The Most Misunderstood Word in Travel

Let’s talk about a word that gets tossed around a lot in this industry: luxury.

People see it and immediately picture the obvious stuff like overwater villas, champagne at check-in, 5-star everything, and a price tag that makes your jaw drop a little. And hey, I love a good plush bathrobe and pillow menu as much as the next person (Four Seasons hotels have recently become my latest obsession even when traveling domestically!).

But here’s the thing: luxury travel isn’t always about how much something costs. It’s about how it feels.

It’s about waking up in a hotel that gets you and recognizes what you bring to the table as an individual. Where you’re not just Room 204, you’re the couple celebrating a milestone, or the solo traveler who likes her coffee strong and her mornings quiet. It’s the kind of experience where every detail feels intentional. Thoughtful. Personalized.

Sometimes that’s a high-end resort. Sometimes it’s a family-run boutique property tucked into the hills of Tuscany that doesn’t even have a proper website but gives you the best meal of your life and tells you where the locals actually go on Sundays.

That’s luxury.

And that’s the kind of travel I plan.

I think we’ve gotten a little too comfortable with associating “luxury” with dollar signs. The truth? I have clients who wouldn’t describe themselves as luxury travelers at all, but they still want something better than what they could Google on their own. They want comfort. They want authenticity. They want to travel well, not just travel expensively.

Honestly, most of my clients are "anti-luxury" - at least when it comes down to identifying with a particular style. They don't always want the Shangri-La or the Andaz, but they do want meaningful, immersive, priceless experiences.

To me, luxury is about value, not in the coupon-clipping sense, but in the “was this worth it?” sense. It’s knowing when it makes sense to splurge, and when it’s perfectly okay to go simple. It’s about balancing elevated experiences with grounded ones, because that’s what creates a trip that actually sticks with you.

Sometimes it’s a private cooking class in a chef’s home instead of a massive group tour. Sometimes it’s flying business class because you don’t want to lose the first two days of your trip recovering from a miserable red-eye. Sometimes it’s spending more on a hotel because it’s in the perfect location and saves you time and stress.

And other times? It’s skipping the flashy hotel entirely and staying somewhere that’s charming and low-key, but where the staff makes you feel like family.

The kind of travel I build isn’t one-size-fits-all, because you’re not one-size-fits-all. Every itinerary I design is tailored to the person, the moment, and the kind of story they want to come home with.

So yes, I work in the luxury travel space, but that doesn’t mean I’m only booking five-star resorts and private yachts (though those are fun too). It means I’m focused on crafting experiences that feel elevated, thoughtful, and worth it ... whatever that looks like for you.

Luxury isn’t a number. It’s a feeling.

And if you’re ready to travel in a way that reflects your values, your priorities, and your story, I’d love to help you do it.