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Best Travel Experience Ever, Is Butler Service Worth It?

November 10, 2016 at 7:25 AM

Just ask anyone that has had Personal Butler Service at Sandals? Once you have experienced vacation with a butler, its really hard to imagine NOT having a butler on vacation. It's where luxury meets exceptional hospitality! Many are interested, but may be a little skeptical at first. Some say "I don't need a butler? I'm not high maintenance". While this is true, none of us really NEED a butler, but if there is any way I can help my clients experience the butler service, I am so happy. I too was apprehensive at first about having a butler and then once we made the decision choose the suite with butler service, I was almost embarrassed to let Nicola (our first butler) do things for me. Then I learned what an honor it is for the staff to become a Butler. They sincerely LOVE their jobs and will do everything in their power to make your stay as special and as perfect as possible.

When clients contact me about planning their trip, I try to share my experiences with a butler to see if that is something they would enjoy. We determine what they are comfortable spending and if there is any way the budget will allow a butler, I highly recommend it. Ten years ago we were planning our first visit to Sandals and we had dreamed of visiting St. Lucia for quite a while. However, after looking at what options fit our budget, we opted to visit Jamaica with a butler as opposed to St. Lucia without a butler. As much as I hated not seeing St. Lucia ten years ago, I still think its the best decision we ever made, never before or since then have I felt so pampered --It's not something most of us experience too many times (until we return to Sandals). While the Sandals website provides a short list of the butler perks, it is only a starting point, it only scratches the surface. I can never fully explain how awesome the butler service can be, because they take the que from the client. Their goal is to anticipate your every need and then EXCEED it. As a Sandals specialist, it makes my job SOOOO much easier because I feel relieved once my clients are in the hands of the butler, I know everything will be just perfect. Almost every client that has selected a suite with personal butler service comes back from vacation bragging that "their butler was the best ever". In fact I typically hear more about the butler than the excursions. I have also noticed that clients that experienced butler service usually have their friends calling me without days of their return. I think they really connect with the local hospitality through the butlers, and island people have such beautiful souls filled with gratitude and service.

Curious about how to get the most value of butler service at Sandals? Here are a few important things . . .

Work with a travel professional. Your travel professional will communicate your preferences the butler prior to your arrival. When you arrive, your travel professional will already have double checked that your suite is confirmed and your butler will have already double checked that it is prepared per your preferences: Club Sandals Lounge keys, His and Hers plush robes with bed slippers, 24 hour room service, In-suite bar stocked daily with Mondavi wines, spirits, sodas, juices, and water, fine Egyptian cotton linens and pillow menu including feather down pillows, coffeemaker with Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee and free wifi in room.

The butler knows your expected time of arrival and will be waiting for you in the lobby with lemongrass-scented hand towels to refresh you from your flight. Listed below are just a few of the things he enhances your arrival:

Welcome cocktails and culinary treats
Escorts you to your suite for check-in in the privacy of your suite and coordinates your luggage handling
Provides you with resort and room orientation
Reviews your personal preferences communicated through your travel professional
Supplies a cell phone to reach him during your stay
Offers to unpack your luggage
Press your first night's clothes complimentary

During Your Stay

Butler makes your dinner reservations, cabana rentals, spa treatments and any other activities you have added to your stay.
Reserves your chair at the beach or pool and serves your favorite drinks while you relax
Serves your lunch at the beach or pool
Confirms your room is serviced while you are away and ensures it is kept in perfect order
Ensures your table is arranged at the restaurants of your choice and escorts you to your table with preferential seating, skipping all lines
Per your request, arranges a perfect romantic dinner for two in the privacy of your suite or patio. They can order from any resort restaurant menu for dining in-suite.
Shine/clean shoes for dinner
Tend to your wardrobe
Collect and return all laundry
Leaves amenities in your room between meals (per the preferences provided by your travel professional or things he hears you mention during your stay)
Ensures your bed is turned down and that you have anything you need for the night.

Before your Departure

Provides you with check out details
Offers to pack for your departure
Ensures your bags are brought to the departure area
Escorts you to the butler lounge to process check out
Escorts you to your transportation and bids you farewell (i promise you will want to take them home with you, I know I did)

A few other tips your Sandals specialist can help you decide:

For the same price as an entry level butler suite at one resort, you can stay in one of the top butler suite at another
The higher the category of room, the bigger the room and better the view (usually)
Some rooms have a private plunge pool or tranquility outdoor tub

Loosen Up:

They will make it abundantly clear that they are at your beck and call, but who can wrap their head around that, right? Remember, this is his job and you are depriving him of what he loves to do. Making the most of your butler experience may include asking him for your favorite drink while you are on the beach, or saving your chair at beach or pool or reserving your table at your favorite restaurant, etc. The more you allow him to get to know you and learn about him and his life on the island, the more you will enjoy your stay. Imagine your surprise when you return from dinner to find this? He mentioned that he heard you mention your feet hurt.
What to Expect?

Ask your travel professional what to expect. Think about how much you hate to pack and unpack, take advantage of his offer. I usually recommend that you unpack a few personal items and leave the rest for him to unpack while you are exploring the resort. Or another idea would be to pack your personal items in a carry on which you unpack and ask the butler to unpack the other bags when they arrive. Here's a little hint, my butler unpacked and packed WAY better than I did.

Remember, the only way they know what you want is if you speak up.

Nothing makes you feel more special than a personal note on your pillow from your butlers reminding you "Love is All You Need".

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True VIP Travel Experience is . . . anything you want is at the press of a button.

It's OK to so No. Butler service is not for everyone and that is okay. For those that are not comfortable with the idea, the concierge service at Club Sandals may be the right fit for you. Club Sandals is a quiet lounge offering snacks and drinks and free wifi, tvs and even kindles to borrow.

As you know Sandals has a strict no tipping rule. However, butlers and spa attendants are the only Sandals employees that are able to accept tips from guests. If your butler does an outstanding job enhancing your stay, consider leaving them a tip to show your gratitude. If you aren't sure how to tip them, ask your travel professional.

So is butler service worth every penny? For me it is, but you are the only one that can decide for yourself. The one thing I tell my clients is if you aren't afraid to use your butler service, it is worth every single penny and much, much more!! In my very humble opinion, once you try the butler service, its almost impossible to go back!

Topics: #girlstrip, #bestvacation, #viptravelexperience, travel planner, planning the right trip, #reunion, travel concierge, travel consultant, #passportpassion, why use a travel agent, Best Vacation Value, group travel, paradiseescape

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Mobile passport

Posted by Tammy Murphy

November 2, 2016 at 9:38 PM

Are you looking for a secret express lane through customs? Again, "There's an app for that". A free app for Apple and Android phones, Mobile Passport, allows you to skip long lines and avoid searching for a pen to complete the pesky customs forms and the passport scanning kiosks at the airport. Simply wave your phones over a scanner, and VOILA its like magic, step quickly to the customs agent.

Don't misunderstand, its not a substitute for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, but its a good option for avoiding long lines to re-enter the United States, if you don't have precheck or global entry. Currently its accepted at 20 US Airports, including, but not limited to ATL, JFK, MIA, SEA, ORD and SFO, with more to follow.Click here for complete list

What's behind the magic?

Innovative software authenticator that allows you to generate one-time passcodes instantly on your phone.

5 easy steps

DO Steps 1-3 before you leave

Step 1: Download the app to your smartphone
Grab the app off of the App Store or Google Play. This is also going to require you having your phone charged by the time you arrive at your home airport, so don’t let the battery die listening to music for 10 hours!

Step 2: Set up your profile
Enter your profile information as it appears on your valid, official passport. You can set up profiles for your entire family. Your information will be encrypted and shared only with CBP.

Step 3: Answer a few questions
Answer CBP’s four brief questions about your trip, and carefully review all of your information for the trip.

Steps 4-5 on return trip home only after landing in United States, because its only good for 4 hours: ONLY AFTER YOU LAND IN connecting airport, you’ll have to connect to your cellular network or wi-fi and submit your data to CBP.

Step 4: Submit to CBP
Within a few seconds, you will receive a receipt with an encrypted barcode. Your receipt will be valid for 4 hours.

Step 5: Skip the line and save time
Follow the MOBILE PASSPORT CONTROL signs and skip the lines! Show your passport to the CBP officer and scan the barcode on the CBP receipt. Wave goodbye to all the people giving you the side eye in the normal lines.

Topics: #girlstrip, #bestvacation, #viptravelexperience, travel planner, planning the right trip, different travel styles, #reunion, travel concierge, travel consultant, #passportpassion, why use a travel agent, Best Vacation Value, group travel, mobilepassport

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Why use a Travel Professional?

Posted by Tammy Murphy

October 17, 2016 at 4:34 PM

Hurricane Matthew tried to spoil the fun for some of my clients and made my afternoons very tiring. The end result though is that we pulled off alternate plans when flights were canceled, and everyone had a fabulous, relaxing time and is home safely. While I was sitting on hold for hours making alternate arrangements (I had a lot of time to think). One thing occurred to me is what are travelers doing that didn't have a Travel Expert? Are you missing the last piece of the puzzle?

1) You know how crazy schedules are the day or two before you leave to go on vacation? Would your work schedule allow you to sit on hold for hours making alternate arrangements? OR

2) What if you didn't know YOU COULD make alternate plans? Many travelers canceled their trip altogether when they were notified of canceled flights.

3) What if your flight is delayed and you miss your connecting flight? Where will you stay for the night? Will I lose that day at my resort? How will I beat the crowd to get on the next flight? (Sometimes, there is only one flight going to the islands per day per airline).

If I had a dollar for every time I am asked "Do people still use travel agents?" My response is all day, everyday (keep reading, I think you will be surprised at what a travel agent is). And the really well informed travelers are using a travel expert INSTEAD of a travel agent.

If you have asked the question, "What can a travel expert do for me that I can't do for myself online?"

A quick example of what a travel expert would do: If your flight was delayed and your connecting flight would be missed, your travel expert could re book your flight before you landed saving you from standing in long lines of angry travelers at the ticket counter, book you in a hotel for the night* if no other flights for that day and make alternate arrangements at your original destination resort. Of course, no one wants to HAVE to be the hero in this story, but sometimes travel plans go awry despite the BEST laid plans. Travel experts frequently are holding extra pieces of the puzzle, just in case.. .

Travel Experts take pride in offering incredible service and value for our clients hard-earned vacation time and budget. Service that begins with their dream and ends when they are unpacking after the trip. This goes WAY beyond clicking BUY NOW on a computer screen. Travel experts spend hours custom-crafting YOUR vacation to provide you with the EXPERIENCE you are dreaming of, collaborating with colleagues to check the best values, amenities. Travel experts don't just "sell travel", we won't try to fit a square peg in a round hole . . . we research hotels, resorts, destinations with YOUR interests and hobbies in mind, if we have not visited the particular property or destination, we have long lists of vetted properties and excursions, in addition to being an engaged member of consortia to obtain unbiased opinions (you can't exactly believe all opinions you read online).

ARE WE A GOOD FIT?

You may not need all the services we provide? We review your answers on the questionnaire and schedule a complimentary phone consultation to see if we are a good match. We will let you know if you don't need our services. We will ask questions to find out what a perfect vacation looks like to you? If your anniversary dream includes relaxing at a kid-free pool cabana with an umbrella drink? I'm going to steer you towards an Adult-Only property with amazing service! Are you looking for a hopping, party atmosphere or some place to relax and disconnect? That may be yet a different resort or destination.

Are you dying to show your children the Caribbean, but you really want a resort that has a nice adult-only section to sneak away to while the children take advantage of sports clinics or learn to fly on a trapeze before you all meet up a few hours later for some quality family fun? I have the perfect place in mind to make everyone happy.

We can also provide benefits to the traveler that loves the challenge of researching travel and finds the exact hotel and excursions they want. That's when our inventory to properties that may show sold out online or our vetted suppliers come in handy. We may have amenities or upgrades at the resort you've chosen without the added cost. We may have a vetted supplier for excursion or a private tour excursion for the same price you found for a big group tour.

WHY SO MANY QUESTIONS?

So these are why we ask so many questions, not to be nosy, we want you to have the best EXPERIENCE possible. We take all of your answers and put together the puzzle to match little dream in your head. More times than not, that takes hours and hours of detailed research and planning to put each little piece together.

Many times, we have access to things that YOU may not be aware of. Would you like to visit the Sistine Chapel after hours? Would you like a photopher on location? Would you like a cooking lesson in the chef's home as opposed to cooking institution or restaurant? Would your kids love a truffle hunt? You may be able to get a private experience for nearly same price as big group excursion. And much more, we can't reveal all of our secrets, right.

Will you really get what you think you're getting online? Buyer beware, last week a client sent me an email asking if I could get them a room for 4 at a specific price at a specific resort during Christmas holidays. Well, turns out I could get the room (which appeared sold out online), however the price shown online did not accommodate 4 people, the price for the room that would accommodate 4 people was significantly higher. Saving money is great, and I'm all for staying within budget and getting a good value for your hard-earned travel dollars. That is why we ask for your budget. I really do have your best interest in mind . . . trust me, I will do my best to find you the perfect fit for the greatest value.

Many think they are saving money "booking themselves", but what they may not realize is that the booking engine is a "large corporation travel agent", you will receive confirmation numbers and that online booking travel agent gets a huge cut of the cost and that is the end of that story, there is no service during and after the sale. AND if something is not as you perceived it to be, you probably won't receive a live person that sincerely cares about your time and money. When you give me or any other hard working travel professional, the "go ahead" to book that same vacation (often at the same price or better), most times, you are not paying in full on that day, you will receive first class service, well-organized travel documents, app with your day-to-day itinerary plans via mobile phone, destination information, restaurant recommendations and sightseeing recommendations, along with the peace of mind that we are available for you each step of the way. If anything goes wrong on the trip, we typically have affiliates on-location and/or good working relationships with the hotels, resorts, cruise lines. We sincerely advocate FOR YOU. Just ask yourself or the agent you are working with, what is included in the sale.

Insure your vacation
Your travel expert can help you choose the best policy for YOU. One of the greatest surprises why you may want travel insurance is not just for trip cancellation.*(more on this next week).

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Group Travel, Redefined

Posted by Tammy Murphy

September 28, 2016 at 12:18 AM

Most people love hanging out with friends, colleagues, associates, ... and what better way to do that than connecting and having fun IN STYLE and experiencing some great travel times together? No need to worry about all the details - no one needs to shoulder all of the planning responsibility when we would love to do it FOR YOU.

VIP Travel Experience can help your group find the perfect getaway. It may be family reunions, milestone birthday or anniversaries, girlfriends, class reunion, sorority/fraternity reunion, college reunion, business team, professional association meetings, corporate incentive travel, continuing education meetings, wine clubs, mission trips, family heritage, art or music groups. Whatever your group needs may be, we will relieve you of all that travel planning stress and create the perfect custom itinerary based on the interest and focus of your group.

WHERE WOULD YOU GO?

Caribbean All Inclusive Resort
Caribbean Cruise
Italy
Ireland
Hawaii
Africa
Alaska
Holy Land
Any place you can imagine because who says that business getaways have to be in a big city? Aren't you more inclined to soak it all in when it's combined with awesome scenery, great activities and luxury accommodations?

WHAT MAKES OUR GROUP TRAVEL DIFFERENT?

You can RELAX, we've got this!! VIP Travel Experience can customize group travel with excursions or immersion experiences for smaller groups within larger groups. For example, some attendees may have business meetings or group practices during the trip that other group members aren't required to attend. NO WORRIES! We can plan activities for the others with diverse interests. The best part is that you can travel as a group, but you are not limited to only large group activities. We love the challenge of diverse group travel options!

Our specialty is exploring group tours that will take you off the beaten path into the real heart of destinations. If you LOVE life and have a burning desire to travel and really EXPERIENCE this wonderful world we live in, call us today.

We have millions of negotiated fares all over the globe and connections with on-location partners. Regardless of your destination, we can accommodate groups of 25 or 250 and still maintain a personal memorable experience for all.

Topics: business travel, #girlstrip, #bestvacation, #viptravelexperience, travel planner, planning the right trip, different travel styles, incentive travel, #reunion, travel concierge, travel consultant, #passportpassion, group travel

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Best Travel Experience Ever, Is Butler Service Worth It?

Mobile passport

Why use a Travel Professional?

Group Travel, Redefined

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