August 15, 2026 • 53 mins
Unlock the hidden world of luxury travel as The Wishing Well's Terrie Dean and Harry Reif continue their Keys to a Great Vacation series with a deep dive into private memberships and exclusive hotel experiences.
Discover how the world’s finest hotels are redefining luxury by offering more than beautiful rooms, providing access to private clubs, VIP lounges, local experts, hidden venues, and once-in-a-lifetime connections. From Savannah’s Hotel Bardo and New York’s Casa Cipriani to exclusive London clubs and luxury suites in Las Vegas, learn how the right travel advisor can open doors to experiences most travelers never know exist.
If you're curious about luxury travel, personalized vacations, VIP access, and unforgettable travel experiences, this episode is packed with insider tips and inspiration.
Discover how the world’s finest hotels are redefining luxury by offering more than beautiful rooms, providing access to private clubs, VIP lounges, local experts, hidden venues, and once-in-a-lifetime connections. From Savannah’s Hotel Bardo and New York’s Casa Cipriani to exclusive London clubs and luxury suites in Las Vegas, learn how the right travel advisor can open doors to experiences most travelers never know exist.
If you're curious about luxury travel, personalized vacations, VIP access, and unforgettable travel experiences, this episode is packed with insider tips and inspiration.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is a Lifeless Ordinary, the travel showing podcast from
your friends at the wishing Well two forty three f
Avenue in Harrisonburg and online at the wishing Well dot
PiZZ The wishing Well is your ultimate luxury concierge, travel
agency and a lifeless Ordinary. It's a travel showing podcast
hosted by Terry Dean, bringing her over forty years of
experience in the travel industry to help guide you to
(00:21):
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 (00:29):
Hey, Chris, it's Saturday again. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
I love it. I look forward every weekend or every
week to the weekend because we get to sit down
and talk about travel on a Saturday morning.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Terry.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
I want to also say hy to Harry Rich he's
with us again this week.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Absolutely, it's a good time to talk about traveling. It's
just second on my list to actually doing travel well.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
We love talking about it and doing the travel. Harry Terry.
We are in a series of episodes entitled The Keys
to Great to a Great Vacation. Last week we were
talking about when a hotel is not just a Hotel
week one. If you missed that when we were talking
about how to enjoy landmarks and how to build your
(01:16):
vacation around a dream. Last week in our show, you
mentioned envisioning all these keys laid out on a table
and you get to pick one and build your vacation
around it. So this week, our key we're going to
reach for is private memberships.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Private memberships.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
You're exactly right, and you know, we have actually had
a great taste of what this industry has to offer.
We've Harry and I have been in Las Vegas and
have attended some great meetings and met with a.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Lot of great people.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
And in the weeks to come, you're going to hear
a lot more from us about that, and we're so
excited to be able to share that. But we particularly
are excited about the Keys to a great vacation because
it was so timely that we did this, and so
timely that we focused on this particular subject right now
in the industry. It's always nice to know that you're
(02:17):
in keeping with whatever else is going on in the industry,
right and you're right, we're continuing that series and this
week is actually discovering something that the right hotel doesn't
simply give you a beautiful room. It opens doors to
experiences we talked about that most travelers don't even know
some of those things existed that we talked about last week.
(02:39):
And Chris, I think you said very admittedly that you
did not either, right.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
No, I didn't, And that's why I would encourage you,
if you've missed any of the episodes in this series,
to go to the Wishingwell dot viz. That's the website
for the wishing Well, and in the upper right hand
corner you'll find a link to all the podcasts over
the last six seasons, including the previous two in this series,
(03:04):
and take a couple of hours. You know, maybe you
have a Saturday when it's raining and you can't go
outside and do any work or whatever, sit down and
enjoy those episodes and discover a lot that you didn't
realize was available to you in the world of travel,
especially what the high end hotels are doing to make
(03:26):
sure that you have an experience that you'll never forget.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Yeah, I think you're right about that, Chris.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
And you know, one of the things I love most
about travel is that actually every few years, something really
changes in our industry, we get a wham, you know,
and sometimes it's not a good wham.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Sometimes it's a bad one.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
But you know, when we're talking about hotels and we've
looked at the evolution that the hotel industry has made
and hospitality, man, am I excited? I mean, this is
this is where it's at for me. This is the
world I want to pursue a lot more of. And
years ago, luxury hotels competed by building bigger spas and
(04:11):
larger suites and a lot more elaborate swimming pools. I
remember those days. I mean, that's what's where it was.
I mean, let's face it, that's what Las Vegas was
built on. Right, Bigger is better? Is that not what
we heard? But don't get me wrong, those things are
indeed very wonderful. But today what we know is that
(04:31):
something very very different is happening, and the world's finest
hotels are beginning to offer something a lot more valuable
than square footage. They are offering a sense of belonging.
And that might sound like a funny thing to say,
but don't forget. Today's show is entitled Private Membership, and
(04:54):
so it's not so funny to say that and in
reference to hotels these days, after all, how can a
hotel possibly make you feel as though you belong in
a city you've never visited before.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Well, let me tell you. I want you, first of all.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
Chris, to imagine arriving in Savannah, Georgia, place that Harry
and I were in not so very long ago, and
you've checked into a beautiful, beautiful boutique hotel called Hotel Bardeux,
and you've settled into your room, you've unpacked your suitcase,
You've decided to wander downstairs before dinner. Maybe you're going
(05:33):
to get a cocktail, maybe you'll just sit outside and
enjoy the evening. But instead you discover something called Club Bardeaux.
It's not just another hotel lounge. It's a private members
club where local artists, business owners, musicians, maybe even some
(05:59):
celebrity music usicians, entrepreneurs, maybe even entrepreneurs that you've heard
on Ted Talks, and creative people. They're all going to
show up there. And here's the remarkable part. As a
hotel guest at Hotel Bardow you're invited in. Suddenly you
(06:19):
are no longer sitting in a room filled with tourists.
You're actually having a conversation with somebody who actually calls
Savannah home. Maybe it is a local artist, maybe it's
an architect, Maybe it's somebody who owns a wonderful little
restaurant tucked away on a quiet side street that you
(06:40):
would never find in a guidebook.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Before long, you're talking.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
About the city, it's history, it's neighbors, it's hidden treasures,
and maybe even the next morning, instead of taking a tour,
you're actually visiting that local artists studio, or you're having
lunch with them had a little neighborhood cafe because you
instantly bonded with them, you had something in common, and
(07:06):
they went, hey, join me tomorrow morning at my cafe
as my guest and all because one conversation opened up
a completely unexpected door. And you know, I think that's
one of the greatest gifts travel can give us. It's
not just photographs, Chris, it's connections. And some of the
(07:29):
people that I've met while I've traveled in the world,
they've remained some of my friends for years after meeting them.
I still communicate with some of the folks that I've
met years ago who are now hoteliers and concierge and
even general managers of hotels. I have to tell you
a funny story. A little guy by the name of
(07:52):
Rick Steves. I'm not sure if too many people are
going to know him right, but anyway, Rick Steves and
I start started out in the industry together at the
same time. We were in some of the same travel
classes coming up in the industry at the same time.
And to this day, if I shot off an email
(08:13):
to Rick Steves and I needed something, I feel like
I could reach out to him and say, Hey, Rick,
what do you think about this? Those are the relationships
that matter the most when you're in this business, is
finding and knowing people like that. Lots of deals happen
in front of people that you're meeting for the first time,
and those are not to be taken lightly. It's almost
(08:36):
always begins with that simple conversation. And I've read something
recently that stayed with me. It said one luxury executive.
Hotel said our guests become members while they're staying with us,
and I thought that was really such a beautiful philosophy.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Not customers, he said. Members.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
Guests aren't standing on the opt outside looking in. They're
actually invited into the life of the destination. Now that
same concept is spreading actually all over the world. This
is a new trend. Take New York City, for example.
There's a beautiful property there called Casa Cipriani. It overlooks
(09:19):
Lower Manhattan, and a lot of people book a room
there simply because they know it gives them temporary membership
into one of New York's most exclusive private clubs. Think
about that for a minute. You're not just checking into
a hotel. You're actually stepping into an entirely different social
world elegant dining and private lounges and live jazz and
(09:43):
conversations with probably some of New York's most fascinating people
that show up there, but all around the globe. So
it's almost as though for a few days, again, here
we go with this relationship. Again you're handed the key
to a club that normally takes years to join.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
And one of the interesting things to me about this trend, Chris,
is that we're seeing so many more solo travelers. And
one of the kind of trepidations that people have about
traveling is they're not familiar with the place. When you're
a solo traveler, that's even tougher because you don't have,
(10:23):
you know, a traveling companion. And when we're talking about
places like the ones, Terry is talking about where you
can go in somewhere and it's like remember the TV
show Friends. Yeah, it's you know, they may not know
your name when you walk in, but by the time
you leave, they know your name, and you feel at home.
(10:45):
You feel like you're in their own little world and
they've invited you in. What a spectacular, comforting feeling.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
I think that's more Cheers than Friends, though.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Cheers is what I was thinking about. Friends was a
different kind. It was a frenzy, wasn't it. But how
sheers is what I'm thinking about. In Boston. When I
watched that show, I you know, I felt like I
knew that place, and you know, and when I visited Boston,
I had to go and find where that was because
I knew I was going to be, you know, a
member there, like Terry's talking about. But the idea of
(11:17):
traveling in some of the fears of intrepidation that people
have going to a new place, well, this trend is
really dealing head on with that. And like I said,
especially if you're a solo traveler, pay a close attention
to this trend and take advantage of it.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
Yeah, and another place that's really really embraced this same
philosophy is probably not going to surprise anybody listening, because
they are a trend setting city anyway in the globe,
and that is London. And one of my favorite examples
of what we're talking about.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Is the NED.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Now, a lot of Londoners know about a beautiful hidden
lounge inside this building, call called the Vault, and it's
tucked behind an enormous steel bank vault door. You know,
the kind you'd expect to see in an old James
Bond movie or maybe an old Western. You know that great,
big steel vault door. Normally only private members are allowed inside.
(12:19):
But here's where relationships matter. Guests who book through the
right luxury travel partnership can enjoy access as well. And
you know, it just so happens that the wishing Well
is very connected through the Virtuoso network. And so guess
(12:40):
what we are one of those right partners. Now, let
me tell you, isn't that fun? You walk through a
twenty ton steel vault door, you order cocktail, and all
of a sudden you are enjoying one of London's most
exclusive spaces, not not because you happen to know somebody there,
(13:02):
but because your travel advisor booked the reservation that opened
that door for you. Metaphorically, we just handed you that
golden key that unlocked this great experience that you're now
enjoying that you never thought you could, and you did
because you chose well, and.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
I know you think.
Speaker 4 (13:26):
We get to a point where luxury travel has become
much less about impressing people and a lot more about
immersing people. It's not about saying, look where I'm saying.
It's about saying, you're never gonna believe who I'm at,
or you're never gonna guess where they took us when
(13:49):
I went there. And that's a very different kind of
narrative when you're experiencing luxury. You know that hearkens back
Chris early on to some of the shows that we did,
you and I did about what is luxury? Well, this
is yet another one of those facets on that great, big,
beautiful diamond that is all about what is luxury to people?
(14:13):
I mean, is it where you stay or is it
really more about the experiences that you have? Is it
about these private membership experiences that you can be afforded
when you're staying someplace that maybe somebody else would stay too,
but you just happen to know something a bit more
than what they knew, and so you're the lucky one.
(14:37):
And honestly, I think that makes you a much richer
person for really making those great choices. I know that
there are a lot of experiences that people have when
they travel. I know, Harry, you've probably had some great
experiences too. And Chris alluded last week to one that
(14:59):
we have add when we went to Las Vegas at
Caesar's Palace.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Once upon a time. Why don't you tell us about that? Yeah,
did you know there was a secret hotel inside of
a hotel in Caesar's Palace? Chris?
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Now, and I'm learning that I don't know a lot
about any of this luxury experience because you keep hitting
me with new things every episode that we do this.
Please tell me that you're just making this up. There
there's not a hotel inside Caesar's.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Well, you're right, that's not true. There's not a hotel
inside of Caesar's. There's actually two. I'm like, okay, two
inside of Caesar's Hotel. There is another hotel called the
Noble Hotel that you have to travel through a good
part of the Caesars property to get to, and it
(15:48):
is an exclusive luxury hotel inside of Caesar's.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Palace in Las Vegas, and it's special, for sure.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
We visited in tour that hotel while we were there,
but that wasn't the most fascinating hotel inside of Caesar's Palace.
In fact, there's another one not too far from the
main entrance, is another very indiscreet little door, and it
takes you to another part of caesar Palace or Caesar's
(16:19):
Palace where there's not just a suite in there. That
is something to knock your socks off. It looks like
you walked into a Roman emperor's palace. You're talking about,
you know, separate dining rooms, you're talking about, you know,
bedrooms inside. It's a villa inside of Caesar's Palace that's
(16:43):
a Grecian villa or Greek villa, kind of a Greek
Greek Italian what would.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
You call it?
Speaker 3 (16:49):
Terry.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
Yeah, These are these are private villas that are specifically
designated for high rollers and celebrities and people that most
people wish they could be.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
They're talking like the Madonna's and the Michael Jackson's. Okay,
And not only is this part of the property exclusive,
but you know, you might not want to eat your
meals with the commoners and the rest of the Caesars Palace,
So you have your own dining room in there, and
you have your own kitchen in there too, so they
can prepare meals for you. That's one of the opportunities
(17:25):
in this second hotel inside of Caesars. But if you
don't want to be in that one, you can go
to another one, which is up at the top of
Caesar's Palace, just over the entrance, and there's another suite
out there. And what was really remarkable about that was
when I stepped out of the they have a large
(17:45):
patio balcony. I'd say about the size of what a
basketball court, would you say, Terry, Yeah. When you step
outside there, you've got views of the rest of the
Las Vegas Strip as well as you know, the the
skyline and the stars and everything. And you are tucked
(18:05):
behind the entrance of Caesar's Palace, so nobody on the
street can see you, but you're up there enjoying your
own private hotel inside of a hotel, What do you think?
Speaker 1 (18:17):
I think I can't afford any of this, but I'm dreaming.
I'm dreaming that somebody will take me along with them.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
Actually, we have pricing on them if you're interested, so
let us know they are available. They're reserved for you,
for the celebrities, but they're also available to people too.
And if you have a special occasion, if you've played
the lottery this weekend and happen to guess the right numbers,
or if there's something really special happening in your life
and you want to celebrate, let us know. They sound
(18:47):
like they're astronomical, but the per night prices are actually
very affordable if you give consideration to what you're getting
for that.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
So I asked last week a little bit about this.
Is there a ceiling to these experiences? It kind of
feels like what I think about Instagram, and everybody is
trying to one up their feed to show, Oh I
did something better. I've been somewhere nicer. Look at the
(19:19):
meal I have. As this trend is happening in the
luxury arena, is there a limit to it where it
becomes too luxurious so that no one can actually enjoy
it or is the sky the limit.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
I think that's a great question, and I'm doing some
serious personal research on that.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
If that makes sense.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
If you need an aid, I'm happy to help you.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
Know.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Christ to answered your question.
Speaker 4 (19:49):
Really from more of an industry standpoint, I don't think
people are doing this anymore.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
I think there was a time in.
Speaker 4 (19:58):
The past where it was a about being able to
have the bragging rights to certain things like this, but
I don't think it's that anymore.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
I think people who are enjoying these.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
More exclusive type luxurious experiences are people who, number one,
they can afford to do it, but number two, they
need to get out of either a very hectic life
or a mundane life, and this represents an opportunity for
them to have the experiences that are going to cultimateate
(20:37):
a better them, make a better them. It really is
not about the bragging rights anymore. Like I said, I
think that used to be the case. But if you
look on Instagram and you know, some of the social
media sites anymore, you almost see less and less of
that braggadocious kind of Here's what I did, here's my
(21:00):
travel experience, Here's what I did. What you see really
are more pictures today families with one another and people
enjoying time together. And these experience really really have been cultivated.
Maybe they are luxurious, but they've been cultivated into what's
going to make a better me.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
And I think if you look at the Wishing Wells website,
one of the first things you're going to see on
there is, you know, we really do make wishes come true.
People have life experiences that are life changing experiences. It
may be that at retirement time, it may be you know,
a new addition to the family. It may be a
(21:43):
way to join together with people you know over over
grieving for somebody. It could be any kind of very
personal experience for somebody or some family. The kinds of
experiences that we're talking about may sound over the top,
but we're just letting you know, you know where the
(22:03):
clouds might be.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
There's everything between the.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
Ground and the clouds, and the talent of being able
to find the right one is part of what I
think we as travel advisors bring to those people who
call us at the Wishing well We help you find
what the right spot is, what the right experience is.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
Chris, So, are there.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
Different tiers to a private membership.
Speaker 4 (22:29):
Yeah, that's a great question. So it depends on the
hotel property. But for the ones mostly that we've decided
to focus on for today's segment, there's no tier. There's
just one wonderful, miraculous membership that opens these wonderful doors
for you to be able to have these great experiences,
(22:49):
So it's not tiered. We are going to take about
a thirty second break. We hate that we have to
do this because we always love talking and just keep
this conversation going. But come back after thirty seconds. We're
going to talk about some other fascinating information about these
private clubs and some of Harry's personal experiences as well.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
We'll talk more about that next. Here on a lifeless.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Ordinary, protect your vacation investment with guidance from a travel professional.
The wishing Well knows travel and help you avoid pitfalls
that can spoil your higher 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 biz or call us
at five four zero nine zero eight two three three three.
(23:35):
That's five four zero nine zero eight two three three three.
The Washing Well Really does make Dreams come true.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
Welcome back to a life less ordinary. Every Saturday, we
sit down and we talk travel. This is a travel
podcast from your friends at the Wishing Well. They're on
f Avenue in Harrisonburg. You can also find them online
at the wishing Well dot biz or are you going
to call it? Five four zho nine to oh eight
twenty three thirty three. Our show this week is entitled
The Keys to a Great Vacation and we are talking
(24:05):
private membership. This is a third part in our series
about the Keys to a Great Vacation. We've talked a
lot about different locations, destinations, experiences. Harry, Let's talk about
the people that really make this happen for us.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
I think the really fascinating part to me is some
of the people, the experts that we run into. Terry
talked about, you know, our time at Virtuoso and getting
to meet people. We want to meet the people at
the properties, and part of what our job is when
we're having these conversations is to size up the properties,
size up those people and try and understand what their
(24:45):
forte is, what makes that place special. Besides you know,
the four walls in the rooms and as Terry is
talking about, you know, the sheets and the pillows, things
like that.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
But what happens when you get there?
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Who do you get access to the people that have
spent their entire lives, you know, mastering something, whether it's
a vineyard in Italy or you know, a craftsman and
a certain part of the world making you know, making
clocks in Germany. We want to know who those people
are that they have access to, and we want to
(25:19):
get the feeling that if we send somebody to this property, Chris,
they're going to have those people waiting to share that
knowledge their expertise with them. So imagine spending an afternoon
in Rome and we put you in a property where
you're not just staying there, but you're going to spend
time with one of Italy's leading fashion experts. They're going
(25:40):
to introduce you to their family owned business, and they're
going to introduce you to other people that are in
the you know, the clothing business, maybe making you know.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Pursa's shoes. Whatever.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
How about if you go down to Florida and we
get you into a property where you might have some
time with a a NASA scientist because you know, you're
you're down there with your with your family, and you've
got in my case again a grandkid who's really interested
in space travel. And I happened to land us at
a hotel where there's a person that was as a
(26:16):
retired NASA scientist that can sit down and you know,
and share some some some stories and some snacks with us.
You think that it impress somebody, Yes, yeah, absolutely, those
are the kinds of people that I think are are important.
(26:36):
Terry talked about tennis lesson, Well, how about if you
go down to the Maldives and have a tennis lesson
from a Grand Slam champion.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
That's not an.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
Excursion, that's an experience because you're staying at the right
property where that person maybe happens to be having a
summer residence. These are once in a lifetime experiences, once
in a lifetime conversations. There's no way that my grandson
would forget speaking to a NASA scientist. There's no way
(27:08):
that somebody that wants to, you know, as a budding
tennis star, would forget having a lesson from a real
life kind of star. Or I know my grandkids are
on my case right now to get them an experience
with some of the soccer people just after the World
Cup that's high on their mind. The greatest souvenir you
(27:28):
bring home from a trip like this is not something
you bought, not some place that you can say that
you slept at for bragging rights, but it's the person
that you met and if you work it right. It's
up to you as travel advisors. We can't work this magic.
(27:49):
But if you can have that chemistry with that person
that you have a relationship and it goes on and
ten years later you come back and tell Terry and
I that you're still talking to that part, Wow, that
means we've hit a home run. We spent time at
a lot of hotels that go out of their way
to create these kinds of special experiences for guests. And
(28:12):
we've talked about some of the private lounges. We've talked
about the personal experiences, we've talked about the immersion with locals.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
But there's another way.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
That I want to talk about also that provides guests
with these lifeless, ordinary experiences.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Think about this.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
Think about going to a small boutique hotel and when
you arrive Terry I, one of our advisors have called
ahead and they've asked them to provide some very special
amenities because we know you as our traveler. We're going
to get some special amenities there. So when you walk in,
you're going to be delighted. I don't know, you know
(28:53):
what can we put in there for you? And Rebecca
if you showed up at this hotel and you walked
into your room and she looks at you and she goes.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
Oh my god, Chris, look what they have for us.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
We are going to be the easiest client you've ever had.
She always says she wants a king sized bed and
she wants lots of pillows.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
That's not enough. I need more. I need more.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
We are simple people. I mean for me, I want
food brought to the room, really good food.
Speaker 4 (29:26):
Just recently, I had a huge family who went on
a MultiGen trip. They were with a really special Tap
Tours trip called Cowboy Country, and they left out.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
And it's very.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
Difficult when you have clients of a certain caliber to
know what to get them.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
Something seem just.
Speaker 4 (29:52):
Misplaced, So you have to you have to think about
it long and hard sometimes to come up with a
creative proach to what you want to get them, And
so what we did was we sent them off on
their journey to Cowboy Country with matching bandanas for everybody
(30:13):
and Larryett's and for each head of the family. We
got them one of time Life's Maggie Coffee table books,
which were all about cowboys and the West, the out West,
and that kind of thing. Those are the kind of
memorable things that happen when we know you and we
(30:33):
have a relationship with you, and the relationship extends to
you actually purchasing your travels through the wishing wheel.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
I feel like we needed up our request.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
Yeah, I think you should. Let me give you some ideas.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
You're ready, I'm ready, I'm taking notes.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
Okay, how about some lavender scented linens, Not just nice pillows,
but some lavender scenting on those linens.
Speaker 5 (30:56):
She does like lavender, so yes, how about how about
some orange ginger tea waiting for you in the room
to relax you before you get ready to retire for
the night.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Okay, you know little things like that. Let me give
you one more example.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
I love talking about my grandkids, my grandkids, particularly one
of them.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
He can't go to sleep without two things.
Speaker 3 (31:21):
I have to make sure that I bring along a
night light, and he likes, you know, one of those
little white noise machines. But when I go to a
special hotel, all I have to do is let them
know in advance that you know they were coming there,
and these are two things that I'd like to have.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
They're ready. Instead of bringing them along, they're ready for us.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
And it's going to be a better night light than
I've carried along, and it's going to be a better
sound machine than I've carried along. And they're going to
do some other details too. You ever have the mints
on your pillows at night in a hotel? Yes, well
what about if you have a grandchildren with you? They're
not ment people, Mike, My grandkids like a little you know,
(32:02):
like a little candy bar there, a little bit more
than just a mint. So those kinds of little extras,
those little small touches, special touches that also are very important.
Flowers in the room. Think about this. We've got flowers
in a room, but we didn't just put flowers in
the room for you. We found out what Becka's favorite
(32:22):
colors are and what our favorite flowers are. And those
are the flowers that you find greeting in the room.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
Have I up the list yet for you a little bit?
Speaker 1 (32:30):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (32:33):
And those are simple, you know, little things, and we
don't want to, you know, straight too far from this
idea of membership, because membership makes you feel like you're
at home, It makes you feel like you're in the club.
It makes you feel like they know what's going on.
And great hotels, great hoteliers will remember something from stay
(32:56):
to stay and as you move between a different chain
their property. Saint Regis is famous for this. They will
make sure that they know what a traveler likes. And
when they go to a new property and a different location,
guess what we'll be there, just what they liked in
the last time.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
You know.
Speaker 4 (33:14):
We when we started the wishing Well, Chris, we had
a philosophy here about membership and we wanted our clients
to all feel like they were members of the wishing
Well whenever they came in. There was no fee involved
for that. It was just that's the way we wanted
them to feel. And little did I know how on target,
(33:37):
you know, sixteen years later we were with that kind
of philosophy that that is now something that's taking the
travel industry by storm.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
Terry, how does membership, how does it balance the structure
between freedom to be spontaneous when we're on our holiday.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
Yeah, that's great question.
Speaker 4 (34:01):
I mean, the whole idea of membership is to give
you the things that you want that you didn't know
you needed. And so that's the joy of participating in
a hotel property that has crafted such a membership kind
of stay. There are many hotels out there that don't
(34:23):
call your reservation a reservation. They actually call it a
membership stay. And I'm not talking about time shares. That's
something completely different. We don't get involved in time shares
and we can't help you get out. I'm sorry about that,
but that's not the kind of membership I'm talking about.
(34:45):
This is the anticipation of a great hotel property that
knows what you need before you ever asked for.
Speaker 3 (34:53):
It, and it's about your style. Terry and I are
great examples of this. When Terry travels, her trip are
very much structured.
Speaker 2 (35:01):
She knows what's to do.
Speaker 3 (35:03):
Sometimes, you know, she and I will have a conversation
and she'll go, what.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
Are you going to be doing this night? What are
you going to be doing that night? And I go,
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (35:09):
I'm going to show up and I'm going to look
at what's available and see what's there. Her hotel might
have a structured list of things that are suited just
for her and her personality. Mine will have you know,
we've got we're holding places for you in these three things.
Which one seems the most desirable to you, will lock
(35:29):
that one in for you tonight because they know I'm
a little more, you know.
Speaker 2 (35:33):
Whimsical about which way I'll go.
Speaker 3 (35:35):
That's the difference between knowing the traveler's style. Two different personalities,
two great travelers, two different styles. I want to ask
Terry to tell you about one hotel though, that I
think is in my mind an exemplar. There's a hotel
that we send guests to sometimes in London. Terry, I'm
(35:56):
talking about the Goring Hotel.
Speaker 4 (35:58):
Yeah, and this this how actually happens to be one
of my favorites. And if there is a hotel at all,
I think that exemplifies what true quote unquote membership stays
are all about.
Speaker 2 (36:13):
It would have to be the Goring Hotel. And many years.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
Ago, when I visited London, I actually had the great
privilege of becoming friends with the gentleman who is the
concierge at that hotel.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
He still is, and I know that all I.
Speaker 4 (36:28):
Have to do is call on him and ask him
for a favor for any one of my clients who
stay there, and he will go out of his way
to make sure that that happens. Now, this just happens
to be, as a matter of fact, the same hotel
that Princess Kate decided that she would stay in previous
(36:50):
to the nights preceding her wedding to Prince William. And
so we're talking about that caliber of a hotel, a caliber.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
That is fit for a princess.
Speaker 4 (37:01):
And yet Chris, you and Becca, me, my family, we
could stay there comfortably because the membership services there say
they invite anyone anytime, and it's about that comfort level.
(37:22):
I mean, I don't know if you have ever been
a member in a club of any kind before, but
you know how comfortable that feels once you have a oneness,
a camaraderie with all of the people that are doing
the same things there for the same reason. Everybody's kind
of like minded. You kind of know what the feeling
(37:44):
is going to be before you go in. You belong, Yes,
you belong and it's that feeling of belonging that makes
a hotel like the Goring in London such a shining star.
I think a real goal key hotel or property, I
would say because of what they deliver and because of
(38:07):
what this concierge, a single man is really to me.
He's the face of the Goring Hotel. It is really
a remarkable experience when you stay there.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
Are you going to share the experience of when you
took your daughter to London and stayed at a hotel there.
I remember you talking about the special things that they
did for her.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
Terry's daughter, as.
Speaker 3 (38:31):
We've talked about many times, is special needs. She's a
remarkable young woman. It was amazing. They escorted her to
different places in the hotel, they had special food for her,
They recognized her and made her feel like she was
the Princess Kate coming from America. She just happened to
be Terry Dean's daughter instead of Royalty. So well, Terry
(38:54):
is the Queen. Terry is the Queen, Yes, no question
about that.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
So I'm looking.
Speaker 4 (39:02):
I don't know if I would say that, but if
you really want to stroke a mom's heart, all you
have to do is be nice to her daughter.
Speaker 1 (39:09):
I'm looking at I'm looking at some of the features
here on the Goring Hotel. It just sounds. It says
it's got the largest private hotel garden in central London.
Speaker 6 (39:20):
Larger than Yeah, it's absolutely beautiful. And you don't hal
a cab outside of the Goring Hotel. If you're part
of this special membership club, they take you on their car.
Speaker 2 (39:31):
They have a car waiting for you.
Speaker 1 (39:34):
I have no idea why you're pointing at me, Terry.
Speaker 2 (39:39):
You said you saw some experiences there.
Speaker 1 (39:42):
Oh yeah, okay, yeah, Now I don't know how to
get back to where we were. All right, let me
let me just go back and say that about the
private garden and then I'll talk about some of the
other stuff. So I'm just looking. I see that they've
got the largest private hotel garden central London. From when
ier stand, it's larger than Wimbledon's center court footprint. So
(40:05):
it's big.
Speaker 2 (40:06):
Imagine that, Yeah, it's big.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
They got Michelin Star dining and they're known for their intuitive,
traditional British hospitality, including footmen, dormen. They're all wearing their
bowler hats and they are a highly trained staff to
make your stay second to none.
Speaker 4 (40:24):
Yeah, just a couple of other things about that particular hotel.
It is really near and dear to my heart. I mean,
I love the Goring Hotel. It's one of my favorites
really probably in the world. But one of the things
that they are particularly known for is an afternoon tea.
And honestly, if you have an opportunity to make reservations
(40:45):
and go for the Gorings afternoon tea, I highly recommend it.
They sometimes on a beautiful day in London will serve
that tea out in the gardens, which makes it even
more lovely. But the other thing that's really so so
great about this property is, as we always say with
any property, location, location, location, they are actually within walking
(41:08):
distance of Buckingham Palace, so that makes them even more
attractive for somebody who's staying in London.
Speaker 2 (41:15):
For the first time.
Speaker 4 (41:17):
I think probably the best thing for us to do
right now, Chris, because I'm hungry for some tea and
cookies myself and biscuits, I should say is take a
thirty second break. When we come back, we're going to
talk about some more interesting information. And here he's going
to share an experience he had at the Saint Regis Hotel.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
Can't wait this next here on a Lifeless Ordinary.
Speaker 3 (41:41):
Protect your vacation investment with guidance from a travel professional.
The wishing Well knows travel and helps you avoid pitfalls.
They can spoil your hard earned vacation. We'll plan your
trip and have your bank as you travel. All of
this without support or so called convenience fees. We're on
the web at though wishing Well dot viz or call
us at five four zero nine zero eight two three
(42:02):
three three. That's five four zero nine zero eight two
three three three. The washing Well really does make dreams
come true.
Speaker 1 (42:11):
Welcome back to a Life Less Ordinary, the travel show
and podcast from your friends at the wishing Well. They're
on f Avenue in Harrisonburg. You can also find them
online at the wishing Well Dobiz. I encourage you to
spend some time on the website, and while you're there,
check out. In the upper right hand corner, you'll see
three little lines. Click on that and in the menu
you'll find a link for all the past episodes of
(42:34):
a Lifeless Ordinary. You can go through six seasons of
great travel experiences. And I also encourage you to give
them a call at five four h nine oh eight
twenty three thirty three, Harry and Harry would be happy
to talk to you the afternoon after we get done
with our show. Harry, before we went to break you
mentioned you had a really nice experience at a goring
(42:57):
like hotel.
Speaker 3 (42:59):
Yeah, experience that is unplanned is sometimes the best experience,
isn't it. I was at a hotel one time because
my son was getting married, and this is in the
United States. There's a Saint Regis Hotel in San Francisco, California,
And marriages can be a really stressful time. Lots of
(43:20):
things to do, lots of things to get done, and
you have to remember to bring everything with you. And
by that I mean that as we went out there
to celebrate this wedding, we brought everything we thought with us.
But when we got out there, my wife pointed out
to me that, oh, no, she forgot one piece of
(43:43):
a wardrobe, her shoes. Can you imagine what it's like
for lady to not have her shoes for a special event.
Not good? Right, So we mentioned this to the butler
that we had there at the hotel, and you know,
he was very, very concerned. He asked about them, and
(44:05):
was going to help us find some other shoes somewhere
and ask some questions about the style of the shoe,
the size, things like that. And then he said, well,
you know, go off and have some lunch and come
back and after lunch, you know, we'll get this all
sorted out because we want you to be ready for
the next day, because.
Speaker 2 (44:26):
With our shoes, it's not a wedding, right.
Speaker 3 (44:28):
So we went had lunch and lo and behold, when
we got back, the butler was there, just as he
had promised. And we expected to get the information so
we could go and tour around town and get the shoes.
But he didn't want us to do that. Instead, he
had gone out or sent somebody. I don't know how
he did this, but he had gone out. He had
(44:50):
gotten the brand of shoe, the style of shoe, the
color of shoe, and the size of shoe, and he
had it waiting for us in our room. Is that
for going above and beyond?
Speaker 1 (45:04):
In the Saint regis known for their butler service, Yes
they are, but I didn't know that they would do
something like that.
Speaker 3 (45:11):
When I think of a butler, I think, yes, you know,
help me get some you know, fresh towels, help me
get you know, reservations at a dinner, dinner, you know,
for you know, a special occasions something like that. I
did not think Butler service involved going out and finding
a specific brand, size, color, style of shoe and having
(45:33):
it waiting for you in the time it takes to
eat lunch in a hotel restaurant.
Speaker 4 (45:38):
And I think actually this points to something very important
that today's show really is all about, and that is
that membership feeling. And you're right, Chris, Saint Regis is
really known for that. They really are known for making
their patrons that come in and stay with them feel
(46:01):
truly like members. I've recently just had again another MultiGen
family that booked a very celebratory trip. They were celebrating
the couple's sixtieth wedding anniversary. They wanted to take their
son and daughter in laws and their grandchildren and they
(46:22):
went to the Saint Regis in Aruba, actually a pretty
new Saint Regis property. It's beautiful and the gentleman and
his wife who were celebrating their anniversary had a little
trepidation going into this trip because they didn't travel a
lot internationally, and so they had some concerns and was
(46:44):
the hotel really going to treat them properly. And I
will tell you that the matriarch of this family had
some pretty high expectations when it came to house. She
wanted to celebrate her anniversary. And I don't blame her
one bit, but she really wanted everything to come off
one hundred p sent correctly. And so I knew going
into this that it was very important that this property
(47:07):
really deliver, and so I wanted to make sure first
of all that I recommended the right property for them,
for their family. And there was no question in my
mind in Aruba it had to be Saint Regis.
Speaker 2 (47:20):
It just had to be.
Speaker 4 (47:22):
And I was so delighted at the end of their
trip when the matriarch of that family came in and
paid me a personal visit here several days ago, and
she said to me, Terry, with tears in her eyes.
Speaker 2 (47:34):
I will tell you so this really touched her.
Speaker 4 (47:37):
She said, this indeed was the best trip that I've
ever taken in my life, bar none. She said, it
was second only to my honeymoon. Now I have to
tell you, as a travel professional, I felt like I
hit that ball out of the ballpark, because that was
(47:57):
what I was going for, that was my aim, that
was my goal, and really putting them in a property
where membership led. And when I say that, I mean
that Hotel took very seriously the fact that I had
gifted to them a family that I needed them to
take very good care of. We had some mobility issues
(48:19):
within this group, we had some challenges and some special needs.
Speaker 2 (48:24):
It didn't matter.
Speaker 4 (48:25):
The Saint Regis handled them all as if they were
members of one club and it was I mean, that's
a beautiful thing when all that comes together and we
know our efforts and our hard work has paid off
in such a way that's exactly what we want to
have happened.
Speaker 3 (48:42):
And the amazing thing about this, Chris, is when we
talk about all the stories that we've talked about today,
I know that there are a lot of people out
there that are thinking, oh my gosh, you know, this
is not the kind of thing that I can afford.
And you know, it's easy to think that when you
think about going the extra mile, going above and beyond.
(49:03):
We're talking about properties that are indeed luxury properties. But
the thing that's amazing, and I think will amaze many
people listening, is that when you think about the kinds
of extra services that we're talking about, you know everything
we've talked about all the way to making sure. I
had clients with family that came in from a foreign country.
(49:25):
When they sat down at dinner, I had informed the
hotel that some of these people were coming in from,
you know, one of the European countries, and they didn't
speak great English. This hotel went to the trouble of
having menus reprinted in that family's native language, so that
(49:47):
when they went into the restaurant, they could, you know,
order off the menu and know what they were ordering
without having to ask a lot of questions. All of
these things happen, and many times, in the case of
the shoe us, we paid for the shoes, but we
didn't pay for the service of going out and getting
them they ate a great meal. They didn't pay for
(50:08):
translating a menu. These properties just do this because they
have members that are staying there. They want folks to
feel like family, They want folks to feel welcome there.
They want folks to feel at ease at home and
to have that extraordinary experience that they can only get
(50:28):
with a life less ordinary and Chris.
Speaker 2 (50:31):
A lot of times.
Speaker 4 (50:32):
And I don't want to sound at all like we're
bragging here at the wishing Well, but many times these
hotels won't do these some of these things, these special
elevated experiences because they know you, Chris Carmichael. But they
will do it because they know the wishing Well. They'll
(50:53):
do it because we ask, and they'll do it because
they know we're going to send them repeat customers. And
they'll do it because they know once they have you,
they want you to be a repeat customer as well.
Speaker 2 (51:07):
So a lot of those things.
Speaker 4 (51:08):
Really it's part and parcel of having a great relationship
with your travel advisor.
Speaker 2 (51:13):
First of all, make sure we get to know you.
We want to know you.
Speaker 4 (51:18):
We want to know what pleases you, what makes you
enjoy the vacation you're about to invest in, because it
is it's an investment. That's what travel is. It's not
just an off handed purchase. This is a very thoughtful
process of purchasing memories and what are they worth? Exactly well,
(51:40):
to me, in the world I live in, memories are
priceless and they're not anything that you can buy. So
you want to be working with the right people who
can connect you with the right people in the right places,
with the right experiences.
Speaker 2 (51:55):
That's what makes a great travel experience.
Speaker 4 (51:59):
And that is what we're talking about when we say
these are some of the keys to a great vacation.
Speaker 1 (52:08):
And we're going to continue this conversation. Do we have
more episodes in this series?
Speaker 4 (52:14):
Absolutely yes, And actually we could probably go on and
on and on, but we we are going to have
a few extra episodes that we're going to talk about
that include some more of the Keys to the Canyon,
because I've got to give you more than four keys.
Speaker 1 (52:28):
Chris, you promised me a table covered in keys, so
I did. I look forward to our continuing of this series.
The series is entitled The Keys to a Great Vacation,
and today we were talking about private membership. As always,
we learn so much from both you, Terry and Harry
here on a lifeless ordinary. If we'd like to learn
(52:49):
even more and like to talk to you in person,
how do we get in touch with you?
Speaker 2 (52:53):
Well, that's easy to do.
Speaker 4 (52:54):
And again, as we close out another show in this series,
I have to say thank you to everybody who lives
and joins us here every Saturday. We really do appreciate
the fact that you're loyal and if you want to
reach out to us at the wishing Well, we're easy
to find. We're located at two forty three f Avenue
in Harsonburg in the Valley Center. You can call us
(53:15):
at five four oh nine oh eight two three three three,
or look us up on the web. Chris, We're at
the Wishingwell dot biz.
Speaker 1 (53:23):
This has been on 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 discuss 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. Last episodes are available on the iHeartRadio Lab
(53:44):
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 showing podcast from
your friends at the wishing Well two forty three f
Avenue in Harrisonburg and online at the wishing Well dot
PiZZ The wishing Well is your ultimate luxury concierge, travel
agency and a lifeless Ordinary. It's a travel showing podcast
hosted by Terry Dean, bringing her over forty years of
experience in the travel industry to help guide you to
(00:21):
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 (00:29):
Hey, Chris, it's Saturday again. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
I love it. I look forward every weekend or every
week to the weekend because we get to sit down
and talk about travel on a Saturday morning.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Terry.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
I want to also say hy to Harry Rich he's
with us again this week.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Absolutely, it's a good time to talk about traveling. It's
just second on my list to actually doing travel well.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
We love talking about it and doing the travel. Harry Terry.
We are in a series of episodes entitled The Keys
to Great to a Great Vacation. Last week we were
talking about when a hotel is not just a Hotel
week one. If you missed that when we were talking
about how to enjoy landmarks and how to build your
(01:16):
vacation around a dream. Last week in our show, you
mentioned envisioning all these keys laid out on a table
and you get to pick one and build your vacation
around it. So this week, our key we're going to
reach for is private memberships.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Private memberships.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
You're exactly right, and you know, we have actually had
a great taste of what this industry has to offer.
We've Harry and I have been in Las Vegas and
have attended some great meetings and met with a.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Lot of great people.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
And in the weeks to come, you're going to hear
a lot more from us about that, and we're so
excited to be able to share that. But we particularly
are excited about the Keys to a great vacation because
it was so timely that we did this, and so
timely that we focused on this particular subject right now
in the industry. It's always nice to know that you're
(02:17):
in keeping with whatever else is going on in the industry,
right and you're right, we're continuing that series and this
week is actually discovering something that the right hotel doesn't
simply give you a beautiful room. It opens doors to
experiences we talked about that most travelers don't even know
some of those things existed that we talked about last week.
(02:39):
And Chris, I think you said very admittedly that you
did not either, right.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
No, I didn't, And that's why I would encourage you,
if you've missed any of the episodes in this series,
to go to the Wishingwell dot viz. That's the website
for the wishing Well, and in the upper right hand
corner you'll find a link to all the podcasts over
the last six seasons, including the previous two in this series,
(03:04):
and take a couple of hours. You know, maybe you
have a Saturday when it's raining and you can't go
outside and do any work or whatever, sit down and
enjoy those episodes and discover a lot that you didn't
realize was available to you in the world of travel,
especially what the high end hotels are doing to make
(03:26):
sure that you have an experience that you'll never forget.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Yeah, I think you're right about that, Chris.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
And you know, one of the things I love most
about travel is that actually every few years, something really
changes in our industry, we get a wham, you know,
and sometimes it's not a good wham.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Sometimes it's a bad one.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
But you know, when we're talking about hotels and we've
looked at the evolution that the hotel industry has made
and hospitality, man, am I excited? I mean, this is
this is where it's at for me. This is the
world I want to pursue a lot more of. And
years ago, luxury hotels competed by building bigger spas and
(04:11):
larger suites and a lot more elaborate swimming pools. I
remember those days. I mean, that's what's where it was.
I mean, let's face it, that's what Las Vegas was
built on. Right, Bigger is better? Is that not what
we heard? But don't get me wrong, those things are
indeed very wonderful. But today what we know is that
(04:31):
something very very different is happening, and the world's finest
hotels are beginning to offer something a lot more valuable
than square footage. They are offering a sense of belonging.
And that might sound like a funny thing to say,
but don't forget. Today's show is entitled Private Membership, and
(04:54):
so it's not so funny to say that and in
reference to hotels these days, after all, how can a
hotel possibly make you feel as though you belong in
a city you've never visited before.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Well, let me tell you. I want you, first of all.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
Chris, to imagine arriving in Savannah, Georgia, place that Harry
and I were in not so very long ago, and
you've checked into a beautiful, beautiful boutique hotel called Hotel Bardeux,
and you've settled into your room, you've unpacked your suitcase,
You've decided to wander downstairs before dinner. Maybe you're going
(05:33):
to get a cocktail, maybe you'll just sit outside and
enjoy the evening. But instead you discover something called Club Bardeaux.
It's not just another hotel lounge. It's a private members
club where local artists, business owners, musicians, maybe even some
(05:59):
celebrity music usicians, entrepreneurs, maybe even entrepreneurs that you've heard
on Ted Talks, and creative people. They're all going to
show up there. And here's the remarkable part. As a
hotel guest at Hotel Bardow you're invited in. Suddenly you
(06:19):
are no longer sitting in a room filled with tourists.
You're actually having a conversation with somebody who actually calls
Savannah home. Maybe it is a local artist, maybe it's
an architect, Maybe it's somebody who owns a wonderful little
restaurant tucked away on a quiet side street that you
(06:40):
would never find in a guidebook.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Before long, you're talking.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
About the city, it's history, it's neighbors, it's hidden treasures,
and maybe even the next morning, instead of taking a tour,
you're actually visiting that local artists studio, or you're having
lunch with them had a little neighborhood cafe because you
instantly bonded with them, you had something in common, and
(07:06):
they went, hey, join me tomorrow morning at my cafe
as my guest and all because one conversation opened up
a completely unexpected door. And you know, I think that's
one of the greatest gifts travel can give us. It's
not just photographs, Chris, it's connections. And some of the
(07:29):
people that I've met while I've traveled in the world,
they've remained some of my friends for years after meeting them.
I still communicate with some of the folks that I've
met years ago who are now hoteliers and concierge and
even general managers of hotels. I have to tell you
a funny story. A little guy by the name of
(07:52):
Rick Steves. I'm not sure if too many people are
going to know him right, but anyway, Rick Steves and
I start started out in the industry together at the
same time. We were in some of the same travel
classes coming up in the industry at the same time.
And to this day, if I shot off an email
(08:13):
to Rick Steves and I needed something, I feel like
I could reach out to him and say, Hey, Rick,
what do you think about this? Those are the relationships
that matter the most when you're in this business, is
finding and knowing people like that. Lots of deals happen
in front of people that you're meeting for the first time,
and those are not to be taken lightly. It's almost
(08:36):
always begins with that simple conversation. And I've read something
recently that stayed with me. It said one luxury executive.
Hotel said our guests become members while they're staying with us,
and I thought that was really such a beautiful philosophy.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Not customers, he said. Members.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
Guests aren't standing on the opt outside looking in. They're
actually invited into the life of the destination. Now that
same concept is spreading actually all over the world. This
is a new trend. Take New York City, for example.
There's a beautiful property there called Casa Cipriani. It overlooks
(09:19):
Lower Manhattan, and a lot of people book a room
there simply because they know it gives them temporary membership
into one of New York's most exclusive private clubs. Think
about that for a minute. You're not just checking into
a hotel. You're actually stepping into an entirely different social
world elegant dining and private lounges and live jazz and
(09:43):
conversations with probably some of New York's most fascinating people
that show up there, but all around the globe. So
it's almost as though for a few days, again, here
we go with this relationship. Again you're handed the key
to a club that normally takes years to join.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
And one of the interesting things to me about this trend, Chris,
is that we're seeing so many more solo travelers. And
one of the kind of trepidations that people have about
traveling is they're not familiar with the place. When you're
a solo traveler, that's even tougher because you don't have,
(10:23):
you know, a traveling companion. And when we're talking about
places like the ones, Terry is talking about where you
can go in somewhere and it's like remember the TV
show Friends. Yeah, it's you know, they may not know
your name when you walk in, but by the time
you leave, they know your name, and you feel at home.
(10:45):
You feel like you're in their own little world and
they've invited you in. What a spectacular, comforting feeling.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
I think that's more Cheers than Friends, though.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Cheers is what I was thinking about. Friends was a
different kind. It was a frenzy, wasn't it. But how
sheers is what I'm thinking about. In Boston. When I
watched that show, I you know, I felt like I
knew that place, and you know, and when I visited Boston,
I had to go and find where that was because
I knew I was going to be, you know, a
member there, like Terry's talking about. But the idea of
(11:17):
traveling in some of the fears of intrepidation that people
have going to a new place, well, this trend is
really dealing head on with that. And like I said,
especially if you're a solo traveler, pay a close attention
to this trend and take advantage of it.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
Yeah, and another place that's really really embraced this same
philosophy is probably not going to surprise anybody listening, because
they are a trend setting city anyway in the globe,
and that is London. And one of my favorite examples
of what we're talking about.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Is the NED.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Now, a lot of Londoners know about a beautiful hidden
lounge inside this building, call called the Vault, and it's
tucked behind an enormous steel bank vault door. You know,
the kind you'd expect to see in an old James
Bond movie or maybe an old Western. You know that great,
big steel vault door. Normally only private members are allowed inside.
(12:19):
But here's where relationships matter. Guests who book through the
right luxury travel partnership can enjoy access as well. And
you know, it just so happens that the wishing Well
is very connected through the Virtuoso network. And so guess
(12:40):
what we are one of those right partners. Now, let
me tell you, isn't that fun? You walk through a
twenty ton steel vault door, you order cocktail, and all
of a sudden you are enjoying one of London's most
exclusive spaces, not not because you happen to know somebody there,
(13:02):
but because your travel advisor booked the reservation that opened
that door for you. Metaphorically, we just handed you that
golden key that unlocked this great experience that you're now
enjoying that you never thought you could, and you did
because you chose well, and.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
I know you think.
Speaker 4 (13:26):
We get to a point where luxury travel has become
much less about impressing people and a lot more about
immersing people. It's not about saying, look where I'm saying.
It's about saying, you're never gonna believe who I'm at,
or you're never gonna guess where they took us when
(13:49):
I went there. And that's a very different kind of
narrative when you're experiencing luxury. You know that hearkens back
Chris early on to some of the shows that we did,
you and I did about what is luxury? Well, this
is yet another one of those facets on that great, big,
beautiful diamond that is all about what is luxury to people?
(14:13):
I mean, is it where you stay or is it
really more about the experiences that you have? Is it
about these private membership experiences that you can be afforded
when you're staying someplace that maybe somebody else would stay too,
but you just happen to know something a bit more
than what they knew, and so you're the lucky one.
(14:37):
And honestly, I think that makes you a much richer
person for really making those great choices. I know that
there are a lot of experiences that people have when
they travel. I know, Harry, you've probably had some great
experiences too. And Chris alluded last week to one that
(14:59):
we have add when we went to Las Vegas at
Caesar's Palace.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Once upon a time. Why don't you tell us about that? Yeah,
did you know there was a secret hotel inside of
a hotel in Caesar's Palace? Chris?
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Now, and I'm learning that I don't know a lot
about any of this luxury experience because you keep hitting
me with new things every episode that we do this.
Please tell me that you're just making this up. There
there's not a hotel inside Caesar's.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Well, you're right, that's not true. There's not a hotel
inside of Caesar's. There's actually two. I'm like, okay, two
inside of Caesar's Hotel. There is another hotel called the
Noble Hotel that you have to travel through a good
part of the Caesars property to get to, and it
(15:48):
is an exclusive luxury hotel inside of Caesar's.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Palace in Las Vegas, and it's special, for sure.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
We visited in tour that hotel while we were there,
but that wasn't the most fascinating hotel inside of Caesar's Palace.
In fact, there's another one not too far from the
main entrance, is another very indiscreet little door, and it
takes you to another part of caesar Palace or Caesar's
(16:19):
Palace where there's not just a suite in there. That
is something to knock your socks off. It looks like
you walked into a Roman emperor's palace. You're talking about,
you know, separate dining rooms, you're talking about, you know,
bedrooms inside. It's a villa inside of Caesar's Palace that's
(16:43):
a Grecian villa or Greek villa, kind of a Greek
Greek Italian what would.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
You call it?
Speaker 3 (16:49):
Terry.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
Yeah, These are these are private villas that are specifically
designated for high rollers and celebrities and people that most
people wish they could be.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
They're talking like the Madonna's and the Michael Jackson's. Okay,
And not only is this part of the property exclusive,
but you know, you might not want to eat your
meals with the commoners and the rest of the Caesars Palace,
So you have your own dining room in there, and
you have your own kitchen in there too, so they
can prepare meals for you. That's one of the opportunities
(17:25):
in this second hotel inside of Caesars. But if you
don't want to be in that one, you can go
to another one, which is up at the top of
Caesar's Palace, just over the entrance, and there's another suite
out there. And what was really remarkable about that was
when I stepped out of the they have a large
(17:45):
patio balcony. I'd say about the size of what a
basketball court, would you say, Terry, Yeah. When you step
outside there, you've got views of the rest of the
Las Vegas Strip as well as you know, the the
skyline and the stars and everything. And you are tucked
(18:05):
behind the entrance of Caesar's Palace, so nobody on the
street can see you, but you're up there enjoying your
own private hotel inside of a hotel, What do you think?
Speaker 1 (18:17):
I think I can't afford any of this, but I'm dreaming.
I'm dreaming that somebody will take me along with them.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
Actually, we have pricing on them if you're interested, so
let us know they are available. They're reserved for you,
for the celebrities, but they're also available to people too.
And if you have a special occasion, if you've played
the lottery this weekend and happen to guess the right numbers,
or if there's something really special happening in your life
and you want to celebrate, let us know. They sound
(18:47):
like they're astronomical, but the per night prices are actually
very affordable if you give consideration to what you're getting
for that.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
So I asked last week a little bit about this.
Is there a ceiling to these experiences? It kind of
feels like what I think about Instagram, and everybody is
trying to one up their feed to show, Oh I
did something better. I've been somewhere nicer. Look at the
(19:19):
meal I have. As this trend is happening in the
luxury arena, is there a limit to it where it
becomes too luxurious so that no one can actually enjoy
it or is the sky the limit.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
I think that's a great question, and I'm doing some
serious personal research on that.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
If that makes sense.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
If you need an aid, I'm happy to help you.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
Know.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Christ to answered your question.
Speaker 4 (19:49):
Really from more of an industry standpoint, I don't think
people are doing this anymore.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
I think there was a time in.
Speaker 4 (19:58):
The past where it was a about being able to
have the bragging rights to certain things like this, but
I don't think it's that anymore.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
I think people who are enjoying these.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
More exclusive type luxurious experiences are people who, number one,
they can afford to do it, but number two, they
need to get out of either a very hectic life
or a mundane life, and this represents an opportunity for
them to have the experiences that are going to cultimateate
(20:37):
a better them, make a better them. It really is
not about the bragging rights anymore. Like I said, I
think that used to be the case. But if you
look on Instagram and you know, some of the social
media sites anymore, you almost see less and less of
that braggadocious kind of Here's what I did, here's my
(21:00):
travel experience, Here's what I did. What you see really
are more pictures today families with one another and people
enjoying time together. And these experience really really have been cultivated.
Maybe they are luxurious, but they've been cultivated into what's
going to make a better me.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
And I think if you look at the Wishing Wells website,
one of the first things you're going to see on
there is, you know, we really do make wishes come true.
People have life experiences that are life changing experiences. It
may be that at retirement time, it may be you know,
a new addition to the family. It may be a
(21:43):
way to join together with people you know over over
grieving for somebody. It could be any kind of very
personal experience for somebody or some family. The kinds of
experiences that we're talking about may sound over the top,
but we're just letting you know, you know where the
(22:03):
clouds might be.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
There's everything between the.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
Ground and the clouds, and the talent of being able
to find the right one is part of what I
think we as travel advisors bring to those people who
call us at the Wishing well We help you find
what the right spot is, what the right experience is.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
Chris, So, are there.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
Different tiers to a private membership.
Speaker 4 (22:29):
Yeah, that's a great question. So it depends on the
hotel property. But for the ones mostly that we've decided
to focus on for today's segment, there's no tier. There's
just one wonderful, miraculous membership that opens these wonderful doors
for you to be able to have these great experiences,
(22:49):
So it's not tiered. We are going to take about
a thirty second break. We hate that we have to
do this because we always love talking and just keep
this conversation going. But come back after thirty seconds. We're
going to talk about some other fascinating information about these
private clubs and some of Harry's personal experiences as well.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
We'll talk more about that next. Here on a lifeless.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Ordinary, protect your vacation investment with guidance from a travel professional.
The wishing Well knows travel and help you avoid pitfalls
that can spoil your higher 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 biz or call us
at five four zero nine zero eight two three three three.
(23:35):
That's five four zero nine zero eight two three three three.
The Washing Well Really does make Dreams come true.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
Welcome back to a life less ordinary. Every Saturday, we
sit down and we talk travel. This is a travel
podcast from your friends at the Wishing Well. They're on
f Avenue in Harrisonburg. You can also find them online
at the wishing Well dot biz or are you going
to call it? Five four zho nine to oh eight
twenty three thirty three. Our show this week is entitled
The Keys to a Great Vacation and we are talking
(24:05):
private membership. This is a third part in our series
about the Keys to a Great Vacation. We've talked a
lot about different locations, destinations, experiences. Harry, Let's talk about
the people that really make this happen for us.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
I think the really fascinating part to me is some
of the people, the experts that we run into. Terry
talked about, you know, our time at Virtuoso and getting
to meet people. We want to meet the people at
the properties, and part of what our job is when
we're having these conversations is to size up the properties,
size up those people and try and understand what their
(24:45):
forte is, what makes that place special. Besides you know,
the four walls in the rooms and as Terry is
talking about, you know, the sheets and the pillows, things
like that.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
But what happens when you get there?
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Who do you get access to the people that have
spent their entire lives, you know, mastering something, whether it's
a vineyard in Italy or you know, a craftsman and
a certain part of the world making you know, making
clocks in Germany. We want to know who those people
are that they have access to, and we want to
(25:19):
get the feeling that if we send somebody to this property, Chris,
they're going to have those people waiting to share that
knowledge their expertise with them. So imagine spending an afternoon
in Rome and we put you in a property where
you're not just staying there, but you're going to spend
time with one of Italy's leading fashion experts. They're going
(25:40):
to introduce you to their family owned business, and they're
going to introduce you to other people that are in
the you know, the clothing business, maybe making you know.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Pursa's shoes. Whatever.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
How about if you go down to Florida and we
get you into a property where you might have some
time with a a NASA scientist because you know, you're
you're down there with your with your family, and you've
got in my case again a grandkid who's really interested
in space travel. And I happened to land us at
a hotel where there's a person that was as a
(26:16):
retired NASA scientist that can sit down and you know,
and share some some some stories and some snacks with us.
You think that it impress somebody, Yes, yeah, absolutely, those
are the kinds of people that I think are are important.
(26:36):
Terry talked about tennis lesson, Well, how about if you
go down to the Maldives and have a tennis lesson
from a Grand Slam champion.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
That's not an.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
Excursion, that's an experience because you're staying at the right
property where that person maybe happens to be having a
summer residence. These are once in a lifetime experiences, once
in a lifetime conversations. There's no way that my grandson
would forget speaking to a NASA scientist. There's no way
(27:08):
that somebody that wants to, you know, as a budding
tennis star, would forget having a lesson from a real
life kind of star. Or I know my grandkids are
on my case right now to get them an experience
with some of the soccer people just after the World
Cup that's high on their mind. The greatest souvenir you
(27:28):
bring home from a trip like this is not something
you bought, not some place that you can say that
you slept at for bragging rights, but it's the person
that you met and if you work it right. It's
up to you as travel advisors. We can't work this magic.
(27:49):
But if you can have that chemistry with that person
that you have a relationship and it goes on and
ten years later you come back and tell Terry and
I that you're still talking to that part, Wow, that
means we've hit a home run. We spent time at
a lot of hotels that go out of their way
to create these kinds of special experiences for guests. And
(28:12):
we've talked about some of the private lounges. We've talked
about the personal experiences, we've talked about the immersion with locals.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
But there's another way.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
That I want to talk about also that provides guests
with these lifeless, ordinary experiences.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Think about this.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
Think about going to a small boutique hotel and when
you arrive Terry I, one of our advisors have called
ahead and they've asked them to provide some very special
amenities because we know you as our traveler. We're going
to get some special amenities there. So when you walk in,
you're going to be delighted. I don't know, you know
(28:53):
what can we put in there for you? And Rebecca
if you showed up at this hotel and you walked
into your room and she looks at you and she goes.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
Oh my god, Chris, look what they have for us.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
We are going to be the easiest client you've ever had.
She always says she wants a king sized bed and
she wants lots of pillows.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
That's not enough. I need more. I need more.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
We are simple people. I mean for me, I want
food brought to the room, really good food.
Speaker 4 (29:26):
Just recently, I had a huge family who went on
a MultiGen trip. They were with a really special Tap
Tours trip called Cowboy Country, and they left out.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
And it's very.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
Difficult when you have clients of a certain caliber to
know what to get them.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
Something seem just.
Speaker 4 (29:52):
Misplaced, So you have to you have to think about
it long and hard sometimes to come up with a
creative proach to what you want to get them, And
so what we did was we sent them off on
their journey to Cowboy Country with matching bandanas for everybody
(30:13):
and Larryett's and for each head of the family. We
got them one of time Life's Maggie Coffee table books,
which were all about cowboys and the West, the out West,
and that kind of thing. Those are the kind of
memorable things that happen when we know you and we
(30:33):
have a relationship with you, and the relationship extends to
you actually purchasing your travels through the wishing wheel.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
I feel like we needed up our request.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
Yeah, I think you should. Let me give you some ideas.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
You're ready, I'm ready, I'm taking notes.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
Okay, how about some lavender scented linens, Not just nice pillows,
but some lavender scenting on those linens.
Speaker 5 (30:56):
She does like lavender, so yes, how about how about
some orange ginger tea waiting for you in the room
to relax you before you get ready to retire for
the night.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Okay, you know little things like that. Let me give
you one more example.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
I love talking about my grandkids, my grandkids, particularly one
of them.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
He can't go to sleep without two things.
Speaker 3 (31:21):
I have to make sure that I bring along a
night light, and he likes, you know, one of those
little white noise machines. But when I go to a
special hotel, all I have to do is let them
know in advance that you know they were coming there,
and these are two things that I'd like to have.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
They're ready. Instead of bringing them along, they're ready for us.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
And it's going to be a better night light than
I've carried along, and it's going to be a better
sound machine than I've carried along. And they're going to
do some other details too. You ever have the mints
on your pillows at night in a hotel? Yes, well
what about if you have a grandchildren with you? They're
not ment people, Mike, My grandkids like a little you know,
(32:02):
like a little candy bar there, a little bit more
than just a mint. So those kinds of little extras,
those little small touches, special touches that also are very important.
Flowers in the room. Think about this. We've got flowers
in a room, but we didn't just put flowers in
the room for you. We found out what Becka's favorite
(32:22):
colors are and what our favorite flowers are. And those
are the flowers that you find greeting in the room.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
Have I up the list yet for you a little bit?
Speaker 1 (32:30):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (32:33):
And those are simple, you know, little things, and we
don't want to, you know, straight too far from this
idea of membership, because membership makes you feel like you're
at home, It makes you feel like you're in the club.
It makes you feel like they know what's going on.
And great hotels, great hoteliers will remember something from stay
(32:56):
to stay and as you move between a different chain
their property. Saint Regis is famous for this. They will
make sure that they know what a traveler likes. And
when they go to a new property and a different location,
guess what we'll be there, just what they liked in
the last time.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
You know.
Speaker 4 (33:14):
We when we started the wishing Well, Chris, we had
a philosophy here about membership and we wanted our clients
to all feel like they were members of the wishing
Well whenever they came in. There was no fee involved
for that. It was just that's the way we wanted
them to feel. And little did I know how on target,
(33:37):
you know, sixteen years later we were with that kind
of philosophy that that is now something that's taking the
travel industry by storm.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
Terry, how does membership, how does it balance the structure
between freedom to be spontaneous when we're on our holiday.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
Yeah, that's great question.
Speaker 4 (34:01):
I mean, the whole idea of membership is to give
you the things that you want that you didn't know
you needed. And so that's the joy of participating in
a hotel property that has crafted such a membership kind
of stay. There are many hotels out there that don't
(34:23):
call your reservation a reservation. They actually call it a
membership stay. And I'm not talking about time shares. That's
something completely different. We don't get involved in time shares
and we can't help you get out. I'm sorry about that,
but that's not the kind of membership I'm talking about.
(34:45):
This is the anticipation of a great hotel property that
knows what you need before you ever asked for.
Speaker 3 (34:53):
It, and it's about your style. Terry and I are
great examples of this. When Terry travels, her trip are
very much structured.
Speaker 2 (35:01):
She knows what's to do.
Speaker 3 (35:03):
Sometimes, you know, she and I will have a conversation
and she'll go, what.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
Are you going to be doing this night? What are
you going to be doing that night? And I go,
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (35:09):
I'm going to show up and I'm going to look
at what's available and see what's there. Her hotel might
have a structured list of things that are suited just
for her and her personality. Mine will have you know,
we've got we're holding places for you in these three things.
Which one seems the most desirable to you, will lock
(35:29):
that one in for you tonight because they know I'm
a little more, you know.
Speaker 2 (35:33):
Whimsical about which way I'll go.
Speaker 3 (35:35):
That's the difference between knowing the traveler's style. Two different personalities,
two great travelers, two different styles. I want to ask
Terry to tell you about one hotel though, that I
think is in my mind an exemplar. There's a hotel
that we send guests to sometimes in London. Terry, I'm
(35:56):
talking about the Goring Hotel.
Speaker 4 (35:58):
Yeah, and this this how actually happens to be one
of my favorites. And if there is a hotel at all,
I think that exemplifies what true quote unquote membership stays
are all about.
Speaker 2 (36:13):
It would have to be the Goring Hotel. And many years.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
Ago, when I visited London, I actually had the great
privilege of becoming friends with the gentleman who is the
concierge at that hotel.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
He still is, and I know that all I.
Speaker 4 (36:28):
Have to do is call on him and ask him
for a favor for any one of my clients who
stay there, and he will go out of his way
to make sure that that happens. Now, this just happens
to be, as a matter of fact, the same hotel
that Princess Kate decided that she would stay in previous
(36:50):
to the nights preceding her wedding to Prince William. And
so we're talking about that caliber of a hotel, a caliber.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
That is fit for a princess.
Speaker 4 (37:01):
And yet Chris, you and Becca, me, my family, we
could stay there comfortably because the membership services there say
they invite anyone anytime, and it's about that comfort level.
(37:22):
I mean, I don't know if you have ever been
a member in a club of any kind before, but
you know how comfortable that feels once you have a oneness,
a camaraderie with all of the people that are doing
the same things there for the same reason. Everybody's kind
of like minded. You kind of know what the feeling
(37:44):
is going to be before you go in. You belong, Yes,
you belong and it's that feeling of belonging that makes
a hotel like the Goring in London such a shining star.
I think a real goal key hotel or property, I
would say because of what they deliver and because of
(38:07):
what this concierge, a single man is really to me.
He's the face of the Goring Hotel. It is really
a remarkable experience when you stay there.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
Are you going to share the experience of when you
took your daughter to London and stayed at a hotel there.
I remember you talking about the special things that they
did for her.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
Terry's daughter, as.
Speaker 3 (38:31):
We've talked about many times, is special needs. She's a
remarkable young woman. It was amazing. They escorted her to
different places in the hotel, they had special food for her,
They recognized her and made her feel like she was
the Princess Kate coming from America. She just happened to
be Terry Dean's daughter instead of Royalty. So well, Terry
(38:54):
is the Queen. Terry is the Queen, Yes, no question
about that.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
So I'm looking.
Speaker 4 (39:02):
I don't know if I would say that, but if
you really want to stroke a mom's heart, all you
have to do is be nice to her daughter.
Speaker 1 (39:09):
I'm looking at I'm looking at some of the features
here on the Goring Hotel. It just sounds. It says
it's got the largest private hotel garden in central London.
Speaker 6 (39:20):
Larger than Yeah, it's absolutely beautiful. And you don't hal
a cab outside of the Goring Hotel. If you're part
of this special membership club, they take you on their car.
Speaker 2 (39:31):
They have a car waiting for you.
Speaker 1 (39:34):
I have no idea why you're pointing at me, Terry.
Speaker 2 (39:39):
You said you saw some experiences there.
Speaker 1 (39:42):
Oh yeah, okay, yeah, Now I don't know how to
get back to where we were. All right, let me
let me just go back and say that about the
private garden and then I'll talk about some of the
other stuff. So I'm just looking. I see that they've
got the largest private hotel garden central London. From when
ier stand, it's larger than Wimbledon's center court footprint. So
(40:05):
it's big.
Speaker 2 (40:06):
Imagine that, Yeah, it's big.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
They got Michelin Star dining and they're known for their intuitive,
traditional British hospitality, including footmen, dormen. They're all wearing their
bowler hats and they are a highly trained staff to
make your stay second to none.
Speaker 4 (40:24):
Yeah, just a couple of other things about that particular hotel.
It is really near and dear to my heart. I mean,
I love the Goring Hotel. It's one of my favorites
really probably in the world. But one of the things
that they are particularly known for is an afternoon tea.
And honestly, if you have an opportunity to make reservations
(40:45):
and go for the Gorings afternoon tea, I highly recommend it.
They sometimes on a beautiful day in London will serve
that tea out in the gardens, which makes it even
more lovely. But the other thing that's really so so
great about this property is, as we always say with
any property, location, location, location, they are actually within walking
(41:08):
distance of Buckingham Palace, so that makes them even more
attractive for somebody who's staying in London.
Speaker 2 (41:15):
For the first time.
Speaker 4 (41:17):
I think probably the best thing for us to do
right now, Chris, because I'm hungry for some tea and
cookies myself and biscuits, I should say is take a
thirty second break. When we come back, we're going to
talk about some more interesting information. And here he's going
to share an experience he had at the Saint Regis Hotel.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
Can't wait this next here on a Lifeless Ordinary.
Speaker 3 (41:41):
Protect your vacation investment with guidance from a travel professional.
The wishing Well knows travel and helps you avoid pitfalls.
They can spoil your hard earned vacation. We'll plan your
trip and have your bank as you travel. All of
this without support or so called convenience fees. We're on
the web at though wishing Well dot viz or call
us at five four zero nine zero eight two three
(42:02):
three three. That's five four zero nine zero eight two
three three three. The washing Well really does make dreams
come true.
Speaker 1 (42:11):
Welcome back to a Life Less Ordinary, the travel show
and podcast from your friends at the wishing Well. They're
on f Avenue in Harrisonburg. You can also find them
online at the wishing Well Dobiz. I encourage you to
spend some time on the website, and while you're there,
check out. In the upper right hand corner, you'll see
three little lines. Click on that and in the menu
you'll find a link for all the past episodes of
(42:34):
a Lifeless Ordinary. You can go through six seasons of
great travel experiences. And I also encourage you to give
them a call at five four h nine oh eight
twenty three thirty three, Harry and Harry would be happy
to talk to you the afternoon after we get done
with our show. Harry, before we went to break you
mentioned you had a really nice experience at a goring
(42:57):
like hotel.
Speaker 3 (42:59):
Yeah, experience that is unplanned is sometimes the best experience,
isn't it. I was at a hotel one time because
my son was getting married, and this is in the
United States. There's a Saint Regis Hotel in San Francisco, California,
And marriages can be a really stressful time. Lots of
(43:20):
things to do, lots of things to get done, and
you have to remember to bring everything with you. And
by that I mean that as we went out there
to celebrate this wedding, we brought everything we thought with us.
But when we got out there, my wife pointed out
to me that, oh, no, she forgot one piece of
(43:43):
a wardrobe, her shoes. Can you imagine what it's like
for lady to not have her shoes for a special event.
Not good? Right, So we mentioned this to the butler
that we had there at the hotel, and you know,
he was very, very concerned. He asked about them, and
(44:05):
was going to help us find some other shoes somewhere
and ask some questions about the style of the shoe,
the size, things like that. And then he said, well,
you know, go off and have some lunch and come
back and after lunch, you know, we'll get this all
sorted out because we want you to be ready for
the next day, because.
Speaker 2 (44:26):
With our shoes, it's not a wedding, right.
Speaker 3 (44:28):
So we went had lunch and lo and behold, when
we got back, the butler was there, just as he
had promised. And we expected to get the information so
we could go and tour around town and get the shoes.
But he didn't want us to do that. Instead, he
had gone out or sent somebody. I don't know how
he did this, but he had gone out. He had
(44:50):
gotten the brand of shoe, the style of shoe, the
color of shoe, and the size of shoe, and he
had it waiting for us in our room. Is that
for going above and beyond?
Speaker 1 (45:04):
In the Saint regis known for their butler service, Yes
they are, but I didn't know that they would do
something like that.
Speaker 3 (45:11):
When I think of a butler, I think, yes, you know,
help me get some you know, fresh towels, help me
get you know, reservations at a dinner, dinner, you know,
for you know, a special occasions something like that. I
did not think Butler service involved going out and finding
a specific brand, size, color, style of shoe and having
(45:33):
it waiting for you in the time it takes to
eat lunch in a hotel restaurant.
Speaker 4 (45:38):
And I think actually this points to something very important
that today's show really is all about, and that is
that membership feeling. And you're right, Chris, Saint Regis is
really known for that. They really are known for making
their patrons that come in and stay with them feel
(46:01):
truly like members. I've recently just had again another MultiGen
family that booked a very celebratory trip. They were celebrating
the couple's sixtieth wedding anniversary. They wanted to take their
son and daughter in laws and their grandchildren and they
(46:22):
went to the Saint Regis in Aruba, actually a pretty
new Saint Regis property. It's beautiful and the gentleman and
his wife who were celebrating their anniversary had a little
trepidation going into this trip because they didn't travel a
lot internationally, and so they had some concerns and was
(46:44):
the hotel really going to treat them properly. And I
will tell you that the matriarch of this family had
some pretty high expectations when it came to house. She
wanted to celebrate her anniversary. And I don't blame her
one bit, but she really wanted everything to come off
one hundred p sent correctly. And so I knew going
into this that it was very important that this property
(47:07):
really deliver, and so I wanted to make sure first
of all that I recommended the right property for them,
for their family. And there was no question in my
mind in Aruba it had to be Saint Regis.
Speaker 2 (47:20):
It just had to be.
Speaker 4 (47:22):
And I was so delighted at the end of their
trip when the matriarch of that family came in and
paid me a personal visit here several days ago, and
she said to me, Terry, with tears in her eyes.
Speaker 2 (47:34):
I will tell you so this really touched her.
Speaker 4 (47:37):
She said, this indeed was the best trip that I've
ever taken in my life, bar none. She said, it
was second only to my honeymoon. Now I have to
tell you, as a travel professional, I felt like I
hit that ball out of the ballpark, because that was
(47:57):
what I was going for, that was my aim, that
was my goal, and really putting them in a property
where membership led. And when I say that, I mean
that Hotel took very seriously the fact that I had
gifted to them a family that I needed them to
take very good care of. We had some mobility issues
(48:19):
within this group, we had some challenges and some special needs.
Speaker 2 (48:24):
It didn't matter.
Speaker 4 (48:25):
The Saint Regis handled them all as if they were
members of one club and it was I mean, that's
a beautiful thing when all that comes together and we
know our efforts and our hard work has paid off
in such a way that's exactly what we want to
have happened.
Speaker 3 (48:42):
And the amazing thing about this, Chris, is when we
talk about all the stories that we've talked about today,
I know that there are a lot of people out
there that are thinking, oh my gosh, you know, this
is not the kind of thing that I can afford.
And you know, it's easy to think that when you
think about going the extra mile, going above and beyond.
(49:03):
We're talking about properties that are indeed luxury properties. But
the thing that's amazing, and I think will amaze many
people listening, is that when you think about the kinds
of extra services that we're talking about, you know everything
we've talked about all the way to making sure. I
had clients with family that came in from a foreign country.
(49:25):
When they sat down at dinner, I had informed the
hotel that some of these people were coming in from,
you know, one of the European countries, and they didn't
speak great English. This hotel went to the trouble of
having menus reprinted in that family's native language, so that
(49:47):
when they went into the restaurant, they could, you know,
order off the menu and know what they were ordering
without having to ask a lot of questions. All of
these things happen, and many times, in the case of
the shoe us, we paid for the shoes, but we
didn't pay for the service of going out and getting
them they ate a great meal. They didn't pay for
(50:08):
translating a menu. These properties just do this because they
have members that are staying there. They want folks to
feel like family, They want folks to feel welcome there.
They want folks to feel at ease at home and
to have that extraordinary experience that they can only get
(50:28):
with a life less ordinary and Chris.
Speaker 2 (50:31):
A lot of times.
Speaker 4 (50:32):
And I don't want to sound at all like we're
bragging here at the wishing Well, but many times these
hotels won't do these some of these things, these special
elevated experiences because they know you, Chris Carmichael. But they
will do it because they know the wishing Well. They'll
(50:53):
do it because we ask, and they'll do it because
they know we're going to send them repeat customers. And
they'll do it because they know once they have you,
they want you to be a repeat customer as well.
Speaker 2 (51:07):
So a lot of those things.
Speaker 4 (51:08):
Really it's part and parcel of having a great relationship
with your travel advisor.
Speaker 2 (51:13):
First of all, make sure we get to know you.
We want to know you.
Speaker 4 (51:18):
We want to know what pleases you, what makes you
enjoy the vacation you're about to invest in, because it
is it's an investment. That's what travel is. It's not
just an off handed purchase. This is a very thoughtful
process of purchasing memories and what are they worth? Exactly well,
(51:40):
to me, in the world I live in, memories are
priceless and they're not anything that you can buy. So
you want to be working with the right people who
can connect you with the right people in the right places,
with the right experiences.
Speaker 2 (51:55):
That's what makes a great travel experience.
Speaker 4 (51:59):
And that is what we're talking about when we say
these are some of the keys to a great vacation.
Speaker 1 (52:08):
And we're going to continue this conversation. Do we have
more episodes in this series?
Speaker 4 (52:14):
Absolutely yes, And actually we could probably go on and
on and on, but we we are going to have
a few extra episodes that we're going to talk about
that include some more of the Keys to the Canyon,
because I've got to give you more than four keys.
Speaker 1 (52:28):
Chris, you promised me a table covered in keys, so
I did. I look forward to our continuing of this series.
The series is entitled The Keys to a Great Vacation,
and today we were talking about private membership. As always,
we learn so much from both you, Terry and Harry
here on a lifeless ordinary. If we'd like to learn
(52:49):
even more and like to talk to you in person,
how do we get in touch with you?
Speaker 2 (52:53):
Well, that's easy to do.
Speaker 4 (52:54):
And again, as we close out another show in this series,
I have to say thank you to everybody who lives
and joins us here every Saturday. We really do appreciate
the fact that you're loyal and if you want to
reach out to us at the wishing Well, we're easy
to find. We're located at two forty three f Avenue
in Harsonburg in the Valley Center. You can call us
(53:15):
at five four oh nine oh eight two three three three,
or look us up on the web. Chris, We're at
the Wishingwell dot biz.
Speaker 1 (53:23):
This has been on 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 discuss 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. Last episodes are available on the iHeartRadio Lab
(53:44):
and we'll see you again next Saturday morning at ten
for a Life Less Ordinary from the wishing Well
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