Recommend July 2013 - (Page 8)

eleven experience deserae del campo If you book your clients on a vacation with Eleven Experience, a travel brand encompassing luxury properties in the U.S. and Europe with a growing portfolio of new hotels opening later this year and in early 2014, expect them to return with a newfound respect for what adventure travel truly means—pushing the limits and living to tell the tale. “Eleven Experience is for the traveler looking for unique experiences and not just an average vacation. We get a group of guys looking for major powder skiing or fly fishing, or we get that multigenerational family looking for a bespoke itinerary for everyone in their party,” says Jennifer Jeffery, the travel brand’s sales and marketing director. Eleven Experience (a name derived from its experiential activities and the film This is Spinal Tap, because like the character in the movie says, “11 is better than 10”) offers adventure experiences tailor-made for each guest, from heli-skiing (downhill skiing accessed by helicopter with no ski lift in sight) to rock climbing, mountain biking, white-water rafting, dog sledding and fly fishing; professional guides are also on-hand at each property to lead guests on these custom-made adventures into the wild. Our guide service is what sets us apart from other experiential travel brands. Our guides are the best in their field and an integral part of the guest experience,” points out Jeffery. Eleven Experience can tailor a trip for the whole family, which is ideal for the booming multigenerational market. “We do really well with multigenerational families because of our customized itineraries. We can have dad and grandpa fishing, mom out mountain biking and the kids rock climbing—and everyone together for lunch,” she says. So where do guests lay their weary heads after a day of cross country skiing or hiking The company’s flagship property, Scarp Ridge Lodge, which opened in 2011 in a historic mining town, Crested Butte, in the Colorado Rockies, was once a 19th century mason’s lodge and Victorian brothel and is now a 13,500-sq.-ft. lodge that can accommodate 10 to 20 guests in seven rooms. The lodge overlooks a river valley and offers outdoor adventures like mountain biking, rock climbing, salmon fishing and cat skiing, accessing backcountry terrain using snowcats. Its adjacent sister property, Sopris House, sleeps 10 to 12 guests and can be booked in conjunction with Scarp Ridge Lodge, which includes an in-house chef; a library; indoor salt-water pool; hot tub, steam and sauna; a gym and massage room. Starting rates for early fall/winter bookings are $13,500 per night (based on 10 person occupancy); holiday rates shoot up to $17,500; peak 8 july 2013 8-9 HotelDesk.indd 8 COURTESY OF ELEVEN EXPERIENCE hoteldesk Eleven Experience offers heli-skiing at its Europe properties. season rates start at $15,000 per night; and summer rates can drop as low as $8,000 a night. For a taste (and spectacular view) of the French Alps, Eleven Experience’s second property is Chalet Pelerin, a 6,000-sq.-ft., 5-bedroom cozy stone cottage in Le Miroir, France able to accommodate 10 guests comfortably (10,000 euros, or approximately $13,339 per night). Here, a “ski safari” means guests will traverse the countryside geared up and hitting the slopes for a cross country journey or they can head south to Italy for a bit of high-energy heli-skiing. Get the whole scoop on this property on page 16. Coming soon is The Bahamas House Inn (late 2013) on Harbour Island featuring individual cottages and an inn where ocean lovers can frolick in the Big Blue on snorkeling and diving expeditions, and try a bit of kite surfing or paddle boarding while seasoned anglers spend their days deep-sea fishing. Amenities include a saltwater lap pool and spa. Taylor River Cabins in Colorado (spring 2014) is a retreat of luxe cabins and homes set alongside the Taylor River. Here, guests will have the option to go fly fishing, mountain biking or trekking the landscape hunting for game, but it’s back to heli-skiing and wildlife safaris via copter at Deplar Farm (spring 2014), a 350-acre former sheep farm in Northern Iceland currently undergoing transformation into a luxury retreat. Jeffery adds that what also sets Eleven Experience apart is the flexibility when it comes to the activities at each property. Our guests love the ability to change an itinerary at a moment’s notice, which is something we allow. Most travel brands outsource their guide service and don’t have the level of flexibility that we do. For example, if you have on your agenda a fishing trip in the morning and rafting in the afternoon, and our guide comes in, and says, Hey, the fishing will be better in the afternoon,’ we can swap the whole agenda around to make sure the client is having the optimal experience.” For clients looking for a winter escape, bookings must be made at least six months in advance to guarantee dates, while summer trips must be booked two to three months out. in fo y o u c a n u s e Agents receive 10 percent commission on all bookings, and through Aug. 1—so you better hurry—you can get a special 15 percent incentive for new bookings to Scarp Ridge Lodge. Contact Jeffery at jenny@irwincolorado.com. ● contact information Eleven Experience: elevenexperience.com; info@elevenexperience.com recommend.com 6/19/13 12:42 PM http://www.elevenexperience.com http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend July 2013

Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: Eleven Experience
Tour Talk: DuVine Cycling + Adventure
Expedition Cruising: Explore the Unexplored
Eleven Experience's Chalet Pelerin
Brazil Travel Planner
Grand Solmar Land's End Resort & Spa
Guatemala Travel Planner
Latin America Specialist Courses
The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs
5 Ways to Adventure in North America
Swain Tours Shines in the Land Down Under
Seeing African Wonders Through a Viewfinder
Trinidad & Tobago
Soaring to New Heights in Saint Lucia

Recommend July 2013