Services
You tell me where you’d like to go and what matters to you. I vet the hotels, sort out the details with them, book in your name and stay reachable while you travel.
A call of about thirty minutes. To find out what this trip is really about. The answer is rarely the same as the first description.
A shortlist of three to five hotels. For each one: why it’s on the list and what speaks against it. There’s no hotel without a counter-argument.
The room category, not just the hotel. On many trips it matters more than the address. I find out which category has the view shown in the photos, which has been renovated and where the surcharge only buys square metres.
Coordination with the hotel. The occasion, arrival time and requests are set down in writing beforehand, not mentioned at reception.
Transfers, restaurants and experiences, if you want them. Not a list of thirty suggestions, but the ones that suit you.
A one-page itinerary. Times, addresses, confirmations, contacts.
Reachable during the trip. If something isn’t right, you message me and I deal with it. I’m not available around the clock, so I don’t promise that.
The method
The first two are part of every plan. The third is an addition I offer when it adds something to your trip and I have a suitable contact.
1Fit Check
Before I look at a single hotel, I clarify with you:
The most useful point is the one almost nobody mentions unprompted: what shouldn’t happen.
2Hotel Check
I check every hotel on the shortlist for:
How quickly and precisely a hotel answers a specific question often says more than any review.
3Local Check where possible
Through my studies and the hotel industry, I know people who live and work in different countries. If it’s relevant to your trip and I know someone at the destination, I ask for an extra perspective: on the neighbourhood, the season, a particular hotel.
This is a possible addition, not a guaranteed service. For many destinations I have no contact, and in that case I say so beforehand.
The decisions and the flights.
You decide which hotel it will be. I recommend; I don’t choose for you.
You pay the hotel or booking partner directly. I book in your name. No money for travel services passes through me, and that’s deliberate: your booking never depends on my account.
You book the flight. I advise on the choice of connection but don’t issue flight tickets.
The process
You describe where you’d like to go or how the trip should feel. Within 48 hours you get an honest assessment of whether and how that works with your dates and budget.
About thirty minutes by phone or video. Then you receive a proposal with the scope of work and, if a fee applies, a fixed price. I start only once you say yes.
Three to five hotels, each with reasoning and a counter-argument. You decide, I book.
You receive the itinerary. If something isn’t right on site, you get in touch with me.
Example
A made-up example for illustration, not a real client trip. The options are hotel types, not specific hotels.
A couple from Zurich, ten days in May, tenth wedding anniversary. Both work a lot, love good food and would rather not drive.
Portugal. Quiet, but not remote. A few days in a city, the rest in the countryside or by the sea.
Option A
For: Everything in one place, reliable service, pool and beach.
Against: Without a car you barely get out, and from day four the routine is hard to tell apart from other resorts.
Option B Recommended
For: The city first, while energy is high. Then calm. An organised transfer instead of a rental car.
Against: Two stops means packing one more time, and a small estate often has only a small restaurant.
Option C
For: Maximum calm, one hotel, no transfer.
Against: For two people who love good food, the choice gets thin after a few evenings.
In the city hotel, the surcharge for a category on the quiet side is worth it, because the cheapest rooms in old-town locations often face the alley. On the estate, probably not, if all rooms share the same view and the surcharge only buys space.
If I know someone who lives in Lisbon or works in its hotel industry, I ask which neighbourhood is quiet at night and which restaurant is almost impossible without a reservation. If I don’t know anyone, this step is dropped.
Two hotels that suit the occasion, the right category in both, a transfer in between, three restaurants chosen for a reason instead of a long list, and a one-page itinerary.
Fees
The initial assessment and introductory call are free. Depending on the scope and complexity of the trip, a planning fee may apply. Before any costs arise, you receive a clear proposal outlining the service and fixed fee. I begin only after your explicit approval. No additional charges are made without renewed approval.
Depending on the booking channel, I may receive a commission from the hotel or booking partner. Before booking, I compare the price, conditions and included benefits and explain which booking channel will be used.
You never pay me for travel services; you pay the hotel or booking partner directly.
No flight tickets. I advise on the connection but don’t issue tickets.
No package holidays in my own name. I arrange individual services with the respective providers and don’t act as a tour operator.
No budget travel. Below a certain level my work no longer makes a difference. Then you’re better off booking yourself, and I’ll tell you so beforehand.
No destination I can’t assess. If I’m not the right person for your destination, I’ll say so and refer you on.