“Travel advisor” and “travel agent” get used interchangeably, but the advisor piece matters. A travel advisor doesn’t just take orders and hit “book,” they help you figure out what you actually want the trip to feel like, then line up the hotels, logistics, and details to match.

Most of my work sits in the “elevated but not fussy” lane:

• Beach escapes and sun-soaked resort stays

• Wine country weekends (Napa/Sonoma and beyond)

• European trips that mix cities with smaller towns or villages

• Group getaways and celebration trips

• Corporate offsites and retreats that feel thoughtful, not generic

If you care about the hotel, the food, and the overall flow of the trip, we’re probably a good match.

Not everything I book is five-star, but everything is thoughtfully chosen. The focus is on well-designed, comfortable stays with good service and a sense of place—whether that’s a luxury resort, a boutique hotel, or something in between that fits your budget and style.

For simple hotel, villa, or cruise bookings, there’s typically no additional cost to you. I’m paid by the partners I book with, and you get access to added value like breakfast, upgrade priority when available, and other small perks that don’t show up on public booking sites.

For more complex itineraries—think multi-stop, groups, or deeply customized trips—I charge a transparent planning fee. That covers the research, design, bookings and support that go into pulling everything together. I’ll always outline that fee upfront, and you’ll see more detail on the Services page.

For peak seasons, school breaks and complex itineraries (multi-stop, groups, big celebrations), 6–9 months out is ideal. For simpler trips, 3–4 months usually works. Last-minute is possible as long as my calendar and availability at your destination line up.

One of the quiet advantages of booking through me: your flexible hotel rate doesn’t just sit there. Fora’s system automatically keeps an eye on it. If a refundable rate at the same hotel drops by at least a set amount, I get an alert and can look at rebooking you into the lower rate or a better room at what you originally planned to pay.

You don’t have to stalk prices or second-guess when to book—I’ll handle that part in the background and flag it when there’s a meaningful win.

That can work really well. If you love the research piece, you can bring me your short list—then I take care of the booking, double-checking the fit, and adding perks where possible.

You still get things like breakfast, upgrade priority when available, and a direct point of contact, without having to deal with hold times or back-and-forth with each hotel. It’s more “co-pilot” than “hand it all over.”

Amex and similar programs are great at what they do, but they’re built for volume. You’re usually working with a call center or a rotating cast of people rather than someone who knows your preferences over time.

Working with a dedicated advisor means:

• One person who understands your travel style and history

• A direct line when you need to tweak something

• The same (or better) perks and recognition on property

• Context: honest opinions on which hotel actually fits you, not just what’s on a list

You still collect points where applicable—you just add a human layer on top.

You absolutely can. The trade-off is that you’re on your own to sort through thousands of options, decode room types and fine print, and hope the pictures line up with reality.

Booking through me means you get:

• Curated options instead of 200 open tabs

• Access to partner programs and perks that aren’t available on public sites

• Someone looking out for fit, not just price

It’s still your trip and your budget—I just help you get more out of both.

Sometimes. If you’ve booked refundable rates, there are cases where I can take over the reservation and still add perks, or we can look at cancel-and-rebook options if it makes sense. If everything is prepaid or nonrefundable, there’s usually less room to move, but I’m happy to take a quick look and be honest about what’s possible.