Now that 2012 is upon us, isn’t it time you truly focused on living a lush life?
And the best way to live a lush life is to travel in style. Here are 9 ways to start maximizing your “return on life:”
1. Work with your luxury travel advisor: You can buy stock online, but that doesn’t mean you should. You can buy vacations online too, but that doesn’t mean you should. Like your money, your holidays should be invested wisely. Travel gives you your greatest “return on life”. When you work with me, I will be your advocate. I am a professional, with not only resources and connections and knowledge that you do not have; but I also can vip you and be your personal contact when issues arise.
2. Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish: Don’t wait for the last minute to get away, and cross your fingers that some magical deal will fall in your lap. If space is getting dumped at the last minute, it’s getting dumped for a reason. Just because you can get a great deal doesn’t mean you’ll be happy. Very few of my clients can tell me the exact $ they spent on their last vacation. All of them can tell me the memories they took away. Decide where you want to go, and when; and let’s work together to get the best value.
3. Make a plan: Let’s collaborate to design your next vacation. And why not structure some ideas around the next several vacations you want to take? Decide what’s most important to you, and make a plan. Save as needed. The main thing is to decide what memories you want from the investment of your hard earned vacation dollars? If you have a family, decide what experiences you want with your children – do you want to visit Disney when they are young, criss cross Europe as they become teens, and perhaps take a safari as they’re maturing into young adults? If you’re a couple, do you want to romance in the Seychelles, or adventure as you backpack through Vietnam? If you’re travelling alone, perhaps you need healing experiences at an Arizona luxury spa, or heart pumping adventure white water rafting in Costa Rica? Let’s focus on your dreams, and invest to ensure we can deliver them.
4. Think different: Let the words of Steve Jobs and Apple inspire us as we plan your vacation. Wouldn’t a beautiful beach resort in Anguilla (with at most 90 hotel rooms) and gourmet food experiences beat a crowded Cuban beach resort (with 2000+ strangers vying for a beach chair) and regular cafeteria fare? Think “experience.” Think “unique.” Think “off-the-beaten track.” Think “different.”
5. Live Lushly: You don’t have to spend your RRSPs to have the vacation of your dreams. It’s all about value, and optimizing the experience. Why not splurge to have even a night or two stay at a luxury hotel in the center of Rome, with a view St. Peter’s Square; versus scrimping to have 4 nights at a moderate dive an hour away? Choose to live lushly.
6.Work with Virtuoso Partners: Wouldn’t you rather your hotel welcome you by name, rather than by your reservation number? Wouldn’t you rather get VIP’ed with amenities like complimentary breakfast daily, complimentary room upgrades, and food and beverage credits? I love VIP’ing my clients with my Virtuoso hotel partners. Our Voyageur Club offers fantastic amenities on the water. And I have terrific on-site destination partners who can help tailor unique experiences and superior access for your family.
7. Work with other Hotel Preferred Partners: Besides being a leading member of Virtuoso, Vision 2000 is also a Four Seasons Preferred Partner, a Rosewood Elite member, and a Ritz Carlton Stars member. Let me pull on my connections to give you the best possible hotel experience.
8. Take a cruise: You can do as much or as little as you like on a cruise, and see the world from a moving hotel room? 95% of people who take a cruise end up booking another. There are options to suit your budget, itinerary, and family configuration. You can cruise the Caribbean, visit Alaska, take a river cruise through Europe, or see the sights downunder. There’s even all inclusive cruising experiences offered by Regent and Crystal now.
9. Take lots of photos: You want to live each moment, but you also want to remember and cherish them. Photos help you with your “return on life.” Build your memories.
(Photo from Caneel Bay Rosewood Resort.)