Luxury Travel Advisor - February 2009 - (Page 4)

PUBLISHER'S LETTER LUXURY T R AV E L A D V I S O R jmcmahon@questex.com When Times are Tough, Ask Tougher Questions Inspiring and Educating Sellers of Affluent Travel Vice President/Group Publisher: John McMahon (212) 895-8243 Vice President/Editorial Director: Ruthanne Terrero, CTC (212) 895-8423 Managing Editor: David Eisen (212) 895-8436 rterrero@questex.com deisen@questex.com M y commute into Manhattan nowadays can be quite dispiriting with all the doom and gloom splashed across the pages of the daily newspapers. It’s hard to avoid the headlines: Many companies are reducing their work forces by as much as 20 percent. I recently went to dinner at a new restaurant in my neighborhood that had been given rave reviews. At a normal dining time, my wife and I sat down and, to our shock (and dismay), were the only ones in the place. My first thought: “I hope the food is at least fresh.” This got me thinking—particularly about the luxury suppliers you sell on a daily basis. The cruise lines, hotels and tours that are the revenue streams for your business. Well, like diners who might not be able to eat out regularly, are the suppliers cutting back? Are they cutting down on service by letting staff go? Are they not reinvesting in the product? Can they keep their standards up? How might this affect your clients’ experience? These are all frightening questions that you, as luxury travel advisors, must find the answers to. The saying, “I can’t afford mistakes,” really comes into play, as the almighty dollar is more precious than ever. So what is a luxury travel advisor to do? Simple: Ask direct questions. Ask suppliers if staffing levels have been reduced or if certain amenities have been eliminated. Overall, how will this impact your clients’ experience? Will it be compromised in any way? Intrepidly, I called around to several suppliers to test the waters. The results were mixed. I can tell you that the more ultraluxury brands have cut back the least, as they recognize that in hard times you have to work even harder to satisfy guests and maintain the highest levels of service. While the news seems to grow worse and worse each day, it’s always a smart idea to look on the brighter side; and if there isn’t one—invent it! Back at the restaurant I told my wife that it wasn’t really empty, but that I had bought out the entire restaurant so we could have a private dinner for just the two us. Well, at least we pretended that I did. Guess what? The dinner was amazing! Just as marvelous was our December Luxury Travel Expo in Las Vegas, which you will read about beginning on page 40. Above, I am pictured having a laugh with Virtuoso’s CEO Matthew Upchurch at the General Session. Matthew and Virtuoso continue to educate and set the standards for luxury travel advisors. For a $100 subscription to Luxury Travel Advisor, call 216-706-3705 between the hours of 8:30 am and 5:00 pm EST; fax: 216-706-3714; e-mail: hspangler@questex.com or send a written request to Heidi Spangler, Luxury Travel Advisor, 600 Superior Ave Suite 1100, Cleveland, OH 44114. Contributing Editors: Mark Rogers, Joe Pike, Susan J. Young, Lindsay Lambert, Mackenzie Allison, Jena Tesse Fox, Kirk Cassels ADVERTISING & SALES STAFF Eastern U.S./Europe Associate Publisher Kimberly Ziegler (212) 895-8268 Caribbean/Latin America/Mexico Stephanie Gordon (305) 854-1622 Western U.S./Western Canada/Hawaii Associate Publisher Pattie Lincoln (818) 788-4488 Asia: Hazel Li, InterAct Media & Marketing kziegler@questex.com stephanie@gordonmediagroup.com plincoln@questex.com hazelli@starhub.net.sg TRAVEL AGENT CUSTOM SOLUTIONS: Director of Custom Solutions: Neil Strickland (954) 296-9515 Senior Managing Editor: David K. Moseder (212) 895-8447 nstrickland@questex.com dmoseder@questex.com ART, CIRCULATION & PRODUCTION, MARKETING Associate Art Director: Debbie Sheehan (212) 895-8429 Assistant Art Director: Alba N. Negrón-Diaz (212) 895-8427 Designer: Bogdan Migulski, (212) 895-8428 Photo Coordinator: Melissa Buesing (212) 895-8256 Production Director: Marilyn Hiris (212) 895-8439 Production Manager: Sarah Ross (212) 895-8440 Director, Audience Development: Heidi Spangler (216) 706-3705 Reprints: (800) 290-5460, ext. 139 Marketing Manager: Jennifer Ginsberg (212) 895-8277 dsheehan@questex.com anegron@questex.com bmigulski@questex.com mbuesing@questex.com mhiris@questex.com sross@questex.com hspangler@questex.com LuxuryTravelAdvisor@reprintbuyer.com jginsberg@questex.com CORPORATE President & C.E.O.: Kerry C. Gumas Executive V.P. & Chief Financial Officer: Tom Caridi Executive V.P.: Gideon Dean Executive V.P.: Robert S. Ingraham Executive V.P.: Tony D’Avino Executive V.P.-Corporate Development: Claudia Flowers V.P.-Digital Media: Seth Nichols V.P.-Human Resources: Diane M. Evans JOHN MCMAHON Vice President/Group Publisher jmcmahon@questex.com Copyright © 2009 Questex Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopy, recording or information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use, or the internal or personal use of specific clients, is granted by Questex Media Group, Inc. for libraries and other users registered with the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Dr., Danvers, MA 01923; phone: (978) 750-8400; fax (978) 750-4470; call for copying beyond that permitted by Sections 107 or 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law. For those not registered with the CCC, send permission request in writing to questexpermissions@reprintbuyer.com or phone 800-494-9051 ext. 100. Luxury Travel Advisor does not verify any claims or other information appearing in any of the advertisements contained in the publication, and cannot take any responsibility for any losses or other damages incurred by readers in reliance on such content. Luxury Travel Advisor welcomes unsolicited articles, manuscripts, photographs, illustrations and other materials but cannot be held responsible for their safekeeping or return. Questex Media Group, Inc. provides certain customer contact data (such as customers’ names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses) to third parties who wish to promote relevant products, services and other opportunities which may be of interest to you. If you do not want Questex Media Group to make your contact information available to third parties for marketing purposes, simply call toll-free (216) 706-3705 between the hours of 8:30 am and 5 pm CST and a customer service representative will assist you in removing your name from Questex's lists. Outside the U.S., please phone (216) 706-3705. 4 LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR | February 2009

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Luxury Travel Advisor - February 2009

Luxury Travel Advisor - February 2009 Contents Publisher's Letter Editor's Letter Caribbean Mexico Prague Hotel Splendido One Aldwych Liberty Hotel Resorts Cambridge Beaches Luxury Travel Expo Michael's Travel Awards Regent The Pulse Luxury Lifestyles Local Connections Sightings Source List

Luxury Travel Advisor - February 2009

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