Luxury Travel Insider

Today I’m whisking you away to experience the greenest of countryside, the freshest of salt air, and the purest heart of hospitality. A visit to Ireland will give you all this and much more.  My guest today is Crothúr Murphy, a long time expert not just in tourism to Ireland, but in the history, culture, and soul of its people. Crothúr grew up here and has been showing his country off for nearly 30 years - which if you can imagine, takes a whole pot of passion at the end of the rainbow to do and do well.  Crothúr and I discuss how Irish culture survived through 800 years of English rule, fairies and fairy trees, how to feel like a local, and more.  Looking to book a luxury hotel? Get special perks and support the podcast by booking here: https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/sarahgroen/travel/luxury-hotels If you want our expert guidance and help planning a luxury trip with experiences you can't find online, tell us more here and we'll reach out: https://bellandblytravel.com/book-a-trip/    Learn more at www.luxtravelinsider.com   Connect with me on Social: Instagram LinkedIn

If you’ve been paying attention to the mental health and wellness space, you know that psychedelics have burst onto the scene in a big way. Major universities like Johns Hopkins, Yale, and Berkeley are studying their effects on PTSD, anxiety, depression, and more.  Many guides and shamans in this space describe the use of psilocybin, MDMA, and other substances together with integrative therapy sessions to be equivalent to years and years of traditional therapy.  And now, these plant medicine journeys are making their mark on luxury wellness travel.  My guests today are Robert Grover and Gary Logan who provide private luxury retreats and create profound experiences for clients.  We discuss their experience with these medicines, their guiding philosophies, and how they orchestrate a comfortable luxury setting. For more accessible information on the science of psychedelics I can also highly recommend the Michael Pollan interview on The Tim Ferris Show.  Last but not least, though the substances discussed on this episode are showing great promise in the clinical studies, they are not legal in the United States and many other countries. Luxury Travel Insider and I are not condoning any illegal activity.  Looking to book a luxury hotel? Get special perks and support the podcast by booking here: https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/sarahgroen/travel/luxury-hotels If you want our expert guidance and help planning a luxury trip with experiences you can't find online, tell us more here and we'll reach out: https://bellandblytravel.com/book-a-trip/    Learn more at www.luxtravelinsider.com   Connect with me on Social: Instagram LinkedIn  

My guest today is Tom Rutherford, the Regional Director for three gorgeous Aman hotels in Southeast Asia - Amansara in Cambodia, Amantaka in Laos, and Amanoi in Vietnam.  When you head to this region of the world, especially away from the hustle and bustle of the major cities… time just seems to slow down. Here there is enough time for the Laotian farmer to tend to the animals, the crops, break bread with his neighbors, and honor his family. There’s enough space on the beaches of Vietnam to quiet your mind, and enough grounding history in Cambodia to inspire you to get back to your purpose for being.  Combine this atmosphere with the Aman ethos for wellness, beautiful architecture, and some of the best service in the world and you’ll understand why guests come back to these gems over and over.  Tom and I chat about all of this, plus why now is a phenomenal time to be visiting Southeast Asia.  Looking to book a luxury hotel? Get special perks and support the podcast by booking here: https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/sarahgroen/travel/luxury-hotels If you want our expert guidance and help planning a luxury trip with experiences you can't find online, tell us more here and we'll reach out: https://bellandblytravel.com/book-a-trip/    Learn more at www.luxtravelinsider.com   Connect with me on Social: Instagram LinkedIn

We’re talking about travel insurance and other forms of travel protection. I can’t tell you how many myths abound about this aspect of travel - from thoughts that claims don’t get paid anyway, to not fully understanding why it’s so important.  We insure our cars, our watches, our dog’s vet bills - and even though luxury travelers are spending MUCH more on their trips than on these items… they don’t all insure.  Over the past two years in my business I can’t tell you how valuable having travel insurance has been for our clients in the know.  So today I’m welcoming Shannon Lofdahl and Ross Thompson, respective CEOs of Travelex and Covac Global. We did our best to illustrate this topic through some interesting stories and historical context.  Looking to book a luxury hotel? Get special perks and support the podcast by booking here: https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/sarahgroen/travel/luxury-hotels If you want our expert guidance and help planning a luxury trip with experiences you can't find online, tell us more here and we'll reach out: https://bellandblytravel.com/book-a-trip/  Looking to book a luxury hotel? Get special perks and support the podcast by booking here: https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/sarahgroen/travel/luxury-hotels If you want our expert guidance and help planning a luxury trip with experiences you can't find online, tell us more here and we'll reach out: https://bellandblytravel.com/book-a-trip/  Learn more at www.luxtravelinsider.com   Connect with me on Social: Instagram LinkedIn

Today we find ourselves on “The Ice” deep in the heart of Antarctica. And I mean the interior of Antarctica, land of majestic mountains, the Emperor Penguin, and the magnetic south pole.  Though you once had to go on months long expeditions to reach these destinations, you can now fly five hours on a Gulfstream from Cape Town and experience all the Great White has to offer from the comfort of a luxury camp.  Our guest today is Patrick Woodhead - founder and CEO of White Desert, the logistics and hospitality company that can make all this happen. But Patrick’s vision for White Desert comes from his years of being a true explorer, visiting some of the most remote places on the planet.  We chat about what it takes to be an explorer, how all of us can infuse that spirit into our daily lives, some of Patrick’s craziest experiences, the Antarctic experience, and baby Emperor Penguins. Looking to book a luxury hotel? Get special perks and support the podcast by booking here: https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/sarahgroen/travel/luxury-hotels If you want our expert guidance and help planning a luxury trip with experiences you can't find online, tell us more here and we'll reach out: https://bellandblytravel.com/book-a-trip/  Learn more at www.luxtravelinsider.com   Connect with me on Social: Instagram LinkedIn

Today we’re chatting with Bob Lepisto, President of Sea Dream Yacht Club. SeaDream owns two mega yachts, each with about 50 cabins. The biggest no no when talking about SeaDream is to call it a cruise!  Bob has been with the company for 20 years so we get to chat about the history of the cruise industry and how with SeaDream they wanted to start something different. Something where you wouldn’t have to organize your own yacht and all the work that goes along with that, but where you’d still get the yachting experience.  SeaDream sails around the Caribbean and Mediterranean and gets you access to gorgeous spots that you couldn’t otherwise see on a cruise ship. The company is famous for its super friendly crew and world class cuisine as well.  Bob and I talk about some of his favorite destinations, parties in the mid-Atlantic, and a few insider tidbits as well.  Looking to book a luxury hotel? Get special perks and support the podcast by booking here: https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/sarahgroen/travel/luxury-hotels If you want our expert guidance and help planning a luxury trip with experiences you can't find online, tell us more here and we'll reach out: https://bellandblytravel.com/book-a-trip/  Learn more at www.luxtravelinsider.com   Connect with me on Social: Instagram LinkedIn  

We’re shaking it up today with a panel of food and beverage experts from one of our favorite hotel brands, Belmond! Together we’ll explore the skill and hard work that goes into creating some of your favorite drinks - from the shorelines of Italy to the palaces of St. Petersburg.  Our guests today are: Tommaso Mansi and Nikita Yurin. Tommaso is the head bar manager at the stunning Belmond Caruso hotel situated along the Amalfi Coast. He is also a local and an expert in lemon production, one of the key ingredients in any good cocktail in this region.  Nikita is the head vodka and caviar sommlier at Belmond’s luxurious hotel in St. Petersburg, Grand Hotel Europe - a spot which also boasts the oldest continually used restaurant in all of Russia.  What I love about this episode is hearing Nikita and Tommaso speak so passionately about their crafts. Imagine all that passion poured into something as simple as a drink or a set of caviar. To me it demonstrates another way that people in the hospitality industry show real love and caring for their guests.  Looking to book a luxury hotel? Get special perks and support the podcast by booking here: https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/sarahgroen/travel/luxury-hotels If you want our expert guidance and help planning a luxury trip with experiences you can't find online, tell us more here and we'll reach out: https://bellandblytravel.com/book-a-trip/  Learn more at www.luxtravelinsider.com   Connect with me on Social: Instagram LinkedIn  

Imagine looking up at a blanket of stars, the sound of the ocean lapping, and the smell of sea air mixed with sweet pine. Then picture another scene - crowds squealing with excitement, bulls rushing by, and a cup of sangria refreshing your soul.  Today we’re discussing the country of Spain - a place so diverse it may as well be a hundred different destinations in one! Whether you’re here to focus on world class gastronomy, experience local festivals, or just relax in the sun, this dynamic country has it all.  Our guest today is Elena Florez, our partner and Spanish luxury travel expert. Elena explains for us how Spain became such a melting pot of cultures, how that’s affected the country today, and describes some fabulous destinations and experiences.  Make up a plate of jamon and manchego, and enjoy this fun chat with Elena Florez.  Looking to book a luxury hotel? Get special perks and support the podcast by booking here: https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/sarahgroen/travel/luxury-hotels If you want our expert guidance and help planning a luxury trip with experiences you can't find online, tell us more here and we'll reach out: https://bellandblytravel.com/book-a-trip/  Learn more at www.luxtravelinsider.com   Connect with me on Social: Instagram LinkedIn

Today we’re discussing the iconic destination of New Zealand. Known for sweeping vistas, life-giving hiking, sumptuous food and wine, and ridiculous adventure activities. Though famous for towns like Queenstown - the real magic of New Zealand happens when you get to have vast open spaces all to yourself. With the right planning and guides, that can happen quite easily! Our guest today is my friend Sarah Farag, Owner and Director of Southern Crossings New Zealand. The company has been around for 34 years and hosts everyone from your everyday traveler to celebrities and royals. Sarah is also the only New Zealander recognized as a Conde Nast Traveler Specialist. Sarah and I discuss her favorite destinations, what makes Kiwi hospitality so memorable, and some unimaginable wow moments they’ve created for travelers like you. Looking to book a luxury hotel? Get special perks and support the podcast by booking here: https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/sarahgroen/travel/luxury-hotels If you want our expert guidance and help planning a luxury trip with experiences you can't find online, tell us more here and we'll reach out: https://bellandblytravel.com/book-a-trip/    See show notes, photos, and listener perks  HERE. Connect with me on Social: Instagram LinkedIn  

Today we’re talking about a particular type of travel that is gaining popularity around the world - villa rentals.  In the past this kind of travel was reserved for the uber wealthy and very well connected. Finding amazing villas in Italy or San Tropez was a nightmare, and imagine renting something so expensive sight unseen or with one photo sent you  in black and white and via fax machine!  Then came the advent of home rental websites which have really opened up this type of travel to the every day person… but for our luxury travelers, these options that have not been vetted by a professional are often not suitable.  Enter the world of vetted villa rentals. I spend a lot of time working with partners who personally inspect villas around the world so we can provide them to our clients. I wanted to bring on one of those experts to talk through what makes this kind of travel special.  Laura Blair founded In Villas Veritas before the rise of online home rentals and shares lots of insider tidbits with us.  Looking to book a luxury hotel? Get special perks and support the podcast by booking here: https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/sarahgroen/travel/luxury-hotels If you want our expert guidance and help planning a luxury trip with experiences you can't find online, tell us more here and we'll reach out: https://bellandblytravel.com/book-a-trip/  Learn more at www.luxtravelinsider.com   Connect with me on Social: Instagram LinkedIn