When to hire a Travel Specialist

In reading the recent issue of Conde Nast Traveler, they published a great article highlighting the importance of a travel specialist including details and qualities to look for in your ideal travel specialist. 

In reviewing this well-written article, the details of when to hire a travel specialist are a good starting point for people who have not yet determined when to seek the assistance of a travel specialist.  We definitely agree with each of these well-thought reason’s from Consumer News Director Wendy Perrin:

• highly personalized multi-day itineraries

  We actually spend quite a bit of our time doing this very thing because we pride ourselves in providing business to groups who come to us with a specific request for their travel destination and to-do list for excursions.  If we have a group requesting Holland, for example, we have educated ourselves in the locations to visit in the region, and we have on-location partners that have been interviewed and selected precisely for trips of such nature.

• once-in-a-lifetime splurges involving four or five-star hotels

  These are often very special stories of desired trips for anniversaries or splendid celebrations.  Clients are eager to take that trip they’ve never spent the time to plan or think about because children have graduated, a landmark anniversary has come, or perhaps another major life event carries them to explore the trip of a lifetime!  Finding the proper hotels with immaculate service can be tricky in unknown areas of the world, and it’s our pleasure to guide you through your desired destinations to show you why one property is ideal for your needs!

• English speaking guides and travelers 

  Perhaps this is not a detail that each traveler thinks about in arranging their exciting voyage, rather said traveler assumes this language detail as a given.  We certainly go through extra detail to insure you not only enjoy your excursions and guided tours but also understand them!

• special access to monuments, events, or people

  Oh wait a detail we love!!!  This is especially exciting to us annually with our trips to NYC and Washington D.C. (as well as other destinations).  It’s a Beyond Group Travel natural to find how we can provide our travelers with special access or exclusive access!  Recently we shared with you that Linda and Ashley took travelers to the Neue Galerie on our Holidays in New York trip, and this visit meant that our travelers were granted before hours access to tour the museum!

• cruises with private shore excursions

  Of everything listed here, this may be the detail we focus on most often.  Because we work with magnificent partners that allow us the added ability to do enhance our traveler’s experience, we do this for each every one of our cruise travelers.  While we never require you to take your excursions privately, we do always offer the ability to take private shore excursions!

Take the hassle out of group travel; call us to plan your next group trip or join ours! 713.954.4825

Source: http://www.cntraveler.com/travel-tips/travel-specialists

Holidays in New York 2012

Each year, we conduct a trip to New York City over what many call the most popular weekend in NYC.  Because our selected weekend follows the traditional Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony, many tourists are in New York to experience all else that this wonderful destination has to offer!
Our travelers are spoiled with prime accommodations, which were at the New York Barclay this year!
In addition to great NYC accommodations, we love that this hotel really involves the Christmas season both in their décor in the notable lobby but also in providing occasional evening holiday entertainment to their guests.  It truly is a wonderful place to stay during the holiday season.
In traditional Beyond Group Travel fashion, we welcome our travelers on the first evening of the trip at a cocktail party complete with hors d’oeuvres.  Our travelers greatly enjoy the musical styling of the Toy Soldiers that we bring along as well!  Below you can see Linda and Ashley enjoying a photo opportunity with these talented gentleman.

On our first full day in New York, some travelers elected to join us at the Neue Galerie to view early twentieth-century German and Austrian art and design. 
Later that evening, we took our group to see Newsies, which is Disney’s musical and the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of ragged band of teen aged “newsies,” who dreams only of a better life far from the hardship of the streets. But when publishing titans Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst raise distribution prices at the newsboys’ expense, Jack finds a cause to fight for and rallies newsies from across the city to strike for what’s right.  This musical was nominated for eight 2012 Tony Awards and and won Best Original Score and Best Choreography! 
Saturday morning, some travelers elected to join us for a tour of downtown Manhattan, which includes St. Paul’s Chapel, the 9/11 Memorial, and Winter Garden. 
Look at the fabulous picture Ashley captured in Winter Garden!
Later that night, we all enjoyed a fabulous showing of Nice Work if You Can Get It with Matthew Broderick and Kelli O’Hara.  Perhaps you caught a glimpse of their show performed in Herald Square during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!
On our final full day in NYC, our travelers elected to see either Radio City Christmas Spectacular or Once The Musical, and both were fantastic!  Later Sunday evening, we traveled together to one of Beyond Group Travel’s favorite NYC fine dining restaurants, Astra.  This dining venue has one of the greatest views in Manhattan, and our photos don’t even come close to describing the incredible view, although they do help!

Can you tell we had fun?!
After dinner, we even had the opportunity to meet some of New York City’s finest!
In ALL of our trips to NYC, however, we would be remiss not to thank our wonderful, tried, and true motorcoach driver, Jacques.  He’s so much more than our driver, and travelers always LOVE him!  He truly makes the most of his career, and it works because we are always requesting him!
Experience the excitement, and join us next year for our annual Holidays in New York trip!
Take the hassle out of group travel; call us to plan your next group trip or join ours! 713.954.4825

Thanksgiving in New York 2012–More Pictures!

This week, we leave our devoted readers with more of a glimpse at our Thanksgiving in New york trip.  Enjoy this pictorial story portraying the loads of fun we had with our trip to New York for our close-up and luxurious view of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!

Take the hassle out of group travel; call us to plan your next group trip or join ours! 713.954.4825