August 8, 2026 • 53 mins
What transforms an ordinary vacation into an unforgettable journey? In this episode of A Life Less Ordinary, The Wishing Well's travel experts, Terrie Dean and Harry Reif, continue their Keys to a Great Vacation series with a fascinating look at why the hotel is never just a hotel.
Discover how the right hotel can unlock exclusive experiences, from private access to the Palace of Versailles and Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens to hidden entrances, luxury concierge services, and personalized touches that elevate every trip.
Learn the value of shoulder season travel, insider vacation planning strategies, and how choosing the right accommodations can turn a simple getaway into a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Perfect for travelers seeking luxury travel tips, unique destinations, and expert vacation planning advice.
Discover how the right hotel can unlock exclusive experiences, from private access to the Palace of Versailles and Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens to hidden entrances, luxury concierge services, and personalized touches that elevate every trip.
Learn the value of shoulder season travel, insider vacation planning strategies, and how choosing the right accommodations can turn a simple getaway into a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Perfect for travelers seeking luxury travel tips, unique destinations, and expert vacation planning advice.
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is a Lifeless Ordinary, the travel show and podcast
from your friends at the wishing Well two forty three
f Avenue in Harrisonburg and online at the wishing Well
Don PiZZ The wishing Well is your ultimate luxury concierge,
travel agency and a Lifeless Ordinary. It's a travel show
and podcast hosted by Terry Dean, bringing her over forty
years of experience in the travel industry to help guide
(00:20):
you to great experiences in your travel, whether it be
around the block, around the country, or around the world.
Now let's bring in Terry Dean and say hello.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Hey, Chris Hell in the world. Are you this beautiful Saturday?
Speaker 1 (00:32):
You know what I'm doing? Really good? I see Harry
is with us this Saturday morning. Your rol Harry. It's
good to see you.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
I'm on duty too, Chris Well.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Last week we started a new series and I'm excited.
I want to get into that again this week. If
you missed last week's show, it's The Keys to a
Great Vacation. Before we dig into the second part of
that series, I just want to find out how life
is going for you both.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Yeah, so it's a busy I mean, the wishing Well
is it's in summer mode, you know, and everybody's out
and about and they want to go places, and we
couldn't be happier. It's just a great time to be
here in the Harsonburg area and serving our community.
Speaker 4 (01:16):
We love it.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Chris, and a lot of people have finally figured out
that summer is going to be over in another month
or so, and they're thinking, seriously, oh my gosh, I
forgot to do a vacation er. I haven't planned, you know,
my end of year vacation yet. So we've been hearing
from lots and lots of people. Many of them tell
us that they're listeners of the show. So we're very
(01:37):
thankful and very appreciative of all those people.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
They come from near and from far.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Surprisingly, we're always happy to hear from people, whether they
stop in or.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
Call us on the phone, aren't we Yeah?
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Absolutely, And you know, Chris, I think people have begun
to take our heed and listen to some of our
advice we've given to them about travel during things like
show older season.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
We're about to enter.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Into what is shoulder season coming up for September and October,
and I'll tell you what people are traveling, and that's
the time period that they have decided is a good
time to go beat the heat.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Terry. I know every week we have new listeners who
tune in, We have new listeners who find us online
and check out the podcast. Explain to those of us
are new, what is shoulder season.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Yeah, so shoulder season is the exact opposite of high
season or low season. So as we look at various
places around the globe, not everybody enjoys the same climate path,
if you will.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
So you know, for.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
People who are, say going to the Caribbean, a low
season is not what you would typically think. Low season
is really July, August and September and October, and that
is because that's hurricane season. So shoulder seas and for
the Caribbean would be probably more April May. That's when
(03:04):
the fairs are typically a little bit lower, the temperature
is a little bit easier to deal with, hotels are
a little less full, kids are still in school, So
this is not high peak vacation season. So we apply
that generally to different parts of the world based on
their climate and their situations as well.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Is there always somewhere in the world that's in shoulder season.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Yeah, pretty much, always some place is in shoulder season.
That's a great point, Chris, because we don't, as I said,
we don't all enjoy the same climate.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
And is that a time for us to take advantage
of deals?
Speaker 4 (03:39):
Oh heck, yes, are you kidding me?
Speaker 2 (03:42):
I mean those deals fly across our inbox like you know,
rice falling from heaven.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
So, I mean it's a great time really to travel
if you can and you're willing to do shoulder season
or even low season.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
I like traveling in low season.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Sometimes that means cold, you know, January February means that's
the time that you go. But my gosh, how exciting
is it to be at the Christmas markets in December
and November.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
So I mentioned when we started our show, we're in
the second part of a series we started last week
with the Keys to a Great Vacation. What is our
theme going to be this week? As we dig into
more of those keys?
Speaker 2 (04:28):
I got to tell you, I'm really really excited about
this because the more I've dug into this, the more
I've written and researched some of the information that I
want to share with our listeners, the more excited I've
even gotten about this because really there are some I'm
going to say, great secrets within our industry that a
(04:51):
lot of people don't know about. And if you are
one of the lucky ones listening today with us here
on a lifeless ordinary, which, by the way, thank you
from the bottom of our hearts for continuing to come
back week after week. We're so glad that you're there.
I actually can envision some of you because you've come
in and let me know that you listen to us.
But this is a series that you're going to want
(05:13):
to stay in and hang in there with us for
the duration of the entire series because we are going
to Chris unveil some of our industry's greatest secrets.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
And oh, I'm so go ahead.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
That's okay. I was going to say.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
The series that we're specifically going to focus on today
is called the Hotel is Never just a Hotel?
Speaker 1 (05:41):
Interesting?
Speaker 2 (05:42):
And I think that's going to probably give our listeners
some clue as to where we're headed now.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
That builds upon what we were talking about last week,
though Terry, we might be worth a quick recap of
what we were talking about last week. For those of the
folks who haven't listened to the podcast.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
Yet Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
So some of the first key we discovered were things
that I think every unforgettable vacation probably begins with, and Chris,
we knew that that's a dream. We talked about landmarks,
and we talked about uncovering topics like experiences to build
your entire dreams about, not an airline ticket, not a
(06:23):
hotel reservation. We talked about dreams. And maybe it's finally
standing in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Maybe
that's your dream. Maybe it's maybe the northern lights across
the Arctic sky. Maybe it's walking through the Colisseums in Rome.
Or maybe your dream is standing on the rim of
(06:44):
the Grand Canyon, just as you see the morning suns
start to rise. Whatever that dream might be, whatever canvas
you decide to paint that dream on. I suggested something
last week that I truly believe and it's worth repeating.
I think today, sometimes we don't travel simply to visit
(07:05):
a destination. We travel to meet a dream that we've
been carrying around for years. And I was so happy,
Chris that you and Harry shared some of your dreams
too with our audience last year. But last week, but
when we look at those dreams, especially the one about
the Eiffel Tower that we visited, we built an unforgettable
(07:28):
Paris vacation around that, not just simply by visiting that landmark.
I mean, that was important, and that was certainly a
part of it. But we asked ourselves, if I'm already
going all the way to Paris, what kind of incredible
experiences could I surround myself with that will build upon
(07:51):
that one dream? And suddenly the vacation we found last
week wasn't just about seeing the Eiffel Tower. It became
a travel cascade around cruising the same river at sunset,
learning to make authentic French pastries and macaroons, and dining
(08:12):
inside the Eiffel Tower, and we explored neighborhoods that most
tourists don't ever actually find, and meeting Paris instead of
simply seeing pairs.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
There's a big difference.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
And that's where we're going to pick things up today,
because after almost oh, good lord, Chris, five decades, I've
got almost five decades now in this business of helping
travelers discover our incredible, incredible globe. I have learned something
that completely changed the way I think about planning vacations.
(08:47):
You know, when most people began searching for hotels, they
usually ask the same questions. They say, well, Terry, how
many stars does it have? Or is breakfast included? And
how close is it to downtown? How far away is
it from the place I want to be? And does
(09:07):
it have a really nice pool? Does it have two pools?
Does it have a jacuzzi? Is their room service? And
those are all good questions, don't get me wrong. Sometimes
they're exactly the right questions. I mean, depends on what
your goal is. But today we're going to have a
lot of fun because today I'm going to suggest another question,
(09:29):
and that question, I think is going to change the
way you think about everything. And that question is what
exactly will this hotel unlock? Just think about that for
a minute. Not how beautiful is it, not how luxurious
is it? What are the thread counts of the sheets
(09:50):
and the towels? Not how expensive is it? But what
experiences become possible because I chew this hotel instead of
another one, Because I honestly believe the world's greatest hotels
aren't simply places to spend the night.
Speaker 4 (10:12):
They are keys.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
And when I say that, Chris, I want you to
get a really good visual here. I don't know if
you've been I'll tell you you've probably seen the movie
Pretty Woman, right, I think a lot of people have.
And do you remember the stately concierge that was at
that hotel that was on Beverly Hills where she stayed
(10:38):
in and Richard Gear stayed in, And the concierge had
on his lapel two crossed gold keys. That is the
highest level of a concierge and butler that exists in
the hotel industry. And those keys are so so important
(11:00):
they exude a status. They actually tell a story about
how qualified that.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
Individual really is.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
I want to tell you another story once upon a time,
many many years ago and still today. Sometimes I actually
do teach business etiquette and international protocol classes, and at
the end of our classes when we go through those,
I do them a lot for children in middle school,
(11:32):
because that's where a lot of children's ideals and thoughts
about who they're going to be when they quote unquote
grow up are formulated. And these are great things for
them to learn when they're young. Are the etiquette that
we kind of almost seem to throw out anymore. But
international protocol. If you're going to travel at all, that's
(11:55):
never going to change. Those are things that really do
stay the same a lot. I teach that and at
the end of those classes, every child receives a diploma,
but they also receive one important thing to remind them
of the class they took, and it's a gold key
with a tassel, and that means something.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
That means class.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
That means that you've elevated your thoughts, your actions, your
processes now about how you interact into the world with
the keys to unlock every new potential door. And you
can do that because you have the knowledge of how
to do that. So our formula for today's series is
(12:44):
pretty much the same. I'm going to give you these
keys and they are going to help you unlock some
passages into traveling like maybe you never knew existed before.
So it's going to be a lot of fun.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
I hope.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Over that next hour we're going to open these doors.
You know, one of my favorite things about being in
the travel business is that I'm constantly learning. I can
tell Harry can probably tell you that if I don't,
I really get restless.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
That's why I have to travel.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
And after forty eight years, I still discover some things
that make me stop and say, wow, I had no idea.
I love those. I don't know about you, Chris, in
your work and your job. But man, if you're not learning,
you're not growing, You're not the light's not going on,
you know my daddy. My daddy used to say, the
(13:35):
elevator's not going all the way up.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
I love being curious about stuff. I'm always always digging
a little deeper into stuff.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Yeah, I do too, And actually that just happened recently
for me. I was reading about some of the world's
most extraordinary luxury hotels. Now, I'll admit that at first
I expected to read about beautiful suites and those Michelin
starred restaurants that talk about sometimes, and the infinity pools,
(14:03):
all the things that we've come to expect from luxury
hotels and really that we've talked about right here on
a Life Less Ordinary so many times. But instead I
discovered some things entirely different. These hotels that I researched
and really came from some of my own experiences. They're
not about selling rooms. That is not what they are about.
(14:25):
They were opening doors, and I suddenly realized that's exactly
what we've been doing at the Wishing Well all this
time that we've been open and in business. This is
exactly what we do. We open doors. We're never simply
just helping clients reserve a room. I hope that's not
what we're doing. That's not what we want to do.
(14:47):
We've tried to help them unlock experiences they never knew
were possible. And Chris, I want to show you what
I mean by that. I want you to imagine that
you're again planning that vacation of a lifetime to France.
We're gonna go back to France, okay, and you decide
to spend the day at the Palace of Versailles. Okay,
(15:10):
you know about the Palace of Versailles, beautiful like millions
about Yeah, I mean it's gorgeous like and like millions
of other visitors. You want to tour the hallom mirrors.
That's probably something you're gonna want to do there. You're
gonna want to go through the gardens, right, you admire
the fountains, right.
Speaker 4 (15:26):
All of that. Yep, it's magnificent.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
But about five o'clock in the afternoon, something happens the
crowds begin to leave the buses, they pull away, gates, clothes,
palace grows quiet. But now I want you to know,
at that moment, a key is metaphorically dropped right into
(15:55):
your hand, right into this trip. How what is happening? Well,
it's different, but you're staying at a tiny, fourteen room
hotel located right on the grounds of Versailles. Wow, did
you even know that existed? No, it does, doesn't it?
(16:20):
And that boutique hotel I'm referring to is the Areel's
Le Grand Control Chateau de Versailles. And that's where you're
going to disconnect from your present and you are going
to live like royalty because instead of leaving with everybody
(16:40):
else who left the Palace of Versailles because they had
to their ticket visit was up, your evening is just beginning.
Speaker 4 (16:49):
A God's going to meet you.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
You're going to be handed the keys to a golf cart,
and together with that God, you're going to wander those
magnificent gardens in complete silence and incomplete privacy. That's your gift,
just because of where you decided to stay. It was
a choice and you made it. There's no crowds no
(17:12):
tour groups, no waiting, just you and the Palace of Versailles,
one of the world's greatest palaces, and the feeling that,
just for a little while, you've stepped back into history.
But you are so so privileged, and you're going to
(17:34):
wake up in luxury, but not just that, you're going
to wake up inside history itself. You're there on the
grounds of the Palace of Versailles. Who gets to do that?
And you know what I love about that story? The
hotel wasn't the destination. The hotel simply opened the door
(17:55):
to a little taste of wonderland. And it all happened
through the mass of choice. I want us to take
about a thirty second break here so that our listeners
have a chance to digest that little story. When we
come back, I want to talk about another such experience
that really really fascinates me in Copenhagen.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
Can't wait. It's next here on a lifeless ordinary.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
Protect your vacation investment with guidance from a travel professional.
The wishing Well knows travel and help you avoid pitfalls
that can spoil your hard earned vacation. We'll plan your
trip and have your back as you travel. All of
this without support or so called convenience fees. We're on
the web at THO Wishingwell dot viz or call us
at five four zero nine zero eight two three three three.
(18:43):
That's five four zero nine zero eight two three three three.
The washing Well really does make dreams come true.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Hey, welcome back to a Life Less Ordinary, the travel
show and podcast. It's from your friends at to wishing Well.
You'll find them on nef Avenue and Harrisonburg So online
at the wishing Well don biz. You can also give
him a call five four oho nine eight twenty three
thirty three. Are show today is part of a series.
It's called The Keys to a Great Vacation. This is
the second part in our series when the hotel is
(19:14):
never just a hotel. Before we went to break Terry,
you were talking about being able to stay right on
the grounds of the Palace of Versailles. I got to
tell you as we were in the commercial break, I
was thinking, I love the Eiffel Tower, no doubt. I
don't know if it would be my reason for going
to Paris though, because I feel like I've seen the
Eiffel Tower maybe a non person, but the Palace of
(19:36):
Versailles you would have me on that one. I'm envisioning
the sun coming up over the gardens. I don't know
if they'll let me in at sunrise, but I'd love
to see the sun bouncing around in the in the
Hall of Mirrors. That that, to me sounds fabuous and
I love anything that has to do with the history
of royalty in any country.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
So yeah, I know you're I know you're really captured
by that. But I mean a little, tiny, fourteen room hotel.
It doesn't have to be bigger than that, but the
splendors of everything that you get to enjoy, just again,
because you made that your choice of where to stay
in Paris means exactly, Chris, that you will see that
(20:17):
sunrise over Versailles, and you'll see the sunset also, and
you might even see the sun bounce around on the
Hall of Mirrors. But you get to do that because
you made a great choice of where you were going
to stay, and because that unlocked that gave you a
key to unlock an experience that other people only dream about.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
Now, once I started looking for examples like that, I
really couldn't stop.
Speaker 4 (20:49):
I was kind of addicted.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
You know, here's another one that absolutely fascinated me. I
want us now to pack our bags and travel to
Copenhagen for just a minute. A lot of you have
probably heard of Trevoli Gardens. It's one of the oldest
amusement parks in the world. It actually goes dates all
the way back to eighteen forty three. It's part botanical garden,
(21:15):
part amusement park, part concert venue, but really mostly part
fairy tale. And during the summer, thousands upon thousands of
visitors line up there outside the entrance every single day,
but guests staying at the beautiful Nim Hotel never see
(21:37):
that line. You want to know why, because the hotel
has its own private entrance directly into Trevoli Gardens. Just
imagine walking out of your hotel, opening one one private
gate and suddenly there you are inside one of Europe's
(21:59):
most beloved attractions, while everybody else is still waiting outside
in line. Now that's what I mean when I say
the hotel becomes part of the experience. That perfect choice.
And then I came across one of my favorite stories.
This one takes us to Berlin. There's a beautiful hotel
(22:22):
called Dustu, and guests often enjoy h maybe an evening
cocktail on the terrace there overlooking Berlin's famous Zoo. But
here's the part that almost nobody knows. Hidden inside that
terrace at this particular hotel, Dustu is a private entrance.
(22:45):
Instead of walking around to the zoo's main entrance the
next morning and going in like everybody else with a
ticket and being in line and oh just waiting to
be next, guests simply through a discreete doorway.
Speaker 4 (23:02):
And they're inside. How fun is that?
Speaker 2 (23:06):
It's almost like discovering a secret passageway that only a
handful of people know exists.
Speaker 4 (23:13):
And isn't that really what travel is all about?
Speaker 2 (23:16):
I mean, imagine the stories you could tell if you're
staying at any of these hotels in Copenhagen, in Berlin,
in Paris.
Speaker 4 (23:25):
You imagine the stories you would tell.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Your experience is not going to be like anybody else's
that you probably know who've ever gone before. Because I'm
willing to bet, I'm willing to make a pretty big wager.
I know the lottery is pretty high right now. I'd
be willing to bet my lottery ticket that our listeners
maybe never knew that the hotels I've just mentioned today
(23:49):
on today's show Unlock with that Golden Key. All of
these fabulous experiences, and it's all about the choice of
the hotel where you say.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
I love I love that you bring these, uh, these
experiences to us. I remember a year or two ago
we talked about going to Vegas and you had the
password to get into the speakeasies.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
Yeah. I mean it's yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
You were like, there are doors that are hidden away
you don't even know are there, but I'm going to
get you. You have so much information, so many of
these secret once in a lifetime experiences at hand that
you can share with with your clientele.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
Yeah that I always say, I picked the best career
in the world.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
You did because you're you know, we said this at
the beginning of the show, you're making dreams come true.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
Yeah, it's true.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
And and really most recently, I have to say, one
of these comes front and center to my fore mind
when I think about a trip that I recently took
to Punta Meta. I stayed, of course, in some beautiful properties.
One was the Saint Regis in Punta Meta. The other
was the Sorry in the Ritz Carlton Reserve. Now, for
(25:05):
those of you listening, if you certainly know about Ritz Carlton,
but there's only five Ritz Carlton reserves on the entire planet,
and I was in one of them, and it was
really very interesting. I was actually having this conversation with
Harry as we were talking about today's show, and I said,
you know, I remember.
Speaker 4 (25:25):
When I was there.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
When I checked in, the check in process was about
like what you would expect in most hotels. But what
was just a moment of difference about it was the
young lady who was checking me in was so friendly
and I was so comfortable in her presence that conversation
just came very easy, and she began to ask me
(25:47):
about the things I like, and you know, where was
I from. And in that conversation, just off handedly, I
mentioned to her that I really, really, and probably could
say really again hate heat and humidity. It's just debilitating
to me. I just don't like it. And so I
(26:09):
didn't think anything more about it. I thanked her for
checking me in. She gave me my room key, I
went off to my room. I was opened the door
and immediately my jaw dropped. I mean, I don't remember
too many times in my life, Chris, where I've walked
in to a hotel experience where I teared up, but
(26:30):
this was like, not only did it take my breath away,
it touched something in my soul. And what happened when
I walked in was even more miraculous, I thought. And
it all stemmed with my conversation with that young lady
at registration who cared there was an extra fan in
(26:54):
my room that had just been brought and dropped off,
and a tray of iced down wash calls rolled up
with orchids laying on top so that I could with
a little note that said a little something for you
to beat the heat.
Speaker 4 (27:12):
Love it.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
I mean, that's what we're talking about when we talk
about these keys that make a hotel not just a hotel.
This is part and parcel of the experiencing experiences that
we're sharing.
Speaker 3 (27:25):
And it seemed to happen instantly, and in fact it did.
I remember Terry calling me Chris and saying, you know,
she's checked in, she's looking around the grounds for a
couple minutes, and then she's going to head off to
the room. And that's all the time it took this
particular property to make that magic happen. And what's so
(27:49):
special about hotels like the ones Cherry's talk about today
is they do they make magic happen. It sounds Disneyesque
almost in a way, and it is, but it's disney
ESQ get a way higher level because it's not things
that they're doing to impress everybody. In many hotels do
individual things to impress all guests. This is the kind
(28:12):
of hotel that learns about the guests and does something
to impress everybody individually. It wouldn't have surprised me to
find a pair of binoculars because I would have been
speaking about the view outside of the hotel, and very
likely I'd be in the room and on the desk
would be a pair of binoculars because they knew I
(28:34):
wanted to go, you know, looking outside at the view
and enjoy it. Those are the kind of things that
just kind of set you back on your seat, don't they.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
Well, it really reminds me that there are there are
organizations in this case a hotel where I imagine in
the background they're competing against each other, going who can
do something that reaches the customer better than the last person.
And exactly the girl at the desk was like, oh,
(29:05):
she needs this we're going to have it waiting.
Speaker 4 (29:06):
On her exactly.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
And you know, it begs the question and probably a
lot of people listening might be asking this themselves right now,
which is why and really why terry are hotels doing
this right now in twenty twenty six, right now? Why
are hotels doing that? Well, I'll tell you it's because
(29:32):
there's been this massive evolution in the travel industry and
people Chris, as we've talked about here multiple times on
a lifeless ordinary, they do not want ordinary experiences anymore.
They want something that's going to wow them. They want
(29:53):
something that's going to move them inside. They want that
experience I had where yeah, you might tear up just
a little bit in that moment because you honestly can't
believe what's happening.
Speaker 4 (30:08):
And who doesn't want that?
Speaker 1 (30:10):
So why don't more hotels provide that kind of service?
Speaker 2 (30:14):
More and more hotels are going to provide that service.
But these are going to be your small luxury hotels,
the boutique hotels, the ones that have the wherewithal and
the means to be able to do that and deliver that.
It's almost impossible to do that on the grand scale.
Let's say that some of the hotels suffer with now
(30:37):
that have size over quality. You know that happens. Let's
just use one for example in Las Vegas. I love
this hotel. It's a great hotel. I usually always stay
in this hotel when I go to Las Vegas. But
the Bellagio, were they to try to personalize every single
guest's visit, that might be impossible. However, However, if you
(31:03):
work with a great travel advisor like the ones here
at the Wishing Well, we do know you. We have
a relationship with you, and even if you're staying in
a great, big hotel like the Bellagio, when you check in,
we can make sure that something very unique happens for
you in that first visit.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
And I know this because every time Terry goes to
the Belagio. Somehow, and I don't know how, they can
do this, because the rooms face each direction right every
hotel has got north southeastern west. Terry always always reports
back that her room is facing that lagoon out front,
you know, with the dancing fountains. I don't know how
(31:45):
she does that, but they know that about Terry Dean.
They know that she likes that. And while they may
not be able to do something on the grand scale
that we've been talking about, they do something on the
personal scale. And one of the great ingredients in that,
I think are people. And hoteliers have figured out that
hiring great people is a great investment. You can build
(32:09):
a building and you know, put gold facades and you know,
and ornamentation and all that kind of stuff on it,
but if you staff it with great people who give
this kind of personal attention, you're going to get rewards.
Speaker 4 (32:23):
Not just trip Advisor awards.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
But you're going to get awards because your guests are
going to become the advertising for that hotel. All we
need to do is tell one of these stories. And
I'm sure people listening today are going, Wow, I wish
they could do.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
That for me.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
And I got to tell you, I have told your
story about the Ritz Ritz Carlton. I have told that
story to my wife. I was at a Fourth of
July cookout and we were talking about travel and I
talked about that story. Again, I have done more to
advertise for them than you have, because you told me
what a great, great experience you had on the trip.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
Yeah, it's amazing, And that story reminds me of something
I tell clients all the time. Sometimes the most valuable
part of your hotel reservation isn't your room. I mean,
that was an amazing experience for me, But I got
to tell you, Chris, it was the entire combination of
everything that happened in that moment that culminated in in
(33:27):
my room because instantly, the relationship that I had just
formed with the young girl at check in was available
to me in my room. It was right there in
front of me and visible to me what I had
just talked about with her. So that's and that's really
(33:47):
the rails that I want us to stay on today
as we're talking about these hotels that aren't just hotels,
is that we are talking about relationships. We are talking
about hotels that get it right because they dare to
put that in their recipe, and it's the relationship that
(34:08):
your travel advisor really has with that hotel. Because relationships
open doors. And that's the whole reason why year after
year after year Harry and I visit Las Vegas and
go to the Virtuoso Annual Conference every single year is
because we meet face to face, Chris with no less
than one hundred plus hoteliers at this conference and I'm
(34:32):
not talking about representatives of the hotels. I'm talking about
the general managers and the concierge from those hotels that
meet and talk to us personally. Now, they're not long conversations,
but we have their card, and all we have to
do when we have a client stay there is say hey,
(34:53):
by the way, I'm Terry Dean. I met you at
the Virtuoso conference. Do you know what The response always is?
Of course, ho orse, Terry, I remember exactly who you are.
What do you need from me today? That's when things
really happen for our clients. And that's when those keys,
those golden keys I was talking about, you know, the
(35:14):
ones with the tassels. That's when those keys become so
so important to our client. They become important to me
to give to my client. And I love that because
literally and figuratively they open doors. We're going to take
about a thirty second break here again, and when we
(35:35):
come back, we're going to fly halfway around the world Chris,
and we are going to visit a place called machu Peach.
Speaker 1 (35:43):
You can't wait. It's next year on my Life Less Ordinary.
Speaker 3 (35:46):
Protect your vacation investment with guidance from a travel professional.
The wishing Well knows travel and help you avoid pitfalls.
They can spoil your hard earned vacation, will plan your
trip and have your back as you travel. All of
this without support or so call convenience fees. We're on
the web at the Wishingwell dot biz or call us
at five four zero nine zero eight two three three three.
(36:09):
That's five four zero nine zero eight two three three three.
The washing Well really does make dreams come.
Speaker 1 (36:15):
True and welcome back to a life less ordinary. Every
Saturday morning, Terry Dean, Harry Rife and me I'm Chris Carmichael.
We sit down and we talk with you about travel
and our show this week is entitled The Keys to
a Great Vacation. This is part two of our series
When a Hotel Is Never just a hotel. If you're
(36:36):
enjoying today's show, enjoying the topic and you would like
more information, reach out to Terry or Harry. You can
find them on ne f Avenue in Harrisonburg, also online
at the wishing Well dot biz. You can also give
them a call. They're in the office today at fourho
nine oh eight twenty three thirty three. And before we
went to break, we were talking about just the great
(36:58):
experience you're going to have with hotels that understand about
customer service when they take it not just to the
next level, but five levels up above that, and then
they take it one more after that. And I got
to tell you, as I continue to hear you talk
about all this, I start to wonder, is it just
the hotel or is the hotel also going to make
(37:20):
everything around the hotel and experience as step up from
what we had planned when we arrived.
Speaker 4 (37:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
So I think you can tell, Chris, from some of
the hotels that we've been talking about and some of
the quote unquote secrets that they unlock if they are
mindful enough to want to give their guests something that
precious and a gift that elusive, I can guarantee you
(37:48):
that the remaining services that the hotel delivers are all
going to exceed every expectation. These are hotels that I've
looked at, I've booked actually before and have had great
success with These have a tried and true, tested track record.
(38:09):
Clients who return from these hotels are in all and
that's what you want. I mean, that's what travel should be.
It should leave you in all. You know, Yes, you
can stay in the usual suspects. And when I say that,
we know who they are, the chain hotels, and they
(38:30):
provide economics, but they don't unlock secrets the way these
hotels do, and there is a difference. The good news
is there's room in this marketplace for every brand, in
every hotel, and we love them all we do. You
have to know what you want. And like I said
(38:53):
in the very beginning, we swing back around to that question,
what will this hotel un lock for me? As I said,
It's not the thread count, it's not how do they
have Egyptian towels, It's not you know, is it a
luxury hotel? Is it a historic It's not that. It's
(39:13):
what's it going to unlock for me? Is am I
going to have the experience I dream about?
Speaker 1 (39:21):
Do I have to travel to Paris or Europe to
experience this or could we experience it like right here
in the valley.
Speaker 4 (39:28):
Yeah, that's a great question.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
And you know, I'm sure Chris that there are probably
places here in the valley that deal with secret type
accommodations or something that they do that's special for customers.
The sad news for us here at the Wishing well
is we don't get the luxury of being able to
book valley hotels very much because our clients are usually
(39:52):
always leaving the area, not coming.
Speaker 4 (39:54):
To the area.
Speaker 2 (39:56):
But I would love to say there are some that
have gotten that just right. We would like to think
so anyway, But I want to fly halfway around the
world with you right now, if I can?
Speaker 4 (40:06):
You ready, Chris, I'm ready?
Speaker 3 (40:08):
All right.
Speaker 2 (40:09):
Have you ever dreamed at all of visiting Machu Pichu. Yes, yeah,
it's a great place and it's certainly something otherworldly, I
would like to say. But for a lot of travelers,
that journey begins usually with standing in line at a
busy railway station, waiting for that train that climbs up
(40:31):
toward one of the new seven Wonders of the world.
But guests staying at one remarkable resort in Peru don't
begin their day there. Their hotel has its own private
railway station. Now I have to stop here because I
did have some clients not very long ago that just
(40:54):
went to Machu Pichu, and they were young millennial couple
and they were looking to, you know, just kind of.
Speaker 4 (41:03):
Do it all on their own.
Speaker 2 (41:06):
But they were looking for a couple of very unique
experiences too. But when they came back, they did stand
in line for that train that starts at the bottom
of the mountain and goes all the way up, and
it's a long wait, and it's a long, tedious train.
But if you're staying at one such hotel, you don't
(41:28):
have to do that. Imagine that, you finish your breakfast,
you walk a few steps out, you board your train,
and you begin one of the world's greatest journeys without
ever having to deal with those Machu pichu crowds. And
once again, the hotel isn't just simply where you're sleeping.
(41:49):
It's actually quietly changing your entire vacation. And you know,
as I've read and I've actually really lived some of
these remarkable stories, a pattern began to emerge for me.
The world's finest hotels weren't competing over who had the
biggest lobbies, or even who had the softest sheets, or
(42:12):
the fanciest chandeliers or the fanciest meals. They were competing
over something much more meaningful, who could create the most
unforgettable memories. And I have to tell you, I absolutely
love this trend, Chris, I do because even for me
(42:34):
being decades in this industry, it opens up opportunities for
me a professional that has never seen some of these
things before myself, and I'm just starting to be able
to peel that onion back and see some of these
for the first time myself. And I love that this
(42:54):
adds yet another layer to the experience that I have
as a travel professional. And because I think today's travelers
are looking exactly for that, no more things, no more monuments,
and they want actually to be introduced to luxury travel.
(43:16):
That's changing the industry forever. And you know, some of
the things that some of these other hotels are doing
actually incorporate even some private club type experiences. And I
don't want to spoil Harry's Thunder because we're going to
(43:37):
talk a lot about that in next week's show, but
imagine checking into a hotel and before you've ever unpacked
your suitcase, you're actually welcomed in to a community of
local artists and entrepreneurs and musicians, maybe maybe even celebrity
musicians who are there for something special. And I don't
(44:02):
know if you remember some of the intimate shows that
maybe somebody like Elvis used to have. I've seen that
video time and time again. I've told you before and
this audience, I'm a closet Elvis fan. I remember him sitting.
I've watched this video a number of times where he's
sitting in just a small little theater surrounded by maybe
(44:24):
maybe one hundred people tops, and he's just sitting with
a guitar playing some.
Speaker 4 (44:29):
Of his music.
Speaker 2 (44:30):
And imagine if you are coming into a hotel that
has a private membership club and somebody like an Elvis
is there for a special, small, intimate gathering like that.
Think a Taylor Swift for example, she does that, you know,
(44:52):
or somebody else like maybe a Bruce Springsteen who's just
doing this for a small group of people, but fascinating
people who actually perform there intimately by invitation only. You're
the guest, and trust me, this isn't your grandfather's country club.
This is one of the most exciting changes happening in
(45:14):
luxury travel today.
Speaker 3 (45:17):
And when you think about it. We talk about Vegas,
and we talked about some of the things we've seen there.
Obviously that's a place that some of those things happened,
but there are so many other places in the world too,
where you get these special, unannounced, unanticipated kinds of moments.
(45:38):
You're talking about places like Raffles and Singapore, they send
their guests on exclusive outings to a place called the Inton.
It's a private home and museum of a fellow by
the name of Alvin Yeapp. I didn't know who Alvin
Yapp was, but he turns out to be one of
the leading collectors of art and artifacts related to Singapore's
(46:02):
Piranokan and I'm not sure I pronounced it correctly culture,
but it's that historic culture. And not only do you
get to see the things that he's collected, Chris, he's
the one who tours you through his private museum and
private collection. This hotel can customize that for you. What
(46:23):
a special experience.
Speaker 4 (46:25):
I know.
Speaker 3 (46:26):
I talked to you about the time that I was
in Egypt, and I stated at a hotel that had
some connections and I got the opportunity to go visit
the Egyptian Museum. This is about a year before the
museum opened to the public. Oh wow, imagine going inside,
walking inside of the organized collection. It had been collected
(46:50):
for years and some of the people complained about the
Egyptian collections of artifacts because they weren't carefully curated. Well,
this is a museum that Egypt has built to curate
and display things in a very logical, you know, time
(47:10):
oriented fashion, designed by one of the world's best architect
leading architects. But not only did we get entrance into
this museum because I was connected with this hotel and
some of their special people, but they sent a docent
to take us on a guided tour, completely unanticipated, completely unexpected,
(47:31):
completely off the wall in terms of you know how
I felt by having that special kind of privilege.
Speaker 2 (47:40):
Yeah, and that's what we consider the all access pass.
This is this is really part and parcel of what
today's show really is all about. When a hotel isn't
just a hotel. There's another one in London. It's called
Beaverbrook Townhouse and it comes with literally a key to
a prov garden which is just across the street from
(48:02):
the hotel and only local residents and a select number
of neighborhood hotels have access to it. Well, if you're
staying at Beaverbrook Townhouse, you have access, and it's a
fourteen room hotel if you are if you're staying there
and you want to go over to that private Park.
All you do is you use your little key to
(48:23):
unlock the gate that goes in there, and you can
kind of channel your Wimbledon aspirations on that park's tennis courts,
and on request, you can actually train with a Wimbledon
pro at that park. So these are the things that
we're talking about today. These are the things that make
(48:45):
travel really more of an elevated experience. And your questions, Chris,
were so spot on about you know what is happening?
Why is this occurring? And it's occurring because it can
and it should and people want it.
Speaker 1 (49:03):
So I asked you last week, do do I let
the landmark lead me? Or do I enjoy the landmarks
of the location that has led me to my journey
do the Do I let the hotel dictate to me
what those extras are going to be? Or do I
tell you what I want my extras to be? And
then you find the hotel?
Speaker 4 (49:24):
That is so.
Speaker 2 (49:25):
Awesome a question. And so the way I look at this,
with especially this series that we're in right now, The
Keys to a Great Vacation, I want you to imagine this.
Imagine that we have six or eight different segments of
this show that we're going to be talking about, and
all of those gold keys related to every one of
(49:47):
those topics are laying in front of you, Chris. One
says landmarks, one says experiences, one says a hotel that's
not just a hotel. One says private experiences, one says
private membership clubs. All of those keys are laying in
front of you. You.
Speaker 4 (50:06):
The beauty is you get to choose.
Speaker 2 (50:09):
You get to pick up those keys and use them
in the order you want. So if you want to
start with landmarks, pick up that key. If you want
this to start with an experience at a great hotel
like the ones that we've mentioned in today's show, start
with that key. But there's no wrong order to do
this in it's just about what do you want your
(50:31):
experience to be and personalizing it. Personalizing travel in any way,
shape or form right now in today's world, I think
is a gift. That's man, that's a gift, and that's
the best travel kind of experience that you can have.
Speaker 3 (50:50):
And that's one of the reasons we've talked about it
so many times with you, Chris. When somebody comes in
and talks to us about travel, we put them through
a little mini in process, and we're not trying to
be nosey. We're just trying to learn about them. Obviously,
you know, through the course of the show, we know
a lot about what Chris likes.
Speaker 4 (51:09):
But when a new person comes in to visit us,
that's that's what we spend. The first part of our
meeting is trying to learn about you, what you'd like,
what you'd like to do, you know, what excites you.
That's the key to helping you. But in the end,
you are the one who choose that key. We're just
going to advise you. We're just going to guide you.
Speaker 1 (51:29):
I know, we've only got like two minutes left, so
I'll make this one quick. Is there any experience that
is off off the table or can you find anything
if the money's there to make it happen.
Speaker 2 (51:43):
Yeah, the answer is yes. There used to be a company.
They don't exist anymore. But he was my idol owned
a company and ran a company called Bluefish.
Speaker 4 (51:55):
And this company was all about that.
Speaker 2 (51:58):
I mean, if there was an experience that you wanted
in this world, this gentleman was your go to God
to get it done. And it started as a private company.
All you had to do was know the exact password
that was published on a few of his random places
that you had to go to find that password for
(52:18):
the day, or the week or whatever. And he could
make literally anything happen for you in the world. So
the answer to your question, Chris is yes, if you
have enough money in this world, you can just about
make anything happen.
Speaker 1 (52:32):
All right, well, I've got a couple of things on
my list.
Speaker 4 (52:36):
Okay, Well, well talk.
Speaker 1 (52:38):
When we're done with the show. We've only got about
a minute left. If you have enjoyed the conversation today,
if you're thinking, oh, yes, I want to take advantage
of this extra level of experience at a hotel, I
want to make my hotel not just a hotel experience.
You need to reach out to the Wishing Well Terry.
(52:58):
Tell us how we can get in contact with you,
and when's the best time to book one of these trips.
Speaker 2 (53:03):
Yeah, well, thank you all for reaching out to us,
first of all, but we are easy to find. We're
located at two forty three f Avenue in the Valley
Center in Harsonburg, Virginia. You can call us We're at
five four oh nine oh eight two three three three,
or look us up on the web.
Speaker 4 (53:19):
Chris. We are at the Wishingwell dot biz.
Speaker 1 (53:23):
This has been a life Less Ordinary, the travel show
and podcast from your friends at the wishing Well. They're
at two forty three f Avenue in Harrisonburg. If you
have any questions on topics discussed today, please reach out
to the wishing Well online at the Wishingwell dot biz
or call five four oh nine oh eight twenty three
thirty three. Past episodes are available on the iHeartRadio Lab.
(53:43):
And we'll see you again next Saturday morning at ten
for a Life Less Ordinary from the wishing Well
This is a Lifeless Ordinary, the travel show and podcast
from your friends at the wishing Well two forty three
f Avenue in Harrisonburg and online at the wishing Well
Don PiZZ The wishing Well is your ultimate luxury concierge,
travel agency and a Lifeless Ordinary. It's a travel show
and podcast hosted by Terry Dean, bringing her over forty
years of experience in the travel industry to help guide
(00:20):
you to great experiences in your travel, whether it be
around the block, around the country, or around the world.
Now let's bring in Terry Dean and say hello.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Hey, Chris Hell in the world. Are you this beautiful Saturday?
Speaker 1 (00:32):
You know what I'm doing? Really good? I see Harry
is with us this Saturday morning. Your rol Harry. It's
good to see you.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
I'm on duty too, Chris Well.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Last week we started a new series and I'm excited.
I want to get into that again this week. If
you missed last week's show, it's The Keys to a
Great Vacation. Before we dig into the second part of
that series, I just want to find out how life
is going for you both.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Yeah, so it's a busy I mean, the wishing Well
is it's in summer mode, you know, and everybody's out
and about and they want to go places, and we
couldn't be happier. It's just a great time to be
here in the Harsonburg area and serving our community.
Speaker 4 (01:16):
We love it.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Chris, and a lot of people have finally figured out
that summer is going to be over in another month
or so, and they're thinking, seriously, oh my gosh, I
forgot to do a vacation er. I haven't planned, you know,
my end of year vacation yet. So we've been hearing
from lots and lots of people. Many of them tell
us that they're listeners of the show. So we're very
(01:37):
thankful and very appreciative of all those people.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
They come from near and from far.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Surprisingly, we're always happy to hear from people, whether they
stop in or.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
Call us on the phone, aren't we Yeah?
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Absolutely, And you know, Chris, I think people have begun
to take our heed and listen to some of our
advice we've given to them about travel during things like
show older season.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
We're about to enter.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Into what is shoulder season coming up for September and October,
and I'll tell you what people are traveling, and that's
the time period that they have decided is a good
time to go beat the heat.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Terry. I know every week we have new listeners who
tune in, We have new listeners who find us online
and check out the podcast. Explain to those of us
are new, what is shoulder season.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Yeah, so shoulder season is the exact opposite of high
season or low season. So as we look at various
places around the globe, not everybody enjoys the same climate path,
if you will.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
So you know, for.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
People who are, say going to the Caribbean, a low
season is not what you would typically think. Low season
is really July, August and September and October, and that
is because that's hurricane season. So shoulder seas and for
the Caribbean would be probably more April May. That's when
(03:04):
the fairs are typically a little bit lower, the temperature
is a little bit easier to deal with, hotels are
a little less full, kids are still in school, So
this is not high peak vacation season. So we apply
that generally to different parts of the world based on
their climate and their situations as well.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Is there always somewhere in the world that's in shoulder season.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Yeah, pretty much, always some place is in shoulder season.
That's a great point, Chris, because we don't, as I said,
we don't all enjoy the same climate.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
And is that a time for us to take advantage
of deals?
Speaker 4 (03:39):
Oh heck, yes, are you kidding me?
Speaker 2 (03:42):
I mean those deals fly across our inbox like you know,
rice falling from heaven.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
So, I mean it's a great time really to travel
if you can and you're willing to do shoulder season
or even low season.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
I like traveling in low season.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Sometimes that means cold, you know, January February means that's
the time that you go. But my gosh, how exciting
is it to be at the Christmas markets in December
and November.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
So I mentioned when we started our show, we're in
the second part of a series we started last week
with the Keys to a Great Vacation. What is our
theme going to be this week? As we dig into
more of those keys?
Speaker 2 (04:28):
I got to tell you, I'm really really excited about
this because the more I've dug into this, the more
I've written and researched some of the information that I
want to share with our listeners, the more excited I've
even gotten about this because really there are some I'm
going to say, great secrets within our industry that a
(04:51):
lot of people don't know about. And if you are
one of the lucky ones listening today with us here
on a lifeless ordinary, which, by the way, thank you
from the bottom of our hearts for continuing to come
back week after week. We're so glad that you're there.
I actually can envision some of you because you've come
in and let me know that you listen to us.
But this is a series that you're going to want
(05:13):
to stay in and hang in there with us for
the duration of the entire series because we are going
to Chris unveil some of our industry's greatest secrets.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
And oh, I'm so go ahead.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
That's okay. I was going to say.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
The series that we're specifically going to focus on today
is called the Hotel is Never just a Hotel?
Speaker 1 (05:41):
Interesting?
Speaker 2 (05:42):
And I think that's going to probably give our listeners
some clue as to where we're headed now.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
That builds upon what we were talking about last week,
though Terry, we might be worth a quick recap of
what we were talking about last week. For those of the
folks who haven't listened to the podcast.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
Yet Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
So some of the first key we discovered were things
that I think every unforgettable vacation probably begins with, and Chris,
we knew that that's a dream. We talked about landmarks,
and we talked about uncovering topics like experiences to build
your entire dreams about, not an airline ticket, not a
(06:23):
hotel reservation. We talked about dreams. And maybe it's finally
standing in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Maybe
that's your dream. Maybe it's maybe the northern lights across
the Arctic sky. Maybe it's walking through the Colisseums in Rome.
Or maybe your dream is standing on the rim of
(06:44):
the Grand Canyon, just as you see the morning suns
start to rise. Whatever that dream might be, whatever canvas
you decide to paint that dream on. I suggested something
last week that I truly believe and it's worth repeating.
I think today, sometimes we don't travel simply to visit
(07:05):
a destination. We travel to meet a dream that we've
been carrying around for years. And I was so happy,
Chris that you and Harry shared some of your dreams
too with our audience last year. But last week, but
when we look at those dreams, especially the one about
the Eiffel Tower that we visited, we built an unforgettable
(07:28):
Paris vacation around that, not just simply by visiting that landmark.
I mean, that was important, and that was certainly a
part of it. But we asked ourselves, if I'm already
going all the way to Paris, what kind of incredible
experiences could I surround myself with that will build upon
(07:51):
that one dream? And suddenly the vacation we found last
week wasn't just about seeing the Eiffel Tower. It became
a travel cascade around cruising the same river at sunset,
learning to make authentic French pastries and macaroons, and dining
(08:12):
inside the Eiffel Tower, and we explored neighborhoods that most
tourists don't ever actually find, and meeting Paris instead of
simply seeing pairs.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
There's a big difference.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
And that's where we're going to pick things up today,
because after almost oh, good lord, Chris, five decades, I've
got almost five decades now in this business of helping
travelers discover our incredible, incredible globe. I have learned something
that completely changed the way I think about planning vacations.
(08:47):
You know, when most people began searching for hotels, they
usually ask the same questions. They say, well, Terry, how
many stars does it have? Or is breakfast included? And
how close is it to downtown? How far away is
it from the place I want to be? And does
(09:07):
it have a really nice pool? Does it have two pools?
Does it have a jacuzzi? Is their room service? And
those are all good questions, don't get me wrong. Sometimes
they're exactly the right questions. I mean, depends on what
your goal is. But today we're going to have a
lot of fun because today I'm going to suggest another question,
(09:29):
and that question, I think is going to change the
way you think about everything. And that question is what
exactly will this hotel unlock? Just think about that for
a minute. Not how beautiful is it, not how luxurious
is it? What are the thread counts of the sheets
(09:50):
and the towels? Not how expensive is it? But what
experiences become possible because I chew this hotel instead of
another one, Because I honestly believe the world's greatest hotels
aren't simply places to spend the night.
Speaker 4 (10:12):
They are keys.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
And when I say that, Chris, I want you to
get a really good visual here. I don't know if
you've been I'll tell you you've probably seen the movie
Pretty Woman, right, I think a lot of people have.
And do you remember the stately concierge that was at
that hotel that was on Beverly Hills where she stayed
(10:38):
in and Richard Gear stayed in, And the concierge had
on his lapel two crossed gold keys. That is the
highest level of a concierge and butler that exists in
the hotel industry. And those keys are so so important
(11:00):
they exude a status. They actually tell a story about
how qualified that.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
Individual really is.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
I want to tell you another story once upon a time,
many many years ago and still today. Sometimes I actually
do teach business etiquette and international protocol classes, and at
the end of our classes when we go through those,
I do them a lot for children in middle school,
(11:32):
because that's where a lot of children's ideals and thoughts
about who they're going to be when they quote unquote
grow up are formulated. And these are great things for
them to learn when they're young. Are the etiquette that
we kind of almost seem to throw out anymore. But
international protocol. If you're going to travel at all, that's
(11:55):
never going to change. Those are things that really do
stay the same a lot. I teach that and at
the end of those classes, every child receives a diploma,
but they also receive one important thing to remind them
of the class they took, and it's a gold key
with a tassel, and that means something.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
That means class.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
That means that you've elevated your thoughts, your actions, your
processes now about how you interact into the world with
the keys to unlock every new potential door. And you
can do that because you have the knowledge of how
to do that. So our formula for today's series is
(12:44):
pretty much the same. I'm going to give you these
keys and they are going to help you unlock some
passages into traveling like maybe you never knew existed before.
So it's going to be a lot of fun.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
I hope.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Over that next hour we're going to open these doors.
You know, one of my favorite things about being in
the travel business is that I'm constantly learning. I can
tell Harry can probably tell you that if I don't,
I really get restless.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
That's why I have to travel.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
And after forty eight years, I still discover some things
that make me stop and say, wow, I had no idea.
I love those. I don't know about you, Chris, in
your work and your job. But man, if you're not learning,
you're not growing, You're not the light's not going on,
you know my daddy. My daddy used to say, the
(13:35):
elevator's not going all the way up.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
I love being curious about stuff. I'm always always digging
a little deeper into stuff.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Yeah, I do too, And actually that just happened recently
for me. I was reading about some of the world's
most extraordinary luxury hotels. Now, I'll admit that at first
I expected to read about beautiful suites and those Michelin
starred restaurants that talk about sometimes, and the infinity pools,
(14:03):
all the things that we've come to expect from luxury
hotels and really that we've talked about right here on
a Life Less Ordinary so many times. But instead I
discovered some things entirely different. These hotels that I researched
and really came from some of my own experiences. They're
not about selling rooms. That is not what they are about.
(14:25):
They were opening doors, and I suddenly realized that's exactly
what we've been doing at the Wishing Well all this
time that we've been open and in business. This is
exactly what we do. We open doors. We're never simply
just helping clients reserve a room. I hope that's not
what we're doing. That's not what we want to do.
(14:47):
We've tried to help them unlock experiences they never knew
were possible. And Chris, I want to show you what
I mean by that. I want you to imagine that
you're again planning that vacation of a lifetime to France.
We're gonna go back to France, okay, and you decide
to spend the day at the Palace of Versailles. Okay,
(15:10):
you know about the Palace of Versailles, beautiful like millions
about Yeah, I mean it's gorgeous like and like millions
of other visitors. You want to tour the hallom mirrors.
That's probably something you're gonna want to do there. You're
gonna want to go through the gardens, right, you admire
the fountains, right.
Speaker 4 (15:26):
All of that. Yep, it's magnificent.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
But about five o'clock in the afternoon, something happens the
crowds begin to leave the buses, they pull away, gates, clothes,
palace grows quiet. But now I want you to know,
at that moment, a key is metaphorically dropped right into
(15:55):
your hand, right into this trip. How what is happening? Well,
it's different, but you're staying at a tiny, fourteen room
hotel located right on the grounds of Versailles. Wow, did
you even know that existed? No, it does, doesn't it?
(16:20):
And that boutique hotel I'm referring to is the Areel's
Le Grand Control Chateau de Versailles. And that's where you're
going to disconnect from your present and you are going
to live like royalty because instead of leaving with everybody
(16:40):
else who left the Palace of Versailles because they had
to their ticket visit was up, your evening is just beginning.
Speaker 4 (16:49):
A God's going to meet you.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
You're going to be handed the keys to a golf cart,
and together with that God, you're going to wander those
magnificent gardens in complete silence and incomplete privacy. That's your gift,
just because of where you decided to stay. It was
a choice and you made it. There's no crowds no
(17:12):
tour groups, no waiting, just you and the Palace of Versailles,
one of the world's greatest palaces, and the feeling that,
just for a little while, you've stepped back into history.
But you are so so privileged, and you're going to
(17:34):
wake up in luxury, but not just that, you're going
to wake up inside history itself. You're there on the
grounds of the Palace of Versailles. Who gets to do that?
And you know what I love about that story? The
hotel wasn't the destination. The hotel simply opened the door
(17:55):
to a little taste of wonderland. And it all happened
through the mass of choice. I want us to take
about a thirty second break here so that our listeners
have a chance to digest that little story. When we
come back, I want to talk about another such experience
that really really fascinates me in Copenhagen.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
Can't wait. It's next here on a lifeless ordinary.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
Protect your vacation investment with guidance from a travel professional.
The wishing Well knows travel and help you avoid pitfalls
that can spoil your hard earned vacation. We'll plan your
trip and have your back as you travel. All of
this without support or so called convenience fees. We're on
the web at THO Wishingwell dot viz or call us
at five four zero nine zero eight two three three three.
(18:43):
That's five four zero nine zero eight two three three three.
The washing Well really does make dreams come true.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Hey, welcome back to a Life Less Ordinary, the travel
show and podcast. It's from your friends at to wishing Well.
You'll find them on nef Avenue and Harrisonburg So online
at the wishing Well don biz. You can also give
him a call five four oho nine eight twenty three
thirty three. Are show today is part of a series.
It's called The Keys to a Great Vacation. This is
the second part in our series when the hotel is
(19:14):
never just a hotel. Before we went to break Terry,
you were talking about being able to stay right on
the grounds of the Palace of Versailles. I got to
tell you as we were in the commercial break, I
was thinking, I love the Eiffel Tower, no doubt. I
don't know if it would be my reason for going
to Paris though, because I feel like I've seen the
Eiffel Tower maybe a non person, but the Palace of
(19:36):
Versailles you would have me on that one. I'm envisioning
the sun coming up over the gardens. I don't know
if they'll let me in at sunrise, but I'd love
to see the sun bouncing around in the in the
Hall of Mirrors. That that, to me sounds fabuous and
I love anything that has to do with the history
of royalty in any country.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
So yeah, I know you're I know you're really captured
by that. But I mean a little, tiny, fourteen room hotel.
It doesn't have to be bigger than that, but the
splendors of everything that you get to enjoy, just again,
because you made that your choice of where to stay
in Paris means exactly, Chris, that you will see that
(20:17):
sunrise over Versailles, and you'll see the sunset also, and
you might even see the sun bounce around on the
Hall of Mirrors. But you get to do that because
you made a great choice of where you were going
to stay, and because that unlocked that gave you a
key to unlock an experience that other people only dream about.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
Now, once I started looking for examples like that, I
really couldn't stop.
Speaker 4 (20:49):
I was kind of addicted.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
You know, here's another one that absolutely fascinated me. I
want us now to pack our bags and travel to
Copenhagen for just a minute. A lot of you have
probably heard of Trevoli Gardens. It's one of the oldest
amusement parks in the world. It actually goes dates all
the way back to eighteen forty three. It's part botanical garden,
(21:15):
part amusement park, part concert venue, but really mostly part
fairy tale. And during the summer, thousands upon thousands of
visitors line up there outside the entrance every single day,
but guests staying at the beautiful Nim Hotel never see
(21:37):
that line. You want to know why, because the hotel
has its own private entrance directly into Trevoli Gardens. Just
imagine walking out of your hotel, opening one one private
gate and suddenly there you are inside one of Europe's
(21:59):
most beloved attractions, while everybody else is still waiting outside
in line. Now that's what I mean when I say
the hotel becomes part of the experience. That perfect choice.
And then I came across one of my favorite stories.
This one takes us to Berlin. There's a beautiful hotel
(22:22):
called Dustu, and guests often enjoy h maybe an evening
cocktail on the terrace there overlooking Berlin's famous Zoo. But
here's the part that almost nobody knows. Hidden inside that
terrace at this particular hotel, Dustu is a private entrance.
(22:45):
Instead of walking around to the zoo's main entrance the
next morning and going in like everybody else with a
ticket and being in line and oh just waiting to
be next, guests simply through a discreete doorway.
Speaker 4 (23:02):
And they're inside. How fun is that?
Speaker 2 (23:06):
It's almost like discovering a secret passageway that only a
handful of people know exists.
Speaker 4 (23:13):
And isn't that really what travel is all about?
Speaker 2 (23:16):
I mean, imagine the stories you could tell if you're
staying at any of these hotels in Copenhagen, in Berlin,
in Paris.
Speaker 4 (23:25):
You imagine the stories you would tell.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Your experience is not going to be like anybody else's
that you probably know who've ever gone before. Because I'm
willing to bet, I'm willing to make a pretty big wager.
I know the lottery is pretty high right now. I'd
be willing to bet my lottery ticket that our listeners
maybe never knew that the hotels I've just mentioned today
(23:49):
on today's show Unlock with that Golden Key. All of
these fabulous experiences, and it's all about the choice of
the hotel where you say.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
I love I love that you bring these, uh, these
experiences to us. I remember a year or two ago
we talked about going to Vegas and you had the
password to get into the speakeasies.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
Yeah. I mean it's yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
You were like, there are doors that are hidden away
you don't even know are there, but I'm going to
get you. You have so much information, so many of
these secret once in a lifetime experiences at hand that
you can share with with your clientele.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
Yeah that I always say, I picked the best career
in the world.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
You did because you're you know, we said this at
the beginning of the show, you're making dreams come true.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
Yeah, it's true.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
And and really most recently, I have to say, one
of these comes front and center to my fore mind
when I think about a trip that I recently took
to Punta Meta. I stayed, of course, in some beautiful properties.
One was the Saint Regis in Punta Meta. The other
was the Sorry in the Ritz Carlton Reserve. Now, for
(25:05):
those of you listening, if you certainly know about Ritz Carlton,
but there's only five Ritz Carlton reserves on the entire planet,
and I was in one of them, and it was
really very interesting. I was actually having this conversation with
Harry as we were talking about today's show, and I said,
you know, I remember.
Speaker 4 (25:25):
When I was there.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
When I checked in, the check in process was about
like what you would expect in most hotels. But what
was just a moment of difference about it was the
young lady who was checking me in was so friendly
and I was so comfortable in her presence that conversation
just came very easy, and she began to ask me
(25:47):
about the things I like, and you know, where was
I from. And in that conversation, just off handedly, I
mentioned to her that I really, really, and probably could
say really again hate heat and humidity. It's just debilitating
to me. I just don't like it. And so I
(26:09):
didn't think anything more about it. I thanked her for
checking me in. She gave me my room key, I
went off to my room. I was opened the door
and immediately my jaw dropped. I mean, I don't remember
too many times in my life, Chris, where I've walked
in to a hotel experience where I teared up, but
(26:30):
this was like, not only did it take my breath away,
it touched something in my soul. And what happened when
I walked in was even more miraculous, I thought. And
it all stemmed with my conversation with that young lady
at registration who cared there was an extra fan in
(26:54):
my room that had just been brought and dropped off,
and a tray of iced down wash calls rolled up
with orchids laying on top so that I could with
a little note that said a little something for you
to beat the heat.
Speaker 4 (27:12):
Love it.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
I mean, that's what we're talking about when we talk
about these keys that make a hotel not just a hotel.
This is part and parcel of the experiencing experiences that
we're sharing.
Speaker 3 (27:25):
And it seemed to happen instantly, and in fact it did.
I remember Terry calling me Chris and saying, you know,
she's checked in, she's looking around the grounds for a
couple minutes, and then she's going to head off to
the room. And that's all the time it took this
particular property to make that magic happen. And what's so
(27:49):
special about hotels like the ones Cherry's talk about today
is they do they make magic happen. It sounds Disneyesque
almost in a way, and it is, but it's disney
ESQ get a way higher level because it's not things
that they're doing to impress everybody. In many hotels do
individual things to impress all guests. This is the kind
(28:12):
of hotel that learns about the guests and does something
to impress everybody individually. It wouldn't have surprised me to
find a pair of binoculars because I would have been
speaking about the view outside of the hotel, and very
likely I'd be in the room and on the desk
would be a pair of binoculars because they knew I
(28:34):
wanted to go, you know, looking outside at the view
and enjoy it. Those are the kind of things that
just kind of set you back on your seat, don't they.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
Well, it really reminds me that there are there are
organizations in this case a hotel where I imagine in
the background they're competing against each other, going who can
do something that reaches the customer better than the last person.
And exactly the girl at the desk was like, oh,
(29:05):
she needs this we're going to have it waiting.
Speaker 4 (29:06):
On her exactly.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
And you know, it begs the question and probably a
lot of people listening might be asking this themselves right now,
which is why and really why terry are hotels doing
this right now in twenty twenty six, right now? Why
are hotels doing that? Well, I'll tell you it's because
(29:32):
there's been this massive evolution in the travel industry and
people Chris, as we've talked about here multiple times on
a lifeless ordinary, they do not want ordinary experiences anymore.
They want something that's going to wow them. They want
(29:53):
something that's going to move them inside. They want that
experience I had where yeah, you might tear up just
a little bit in that moment because you honestly can't
believe what's happening.
Speaker 4 (30:08):
And who doesn't want that?
Speaker 1 (30:10):
So why don't more hotels provide that kind of service?
Speaker 2 (30:14):
More and more hotels are going to provide that service.
But these are going to be your small luxury hotels,
the boutique hotels, the ones that have the wherewithal and
the means to be able to do that and deliver that.
It's almost impossible to do that on the grand scale.
Let's say that some of the hotels suffer with now
(30:37):
that have size over quality. You know that happens. Let's
just use one for example in Las Vegas. I love
this hotel. It's a great hotel. I usually always stay
in this hotel when I go to Las Vegas. But
the Bellagio, were they to try to personalize every single
guest's visit, that might be impossible. However, However, if you
(31:03):
work with a great travel advisor like the ones here
at the Wishing Well, we do know you. We have
a relationship with you, and even if you're staying in
a great, big hotel like the Bellagio, when you check in,
we can make sure that something very unique happens for
you in that first visit.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
And I know this because every time Terry goes to
the Belagio. Somehow, and I don't know how, they can
do this, because the rooms face each direction right every
hotel has got north southeastern west. Terry always always reports
back that her room is facing that lagoon out front,
you know, with the dancing fountains. I don't know how
(31:45):
she does that, but they know that about Terry Dean.
They know that she likes that. And while they may
not be able to do something on the grand scale
that we've been talking about, they do something on the
personal scale. And one of the great ingredients in that,
I think are people. And hoteliers have figured out that
hiring great people is a great investment. You can build
(32:09):
a building and you know, put gold facades and you know,
and ornamentation and all that kind of stuff on it,
but if you staff it with great people who give
this kind of personal attention, you're going to get rewards.
Speaker 4 (32:23):
Not just trip Advisor awards.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
But you're going to get awards because your guests are
going to become the advertising for that hotel. All we
need to do is tell one of these stories. And
I'm sure people listening today are going, Wow, I wish
they could do.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
That for me.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
And I got to tell you, I have told your
story about the Ritz Ritz Carlton. I have told that
story to my wife. I was at a Fourth of
July cookout and we were talking about travel and I
talked about that story. Again, I have done more to
advertise for them than you have, because you told me
what a great, great experience you had on the trip.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
Yeah, it's amazing, And that story reminds me of something
I tell clients all the time. Sometimes the most valuable
part of your hotel reservation isn't your room. I mean,
that was an amazing experience for me, But I got
to tell you, Chris, it was the entire combination of
everything that happened in that moment that culminated in in
(33:27):
my room because instantly, the relationship that I had just
formed with the young girl at check in was available
to me in my room. It was right there in
front of me and visible to me what I had
just talked about with her. So that's and that's really
(33:47):
the rails that I want us to stay on today
as we're talking about these hotels that aren't just hotels,
is that we are talking about relationships. We are talking
about hotels that get it right because they dare to
put that in their recipe, and it's the relationship that
(34:08):
your travel advisor really has with that hotel. Because relationships
open doors. And that's the whole reason why year after
year after year Harry and I visit Las Vegas and
go to the Virtuoso Annual Conference every single year is
because we meet face to face, Chris with no less
than one hundred plus hoteliers at this conference and I'm
(34:32):
not talking about representatives of the hotels. I'm talking about
the general managers and the concierge from those hotels that
meet and talk to us personally. Now, they're not long conversations,
but we have their card, and all we have to
do when we have a client stay there is say hey,
(34:53):
by the way, I'm Terry Dean. I met you at
the Virtuoso conference. Do you know what The response always is?
Of course, ho orse, Terry, I remember exactly who you are.
What do you need from me today? That's when things
really happen for our clients. And that's when those keys,
those golden keys I was talking about, you know, the
(35:14):
ones with the tassels. That's when those keys become so
so important to our client. They become important to me
to give to my client. And I love that because
literally and figuratively they open doors. We're going to take
about a thirty second break here again, and when we
(35:35):
come back, we're going to fly halfway around the world Chris,
and we are going to visit a place called machu Peach.
Speaker 1 (35:43):
You can't wait. It's next year on my Life Less Ordinary.
Speaker 3 (35:46):
Protect your vacation investment with guidance from a travel professional.
The wishing Well knows travel and help you avoid pitfalls.
They can spoil your hard earned vacation, will plan your
trip and have your back as you travel. All of
this without support or so call convenience fees. We're on
the web at the Wishingwell dot biz or call us
at five four zero nine zero eight two three three three.
(36:09):
That's five four zero nine zero eight two three three three.
The washing Well really does make dreams come.
Speaker 1 (36:15):
True and welcome back to a life less ordinary. Every
Saturday morning, Terry Dean, Harry Rife and me I'm Chris Carmichael.
We sit down and we talk with you about travel
and our show this week is entitled The Keys to
a Great Vacation. This is part two of our series
When a Hotel Is Never just a hotel. If you're
(36:36):
enjoying today's show, enjoying the topic and you would like
more information, reach out to Terry or Harry. You can
find them on ne f Avenue in Harrisonburg, also online
at the wishing Well dot biz. You can also give
them a call. They're in the office today at fourho
nine oh eight twenty three thirty three. And before we
went to break, we were talking about just the great
(36:58):
experience you're going to have with hotels that understand about
customer service when they take it not just to the
next level, but five levels up above that, and then
they take it one more after that. And I got
to tell you, as I continue to hear you talk
about all this, I start to wonder, is it just
the hotel or is the hotel also going to make
(37:20):
everything around the hotel and experience as step up from
what we had planned when we arrived.
Speaker 4 (37:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
So I think you can tell, Chris, from some of
the hotels that we've been talking about and some of
the quote unquote secrets that they unlock if they are
mindful enough to want to give their guests something that
precious and a gift that elusive, I can guarantee you
(37:48):
that the remaining services that the hotel delivers are all
going to exceed every expectation. These are hotels that I've
looked at, I've booked actually before and have had great
success with These have a tried and true, tested track record.
(38:09):
Clients who return from these hotels are in all and
that's what you want. I mean, that's what travel should be.
It should leave you in all. You know, Yes, you
can stay in the usual suspects. And when I say that,
we know who they are, the chain hotels, and they
(38:30):
provide economics, but they don't unlock secrets the way these
hotels do, and there is a difference. The good news
is there's room in this marketplace for every brand, in
every hotel, and we love them all we do. You
have to know what you want. And like I said
(38:53):
in the very beginning, we swing back around to that question,
what will this hotel un lock for me? As I said,
It's not the thread count, it's not how do they
have Egyptian towels, It's not you know, is it a
luxury hotel? Is it a historic It's not that. It's
(39:13):
what's it going to unlock for me? Is am I
going to have the experience I dream about?
Speaker 1 (39:21):
Do I have to travel to Paris or Europe to
experience this or could we experience it like right here
in the valley.
Speaker 4 (39:28):
Yeah, that's a great question.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
And you know, I'm sure Chris that there are probably
places here in the valley that deal with secret type
accommodations or something that they do that's special for customers.
The sad news for us here at the Wishing well
is we don't get the luxury of being able to
book valley hotels very much because our clients are usually
(39:52):
always leaving the area, not coming.
Speaker 4 (39:54):
To the area.
Speaker 2 (39:56):
But I would love to say there are some that
have gotten that just right. We would like to think
so anyway, But I want to fly halfway around the
world with you right now, if I can?
Speaker 4 (40:06):
You ready, Chris, I'm ready?
Speaker 3 (40:08):
All right.
Speaker 2 (40:09):
Have you ever dreamed at all of visiting Machu Pichu. Yes, yeah,
it's a great place and it's certainly something otherworldly, I
would like to say. But for a lot of travelers,
that journey begins usually with standing in line at a
busy railway station, waiting for that train that climbs up
(40:31):
toward one of the new seven Wonders of the world.
But guests staying at one remarkable resort in Peru don't
begin their day there. Their hotel has its own private
railway station. Now I have to stop here because I
did have some clients not very long ago that just
(40:54):
went to Machu Pichu, and they were young millennial couple
and they were looking to, you know, just kind of.
Speaker 4 (41:03):
Do it all on their own.
Speaker 2 (41:06):
But they were looking for a couple of very unique
experiences too. But when they came back, they did stand
in line for that train that starts at the bottom
of the mountain and goes all the way up, and
it's a long wait, and it's a long, tedious train.
But if you're staying at one such hotel, you don't
(41:28):
have to do that. Imagine that, you finish your breakfast,
you walk a few steps out, you board your train,
and you begin one of the world's greatest journeys without
ever having to deal with those Machu pichu crowds. And
once again, the hotel isn't just simply where you're sleeping.
(41:49):
It's actually quietly changing your entire vacation. And you know,
as I've read and I've actually really lived some of
these remarkable stories, a pattern began to emerge for me.
The world's finest hotels weren't competing over who had the
biggest lobbies, or even who had the softest sheets, or
(42:12):
the fanciest chandeliers or the fanciest meals. They were competing
over something much more meaningful, who could create the most
unforgettable memories. And I have to tell you, I absolutely
love this trend, Chris, I do because even for me
(42:34):
being decades in this industry, it opens up opportunities for
me a professional that has never seen some of these
things before myself, and I'm just starting to be able
to peel that onion back and see some of these
for the first time myself. And I love that this
(42:54):
adds yet another layer to the experience that I have
as a travel professional. And because I think today's travelers
are looking exactly for that, no more things, no more monuments,
and they want actually to be introduced to luxury travel.
(43:16):
That's changing the industry forever. And you know, some of
the things that some of these other hotels are doing
actually incorporate even some private club type experiences. And I
don't want to spoil Harry's Thunder because we're going to
(43:37):
talk a lot about that in next week's show, but
imagine checking into a hotel and before you've ever unpacked
your suitcase, you're actually welcomed in to a community of
local artists and entrepreneurs and musicians, maybe maybe even celebrity
musicians who are there for something special. And I don't
(44:02):
know if you remember some of the intimate shows that
maybe somebody like Elvis used to have. I've seen that
video time and time again. I've told you before and
this audience, I'm a closet Elvis fan. I remember him sitting.
I've watched this video a number of times where he's
sitting in just a small little theater surrounded by maybe
(44:24):
maybe one hundred people tops, and he's just sitting with
a guitar playing some.
Speaker 4 (44:29):
Of his music.
Speaker 2 (44:30):
And imagine if you are coming into a hotel that
has a private membership club and somebody like an Elvis
is there for a special, small, intimate gathering like that.
Think a Taylor Swift for example, she does that, you know,
(44:52):
or somebody else like maybe a Bruce Springsteen who's just
doing this for a small group of people, but fascinating
people who actually perform there intimately by invitation only. You're
the guest, and trust me, this isn't your grandfather's country club.
This is one of the most exciting changes happening in
(45:14):
luxury travel today.
Speaker 3 (45:17):
And when you think about it. We talk about Vegas,
and we talked about some of the things we've seen there.
Obviously that's a place that some of those things happened,
but there are so many other places in the world too,
where you get these special, unannounced, unanticipated kinds of moments.
(45:38):
You're talking about places like Raffles and Singapore, they send
their guests on exclusive outings to a place called the Inton.
It's a private home and museum of a fellow by
the name of Alvin Yeapp. I didn't know who Alvin
Yapp was, but he turns out to be one of
the leading collectors of art and artifacts related to Singapore's
(46:02):
Piranokan and I'm not sure I pronounced it correctly culture,
but it's that historic culture. And not only do you
get to see the things that he's collected, Chris, he's
the one who tours you through his private museum and
private collection. This hotel can customize that for you. What
(46:23):
a special experience.
Speaker 4 (46:25):
I know.
Speaker 3 (46:26):
I talked to you about the time that I was
in Egypt, and I stated at a hotel that had
some connections and I got the opportunity to go visit
the Egyptian Museum. This is about a year before the
museum opened to the public. Oh wow, imagine going inside,
walking inside of the organized collection. It had been collected
(46:50):
for years and some of the people complained about the
Egyptian collections of artifacts because they weren't carefully curated. Well,
this is a museum that Egypt has built to curate
and display things in a very logical, you know, time
(47:10):
oriented fashion, designed by one of the world's best architect
leading architects. But not only did we get entrance into
this museum because I was connected with this hotel and
some of their special people, but they sent a docent
to take us on a guided tour, completely unanticipated, completely unexpected,
(47:31):
completely off the wall in terms of you know how
I felt by having that special kind of privilege.
Speaker 2 (47:40):
Yeah, and that's what we consider the all access pass.
This is this is really part and parcel of what
today's show really is all about. When a hotel isn't
just a hotel. There's another one in London. It's called
Beaverbrook Townhouse and it comes with literally a key to
a prov garden which is just across the street from
(48:02):
the hotel and only local residents and a select number
of neighborhood hotels have access to it. Well, if you're
staying at Beaverbrook Townhouse, you have access, and it's a
fourteen room hotel if you are if you're staying there
and you want to go over to that private Park.
All you do is you use your little key to
(48:23):
unlock the gate that goes in there, and you can
kind of channel your Wimbledon aspirations on that park's tennis courts,
and on request, you can actually train with a Wimbledon
pro at that park. So these are the things that
we're talking about today. These are the things that make
(48:45):
travel really more of an elevated experience. And your questions, Chris,
were so spot on about you know what is happening?
Why is this occurring? And it's occurring because it can
and it should and people want it.
Speaker 1 (49:03):
So I asked you last week, do do I let
the landmark lead me? Or do I enjoy the landmarks
of the location that has led me to my journey
do the Do I let the hotel dictate to me
what those extras are going to be? Or do I
tell you what I want my extras to be? And
then you find the hotel?
Speaker 4 (49:24):
That is so.
Speaker 2 (49:25):
Awesome a question. And so the way I look at this,
with especially this series that we're in right now, The
Keys to a Great Vacation, I want you to imagine this.
Imagine that we have six or eight different segments of
this show that we're going to be talking about, and
all of those gold keys related to every one of
(49:47):
those topics are laying in front of you, Chris. One
says landmarks, one says experiences, one says a hotel that's
not just a hotel. One says private experiences, one says
private membership clubs. All of those keys are laying in
front of you. You.
Speaker 4 (50:06):
The beauty is you get to choose.
Speaker 2 (50:09):
You get to pick up those keys and use them
in the order you want. So if you want to
start with landmarks, pick up that key. If you want
this to start with an experience at a great hotel
like the ones that we've mentioned in today's show, start
with that key. But there's no wrong order to do
this in it's just about what do you want your
(50:31):
experience to be and personalizing it. Personalizing travel in any way,
shape or form right now in today's world, I think
is a gift. That's man, that's a gift, and that's
the best travel kind of experience that you can have.
Speaker 3 (50:50):
And that's one of the reasons we've talked about it
so many times with you, Chris. When somebody comes in
and talks to us about travel, we put them through
a little mini in process, and we're not trying to
be nosey. We're just trying to learn about them. Obviously,
you know, through the course of the show, we know
a lot about what Chris likes.
Speaker 4 (51:09):
But when a new person comes in to visit us,
that's that's what we spend. The first part of our
meeting is trying to learn about you, what you'd like,
what you'd like to do, you know, what excites you.
That's the key to helping you. But in the end,
you are the one who choose that key. We're just
going to advise you. We're just going to guide you.
Speaker 1 (51:29):
I know, we've only got like two minutes left, so
I'll make this one quick. Is there any experience that
is off off the table or can you find anything
if the money's there to make it happen.
Speaker 2 (51:43):
Yeah, the answer is yes. There used to be a company.
They don't exist anymore. But he was my idol owned
a company and ran a company called Bluefish.
Speaker 4 (51:55):
And this company was all about that.
Speaker 2 (51:58):
I mean, if there was an experience that you wanted
in this world, this gentleman was your go to God
to get it done. And it started as a private company.
All you had to do was know the exact password
that was published on a few of his random places
that you had to go to find that password for
(52:18):
the day, or the week or whatever. And he could
make literally anything happen for you in the world. So
the answer to your question, Chris is yes, if you
have enough money in this world, you can just about
make anything happen.
Speaker 1 (52:32):
All right, well, I've got a couple of things on
my list.
Speaker 4 (52:36):
Okay, Well, well talk.
Speaker 1 (52:38):
When we're done with the show. We've only got about
a minute left. If you have enjoyed the conversation today,
if you're thinking, oh, yes, I want to take advantage
of this extra level of experience at a hotel, I
want to make my hotel not just a hotel experience.
You need to reach out to the Wishing Well Terry.
(52:58):
Tell us how we can get in contact with you,
and when's the best time to book one of these trips.
Speaker 2 (53:03):
Yeah, well, thank you all for reaching out to us,
first of all, but we are easy to find. We're
located at two forty three f Avenue in the Valley
Center in Harsonburg, Virginia. You can call us We're at
five four oh nine oh eight two three three three,
or look us up on the web.
Speaker 4 (53:19):
Chris. We are at the Wishingwell dot biz.
Speaker 1 (53:23):
This has been a life Less Ordinary, the travel show
and podcast from your friends at the wishing Well. They're
at two forty three f Avenue in Harrisonburg. If you
have any questions on topics discussed today, please reach out
to the wishing Well online at the Wishingwell dot biz
or call five four oh nine oh eight twenty three
thirty three. Past episodes are available on the iHeartRadio Lab.
(53:43):
And we'll see you again next Saturday morning at ten
for a Life Less Ordinary from the wishing Well
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.