What is the Secret Weapon of Luxury Travel Advisors?

Are you ready to embark on your next unforgettable adventure? Join me as I chat with Rebecca Slater, founder of Rebecca Recommends, and uncover the secrets to crafting tailor-made luxury travel experiences that leave you wanting more. This episode takes us through Rebecca's journey of growing up in the hospitality industry, her love for America, and the birth of her representation company which connects discerning travelers with privately-owned properties of excellence across the globe.

Discover how Rebecca Recommends acts as a secret weapon for travel advisors and provides valuable assistance to smaller, individually-owned properties lacking the resources of larger brands. In our conversation, we explore the incredible destinations and properties that Rebecca's company represents, including the United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, Australia, Switzerland, and Ireland. Find out how Rebecca's partnerships with Red Carnation hotels and various Destination Management Companies (DMCs) open doors to unique experiences and help create memorable itineraries tailored to the traveler's profile.

As we delve deeper into the world of luxury travel, Rebecca shares her insights on the importance of due diligence when researching and selecting a representation company. She stresses the significance of building personal connections in the hospitality industry and how these relationships benefit both travelers and the properties they visit. So, if you're eager to elevate your travel experiences and learn more about the hidden gems of the luxury hospitality world, tune in to this captivating episode and let Robin and Rebecca guide you on this journey of exploration.

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Thanks for joining us on today’s episode of The Intrepid Traveler podcast! If you enjoyed today’s episode, please rate and review our

show to help us reach even more aspiring travelers. Don’t forget to check out our website, visit us on Facebook, Instagram or follow

us on LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on our latest epic travel adventures!

Use the following links when planning your own travel!

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MEDJET

VIRTUOSO

PROJECT EXPEDITION

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:08

Have you ever wondered how the pros put together epic tailor-made travel adventures? Welcome to the Intrepid Traveler Podcast. I'm your host, robin Klein, and I'm going to explain to you just how that is done during my conversation with today's guest. When it comes to luxury adventure and expedition travel, the possibilities are endless. In each episode, you'll hear from an expert in his or her field about how these experiences, and more, are created.

Speaker 1: 0:37

This episode of the Intrepid Traveler is brought to you by Klein and Co Travel Consulting, a luxury adventure and expedition travel planning company specializing in un-Googleable experiences. You can find us on the web at KleinandCoTravelcom. On Instagram at Klein and Co Travel, we have a private Facebook group you're welcome to join. You can find us on LinkedIn or catch the video version on YouTube. With that said, let's welcome today's guest. Today, i'm going to introduce you to somebody that is I like to think of as a travel advisor's secret weapon, and I'm going to let you in on that secret here as I introduce Rebecca Slater of Rebecca Recommends. Rebecca Recommends is a representation company, and we're going to talk a bit about what that means as soon as we hear a little bit from Rebecca on her background and how she got into this. So tell us a little bit about where you grew up, how you ended up in hospitality or in hotels and so forth, and we'll carry on Lovely Well.

Speaker 2: 1:51

good morning, Robin. Thank you so much. It's a lovely, lovely to be here with you today and with your listeners. So I was fortunate enough to be born into this amazing industry of hospitality and travel. I grew up in Chester, a wonderful Roman city on the border of North Wales. It's a Roman city like Bath in York and actually a lot of Americans enjoy going there. My father ran a hotel called the Chester Grove for the Duke of Westminster for 32 years, So I wasn't quite Eloise at the plaza but I definitely spent a lot of days, weeks, holidays working at the hotel from a very young age, probably a little bit younger than other children, But I loved it. I mean, I have such great memories of going around with our head housekeeper with a clipboard and checking the rooms and working in the kitchen reception, So it really sort of had hotels in my blood from a young child. My father also started a company called Small Luxury Hotels of the World. That's a name I've heard before.

Speaker 2: 3:05

So one of the and it still is very much in existence, although he's not involved one of the top marketing companies for independently owned hotels to give them kind of global presence in the marketplace, and so this really helped foster my love for hotels.

Speaker 2: 3:26

I was privileged to meet some great hoteliers at a young age. In fact, my father actually had an East Coast rep company, or representation company, and a West Coast representation company, and so I first think I met travel agents, as you were called then, when I was probably about seven years old, and we would welcome these lovely American people to our house because my mom is a wonderful gardener And so my father would invite everyone to our home for a drink to see my mom's garden and then they'd be staying at the hotel. So I was just always around and understood about this industry, and then, 20 years ago, i decided that I was going to try, and when everyone's saying, no, you won't get a visa to work in America because it's challenging, i guess I wanted to rise to that challenge and make it a reality, which I did when I moved to Pennsylvania back in 2004. Oh, okay, what part of Pennsylvania were you in? So we were in niche hotspots and Longwood Gardens and that beautiful area outside of Philadelphia.

Speaker 1: 4:40

Well, I went to Westchester University.

Speaker 2: 4:42

Oh, come back there. We both got in common as well.

Speaker 1: 4:46

Yeah, exactly, i did a lot of my horseback riding up in that area, so that's something we were talking about before we started recording today about. we both have a great love for horseback riding and riding in various places around the world as well, but anyway, well, back to business. We can talk about horses later.

Speaker 2: 5:04

Absolutely. I can easily do that all day.

Speaker 1: 5:07

Yeah, right. So it's not a stretch at all to say not only is this in your blood, but you were raised on this as well, and so, but you still have to have a love for it. Even if it's something you're raised in and it's in your blood, you still have to have that passion for it, and I find, in all of these podcasts that I do, that there is people that are in this industry definitely have a passion, because we wouldn't be in it otherwise.

Speaker 2: 5:39

Absolutely true, robin. It's absolutely true. And I think where we have been lucky or you know, with Rebecca recommends, we've had some of our clients pretty much from when I started the company. The hotels that we work with, the hoteliers, the families that own them, are equally as passionate. And then you know you mentioned at the beginning about how we are sort of secret weapon And I think part of that is that we do a lot of due diligence before we start to work with a client And I'm sure they do their due diligence on looking at representation and who is the right fit for them.

Speaker 2: 6:17

But really I always love to think of as a sort of matchmakers, where we're introducing you to these wonderful in our case privately owned properties of excellence. We only work with, with privately owned properties And then destination management companies, these magic makers on the ground, which can curate these wonderful trips with you, in collaboration with you, for your clients, so that they have all that special access and know all those things. So for us we have this amazing role that I am so grateful for and passionate about, that we can connect you to these people And I always think and I do say this and genuinely mean it that you know, if you're sending clients to a destination, even if you're not working with our hotel there or our DMC or on site, that I want your clients to have the best experience. So I'm still going to share my recommendations, my secret tips, with you and help you build on creating an amazing trip for your client.

Speaker 1: 7:21

Wow, that's in a. It does and it does work that way, which is fabulous. I'm going to just walk it back just for a second because I want to make sure that everybody that's listening is clear on what exactly a representation company is in our business. So and correct me if I'm wrong on this So the big, you know the big names in the business. You know if we're talking like Marriott, hilton, hyatt, four Seasons, things like that, you know they've got the power to do all their own marketing and to take care of all that for themselves.

Speaker 1: 7:55

These properties that you're talking about that are maybe more individually owned or smaller, like family. You know groups of properties I'm thinking of red carnation in particular They may not they just might not have that power to get the word out to people like people like me. And unless I know about you and how fabulous these companies are, that you represent hotels, like we said, dmcs, etc. Then it's harder for them to get some traction and get people in the door that are their ideal clients. So where you refer to yourself as a matchmaker, we're a bit the same, because we know our clients well and we know once we visited these places and met the people that run them and so forth. We know which clients match with which properties. So the representation companies in our business do that for us and it's sort of every everybody wins.

Speaker 2: 8:59

Absolutely. It's so right, robin, and we really consider ourselves as an extension of all of our clients. You know they only work with us as their representation company. We are effectively their US sales team based here, and so we your point of contact for anything that you need from our clients on your time zone. And, of course, we can't know every single detail about every destination. That's what our DMCs are there for.

Speaker 2: 9:31

But we do know a great deal and I like to think that we pride ourselves on The fact that we have these long relationships with our clients means that we know them intimately. We travel to all their destinations at least once a year, whether it's myself or one of my great team members. So, again, we're sharing with you what's new, what's relevant, what are the travel logistics now in that destination. So all of that really helpful information. And you're right When you're looking at these bigger brands, these global brands that have huge sales and marketing teams and budgets for that. Some of these little gems, which I take, again, great pride in being able to introduce people like yourselves too, whether it's the Torridon up in the Highlands of Scotland, that is this wonderful property, but they don't have the same budget that Apple Seasons would, and so this kind of collective working with us allows them access to us to present and look after their sales and marketing. Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 1: 10:39

So tell me before we. I mean, i'm sure everybody's anxious to hear about the destinations of the properties and we're going to reveal some of those for sure. But I want to know at what point did you feel like, okay, i'm ready to go out and try this on my own? Obviously you're now. Were you working at the small luxury hotels of the world?

Speaker 2: 11:02

So I was working at the Chester Grove. I did a degree in hospitality management in Manchester, which is a major university city actually in Europe It's one of the largest university cities And so I was working at the Chester Grove and I did think maybe I could go and work in the New York office with small luxury. That was an idea of my father was chairman of SNH for many years. But then I started to think well, i see this amazing role that these representation people have And in fact, Joanna Heathcote, who still has her representation company on the West Coast she was. I just saw her last week at a company event and I did say to her how much of a, how much she inspired me when I was younger. She was one. She was the rep that would bring lovely people from California, these travel agents, to our house. So I think I was looking, i was searching.

Speaker 2: 12:01

I did fall in love with America. I fell in love with San Francisco and the Bay Area. One of the other founders of small luxury was also from San Francisco and owned a wonderful hotel called The Huntington at Montenegro, and so we would come here as a family. I was familiar and I just announced to my family. One day. You know, when I was a young teenager, this is where I want to live. One day. I think it really was kind of in my subconscious that somehow I wanted to get to America And I love a passionate about hotels. And so how can I do that? And I worked with an immigration attorney. I set up my company. I have my company sponsor me for a visa, so everything was very legitimate And I started talking to hotels in the UK. I mean, that's what I, the people I knew. So when I started, rebecca recommends it was a small collection of privately owned, independent hotels just in the United Kingdom And then, obviously, from that, my company has grown Right, Right, Yes.

Speaker 1: 13:02

And speaking of growth, so we'll go ahead and sort of pull back the curtain on that And I'm going to reel off some of the ones I know of and you can fill in the gaps. But so you've got yes, so you've got UK, you've got Sri Lanka, you've got Australia you've got.

Speaker 1: 13:17

I know you have one hotel in Switzerland now Ireland, actually, we have a couple, a couple, yeah And I'm trying to think like I don't have the list up in front of me right now, but I know it's a good and of course, america. I mean you've got one, i know you've got one out there in the wine country And yeah, yeah, exactly, and so you've got. And then, but recently, fairly recently, have added red carnation, which is, i think there's all kinds of interesting properties that you've got in clients, obviously, but that one is a little more or not more interesting. That's a poor choice of words. It's got a unique story. Tell us just a little bit about that, because they're not only in England but in Africa as well.

Speaker 2: 14:06

Yeah, Yeah, in Africa, and then, of course, another jewel in that crown is Ashford Castle in Ireland. So I think, first of all, sort of Rebecca recommends, it's grown organically and a lot of our clients have come to us through referrals, which, as we all know, is the best kind of business, and so sometimes I get asked well, where do you want to have a client next? And it doesn't really work like that. It's always just been the fact that wonderful people like yourselves have said oh, i work with this company, i think they could, you could, help them, or our other clients actually refer as to people. In fact, today I have a call with a company based in New Zealand and we'll see if that's going to be the right fit.

Speaker 2: 14:47

But we were talking to red carnation. I've admired their properties for over 10 years and the Tollman family have just really been leaders in our industry in many ways, especially on the sustainability front. But their properties were such a natural fit within Rebecca recommends and I'll wrap up our rather clients and hotels. And so they do have six properties in London. They have a countryside property as well there, but then the family Mr and Mrs Tolman senior, you know originated from South Africa, so their hotel company actually started there with the Oyster box, and so they have properties in Africa and their most recent property there which, if you haven't been wrong and you have to put on your list.

Speaker 1: 15:36

Yeah, it's on my list, Well yeah it is, it's really on my list.

Speaker 2: 15:39

It's just a matter of getting there.

Speaker 2: 15:41

Absolutely, and I was so fortunate to experience the property last year, and it was That's in Botswana. It is in Botswana And I would say right now and of course you might think I'm biased, but it really is There's no large like it in Africa at this moment. I mean, it's so unique, it's so incredible. The investment and the care. Again, everything they do is with such care and passion for the community, working with 50 African artists It's the largest African art collection now, but it provides that perfect martini that you might find in New York, or those that are used to air conditioning, and the finest linens in China, in every detail.

Speaker 2: 16:25

And then this food, and to think that you are literally in the middle of nowhere. And I think for me, that's what appeals so much about Botswana is the fact that you can go and have this incredible experience in the wild, with wonderful wildlife, but you're not really seeing many other people And so it's at such a high level. So, no, they do, they have. And then they also have their wonderful property in Switzerland too, geneva. We mustn't forget hotels on this.

Speaker 1: 16:53

Yeah, that's right, i had forgotten that. So yeah, obviously you wouldn't, though.

Speaker 2: 16:59

We try not to have favorites, we try not to forget anybody.

Speaker 1: 17:03

Well, i don't think it's a matter of favorites. I think the nice thing is is everything's so unique. You know that everything It's not like doing. I mean, i'm not going to name names, but some of the big brands you can walk into one of their hotel rooms, like there's one in particular that I've been in in Egypt, las Vegas, Chicago, another international destination that I'm forgetting right now And every one of those hotel rooms I could do If I'd closed the curtains. I wouldn't be able to tell you which country I was in. And that's the nice thing about having a portfolio like you do is it's very unique, it's very individualized. And even I had the luxury of being with you all on a trip in March and seeing the Red Carnation hotels, and they are each individual, even down to the rooms. I just loved it. There's that one trademark thing of the cloth, the wall. That is just wonderful. But everything is so individual And I think that that is really important. It kind of sets you apart too that you're doing something of that nature, i think.

Speaker 2: 18:16

Yeah, well, that's kind of what you say And again, it's something that's integral and important to me and for the company on our team that we really work with places that have a real sense of destination. So to your point, and I think more travelers now are looking for that, of course there's some people that like to go to the new opening or they are brand loyal and that's wonderful. But for me, i want to know that I'm sat in a hotel in Tel Aviv and Israel, or at the incredible lodge on the South Island, such as with Blanket Bay or Ashford Castle that quintessential Irish castle experience. So all of the properties we do work with you know exactly where you are. They want to support the local community, So a lot of things are sourced locally.

Speaker 2: 19:02

And, yeah, i think, as we're all traveling and looking at where we travel to, it becomes such an important decision factor And the people you know to know that you're going to meet people from the destinations in the hotels and often that have had huge length of service And I think, as a guest, if you return, how nice to be recognized and known. And that also the hotels know that they're your clients and guests. So this is lovely community that we're all in, together, working together.

Speaker 1: 19:34

Well, exactly, and I mean that to me is one of the best ways to start off is if I know that's part of your portfolio and I'm interested in it, i know who to reach out to at your company And if it looks like a good fit, i ask for an introduction. And then you know right there that's just opening doors wide open that you know the beats doing any kind of research on the internet.

Speaker 2: 19:55

Yeah, you know so. Yeah, we have an extensive black book, you know, not only with our clients, but beyond that too. So we always want to make sure we're introducing you to the right person.

Speaker 1: 20:06

Absolutely. And I thought about another one the Caribbean. You've got the Caribbean.

Speaker 2: 20:09

Yes, kurt Bluff, yeah exactly, and a lot of places were you know, such as Kurt and Bluff, which is an example of you know. It was one of the first properties in the Caribbean. It was when you could. You know building regulations would allow you to build right on the beach. And then what's lovely about the clients that go to Bluff is now you're in the sort of like fourth generation of families who've been travelling there. And Shelley, the founder, is still involved in the property and again, the team there and all the team are local And it's just wonderful. So Now that comes across when you stay in these hotels, yeah, yeah absolutely No, it really, it really does.

Speaker 1: 20:50

And I do want to reiterate a little bit, though that just again in the recording here that you work in, rebecca recommends works with travel advisors. You don't work with the general public.

Speaker 1: 21:04

So, when you refer to your clients, you're referring to the people that own the properties, and those are your clients, whereas my clients are the consumers, the travelers, the people that are going. So I just wanted to make sure that everybody's clear on that. Absolutely, it could get a little bit. Yeah, no, i agree, yeah, and then I find it. I love the fact, too, that you not only represent properties. I mean summer straight hotels, summer resorts, and also what we call in the industry, as you mentioned earlier, destination management companies, dmcs, or on sites, which is the same thing basically. So how do you find that representing a DMC and properties goes hand in hand and is helpful sometimes?

Speaker 2: 21:54

Yeah, and that's a great question. And we started to see this over 10 years ago now, because actually a lot of our DMCs or some we worked with for over 10 years, so I would say, probably like even 12 years ago that even just in the industry and of course, virtuoso, the company membership you're involved with as well started to see this need for on site DMCs. So these are people on the ground, in country, that work with you, that have the connections that can help you with this bespoke trip, and what we could see is that we have these lovely hotels in the UK, but you're not just going to come and stay at one hotel, you're going to put together a whole itinerary And for that you really need somebody on the ground And that's where the DMC comes in. So we actually find that having a DMC and a destination where we have hotels and that is a lot of them works incredibly well because those DMCs are already working in partnership with those hotels. They're not going to be right for every single client, but a lot of the time they're working and collaborating together.

Speaker 2: 23:02

So I think for you it's really nice when we have a DMC. They're very established in their destinations, they're they open those doors, they help with all those wonderful people to people experiences and they're working alongside of our clients. I mean case in point with, say, resplendent salon, and I know you've just spoke with Malik, sri Lanka and Ventors who we have worked with and who've been in business over 30 years. They were working in Sri Lanka way before any of the kind of hotels that we know that are now with us and have these incredibly deep rooted relationships. And then, to extend around Sri Lanka, you are going to add other places where resplendent salon don't have hotels, so then the DMC can come in and put this wonderful itinerary together with you for exactly what your clients want. Every single itinerary is bespoke and none of our DMCs ever repeat an itinerary And I know they're very proud to say that Yeah.

Speaker 1: 24:00

Yeah, no, and it's so wonderful to work with DMCs like that that you're not just getting something off the shelf, you're actually giving them your client profile and telling them exactly what the client likes And you can, like I said, pick the right hotel, pick the right activities. That's how we make the magic happen, so to speak. I do want to talk for a minute about the Nair, because I got to go there And I was very intrigued with it before I went, but I just like fell in love with it when I got there And tell everybody just a little bit about that property, because I think it's one of those that is, it's a hidden gem. It is a hidden gem.

Speaker 2: 24:42

And it's a great example, robin, of again where a hotel can really benefit from our relationships with advice as such as yourself. So Toby Ashworth, who is just an incredible hotelier, as you now know, is probably one of the most connected people in Cornwall And Cornwall down at the very far the southwest of England, which is a very popular destination for Britain. But for American travelers it's often more sort of the third or fourth time they go back to the UK, or maybe even more for some, and even still Americans are discovering Cornwall. But it has so much to offer And the Nair is this quintessential English country house hotel by the sea Cornwall has. You can pretty much walk the whole coastline, so lots of national trails and paths and properties that lead right from this wonderful location of the Nair.

Speaker 2: 25:41

And to me, what I love so much about the Nair, it's what England does so well. And when I say it's quintessential, it's always a bit like stepping back in time, but in such a charming way It's a slightly slower pace of life. You know the roads are narrow, you never know if you might find some sheep or some hikers as you kind of come around the corner, and then they do have a more moderate temperature. So you've got these gorgeous gardens and then there's a wonderful art scene down there from St Ives.

Speaker 2: 26:10

So Toby and I have been working together for well over 10 years And he has been, i think, really incredible doing a better job, you know, than perhaps the English tourist board on promoting Cornwall and the destination And that often is the case with a lot of our hotels that they really have to take on the role of selling the destination first, and then you come and stay at our property And then there, you know, is the highest rated hotel in Cornwall and it offers just a wonderful location for your guests to explore, your clients to explore Cornwall from. And yeah, it's a place that you do need a good few nights to stay because it takes a little bit of time to get down there, but there's a wonderful train that goes from London. It's about four hours, a very scenic coastal journey And of course, their team is on hand to help you with whatever you need for your clients.

Speaker 1: 27:07

Yeah, yeah, it was fabulous, and my love affair with it all started with Poldark.

Speaker 2: 27:12

Oh yeah, i'm not sure if you've watched Doc Martin. I have, that's the best.

Speaker 1: 27:19

I've seen I have, but he wasn't nearly as handsome as Poldark.

Speaker 2: 27:24

No, he was very true, i loved that period And there were beautiful horses in.

Speaker 1: 27:30

Poldark, Yeah, And all the you know. I mean I know that living at that time wasn't quite as romantic as the whole story made it out to be, But I did love watching that And that was one of the things that I thought oh, I've got to get to that part of England. And then, lo and behold, I was able to get there. So that was my We're happy that you both Yeah.

Speaker 1: 27:51

Well, i mean we could talk about all these properties all day long, and but we'll maybe leave that for another time. I do want to ask you quickly, before we close Where did your love? I mean obviously growing up in England, where you did. Obviously horses are a big part of life, but tell me how you, what your introduction to your love of horses was. How did that start?

Speaker 2: 28:10

Oh, thank you, Robin. That's a really fun question. So my godfather at the time was involved with a hotel called Penny Hill Park And actually that's still very much a hotel that's operating today, though he's no longer involved And they had horses And there's really only a handful of hotels now the days where you can ride on property in the UK at least I know in Ireland there are more like Ashford Castle. And I was probably three or four years old and I was put on this gorgeous big black horse and sort of was able to walk around the estate with, i think, probably somebody holding me on him, although I don't remember that part because he was really a big horse.

Speaker 2: 28:49

They obviously didn't have any ponies at the time And literally from that moment onwards I just fell in love and I just knew that I would always have horses in my life And I was very lucky that my parents supported my love and passion and was probably spoiled and bought a pony when I was sort of 11 years old And I've been proud to say that I've been able then to keep a horse in my life. I have two horses now, but you know there was a time when I had to support my riding hobby myself and that is not easy, but I found ways And actually when I moved to the US close to 20 years ago I did bring my mare Lottie to live with me in Pennsylvania and she was there for many years. So I came back down to a hotel with that horse. I love that.

Speaker 1: 29:38

Well, and you've gone right back to the beginning because you have a beautiful big black horse. now too, i do.

Speaker 2: 29:43

I do My first black horse, yeah, Basanti, which is actually a Nepali name. I love Nepal. So she was named after Spring. That's wonderful.

Speaker 1: 29:54

Yeah well, we're going to have to compare horse notes at some point, because my story is a little similar. I basically wore my parents down until they finally said OK, we'll pay $300 for the pony. Well, they had no idea that that was only Just a stock. Yeah, The $300 was a drop in the bucket compared to everything that came along after.

Speaker 1: 30:18

So, like you, it opened so many doors for me and I got to travel around the world working with horses, so it helped help to my love of travel grow even more as well. So, yeah, so we've got all that in common. So, anyway, thank you, this has been so nice.

Speaker 2: 30:36

Oh, we appreciate you, Thank you.

Speaker 1: 30:37

Robin Joining me today, and I'll look forward to seeing you in person next time.

Speaker 2: 30:44

Absolutely, thank you. I felt like we could have chatted with you all day, so we're thrilled that we can help you with anything that you need for your travelers and your clients, and thank you for this lovely opportunity. It was so nice to be able to talk. Absolutely All things travel with you. Absolutely.

Speaker 1: 31:04

That wraps up today's episode of the Intrepid Traveler. Thank you for tuning in and thank you to today's guests for joining me. I'll be back again in two weeks with another exciting episode featuring another guest with a story that is sure to pique your interest. Please subscribe to the Intrepid Traveler on your favorite listening channel and give us a review. Once again, today's episode has been brought to you by Clining Co. Travel Consultinga luxury adventure and expedition travel planning company specializing in un-googleable experiences.