Top Travel Experts!

Travel + Leisure's September issue hit newsstands this week, and we are so proud to announce that four Brownell travel consultants have been recognized as the top travel expert in their specialty! On the A-List are: Ellen Lecompte for England, Margret Propper for Alaska, Becky Williams for the Bahamas and the Caribbean, and Susan Sparks for Biking. Travel + Leisure reports on their “favorite finds” and “dream trips.” Read below to see what Ellen, Margret, Becky, and Susan had to say.

Ellen LeCompte: England
Favorite Find: “An evening visit to 18 Folgate Street in London’s East end, where eccentric designer and performer Dennis Severs created an authentic “still-life drama” of a family of 18th-century Huguenot silk weaver. Guests can explore his former residence, which was built in 1724, by candlelight.” Click here to contact Ellen.

Margret Propper: Alaska
Dream Trip: “Flying 50 minutes from Anchorage by floatplane over Cook Inlet to Redoubt Bay Lodge for bear-watching, followed by a trip to Winterlake Lodge to stay in one of the cabins on the lake. Eat freshly caught salmon grilled on an alder plank in the open kitchen of Cordon Bleu-trained chef-owner Kirsten Dixon. Hike and dogsled around the property, located right on the Iditarod trail.” Click here to contact Margret.

Becky Williams: The Bahamas and the Caribbean
Dream Trip: “An escape to the island of Mustique, in the Grenadines, to stay in one of the villas owned by Princess Margaret, Tommy Hilfiger, David Bowie, or another V.I.P. Each has a unique design, from exotic Balinese to traditional Tuscan-style. Cruising around the noise-free island on a “mule” (a tiny vehicle belonging to each villa), and heading down to Basil’s Bar for live music.” Click here to contact Becky.

Susan Sparks: Biking
Favorite Find: “The luxurious new Cliffs Preserve in Patagonia, Chile, which opened in March. The massive preserve covers 8,000 acres of forest and has six pristine miles of oceanfront. Guides lead guests to see the old-growth forests, giant 4,000-year-old Andean alerce trees, and wildlife like the Humboldt and Magellanic penguins. Stay in one of the private residences, with hot tubs and unobstructed ocean views.” Click here to contact Susan.

Jamaica: The Tryall Club

Katherine Gould is a luxury travel consultant for Sterling Brownell. She has just returned from a fabulous time with her family at the Tryall Club in Jamaica. Read on for her reviews.

I recently spent two weeks with my family at The Tryall Club, which is located just outside of Montego Bay in Jamaica. This trip marked my third visit to Jamaica and was by far my best! I'm a Caribbean expert who travels regularly to that part of the world - in fact, I've visited over 20 islands to date. The Tryall Club is a 2200 acre oasis of privately owned villas, set amidst some of the prettiest scenery one could imagine. The property is immense and breathtaking - scenic vistas can be found everywhere, which can be enjoyed not only from the verandahs of most of the villas there but also from the comfort of your own golf cart, which comes with every villa rental.

We opted for a 3 bedroom villa, which ended up being the ideal choice for us. Also included in the villa rental rate was a full staff (consisting of a chef, maid, laundress and gardener). The staff was exceptional. We were treated incredibly well, and I couldn't have been more impressed with their professionalism and the kindness they showed to my children. We also hired a nanny, who was as exceptional as the villa staff. She took care of my daughter each day while we played on the beach with our son.

The Tryall Club is a fantastic destination for families or a group of couples because it offers a wide array of activities. They have a robust tennis program, lovely 18 hole golf course, extensive beach activities, a recently renovated fitness facility that is one of the best I've seen in the Caribbean, as well as a newly expanded Kids Club with many activities offered for Tryall's youngest guests. Another unique aspect of the property is the size and safety of it. Guests can explore freely - we spent hours with our children in the evenings driving around in our golf cart, taking in the beautiful scenery.

Other favorite activities included a glass bottom boat tour at nearby Round Hill resort, kayaking off the beach at Tryall with our little boy, lounging by our private pool (all villas also come with those) and spending evenings with my husband on the verandah overlooking the ocean, enjoying a glass of wine (or two!!!).

There is truly something for everyone at Tryall, and the accommodation choices are vast - guests can choose anything from a 1 to 8 bedroom home, all of which are located in the hills overlooking the ocean or right by the ocean. I personally toured six different villas, and each one I saw was decorated beautifully and offered lovely views.

We did venture off property a bit, hiring the same driver to take us to all of our excursions. He was fantastic and very knowledgable. An additional trip highlight was lunch at a local cafe (which the driver selected and escorted us to), sampling true Jamaican cuisine. The food was divine, and it was a neat cultural experience.

Some people believe Jamaica is unsafe for visitors - I couldn't disagree more - we felt utterly safe wherever we were (on and off property), and I believe the Jamaicans are perhaps the friendliest and most service oriented people in the Caribbean. The staff at Tryall was no exception. They went above and beyond on every detail. The service combined with the natural beauty, luxurious accomodations, and plentiful activity options puts Tryall at the top of my list!

If you are interested in learning more about family travel in the Caribbean, contact Katherine by clicking here. To learn more about Brownell Travel, click here.

Family Time in Jackson Hole and Yellowstone

Caroline Wallace is a luxury travel consultant for Brownell Travel. She has just returned from a family vacation in Jackson Hole and Yellowstone National Park. Read on for her reviews.

I just returned from a wonderful family trip in Jackson and Yellowstone. We saw Old Faithful, the Artist Walk Waterfall, Phelps Lake, and tons of wildlife. Our accomodations were fine, but the trip was excellent because of the time we spent outdoors.

We had the BEST guide (Caroline Wood, also with Brownell, had referred me to a Yellowstone outfitter). Our guide was Mike Bryers who made our day so enjoyable and was great with our girls. I highly recommend him. He drove our Suburban around the Park and knew just where to take us to see lots of wildlife and even timed Old Faithful down to the minute so there was no waiting!

We stayed at the Yellow Stone Lake Hotel one night which is very rustic but has a nice dining room for families. No TV's.

We stayed at Spring Creek Ranch (next to Amangani resort) in Jackson Hole which was actually a disappointment. The condos were quite spacious but in big need of updates. Very old bathrooms and the kitchen felt a little dirty. They do have washer/dryers which was nice.

I recommend this area of the country for families. It was a great way to pull away and be together, and the scenery and wildlife is stunning!

To contact Caroline Wallace, click here. To contact Brownell Travel, click here.

Casa de Campo--Dominican Republic

A group of Brownell's luxury travel consultants just returned from a fabulous trip to Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic. Rene Steele has contributed her insightful review below.

Our trip started off with an early morning flight out of Birmingham at 6:00 AM!! With sleepy eyes and big yawns, we all made it on time….less the “bright eyed and bushy tailed” saying though. Our flight to Atlanta was a quick one, where we stopped and picked up Debbie Fairvalley. Off to Santo Domingo we headed! Arriving to Santo Domingo at approximately 2:00PM that afternoon, we were all a little antsy to say the least. Met by our transfer from Tropical Tours – we boarded the bus for our hour and ½ ride to Casa de Campo. We got to see first hand the locals of the Dominican Republic. With a few naps on the way, we arrive to the property at about 4:00PM that afternoon to a warm welcome from Barbara Kosciuch, the South East Sales Director for Casa de Campo. We were so anxious to get out and stretch our legs and investigate the property!!

After a speedy check in, we all made ourselves at home in our rooms – that’s right – we all had our own rooms with plush king sized beds!! With each “Casita”, a.k.a – a standard room, each of us was also given a “sweet ride” for the weekend – our very own bright red golf cart!! After a day of traveling, we all broke off and did a little investigating of the 7,000 acre property.

We reconvened at 6:30 that evening for a group dinner at Beach Club by Le Cirque. We began the evening with a toast to Brownell with our “Casa de Campo” drinks – a local favorite created by the property that consists of local rums and fruits. Let’s just say, we could have been called “the clean plate club”. The food was delicious and our choices were endless. Most dinned on delicious seafood entrees, while a few non-seafood eaters opted out for scrumptious steak! We were fortunate enough to meet the head chef of the restaurant – a darling Italian man with such a great passion for food. With full stomachs and heavy eyes, we called it a night and retreated to our Casitas, only to prepare for another full day to take in the beautiful Dominican Republic.

After breakfast on our own on Saturday morning, we met at 10:00AM for our personal tour of the property led again by Barbara and a new friend, Madeline, the director of group sales & events at Casa de Campo. Madeline is a darling local, and also newlywed, who has been with the property for about 6 years. Her passion for the property and the country itself was truly unique. We started off what was intended to be a quick tour of the spa. We were actually fortunate enough to be there at the same time as the owner/creator of the new spa. Her name is Cygalle Diaz from New York. Cygalle has been in the Public Relations field most of her life. Born & raised in Australia, she became fond of the holistic practices that are now the backbone of her outstanding spa. She enlightened us on their practices and treatments as we toured the different massage rooms, plunge pools and meditation rooms. We were so fortunate to have an extra special private tour and all enjoyed meeting Cygalle in person.

After touring the spa, we saw the equestrian center (which some of the group tested out later in the day), the private beach and the golf courses. We were also fortunate enough to tour one of the Exclusive Villas on the property that are rented out by Casa de Campo. The villas are independently owned and are amazing. A darling couple from Cuba welcomed us into their 7-bedroom, 3 building villa for a private tour. With its own pool, Jacuzzi, swim up bar and private massage pavilion, lets just say we all did not want to leave. I think that by having another “private tour” made us fall in love with this gorgeous villa. The couple was so sweet and made us feel welcome.

Before ending our tour for lunch, we stopped at Los Altos des Chavon – a trademark of Casa de Campo. Los Altos des Chavon was built to resemble a classic Greek Village. With a rustic looking amphitheater that seats about 3,000 people, a small chapel that holds regular services on Sunday, and several shops & restaurants, Los Altos des Chavon is definitely something to see. A lot of major cruise lines offer a day to Los Altos des Chavon as a shore excursion because there are so many things to do there and because it is SO beautiful and rustic. You would never believe that it was only built a few years ago.

After a busy morning of inspecting, we ended for lunch back out at the Beach Club. It was so nice to sit and enjoy the beautiful ocean and breeze while filling ourselves FULL with more delicious food!

The afternoon was at our leisure. While most of the group saddled up to play cowboy at the equestrian center for the afternoon, a few decided to do a little shopping and “beach inspecting”. A busy and fun afternoon was had by all.

That evening, we all met for our transfer to La Marina for dinner. La Marina is just that – a gorgeous marina on the property, where you can see some of the most exquisite yachts owned by some of the locals. After dinner at the marina, we took time to explore and see the shops and nightlife they had to offer. After one of our group members wandered off – no names mentioned J -- we took a few extra minutes to find our missing teammate. After finding our missing soldier, we boarded the bus and headed back to the main building for one last night of fun. We enjoyed drinks at a little club that had one of the greatest live bands ever! They played fun music with a fantastic local flare. Debbie and Will were the only two brave enough to show off their dance skills before calling it a night.

With an early morning departure on Sunday at about 10:00AM, we said our goodbyes to our new friends at Casa de Campo and boarded the bus for the airport, and eventually our flight back to the US. After a relaxing ride home, we reminisced and laughed about our new memories from an exciting trip to Casa de Campo.

To learn more about Brownell Travel, click here. To contact Rene Steele, click here. To contact a specialist on the Dominican Republic, click here.

Agents in Vegas!

This week, in Las Vegas, is the 20th anniversary of Travel Mart, THE event for the best of the best in travel. Our luxury travel consultants are networking with premier luxury properties and tour companies from all over the world. "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" does not apply to our team this week. They will come away with knowledge galore and "insider tips" to guide them as they prepare to continue traveling and advising travelers to destinations around the globe. (We suspect they are also having a blast in Vegas and fully enjoying the Bellagio hotel!)

Vegas is known as an entertainment mecca--everything from slot machines to five star cuisine. With so much packed in, many visit Vegas and never realize just how much it has to offer. In case you were wondering... here are some interesting facts about Las Vegas and some great reasons to visit, compliments of Weissmann Reports, that you probably did not know even if you have "been there, done that!"

1. The Las Vegas strip is the ONLY designated nighttime scenic American byway and is thought to have more lights per mile than any other destination on earth.

2. Everyone knows the Bellagio for its spectacular fountains, but did you know that it also boasts of a seasonal horticultural conservatory?

3. Vegas was first explored by Mormon missionaries in the mid-1800s, and eventually Las Vegas was founded as a small railroad town on the line connecting Salt Lake City and Los Angeles.

4. The Las Vegas area, situated in one of the hottest and driest locales in the U.S., has 31 major golf courses.

5. Resorts estimate they need five employees to service every room, including housekeeping, entertainment, management and auxiliary functions.

6. The number of employees who work the graveyard shift (generally midnight-8 am) in Las Vegas is the largest per capita in the U.S.

7. Vegas is one of the top three dining destinations in the U.S. Las Vegas employs more master sommeliers than any other city in the world.

8. Between all of its restaurants, the Bellagio sells one US$15,000 bottle of wine each day.

9. The average annual number of sunny days in Las Vegas is 320.

10. The Nevada Test Site, roughly 100 mi/160 km from the Las Vegas city center, conducted a total of 928 tests of atomic bombs, more than 100 above ground.

11. Vegas has an estimated 15,000 mi/24,150 km of neon lighting.

12. Gambling dominates Las Vegas, but the city also offers fine collections of post-Impressionist art, a ballet company, a symphony orchestra and some of the country's leading gourmet restaurants with vast wine cellars.

13. Every year, more than 100,000 couples get married in Las Vegas. Among the famous names have been Elvis and Priscilla Presley, Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow, Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, Michael Jordan, and Joan Collins. Mickey Rooney was married eight times in Las Vegas.

To learn more about Brownell Travel, click here. To contact one of our Vegas specialists, click here.

Peru: Traveling to Cusco

Donna Mills is a Brownell luxury travel consultant. She is currently traveling in Peru. Read on to learn about her first-hand experiences!

I just arrived in Cusco after spending 3 wonderful days in the Amazon at Explorama's Ceiba Tops Lodge. We traveled by fast boat 1 hr up the Amazon to the lodge which was wonderful.

We were lucky enough to see both the Pink and Grey river dolphin, 2 different types of Tamarjin Monkeys and 120 different birds species. My son was thrilled to get a close look at a baby anaconda and see lots of "friendly and not so friendly¨ spiders.

We traveled by boat to visit with he Yagua Indians (one of only 7 tribes left along the Amazon living their native lifestyle)...we all had a try at blowing a spear through a blow gun!.......We also traveled by fast boat to a small village, and then onto a moto-taxi ( A motor cycle with a three passenger cab attached) to another fast boat that took us even further up the Amazon into one of the tributaries. We then hiked for 45 minutes deep into the forest and experienced an incredible canopy walk that spanned 1/3 of a mile with 14 bridges to a height of 120 feet above the jungle floor...WOW!!!!
What an experience!

And now I am writing from 11500ft at the wonderful Orient Express hotel, The Monasterio. The hotel was built in 1590 and is just gorgeous!...The art work, all 16th century, is magnificent. We feel far from our Amazon experience now as we are enjoying the 5-star luxury of the hotel....Our Junior suite is a loft with beautiful furnishing and also has impressive paintings. The Monasterio is the only hotel in the world to offer rooms that are oxygenated! The oxygen is being pumped into our room so that out bodies will feel as if we are only at around 9000 ft.

Tomorrow off to Machu Picchu on the Hiram Bingham...Buenos Noches.

To contact Donna Mills, click here. To learn more about Brownell Travel or adventures in Peru, click here.

Poolside from Ritz Carlton Palm Beach

Haisley Smith is the Marketing Director for Brownell Travel. She is currently in Palm Beach with her mom and sister for a "Girls Getaway." Read on for details about her fabulous trip.

After another embarrassingly hearty breakfast we've settled into our respective pool and ocean-side spots and are prepared to focus all our effort and energy into doing nothing. The poolside and Breeze restaurant staffs make that very easy.

I am going to keep this short because I have a cocktail in one hand and am typing with the other. There are two pools here, one kidney shaped pool between the terrace and Breeze, and another infinity pool on the East side of the property. Both are lovely and not too crowded. I'm presently perched beneath a palm tree on (what I can only awkwardly describe as) a semi-chase. We're unanimous in our decision to waste the day away and not let thoughts of our departure tomorrow cloud our contentment.

This hotel is fabulous and will only get better when the new spa opens late this year.

Palm Beach Shopping

Haisley Smith is the Marketing Director for Brownell Travel. She is currently on a "Girl's Getaway" with her mom and sister in Palm Beach. Read on for her reviews of great spots for shopping and dining.

Breakfast is served! And what a breakfast it is. The Ritz Carlton Palm Beach is a Virtuoso Hotel which gives Brownell Guests (not just the Brownell Marketing Director and company) special ammenities. One of these is daily complimentary breakfast for 2. I'm actually embarrased to divulge ALL that we ordered - let's just say we needed our fuel for a full day of power shopping. The pancakes were superb and the hash browns were the things dreams are made of. We drew the muslin drapes around our terrace for privacy and dined al fresco in our pajamas.

After breakfast we made the short drive along A1A to West Palm's famous shopping district. Big names like Chanel, Gucci, Saks, Jimmy Choo, Ferragamo and Cartier grace the Mediterranean-inspired storefronts along Worth Avenue, but bargain-seekers shouldn't be intimited or skip this shopping district. We found great sales and great service throughout the area. My sister, Winn, described the experience succinctly: "5th Avenue without the attitude." The vias (side streets) are also packed with charming boutiques and fabulous restaurants.


























We selected Ta-Boo for lunch based on a review I read on one of my favorite Internet resources, 10 Best (http://www.10best.com/). Ta-Boo has been a local favorite since the 1940s and is a great spot for people-watching. We were a little taken aback by the menu - a mishmash of everything from Nachos Grande to Osetra Caviar. However our meals (Shrimp Salad, Arugula and Mozzarella sandwich) were fantastic. We decided Ta-Boo has taken the best from each chef throughout the decades and combined it to form their current, eclectic menu.















1-2-3 CHARGE! More shopping, this time to Antique Row. The guidebooks described it as a pedistrian shopping district, but that's not exactly accurate. We felt more like the title character in the video game "Frogger" - running for our lives across several lanes of traffic and hoping not to get squished. Who said several hours of shopping doesn't count for your cardio?

One thing the information we found on the Internet did have right - was the abundance of antiques. There is definitely something for everyone. If you're in the market for an 18th-Century French children's parlor chair ($23,000 USD), I can point you in the right direction. French and Italian pieces were plentiful, but still outnumbered by funky Eames-era pieces and 70s throwbacks. We enjoyed (ok, mainly me) several shops with very hip, vintage lucite and mod pieces.

My mother, Mary Kate, had hoped to find an antique Mah Jong set hidden among the treasures, but had no such luck. We got a tip from a local shopkeeper that Boca Raton had a few antique malls that might have them. So we hopped back in the convertible for a last ditch effort. We found several sets and Mary Kate made us painstakingly go through each one to count and chronicle the condition of the tiles. Boco will forever be known to us as the place where Mah Jong sets go to to die.




























You can only recover for a full-day of shopping by a full-day of lounging by the pool. See you tomorrow.

Ritz Carlton Palm Beach

Haisley Smith is the Marketing Director for Brownell Travel. She is currently in Palm Beach enjoying a "Girl's Getaway." Read on for details about her trip and her review of the Ritz.

There are hotels in destinations and then there are destination hotels. The Ritz Carlton Palm Beach definitely falls into the latter category. This is a spectacular property with pristine views from every room and public space. The property underwent extensive rennovations in 2006-2007 and every inch of the hotel was updated. I'm visiting with my mother and sister for a much-needed girls getaway.

When we arrived this moring - via convertible, a must for travelling along A1A to shops and restaurants - we were greeted warmly by the staff. Our bags were quickly whisked away and check-in was a breeze. Minutes after we settled into our room, a Terrace Suite on the West side of the property, a bellman arrived with our bags. In addition to delivering the bags, he also gave us an overview of the room features and the "pamper panel."

Each of the rooms and suites are appointed with hand-crafted mahogany furnishings, 32-inch LCD Plasma televisions, private balconies and interiors in the sublte shades that match the spectacular sunsets. The Terrace Suite has 2 full marble baths. The master bath features an oversized tub (a work of art) with a view of the ocean and a fabulous marble shower with 3 shower heads - 2 mounted on the wall and 1 from above.

We went off property for dinner, but had cocktails on the terrace by the fire pit. The terrace is served by Stir restaurant and is the happening place once the sun sets for pre and post-dinner cocktails and light snacks and meals. I recommend with some trepidation - the Southern Peach cocktail. Light, refreshing and quite possibly addictive. We also sampled the lobster quesadillas and jumbo lump crab cake with mango salsa. If this snack is any indication of the food we have to look forward to from the other restaurants on property - we're in for a very indulgent weekend!

We didn't have dinner reservations tonight so we decided to cruise through Palm Beach and West Palm (a beautiful 20 minute drive along the coast) and select a restaurant that looked like "our kind of place." We found the perfect ramshackle dive around 9:30pm named "Charley's Crab" right on Ocean Boulevard. The handsome and well-mannered valet should have tipped us off that this was no dive. We were taken aback when we stepped into the beautifully appointed restaurant filled with well-heeled and well-dressed patrons. Not what we had expected - but the food and service blew us out of the water. The lobster spring rolls and chile-encrusted fresh fish were exceptional.

Turks and Caicos: The Regent Palms

Cyndy Stanford is a Brownell luxury travel consultant. She is currently traveling in the Caribbean on Turks and Caicos. Read below for her wonderful review of the Regent Palms.

THE REGENT PALMS

The Regent Palms is a special resort. It is gorgeous, serene, romantic and authentic Caribbean.

The spa is unreal!

Rooms are exquisite with king beds and soothing, tropical decor - wonderful fabrics and high-tech amenities. The rooms are in a pretty garden setting or oceanfront - all beautiful, and the suites are amazing!!

It is quiet with evening candlelight dinners on the terrace, a lovely pool with huge 'beds' and lots of shade where needed.

I highly recommend The Regent Palms!!

To contact Cyndy, click here. To learn more about travel in the Caribbean, click here.