuring a cover shot of the new One&Only Cape Town in South Africa, this is just one of over 800 properties in 89 countries around the world in the exclusive Virtuoso collection.

Why should Virtuoso matter to you? Do you want to experience the utmost in comfort, service, and luxury when you travel? Do you care about maximizing the value you receive when you travel? Virtuoso offers added-value amenities at every one of the 800+ properties in this catalogue:

• complimentary daily breakfast for two
• room upgrades upon check-in, subject to availability
• an unique extra amenity or perk at each property that may include lunch, dinner, a spa credit, or transfers

You don't pay more — you just get more — simply by booking through a Virtuoso travel consultant. And just as important, you will receive the personalized attention and service you deserve from an experienced travel professional.

Click here to view the digital version of Virtuoso Best of the Best.


Virtuoso travel consultant (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2010 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
.

Southwest Airlines and Customers of Size

The hot topic in the today's news is the case of Kevin Smith and Southwest's two-seat policy for "customers of size." Mr. Smith bought two tickets for a flight from Oakland to Burbank. He was able to get on an earlier flight on which, unfortunately, two adjacent seats were not available. And that is where this tale of Southwest's public relations misadventure begins. Southwest Airlines determined that Mr. Smith did not fit into a single seat and asked him to deplane. This led to an exchange of blogs and tweets in which both parties wrote things they probably regret.

As a luxury travel consultant, my own issue in this incident is the entire question of comfort [sic] while flying in coach. I don't enjoy the "back of the plane" experience, but most of us who live in California do fly Southwest when traveling within state, and Southwest is an all-coach airline. SWA does offer a reasonably comfortable coach product with adequate pitch — their seats are not crammed as tightly as those of other airlines. Coach only becomes unbearable when the passenger in the neighboring seat is wider than that seat, and his/her body encroaches into your space.

I applaud Southwest's policy on "customers of size," requiring such passengers to purchase two seats.

As a Company committed to serving our Customers in Safety and comfort, we feel the definitive boundary between seats is the armrest. If a Customer cannot comfortably lower the armrest and infringes on a portion of another seat, a Customer seated adjacent would be very uncomfortable and a timely exit from the aircraft in the event of an emergency might be compromised if we allow a cramped, restricted seating arrangement.

When an adjacent passenger occupies space you paid for (i.e., any portion of the vertical space between your armrests), it is simply unfair. Southwest's PR in response to this incident was unfortunate, but their policy is laudable.


luxury travel consultant (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2010 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
.

free San Francisco walking tours

San Francisco is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, and no wonder. Here are just a few reasons to visit:

• beautiful year-round weather
• a beautiful setting in between the Bay and the Pacific Ocean
• iconic attractions such as the Golden Gate Bridge
• world-class cuisine
• cable cars
• great shopping
• cultural diversity
• a great symphony orchestra, ballet, and art museums

As if to highlight our moderate climate, the picture above was taken yesterday afternoon, February 13th. While most of the country was shoveling snow and dealing with frigid temperatures, we were walking around San Francisco, basking in the beautiful sunshine and wearing just light jackets. (I live across the Bay in Berkeley).

And here's the best bargain of all: free San Francisco walking tours! Sponsored by the San Francisco Public Library, the San Francisco City Guides program is a great way to explore the city and learn about its present and its storied past. I went on a tour yesterday afternoon (Making Waves on the Waterfront) that started off at the Ferry Terminal and wound its way through the Embarcadero neighborhood.

Where to stay when in San Francisco? Most of my clients choose either the Four Seasons San Francisco or the Ritz Carlton San Francisco. As Virtuoso travel consultant and a Four Seasons Preferred Partner, my clients receive exclusive amenities at each — free daily breakfast for two, room upgrades, and more!

free San Francisco walking tours (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2010 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
.

Hawaii | which island to visit?

A common question from first time travelers to Hawaii — which island to visit? Each is actually quite unique and offers a different vacation experience. Here's a brief rundown on your five island choices.

Oahu is the most populous island in the chain. Many travelers fly into Honolulu because of the wide choice of non-stop flights from many international and U.S. cities (including the major east coast hubs of Newark and Atlanta). Many visitors make a point to visit Pearl Harbor, and Waikiki Beach is a world-famous beach. Waikiki doesn't really appeal to me, but if you love the bustle and excitement of crowds, lots of shopping, an ABC store on every corner, and some very inexpensive hotel rooms, Honolulu could be a good choice. If Oahu is in your plans, my recommendation is the Kahala Resort, about 15 minutes from Waikiki with a beautiful, secluded beach (and a good spot for celebrity watching).

Maui is the other major tourist destination in Hawaii. It has become so popular, unfortunately, that its single two-lane road is often crowded and slow. Maui has great beaches and great golf, but I fear that it's a victim of its own popularity: lots of condos and strip malls have been built over the years. Maui is the home to the original Four Seasons Resort, the FS Maui at Wailea, and there is a large and beautiful Ritz-Carlton in the Napili area of Maui.

Kauai is a great spot for active adventurers. Small enough to get anyplace in a few hours, you can fully explore Kauai in a one-week visit. Pictured here is Waimea Canyon, the so-called "Grand Canyon of the Pacific." Located in the warm and dry southwest corner of Kauai, this is a spectacular area for hiking. You will also enjoy hiking the Napili Coast (wear shoes you won't mind walking through the mud in ... as this island is a veritable rainforest). You can also see the spectacular scenery from a helicopter or dinner cruise. The newly remodeled St. Regis Princeville Resort on the north coast is a beautiful and luxurious property - a good spot for summer visitors. In the winter, stay on Poipu Beach for the better weather (where the Grand Hyatt is a good choice).

You might guess that the Big Island (Hawaii) is the largest island in the Hawaiian chain. With a still-active volcano creating a lava stream that flows to the sea, the Big Island offers the greatest variety of natural wonders. The first time I flew into Kona and drove north towards my hotel, I was struck by the lunar landscape left behind by the lava flows that formed the island. Not to worry, all of the resorts are very green and lush with beautiful beaches and championship golf courses. While the Kona side of the island is the most dependable for warm, dry weather, the Hilo side of the island is a veritable rain forest - very beautiful in its own way. Four Seasons Hualalai, a short drive from Kona, is perhaps the most idyllic resort in Hawaii.

Lanai is the smallest and quietest of the five major tourist islands, and it provides a sense of what Hawaii used to be before it was developed for tourism. With no large cities and not a single traffic light, this is a place to go and relax. Four Seasons Manele Bay sits beside one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever walked on, and there's good snorkeling right off shore. Four Seasons Lodge at Koele is 1500 feet above sea level and offers the atmosphere of a Hawaiian pineapple plantation. Both are really beautiful properties and among the best luxury resort values anywhere in the world.

I can provide exclusive amenities at all of the resorts mentioned in this article, including complimentary daily breakfast for two, room upgrades when available at check-in, and extra value-added amenities. These are available just by booking through a Virtuoso and Four Seasons Preferred Partner travel consultant.


Hawaii which island to visit (search here on Google)


copyright (c) 2010 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
.