What is The Curated Getaway?

The Curated Getaway (TCG) offers customized travel advising and planning. We provide highly tailored, luxury travel experiences for solo travelers, couples and groups. We can help with everything from the big picture (flights, accommodations, and ground transportation) to the smallest of details (restaurant reservations, activities, and even the type of champagne you prefer to have waiting for you on ice). Our curators are experts in travel and in bending over backwards to help you enjoy your vacation. We flourish in handling the hassles of travel so you don't have to do anything but sit back and relax.

Isn’t a luxury travel advisor just a rebranded way of saying travel agent?

TCG is not your parents’ travel agent.  While we can book your airfare and accommodations, we go so much further than that.  TCG gets to know you in advance to find out your wants and needs on a vacation. We then use our resources to tailor your vacation to your specifications.  Best of all, TCG belongs to a network of luxury travel programs that offer perks and amenities that travel agents of yesterday could not access.

Can’t I just book my own travel?

Well, you could, but when you can get free perks, amenities, and potential upgrades by working with a luxury travel advisor, why would you?  Let’s break it down:  

You book a five-star hotel in New York City on a travel website like Expedia.  The cost is $500 per night.  Because you booked the hotel on Expedia and not part of their preferred travel program that you don’t have access to, you are given a less desirable room in the room category you booked (near the elevator or on a noisy floor).  If something goes wrong, you need to deal with it directly with the hotel.  No perks or amenities are included.

OR

TCG books you the five-star hotel in New York City.  The cost is the same at $500 per night.  Because the hotel is part of the Virtuoso network and TCG is affiliated with Virtuoso, you receive the most desirable room in that room category.  You also receive a complimentary full breakfast for two each morning, a $100 food and beverage credit to use in the hotel, a complimentary upgrade to a better room type if available, early check-in and late checkout if available, and a welcome amenity in your room.  If something goes wrong, TCG deals with it directly with the hotel and you don’t have to get involved.

Not only has TCG saved you time, they’ve saved you money ($70 for breakfast each day, $100 in F&B), they’ve gotten you a nicer room, and they’ve saved you an uncomfortable conversation with the hotel if you run into an issue.

TCG has mentioned Virtuoso several times, but I still don’t understand what Virtuoso is and how that benefits me? 

TCG is a member of Virtuoso.  Virtuoso is the by-invitation-only, world’s leading luxury travel network.  Drawing upon its preferred relationships with the world’s best hotels and resorts, cruise lines, airlines, tour companies, and premier destinations, Virtuoso provides its clientele with exclusive amenities, rare experiences, and privileged access.  As a Virtuoso client, you will receive complimentary amenities such as upgrades, breakfast, hotel credit, access to special offers, and VIP treatment.

What about non-Virtuoso hotels?  Do I still get perks by booking a hotel through TCG that isn’t part of the Virtuoso network?

In many cases, yes.  In addition to TCG’s affiliation with Virtuoso, TCG is also affiliated with top travel brands’ preferred agency programs, including Rosewood Elite, Four Seasons Preferred, Ritz-Carlton & Marriott Luxury Stars, Belmond Bellini Club, and more than a dozen other comparable programs. All of these programs provide TCG’s clients with special added values, perks and upgrades.  TCG has preferred partner program status and special client privileges with the following top luxury brands:

Abercrombie & Kent, Alila, Aman, Ama Waterways, American Queen, Andaz, Auberge, Azamara, Banyan Tree, Belmond , Bulgari, Celebrity, Conrad, Cunard, Cuvee, Dorchester Collection, Doyle Collection, Edition, Explora Journeys, Faena, Fairmont, Four Seasons, Giltedge, Grand Hyatt, Holland America, InterContinental, Jumeirah, JW, Kempinski, Kimpton, Langham, Leading Hotels of the World, Lindblad, Luxury Collection,LXR, Mandarin Oriental, Micato Safaris, Miraval, Montage, National Geographic, Natural Habitat, Norwegian, Oceania, Oetker, One & Only, OneFineStay, Orient Express, Park Hyatt, Paul Gauguin, Pendry, Peninsula, Ponant, Preferred Hotels, Princess, Quark, Red Carnation, Relais & Chateaux, Regent Hotels, Regent Seven Seas, Ritz-Carlton, Ritz-Carlton Yachts, Rocco Forte, Rosewood, Royal Caribbean, SBE, Seabourn, SeaDream, Shangri-La, Silversea, Singita, Six Senses, SLS, Small Luxury Hotels, Sofitel, St. Regis, Star Clippers, Tablet, Tauck, TCS, Vermejo/Ted Turner Reserves, Thompson, True Travel, Uniworld, Viking, Virgin Hotels, Virgin Voyage, W, Waldorf-Astoria, Wilderness Safaris &Beyond

I need help planning a day trip - or just a long weekend.  Can you do that?

Absolutely! Sometimes the intricacies of packing everything in during a short trip can be as challenging as a long vacation. We can help you get the most bang out of your limited time away.

I have no idea where I want to go.  I just need a vacation.  Can you help me figure this out?

Definitely. Once you've decided to work with us, we will send you a questionnaire that will help us narrow down the endless options and discover the perfect experience for you.  

I’m having a destination wedding/bachelor(ette) party/family reunion/honeymoon/40th birthday party.  Can you help with the travel planning and the event planning?

Yes.  Not only are we experts at travel planning, we are also experts in event planning - we've planned everything from birthday parties to weddings to family reunions to black-tie galas for non-profits.  Our talent for determining what you want out of your vacation also translates to determining what you want out of your event.  And our attention to detail will ensure that your event runs as smoothly as your travel.  There is a supplemental fee for event planning based on the size of the project and optional add-ons like sending TCG to perform an on-site visit or offer event planning services before or during the event. 

My company would like to host a corporate retreat.  Can you plan corporate travel?

Whether a 150-person corporate retreat or corporate travel for a one-person business trip, TCG uses its leverage with preferred hotels and resorts to get you the best possible rates, perks, and amenities.  TCG’s experience with planning and hosting Fit & Fly retreats will ensure an extremely detail-oriented retreat for your company that runs smoothly.

Do you offer pre-packaged tours or retreats that I can join in as a solo traveler?

TCG plans custom vacations from the ground up so that everything is specifically tailored to your wants and needs. No one-size-fits-all planning here! If you would like to join in on a fitness, wellness and/or cultural retreat, please visit our other company, Fit & Fly.

Should I purchase travel insurance and can you book this for me?

We strongly recommend travel insurance. You never know when a family member might become ill before you leave for vacation or a hurricane is barreling down on the Caribbean island you are planning to visit. TCG works with many of the top travel insurance companies in the world and can book travel insurance that best meets your needs, including Allianz’s Cancel Anytime policy.

I want to surprise my spouse/fiancé/girlfriend/boyfriend with something special on the trip.  Can you arrange anything - or even help me come up with some ideas?

Yes, this is when the travel planning process becomes even more fun! How about a photo shoot in Paris with a professional photographer followed by a picnic prepared by a personal chef? Or a "sleeping under the stars" experience with the bed in your suite moved up to your private rooftop overlooking the ocean? We have other ideas up our sleeve. Let’s chat.

Can you plan a vacation for me anywhere in the world?

Almost always. If we don’t have personal knowledge of a location, TCG belongs to a network of travel advisors (other “curators”) who do. If we don’t feel like we can plan the perfect vacation for you, we will always be upfront with you about that before you’ve ever had to pay a deposit. 

What if the hotel prices drop after I’ve booked. Can you get some of my money back for me?

We will certainly try!  One of the benefits of booking with The Curated Getaway is that we keep an eye on changing prices that occur after booking.  If prices drop, you better believe we’re on the phone immediately trying to negotiate a refund of the difference.

While we're on the subject of money, do you charge a fee travel planning?

If you already know where you want to travel and you only want your hotel booked, TCG can pull a selection of hotels for you and book the hotel of your choosing at no cost to you.  This includes complimentary perks, amenities, or upgrades that are offered via TCG’s affiliation with Virtuoso and various preferred agency programs.

If you do not know where you want to travel and need various locations researched or you need more in-depth travel planning, there is an associated fee.  We charge a travel planning fee that takes into account the hours of research and booking that goes into creating your travel experience. The fee varies depending on the length of your vacation, the amount of people traveling, and the level of detail you need planned.  Please keep in mind that the cost of the vacation (airfare, hotel/villa, activities, meals) is on top of the travel planning fee.  

What are your payment terms?

Once we’ve decided to work together, we require a $250 non-refundable deposit before we get into the specifics of planning your travel. 

What happens if I need assistance while traveling? Am I on my own at that point?

We are there to help you through every step of the travel process - from the initial decisions about where to travel all the way through your return home.  In other words, we are your on-call concierge while you are traveling, and if you need anything, we're there to help.