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HTL Professional Purveyors of Travel
HTL
TRAVELTATTLER
THE
TRAVEL NEWS, TIPS AND TIDBITS Q4 2016
LETTER FROM THE CEO
HTL NEWS
SOUTHERN ITALY
OMAN
NORTHERN ITALY
TRAVEL TIPS & TRICKS
TATTLER TIDBITS
H U F F M A N T R A V E L L T D
C H I C A G O • D A Y T O N
Professional Purveyors of Travel
LETTER
FROM THE CEO
Dear Friends of Huffman Travel,
The leaves are changing and there is a chill in the air. Fall is
upon us!
I am happy to report that I’m writing you today from the
porch of my cabin at The Lodge & Spa at Brush Creek Ranch in
Saratoga, WY. I can think of no better backdrop for this girls
getaway (‘Cow Girl Up for The Cure’ supports Susan G. Komen), a
guys getaway (check out their amazing French Creek
Sportsman’s Club!), or an overall week of family fun with no
shortage of activities. This was not my first trip to BCR and it
will certainly not be my last!
Fall is the time of year when we reignite ‘our routine’ and
focus on looking ahead. It’s also the time of year that allows
me to reflect on how grateful we at Huffman Travel are to have
Shawna Huffman Owen on a recent trip to Greece
such wonderful clients and partners. Every year we look
forward to the week after Labor Day when our phone volume
picks up and we hear from many of you … reflecting on your
summer travels and brainstorming where to go next. Thank
you for allowing us to assist you with ‘investing’ your most
precious of all assets: your time. We love creating experiences
that allow you to make the most of your trips, and we relish
the relationships we forge by doing so.
Not only have many of you enjoyed fantastic travels this past
summer, but we at Huffman Travel have been doing our fair
share of globe-trotting as well. We thought it would be fun to
share with you – in a visual way – where your team of Luxury
Travel Advisors have visited this year (see map on page 3).
Please let us know what inspires you…. we’d love to tell you
about our own adventures and find out how we might curate
one for you!
To travel is to live!
Shawna Huffman Owen
President & CEO,
Huffman Travel LTD
T H E T R A V E L T A T T L E R
HTL NEWS
Each year several representatives from Huffman Travel (HTL)
attend the annual Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas. It’s the
largest gathering of luxury travel professionals in the world.
We spend one week deepening our relationships with our
hotel and supplier partners, making sure we are up on the
latest trends in the industry and (overall) being inspired! It’s
also Virtuoso’s opportunity to recognize some of the industry’s
key players with awards, and for industry suppliers to host gala
events for their top partners. Below are a few snapshots of the
HTL team and some of our key associates!
Huffman Travel has been a member of the Virtuoso travel
network for over 15 years and we are pleased to announce
that Tony Huffman, Chairman & CEO, was re-elected by peer
agencies to serve another three year term on Virtuoso’s
Member Advisor y Board (total of 12 members).
Congratulations, Tony! We are also proud to announce that
Huffman Travel was recently recognized by Four Seasons
Hotels as being one of the Top 20 Four Seasons Preferred
Partners based on production.
From time to time, HTL advisors are invited to help shape the
opening of new hotels and resorts worldwide. Krista
Wissinger was selected to sit on Virtuoso’s Preview Board for
Park Hyatt, St. Kitts. She tells us that the inspiration of the
design came from the plantations on the island with a focus on
immersive experiences. This luxe property will be the first of
its kind in St. Kitts and will welcome guests beginning March
1st, 2017!
Virtuoso’s Travel
Week is one of
the largest
gathering of
luxury travel
professionals in
the world.
HTL
2016 TRAVELS
As a company, we believe the best way to advise our clients is to
experience it ourselves. For this very reason, you will see us ‘on the go’
- whether it be a far flung destination we visit on our own or by
participating in leading luxury travel shows around the globe.
With our team ‘all over the map’, we thought we’d have a bit of fun and
put together a visual that illustrates where we have collectively been
this year - and it’s impressive!
“Capri has been dazzling
for decades.”
- Monique Owen
SOUTHERN ITALY
Italy consistently ranks among the to the iconic Amalfi coast. I highly
top travel lists of globetrotters and recommend private ground services
it’s not hard to see why. The in this region. Not only are the
endless pursuit of “La Dolce Vita”… Amalfi Coast roads not for the faint
perfectly sun-ripened sweet of heart, but our wonderful ground
tomatoes, soft white mozzarella services team took us from Rome
cheese, and lazy, wine soaked (after a leisurely breakfast), to
lunches. The country that resembles Pompeii (where we enjoyed a
a boot has an abundance of privately guided tour and a quick
culture, charm and history making pit stop for pizza,) and, finally, on
it not just a “one and done” travel to Sorrento, where we boarded a
proposition, but a country that hydrofoil….and found ourselves
beckons for many a return visit. poolside at our hotel by 4:30pm.
This was my second visit to
My family and I arrived to Capri in Pompeii and a real highlight for our
late June ready for some fun in the children; ages 4, 6 and 8.
sun after a whirlwind tour around
Italy (Positano, Pisa, Lucca, Boats arrive to Capri at “Marina
Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Grande”, which in the peak of
Cortona and Rome). We had a summer is a bustling hive of tourists
private driver transfer us from Rome and activity. Our on-site team
T H E T R A V E L T A T T L E R
Amalfi, continued
was waiting for us as we stepped off Perhaps our favorite day was spent at
the hydrofoil and we swiftly embarked La Fontelina beach club. We’ve all
one of Capri’s soft top taxis. The heart seen the classic Slim Aarons
of Capri is a ‘pedestrian only’ oasis of photographs of the beach club dotted
cobblestone pathways with charming with blue and white umbrellas…and
boutiques and restaurants. After the reality does not disappoint. A short
hopping out of our taxi, the last part of walk down a beautiful, winding path
the journey to our hotel was only 5 with views of the blue sea below
minutes on foot and a wonderful (dotted with mega yachts!) brought us
immersion into the allure of Capri. to a wonderful oasis. A friendly
The island’s Tiberio Palace would be attendant settled us into our comfy
our home for the next 4 nights. sunbeds and we spent the day laying
in the sun and swimming in the sea
We spent our first day on a private with the famous Il Faraglioni islands as
boat touring the local regions of the our backdrop.
Amalfi Coast. Soaking up the sun,
stopping for a swim and, ultimately, a It’s not hard to see how Capri has been
delicious lunch at La Conca del Sogno dazzling for decades….and I am
were true highlights. Afterward, it was certain this wasn’t a a “one and done”
back on the boat to tour the green and visit for my mia familia!
blue grottoes of Capri. I recommend
arriving to the Blue Grotto late enough
in the day to avoid all the tourist boats
and to swim freely in the electric blue Monique Owen
waters. Luxury Travel Advisor
monique@huffmantravel.com
T H E T R A V E L T A T T L E R
“In a word?
Tranquil.”
OH MY OMAN - Shelane Nunnery
When I told friends that my husband and I were going to visit The Sultanate
of Oman in April, the first inevitable question I was asked was, “Is it safe?”.
Not only is it safe, it is one of the most beautiful countries I’ve ever seen.
Positioned on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, this arid
country offers visitors jaw-dropping vistas with rugged mountains and
canyons at every turn. The capital city of Muscat is beautiful, clean and
quite cosmopolitan…..and set on the edge of the Arabian Sea. Our visit
included everything from fine dining, wonderful wines (discovery: Lebanon
produces rather memorable cabernets!), spa time, shopping, hiking,
swimming, and 4x4 outings in the Al Hajar mountains. In terms of
activities, the possibilities are infinite!
We stayed at the Chedi Muscat upon arrival and acclimated to the time
change in their incredible spa. The Chedi is situated on the water and the
spa’s lounge area offers stunning views of the sea. In a word? Tranquil. It is
very contemporary and chic, while feeling quite exotic and arabesque. We
used this as our home base as we toured the city of Muscat with private
guides, and it was there that we visited a luxury parfumerie and Muscat’s
impressive and lavish Grand Mosque.
For our ‘desert adventure’, we lodged at Alila’s Jabal Akhdar, a luxurious
and rustic resort that is perched at the mouth of a dramatic gorge,
surrounded by mountains. After rigorous hikes in the local area, we had
truly earned the spa time and infinity pool’s awe-inspiring views. This was
our favorite hotel simply due to the fact that the setting was so raw and
magical. I will never forget the night sky’s endless stars, nor the sight of a
lighting storm approaching over the mountains as the sun was setting. It
was an incredible place to disconnect from the world and re-connect with
my husband.
I found everyone we met to be warm and welcoming, the country’s
infrastructure to be quite sound (in fact, impressive), and the
accommodations utterly luxurious. For travelers with an appetite for
adventure, the exotic, and for the great outdoors….Oman is a destination
that should not be overlooked.
Shelane Nunnery
Luxury Travel Advisor
shelane@huffmantravel.com
T H E T R A V E L T A T T L E R
“The Dolomites are the
most dramatic
mountains I’ve ever
seen.”
- André Koester
NORTHERN ITALY
My husband and I take a week-long day there was seeing the opera
trip alone every July. It’s very good ‘Carmen’ under the stars.
for the marriage given the fact that
we have four young sons. This year Our next few days were spent
we decided to explore some parts enjoying beautiful Lake Garda,
of Italy we’d never been to: Lake which is the largest of the Italian
Garda and the Dolomite Lakes, but not nearly as well
Mountains. known as Lake Como. We stayed
at Villa Feltrinelli, which is a
Our first stop was Lake Garda. We gorgeous 20-room hotel on Lake
flew direct from NYC to Venice, Garda’s shore. It has a lovely pool,
and spent our first day exploring a wonderful spa, and service that is
Verona since it is halfway between beyond compare. By our second
Venice and Lake Garda. Verona is day there all the staff knew our
a charming, medieval city with coffee order for breakfast and our
narrow streets and beautiful preferred drink for cocktails. Even
architecture. There is a huge arena though it was difficult to leave Villa
from the Middle Ages right in the Feltrinelli, there are several
center of the city that has a full charming towns to explore on Lake
schedule of evening operas all Garda that can be reached by car
summer long. The highlight of our or by chartering a boat. We chose
Italy, continued
the latter and loved visiting Salo for its stylish shops, mountains (some as long as a kilometer) that were
Sirmione for its dramatic Roman architecture, and made by Italians and Austrians during WWI, as that
Isola di Garda, a private island in the center of the area was a major front during the war. We had a
lake and the home of a stunning palazzo. There are great hiking guide on several of our days who
lots of great restaurants where you can dock for an showed us the most scenic routes and explained
alfresco seafood lunch and we loved jumping off the much of the WWI history. He wanted us to try via
boat for a swim. ferrata, but we told him we’d bring our sons
back to do that! He informed us
Next on our itinerary was San
that the Dolomites are
Cassiano in the Dolomites.
incredibly popular with
The Dolomites are about
families – both children
an hour and a half drive
a n d t e e n s l ove t h e
north from Lake Garda.
climbing and the thrill
They are the most
of via ferrata. We ate
dramatic, beautiful
as well for dinner as
mountains I’ve ever
we did for lunch, as
seen and a great
there are numerous
destination, both
Michelin-starred
summer and winter.
restaurants scattered
Summer activities
throughout the
include hiking, biking,
rregion. Our hotel, The
rock climbing and a
Rosa Alpina, was a
type of climbing called
highlight that manages to
via ferrata. Via
be cozy and chic at the same
ferrata involves climbing while
time.
clipped into steel cables, ladders
and other anchors that are affixed to the After a great week, we had a 2.5-hour
mountain, allowing those not as experienced to hike drive to Venice airport for our direct flight home
dramatic ledges and climb vertical walls. It was my to New York. We promised each other that we’d
husband’s suggestion to go to the Dolomites, and I come back to both locales – a successful trip in
was a bit hesitant as I am not really the outdoorsy my book!
type, but I ended up loving our time there. We
would hike in the mornings, enjoying amazing vistas e.
at every turn, and follow our hikes with lunch at a
rifugio. Rifugio is translated as a “mountain refuge”,
André Koester
Luxury Travel Advisor
but is really a cozy restaurant/inn on the mountain
andre@huffmantravel.com
with delicious food and good wine. What made it
even better was we could take a cable car or chairlift
up and hike down if we weren’t feeling up for a
major trek. One day we explored tunnels in the
T H E T R A V E L T A T T L E R
TRAVEL Professional Purveyors of Travel
TIPS & TRICKS
PACKING &
PLANNING
FOR…..
AMALFI COAST DOLOMITES
• Do: Consider making Capri your • • Do: See an open-air opera in the
one base for a stay on the Amalfi Verona Arena. It is a highlight of a trip
coast. Unpack, settle in and use to Northern Italy, but tickets need to
charter boats and the wonderful be purchased in advance for decent
seats.
public hydrofoils and ferries to
explore neighboring regions like • Do: Splurge to charter a boat on Lake
Positano, Amalfi, Nerano, etc. Garda. The towns worth seeing are
far from each other by car, so going by
• Do: Bring an extra bag for the boat is more efficient, not to mention
amazing shopping on offer. more scenic and fun!
• Don’t: Miss a day at La Fontelina • Do: Bring a wrap or jacket for the
Beach Club. Dolomites in the summer, as the
temperatures drop in the evening.
• Don’t: Bother packing heels. The
charming cobblestone laneways will • Don’t: Miss lunch at a refugio in the
wreak havoc on your stroll to Dolomites. The food and wine are as
dinner. Flat sandals or wedges are good as the view.
the way to go. • Don’t: Forget sturdy walking shoes
and a daypack for hiking in the
Dolomites.
T H E T R A V E L T A T T L E ROUR
ADVISORS
Each issue of Travel Tattler will help you ‘get to
know’ two fabulous members of the Huffman
Travel team..and what makes them so passionate
about travel!
SANDI TODOROVICH
After graduating from Michigan State University in
1998 and doing a month-long tour of Europe, Sandi
realized she had found her passion in traveling. Since
then, she has cultivated this fervor by exploring the
world as much as possible. Recently living in both
London and Copenhagen for 6 years allowed her to
travel the world extensively and shaped her decision to
move out of the accounting/finance arena and develop
a career in travel, and she hasn't looked back since.
Her trip to Turks & Caicos this October will put her at
country #49, and there is no slowing down in sight.
JAYME HOOD Sandi's passions include photography, fine dining,
wine, hiking, and adventure, and she tries to
Born and raised in Dayton, OH, with a degree in Business incorporate as much of this as possible into her
Management, Jayme worked in the finance industry for six personal travel. Due to her enthusiasm for trying the
years until she started to feel like something was missing. So, newest and best places to wine and dine, as well as
she decided to follow her heart, taking her love of locating the best vantage points everywhere she travels,
experiencing other cultures and making it into a career in the she is a consummate source of knowledge on the
travel industry. She is thrilled to have joined her uncle, Jeff hottest restaurants and hidden gems in each city. "Go
Hood, on the Huffman Travel team! where the locals go" is something she takes to heart.
Jayme brings fresh passion for travel to the office. She Sandi considers herself lucky enough to not be able to
appreciates learning about other cultures and is fascinated by pinpoint a favorite travel experience, but there are a
rich histories, beautiful architecture and profound customs. In few that come to mind whenever she's asked. Hot air
her free time, Jayme enjoys outdoor activities like hiking, is an ballooning over the fairy chimneys in Cappadocia,
avid sports fan and loves to cook! hiking through Petra/Bedouin, camping in Wadi Rum,
and traveling around Nepal are three that stick out in
Jayme has most recently become Huffman Travel’s newest her mind.
Disney specialist. She has also taken a deep dive into stunning
Spain, visiting Seville, Cordoba, Madrid and Barcelona!
Jayme sees travel not only as an opportunity to see beautiful
parts of the world, but also a chance to experience life from
another perspective. She brings that philosophy to her work as
the foundation for the adventures that she and her clients will
plan together. T H E T R A V E L T A T T L E RProfessional Purveyors of Travel
TRAVEL TATTLER
TIDBITS
SERENE SANCTUARY IN RIVIERA MAYA
Rosewood Mayakoba may very well be Riviera Maya’s best kept secret! A
Huffman Travel staff favorite, this 1,600 acre resort sits on a mile-long stretch of
pristine Caribbean sand. We love the outdoor showers, rooftop decks and kids
activities center with a focus on nature! Activities abound with three
swimming pools, a state-of-the-art fitness center and on-site golf. Indulge
body and soul at SENSE, the 17,000 square foot tropical spa that lies on its
own island. Secluded from the rest of the resort, this spa offers an array of
treatments inspired by the resort’s natural and magical setting. With multiple
restaurants to choose from, you may never want to explore the dining options
in nearby Playa del Carmen!
MEXICO CITY’S LUXE LAS ALCOBAS
Starwood Luxury Collection’s recently added Las Alcobas a contemporary,
boutique hotel located in the heart of Mexico City’s chic Polanco area (think Rodeo
Drive). The 35 sophisticated rooms range from guest rooms, deluxe suites and
Penthouses with verandas, but our favorite are the corner rooms that serve up
panoramic views of the Polanco neighborhood. Special touches? A menu of
hand-made soaps for every guest to choose, free snacks and soft drinks from the
mini bar, and sumptuous spa bathrooms in every room. Acclaimed Chef Justin
Ermini created a concept inspired by international dishes with a farm-to-table
driven ingredients menu at Anatol, while Dulce Patria offers a contemporary version
with exquisite presentation of Mexican cuisine. Las Alcobas is the perfect ‘launching
off point’ to explore the city’s amazing cultural and archeological scene, contemporary
art and culinary scene.
ROMANCE ON THE SHORES OF LAKE ORTA
Another favorite from revered J.MAK Hospitality, this enchanting haven is a mere 45
minute drive from Milan’s Malpensa airport, yet you’ll feel a world away. Set on a hill
overlooking Lake Orta, Villa Crespi was built in 1879 and the villa’s arabesque
architecture and stunning gardens are a magical backdrop for your Italian getaway. As
part of the Relais & Chateaux collection, this lovely property will not disappoint
culinary travelers! Chef Antonio Cannavacciuolo’s masterful cuisine takes you on an
itinerary from southern to northern Italy. Rooms are opulent, traditional and colorful
with four poster beds and intricate parquet flooring. Pamper yourself with an
Ayurveda treatment using local organic ingredients after a day of exploring the
charming medieval village of Orta with its cobbled streets and tiny cafes.
H U F F M A N T R A V E L L T D
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