Luxury Travel Insider

Today we're talking about the intersection of art and travel. Understanding the art of a country, whether that be renaissance paintings, local craftsmanship, or even beautifully presented food - is a way to truly uncover the soul of a people. To paraphrase Chuck Klosterman, art and love are really the same thing: they're about recognizing and appreciating yourself in others.   My guest today is my...

My guest today is Andrea Nicholas Perdue, CEO of Wagonhound Holdings and the visionary behind Reid Creek Lodge in Southeast Wyoming.  If you're a fan of the show Yellowstone, Reid Creek Lodge is the stuff of your dreams. Nestled against a mountain range, far from the grip of your technological worries, this is a place where you can truly get back to what's important. Camp out with your family, spe...

Today we're headed to the magical island of St. Barths. While enjoying vibrant turquoise seas, beautiful hikes in the mountains, and powdery white sand may feel very Caribbean, there's another undercurrent at play here. The vibe is decidedly French, and the world class food, shopping, and nightlife blends gorgeously with the island's Caribbean roots.  My guest today is Fabrice Moizan, GM of the fa...

Today we are visiting the Himalayan region of India, birthplace of Yoga and Ayurveda, and famed location of the ashrams visited by The Beatles and in Eat Pray Love.  My guest today is Mahesh Natarajan, the COO of Ananda, a destination spa resort set in the foothills of the Himalayas. Ananda is one of those rare places where you can experience both total physical and spiritual transformation while...

Today's show is about Alaska and two of it's top luxury lodges, Winterlake and Tutka Bay Lodge. But it's also about so much more! Our guest is owner and chef, Kirsten Dixon and after our recording I was asking her to be my mentor!  Alaska is a destination that captures the imaginations of people from all over the world. It's pristine beauty and rugged wilderness have so much to teach us. Travel ha...

Though we may celebrate some of the same holidays across regions and countries, we all do them so differently. Understanding those differences can help us to understand each other, it adds beauty to the season, and might even give you a new destination for your wishlist.  Chatting holiday traditions with me today are Stevie Christie, of Wilderness Group in Scotland, Fulvio De Bonis CEO of Imago Ar...

Today we're chatting about one of my favorite countries for active travelers, Iceland! While luxury in other countries may mean five star hotels and spas, true luxury in this corner of the world looks more like private guides inviting you into their homes, having parts of the other-worldly landscape all to yourself, horseback riding to a private picnic near a waterfall, or helicoptering up to hike...

Today we're discussing the Eternal City of Rome. Of all the places in the world that I've been, this city holds a special place in my heart. It's more than just a gorgeous open air museum. It has a heart and soul to it, created by thousands of years of messy yet beautiful human history.  We also have a very special guest with us today, my friend Andrea Spalletti who owns and runs Villa Spalletti T...

Our guest today is Michael Williams, COO of Brush Creek Ranch in Wyoming. Brush Creek is a working ranch with hundreds of years of history and 30,000 acres of stunning forest, rivers, grasslands, and mountains. This is the ultimate playground for all kinds of travelers - from first time visitors who have never seen a horse, to experienced ranch hands. From huge family gatherings to intimate honeym...

Our guest today is Ellen Bettridge, President and Global CEO of Uniworld River Cruises. Uniworld has 1200 employees and 21 ships and counting - and it's also the first cruise line to be featured on our show.  But In my opinion, sailing with Uniworld is more like being in a floating boutique hotel than being on a cruise line. While the average ocean cruise takes 5,000 passengers - Uniworld ships cl...

On today's show we're not visiting a particular hotel, city, or even country. We're looking up. Up, past the layers of our atmosphere and in - to space. While space has historically been reserved for elite astronauts, we have now reached the age where this dream can become reality for more and more people. My guest today is Blair Rich, President and Chief Business Officer of the commercial side of...

This time we're heading to the Sabi Sands and Kruger in South Africa for the safari of a lifetime! In the Kruger area, I saw more prides of lion than I ever have anywhere else, and in the Sabi Sands had ultra-close up encounters with leopard.  On this trip, I also visited all of Singita's South Africa lodges, including Ebony Lodge, Boulders, Lebombo, and Sweni. I reveled in my private plunge pool,...

In honor of Halloween, today's show is all about ghosts and the paranormal!  My guest is Tim Nealon, Founder and CEO of Ghost City Tours, the largest ghost tour company in the world. In addition to entertaining hundreds of thousands of visitors on his ghost tours, Tim is an expert ghost hunter, cryptozoologist, software designer, and reptile conservationist.  We talk about everything from theories...

I'm so thrilled today to be speaking with travel writer and guru, Wendy Perrin. Wendy first came on the show a year ago, so I wanted to have her back to talk about updated trends, advice for parents traveling with kids, some of her personal favorites, and more.  If you haven't heard of Wendy, she had an illustrious 25 year career at Conde Nast Traveler, is a published author, and runs WendyPerrin....

Today we're transporting ourselves to the world of Red Carnation Hotels. If you haven't heard of this hotel group, it's probably because each of their properties is so unique and special that they don't carry a brand name. Iconic spots come to mind like Ashford Castle and The Egerton House, which offer ultra personalized service with a family atmosphere.  My guest today is Jonathan Raggett, Managi...

Today we're visiting Dubai, the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates. We'll explore the bustling city, the desert landscape, the incredible man-made achievements, and the melting pot culture.  Our guests today are Emanuela Setterberg, GM of one of our favorite hotels in Dubai, One & Only The Palm and Tom Roelens, GM of the soon to open and highly anticipated, Atlantis The Royal.  While t...

Today we're diving into the special country of Argentina. Spanning from the tropics all the way down to Antarctica - this magical landscape has something for everyone. Here you can hike some of the tallest mountains in the world, learn and dance tango with locals, cheer on the Argentinian soccer team, and sip some of the finest wines in our hemisphere.  My guest today is the very accomplished Mait...

I started working on the concept for Luxury Travel Insider in May 2020… right about when my business Bell & Bly Travel was falling apart due to Covid. It was a completely devastating time for our industry.  My team and I spent our days unraveling trips we had worked so hard to plan and our clients had been so highly anticipating. My friends, hoteliers and destination experts, were closing their do...

My guest today is Ben Trodd, an SVP of Global Sales and Marketing at the amazing Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts. While you may have heard of these gorgeous properties dotted around the world, what you might not know is that founder Isadore Sharp started off by building a motel in Toronto. Mr. Sharp says something profound about the company that we discuss in this episode. He says, "There was no vis...

We have a very special guest joining us today, our first repeat guest on the show, in fact! You may remember Valentina de Santis who joined us to discuss her famed hotel Grand Hotel Tremezzo on Lake Como.  Well she's back! And this time to tell us about the jewel box of a hotel that she just finished building called Passalacqua. This revival of an 18th century villa, might be one of the most stunn...

Today's show is about hospitality, the great change that is underway at hotels, and how Covid and generational shifts are changing what it means to be luxury.  My guest today is the CEO and Founder of Ellis Adams Group, a consulting firm specializing in helping luxury hotel brands design jaw dropping customer experiences, build memorable hotel spaces, and keep up with new trends.  Chris tells pers...

Ernest Hemingway once said, "In order to write about life, first you must live it." And as we all know, he went to live his life in the vibrant country of Cuba.  Now, Cuba has both dramatically changed and stayed the same since Hemingway departed in 1960, but nonetheless it still offers one of the best travel experiences in the world. Here you can combine authentic interactions with locals, great...

Our guest today is Michael Ungerer, the CEO of Explora Journeys, one of the best known travel companies that has yet to formally launch!  If you haven't heard of Explora yet, you soon will. They are pioneering a new niche in ocean going travel, so much so that they don't actually refer to it as cruising. The family owned company has started from scratch, learning from tens of thousands of next gen...

Today we're mixing things up a bit to hear how you can bring the luxury hotel experience into your own home.  Darcy Guttwein has spent two decades building a lifestyle concept she calls Hotels to Home. She's traveled the world taking inspiration from luxury hospitality brands and figured out a way to incorporate many of the aspects that you love about traveling into the everyday.  Darcy and I disc...

I'm so excited today to be speaking with two amazing travel and remote work experts, Matt Kepnes and Dan Andrews. Matt is the founder of the successful blog, Nomadic Matt and is a New York Times bestselling author of two books. Dan hosts the successful podcast, Tropical MBA, co-founded Dynamite Circle to connect and empower digital entrepreneurs, and also founded Dynamite Jobs.  Both of our guests...