I notice the light in a room. The length of a lunch. The distance between arriving and feeling settled.
Those are the things I want to understand about your travels, too.
Where every arrangement is first written down.
Lauren Kikuchi Orange County, California
The person behind the plans.
I came to travel after more than a decade in client service. Listening closely, following through and remembering what matters to someone are habits I bring to every arrangement.
When I travel, I photograph the places I stay and follow my interest in local food. Both encourage me to look a little longer: at how a room feels through the day, or how much a place can tell you over lunch.
My practice is my own. I work in close partnership with Sheri Gottschalk Travel Group, part of the Cadence network, and through it with Virtuoso.
What I want for your trip is quite simple: a plan that reflects you, and someone you can reach when it matters.
I start with the month, not the place. A trip to Kyoto in late November is a different trip from one in early April, and the right hotel changes with it. I ask what the trip is for, who is coming, and what you would rather not do again. Then I go quiet for a few days and come back with a proposal that has prices next to the choices and a sentence on why each one is there. I would rather you argue with a draft than accept one politely. The trip gets better every time you tell me what you actually want.
What I actually do
Most of it is unglamorous. I write to the general manager before you arrive so the welcome is a person, not a fruit plate. I read the tide tables before I promise a beach landing from a tender. I confirm the reservation at the counter that does not take phone calls, because I know who to write to. Then every confirmation and contact goes into an app on your phone, and I stay reachable while you are away.
The office
I'm a luxury travel designer based in Orange County. My practice is my own, and I work in close partnership with Sheri Gottschalk Travel Group, part of the Cadence network. That partnership is why my bookings carry Virtuoso standing and the preferred programmes of houses like Four Seasons, Rosewood, Belmond and Dorchester Collection. In practice, the hotel knows you're my guest before you arrive. The privileges are requested when I book, then confirmed subject to availability.
A wider circle
Personal attention. Established relationships.
Through SGTG and Cadence, I work within these advisor and preferred hotel programs. Benefits vary by property and are confirmed with each reservation.
