EliteTravelGal

Hotels that sell macarons in their lobby sweet shop get extra...

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 17:55:33 -0700

Hotels that sell macarons in their lobby sweet shop get extra points in my book. Loving the French/Thai blend of styles here at Sofitel Sumkhuvit.

This is where to get a Thai massage! Loving the new Sofitel...

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 17:53:36 -0700

This is where to get a Thai massage! Loving the new Sofitel Sumkhuvit…stylish, modern, luxe with a polished French touch.

Travel Makes People Happy. But we knew that...

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 15:24:43 -0700

Travel Makes People Happy. But we knew that...:

Very cool to see travel topping the list of what makes people happy. More importantly, travel and experiences outrank “things” when it comes to what people are happiest spending their money on. Check out the results of this “happiness” survey conducted by San Francisco State University. What makes YOU happiest?

Coolest chandeliers ever. (Taken with instagram)

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 08:01:24 -0800

Coolest chandeliers ever. (Taken with instagram)

Lessons learned @FSNevis

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:51:28 -0800

Lessons learned @FSNevis

Mesmerized by the view from Room 627 @FSNevis (Taken with...

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 03:34:40 -0800

Mesmerized by the view from Room 627 @FSNevis (Taken with instagram)

Tonight’s activity… (Taken with instagram)

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 18:17:35 -0800

Tonight’s activity… (Taken with instagram)

Four Seasons Westlake doesnt just take amazing care of their...

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 18:08:27 -0800

Four Seasons Westlake doesnt just take amazing care of their human guests. They’re all over my VIPup!

This is the perfect mantra for this weekend. And forever.

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 17:50:53 -0800

This is the perfect mantra for this weekend. And forever.

Why Travelers Make Great Entrepreneurs: Lessons From the Road

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 11:30:01 -0800

Why Travelers Make Great Entrepreneurs: Lessons From the Road:

spenceinthecity:

I can say without a shadow of doubt that several months of travel was decisive in leading me down a path of entrepreneurship. This is a fun read about lessons in entrepreneurship through the vehicle of travel.

During our time abroad, we didn’t realize how our travels shaped us as entrepreneurs. Looking back, a lot of the lessons we’ve applied to our business have come directly from our experiences abroad — lessons of teamwork, gratitude, confidence, and making things happen.In a world that encourages ladder-climbing over travel experience, we say otherwise.

Great read re: travelers as entrpreneurs…

"Quote of the day for 1-2-12 “You get out of life what you ask for” —Oprah Winfrey"

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 11:29:21 -0800

“

Quote of the day for 1-2-12

“You get out of life what you ask for”
—Oprah Winfrey

”

"ABC fired its programming chief for green-lighting Lost. Howard Schultz shrugged off the Starbucks..."

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 08:37:10 -0800

“ABC fired its programming chief for green-lighting Lost. Howard Schultz shrugged off the Starbucks worker who first pitched a blended-coffee drink. For most businesspeople, realizing any creative vision—while addressing concerns about scale, tradition, and profitability—is a Herculean task. Here, 10 bold thinkers tell us how they pulled it off (or tried to), and the lessons they learned along the way.”

- Meet The Disrupters (via fastcompany)
Great read!!!

Even more obsessed w @KateSpade after seeing this adorable hat!

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 08:36:18 -0800

Even more obsessed w @KateSpade after seeing this adorable hat!

Still deciding where to head this winter when temps drop?...

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 04:43:23 -0800

Still deciding where to head this winter when temps drop? Acqualina Resort & Spa, with its huge oceanview suites, ESPA, kid-friendly activities, oceanfront pools, Il Mulino restaurant, and impeccable service, is an obvious choice. Convenient to both FLL and MIA airports, as well as Bal Harbour + Aventura, Acqualina is a wonderful spot for a quick escape or extended family vacation. Our Virtuoso rates include breakfast, resort credit, priority upgrades + VIP attention. For more info, email me stacy@elitetravelinternational.com

springwise: Social media platform provides dog-sitting...

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 12:43:07 -0800

springwise:

Social media platform provides dog-sitting service

We’ve recently featured several luxury hotel concepts that cater for pampered pooches, but now Stayhound in the US is offering a less costly alternative, by matching vacationing dog owners with available local pet sitters via Facebook. READ MORE…

Four Seasons Preferred Partnership: Membership DOES have Benefits!

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:20:56 -0800

If you’re already booking your Four Seasons hotel stays through a Preferred Partner agency, then you’ve already caught on to the amazing benefits of doing so and there’s no need to read on. BUT…for the many of you out there who aren’t sure what it is or why you need to know about the Preferred Partner program if you’re a Four Seasons fan, here’s a quick primer:

The Four Seasons Preferred Partner program is an exclusive, invitation-only network of high-end travel consultants from around the world. As a member of the Preferred Partner program, we have proven our dedication to providing our clients with a premium level of service, and we share the Four Seasons commitment to exceptional quality.

What does this mean for our clients?

For starters, all of our Elite Travel clients enjoy special value-added benefits at EVERY Four Seasons hotel and resort worldwide. These benefits are available on all published rates and corporate promotions, and also, in some cases, on other packages. These benefits include:

Daily full American breakfast for two people per bedroom, served through In-Room Dining or in the hotel restaurant (including buffets).
Extra value-added amenity, such as: Spa or golf credit of $100 or lunch for two once during stay
Upgrade of one category, based on availability at time of check-in
Complimentary high-speed Internet access for all suite bookings.
Our Preferred Partner clients also enjoy:
Enhanced recognition and personal welcome from on-property management
Access to the best guest room inventory
Priority wait-list clearance
Seriously, why would anyone ever book their stay at a Four Seasons without taking advantage of all of the Preferred Partner perks?

For more details or to book your next Four Seasons stay inclusive of breakfast & VIP extras, email me stacy@elitetravelinternational.com or DM me on Twitter @EliteTravelGal

Still thinking about where to head this winter? Island-hopping...

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 09:01:22 -0800

Still thinking about where to head this winter? Island-hopping in Hawaii is my new favorite way to spend spare vacation days…check back soon for my ETG insider post on elitetravelgal.com of the 5 hotels I recently visited on 3 islands in 8 days.

brit: Announcing the Launch of ‘Brit’ You may have noticed...

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:55:26 -0800

brit:

Announcing the Launch of ‘Brit’

You may have noticed that I’ve amped up my blogging lately, and that it’s been primarily focused on domestic topics. Many of you have raised an eyebrow as to why, and now I can finally explain.

Today I’m launching a new lifestyle brand, Brit, that seeks to provide busy, but inspired people (perhaps someone like yourself?) with innovative ways to live more simply, beautifully and creatively in and around the home.

Why the home? Great question. (My mother asked me that, too.)

As you may remember, I’ve been working in the tech world for several years now. I’m 100% geek and I’m okay with admitting it. It was during my last job at Google, while working on Google TV, that I really began to understand the possibilities of the connected, modern home. Once I left my job at Google and began planning for my wedding, I finally took the time to teach myself proper domestic skills like sewing and baking (in addition to letter pressing, screen printing, vinyl cutting, 3D printing, laser cutting, wood working… you know, all of the typical housewife skills). As impressed as I was with the art of these crafts, I also realized that no real human being who isn’t retired or unemployed is ever going to have time to learn and use them frequently and in the right way. At the same time, I closely followed data and trends proving a current resurgence of an inspired generation that yearns to be more creative: Pinterest is exploding exponentially, Etsy users are selling and buying more than ever, and new cooking-related startups are popping up right and left.

So that left me thinking, how can I take the elements of technology (hacking, software, and gadgets) and help those wanting to be crafty and creative easily apply it to the home? My hope is that the Brit brand, whether spreading its voice through online content, software apps, or consumer products, is able to use those concepts to help people add more function, beauty and creativity to their daily lives. Starting today, I’ll be adding my ideas, suggestions and how-tos to my new website at hellobrit.com. I’ll continue to keep my blog posted here on Tumblr for the random bits and pieces of my everyday life.

Also starting today, you can sign up for the beta list of our first software app, Weduary.com. It’s a wedding website creator, enhanced with social integration and beautiful design. Though I’m in no way solely focusing on wedding apps as part of our software plan, it was an obvious first app for me after recently going through the wedding planning process and not being able to find what I was looking for in a wedding site builder. And, it’s an example of using software to help domestic partners take the first step towards unified, simplified, and creative living.

Creating things - businesses, products, software, and crafts - is my life’s destiny. It’s one of two things that keeps me up at night (the second is Pixel). If it sounds like a big endeavor, you’re right, it is. But, it’s something I can see myself happily doing for the rest of my life. It’s my true passion and I couldn’t be more excited about putting my knowledge and skills to use to help others live more creative and efficient lives at home.

Want to hear more? See my post on The Curated Web, featured today on The Huffington Post or shoot me a note on Twitter.

Congrats to one of my favorite clients @Brit on her exciting digital lifestyle launch!

Such a beautiful welcome scene here at Four Seasons Resort...

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:59:58 -0800

Such a beautiful welcome scene here at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai. It is my first time back since the big redo & the property looks better than ever!

idea-obscura: i’ve been thinking of doing this for a while now....

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:38:46 -0800

idea-obscura:

i’ve been thinking of doing this for a while now. after i saw this floating around, i wanted to make my own version to hang on my wall. and knowing me, well, i had to make it all ~shnazzy~ so i made this 11x17 poster. i made it so you can download yourself one too, if you like. it’s a nice PDF file so you can take that to Kinko’s and blow it up and hang it nicely in your room or whateva.