As I mentioned in my last column, I spent a week in August at my very favorite worldwide summer destination, Las Vegas. I was there for a major luxury travel gathering with just under 4,000 sellers and suppliers chained together in all-day conferences lasting four minutes each.
It was, to be perfectly honest, a productive week for someone who does what I do, because there were a million small stories and tales to be told. As a travel consultant, I looked at it as a wonderful travel stew of suppliers from virtually every corner of the planet and a good cross section of the folks who sell their stuff. But the journalist in me found the gathering uniquely rewarding.
I had only to walk a few feet to do a quick interview with an agent, and the suppliers were coming to my table every few minutes.
For the entire week, I scribbled notes on the back of business cards. It was like being a political reporter and finding yourself in a room with nothing but congressmen and senators. I couldn't wait to get home to share some of this with Travel Weekly's readers. So here are some of the notes I took during hurried interviews and scheduled meetings:
• The next time I help a family with young children seeking a simple beach-oriented vacation, I will note that the Ritz-Carlton on Amelia Island in Florida has a resident pirate who tucks the kids in for the night. Sometimes, he brings along Amelia, the resident parrot.
• The owner of an agency in Sao Paulo, Brazil, said that he arranges true luxury FITs from Bahia to the Amazon. But he cautioned that in Brazil, "You never want to use a shiny Mercedes for transfers," as this type of car can call attention to one's clients in a way that might not be beneficial.
• Star Clippers has offices in Monaco, and its beautiful, classic sailing yachts make do without stabilizers. The 50% American clientele tends to appreciate real sailing. If they have never sailed before and don't want an authentic sailing experience, this might not be the appropriate product.
• The Tortuga Bay Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, has a rather significant advantage over other properties in the area. As Michael Fraser, the executive director of sales and marketing, mentioned, "It is nice for a hotel to own the airport." This is not a small, regional airport; Punta Cana is the world's first privately owned and managed passenger airport, handling more than 4 million visitors annually.
• Sandy Lane, the AAA Five Diamond Resort on Barbados, has grown its U.S. guest count from 17% to 26% in one year. This has not happened because Sandy Lane has the lowest prices in the Caribbean. It reflects a flight to quality.
• I was intrigued with the honesty of Martha Martin de Rossi of Lima Tours in Peru. "We are not a rich country," she began. "About 30% of our people are very poor." She went on to describe her company's focus on delivering truly memorable experiences based on a real sense of place. I understood when she added, "We do not do touristic programs." I placed her card in a special place.
• The representative from the highly acclaimed Blackberry Farm, 20 minutes from Knoxville, Tenn., told me that the biggest complaint they get is "the lack of really good cellphone coverage." The lovely, 62-room oasis of calm is in Walland, Tenn. I wouldn't even think to bring my cellphone to Walland.
• In a brief chat with Robert Lowe, the manager of the Mandarin Oriental in New York, I learned that guests can check out the hotel neighborhood in a new YouTube video. I think this is a great idea, as clients always want to be aware of the immediate area surrounding their hotel. In fact, I notice that some of the smarter city hotels are now producing recommendations for "restaurants within easy walking distance" with confirmations.
• The hottest ticket in Florida is the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando. So it was good to know that guests at the Loews Portofino can get into the park one hour before the general public. I remember a lovely summer evening at the Portofino, strolling the piazza as opera was sung on a second-story balcony by a fellow with good pipes. Perhaps not the panache of the real Portofino, but no one sang to me as I walked about the town in Italy.
• Just prior to the unfortunate on-site fire at Necker Island Resort, Richard Branson's sales manager from the Virgin Group made a compelling case for group business. The ultraluxe private island has a staff of 60 and can be booked for $56,000 per day for up to 28 guests. That works out to $2,000 per person per day, which is a lot of money, but it is not at all excessive when compared with the prices of in-season suite accommodations at city-based, five-star properties around the world. Besides, $56,000 per day is an inclusive price, not a room rate.
• The representative from Carlisle Bay on Antigua was particularly honest. He pointed out that 60% of guests are from the U.K., and about 30% come from the U.S. Antigua is one of my favorite Caribbean gems, and the minimum 700-square-foot suites at Carlisle Bay are quite comfortable. They have excellent children's programs, but few in the U.S. are aware of that fact. And they really want to double the percentage of American families, because "you really have to shake the kids from the U.K. to see if they are awake."
• Which brings us finally to the Tides in Miami's South Beach, which features a secret cabana for which there is no additional charge. Try to book it early. The designated Signature level, meanwhile, is on the top floor. If you are booking a room just underneath this floor, be aware, as the Tides' director of sales points out, that "stiletto heels can be a problem up there."
Contributing editor Richard Turen owns Churchill and Turen, a vacation-planning firm that has been named to Conde Nast Traveler's list of the World's Top Travel Specialists since the list began. Contact him at [email protected].