I have just returned from a trip to St. Pete/ Clearwater, a beach playground on the west coast of Florida. The easiest way to reach it is with a direct British Airways flight to Tampa airport, which is, in itself, quite an amazing place! In the centre of the terminal is a giant pink flamingo and, on the day, we arrived, a black bear was wandering the perimeter, apparently. He didn’t enter the terminal for a Starbucks though but was safely coaxed back to where he came from. I was sorry not to see him.

This area of Florida is quite different from the razzmatazz of Disney, although it combines perfectly with the parks. This is all about beautiful white Sandy beaches, nature, and culture. From the Dali Museum to the James Museum which is full of Native American art, countless art galleries, and a sea life rescue centre, there is so much to do, and if you miss the entertainment parks, Busch Gardens is not far away.

I’m just back from my very first trip to Jamaica. When the Jamaica tourist board invited me to visit, friends and family almost unanimously asked me: “Is it safe?”. Well, I could not have felt safer and more welcome during my week in Jamaica and I have learned so much and quashed many myths about this vibrant and friendly island.

Firstly, I was often reminded that Jamaica is a country and not just another Caribbean island. It is big, cosmopolitan, with lots of contrasts, from the lush interior where some of the world’s finest coffee is produced, to the coastal resorts, some with iconic hotels full of history in Ocho Rios to the large resort hotels of Montego Bay.

I’ve just been reading about an incredible multi-storey family cabin on a cruise ship that costs $75 a week and is virtually sold out for the whole of 2024! But I have clients coming to me and asking if I can work my magic as everything, they are seeing is so expensive this year. The cost of a family holiday is scary for most people and prices have certainly gone up, making it unaffordable even for clients used to luxury.

What to do? Well, booking well in advance is definitely key nowadays. Gone are the last-minute bargains. I would also steer clear of obvious choices. If you go where everyone else wants to go, then you will pay a premium. It’s all about supply and demand. There are still places with availability over the summer and autumn and these hotels would welcome your business. I’ve talked before about thinking outside the box.

Here are a few suggestions:

Some of the best family holidays we had in the summer were in the Alps. Usually gorgeous weather, fresh air, lots of sporting activities, swimming in lakes and pools. Often quite a bit cheaper than going to a beach resort. I also know of some great villas on the Atlantic coast of France in the Lacanau region where you have lovely sandy beaches and lakes, and miles of cycling routes.

This week I would like to share with you my love of Italy and some luxury hotels I have been introduced to recently. Italy is a large and diverse country, with mountains, beautiful coastlines, lakes, and historic cities. One mustn’t also forget the islands of Sardinia, Sicily, Capri and Ischia. All regions have so much to offer and are best explored by car or train, but if you are short on time, you cannot beat a city break in Italy either.

Let’s start with the main cities:

Rome: here you’ll find so much to see, from the Colosseum to the Vatican, and both require time to do them justice. Then there are the Spanish Steps, the piazzas, the food, the ice cream, the fashion and the pizzas! Right in the city centre is The Hoxton, a quirky hotel with 192 rooms which come in all shapes and sizes, with bold furnishings, a farm-to-table restaurant and a great cocktail bar.

If, like me, you visited many places in your distant past and thought you’d “done” Europe and beyond, you might want to reconsider. When I was much younger, I’d visit a new city, walk around the main tourist sights, and then be more interested in where the best discos were! Then there was a period with babies and small children in tow when everything was focused on them.

Often, people tend not to do the sights justice in places where they live and I confess to that, too. Having lived in major cities around the world, I never visited every important landmark, maybe always thinking I had all the time in the world until it was too late and time to move on.

Now I’m more interested in museums, ancient monuments, beautiful parks, churches, and other historical buildings than I am in just lying on the beach. I’d love to go back to Greece and see more of the ancient ruins rather than just getting a tan and eating in tavernas (although that was good fun!). I’d go back to Boston, where I once lived and explore the Freedom Trail, rather than heading for the shopping malls. The same goes for New York, which definitely has more to offer than shopping, pizzas and taking in a show on Broadway. 

You’re never too old for a new travel adventure!

I was inspired this week by my 93-year-old aunt who took herself off to Turkey last Monday for a holiday. Widowed four years ago and never in the best of health, she got a taxi to Stansted airport at 0330, caught her flight at 0530 and was sending me photos of her by the pool in the afternoon. She is travelling alone but has made friends at the hotel and is having a marvellous time!

All sorts of help are available for the more mature traveller, such as Meet and Greet at the airport, buggy transport through the airport, the comfort of an airport lounge and help embarking and disembarking the plane.