thank you, Ritz Paris

hardworking concierge at the Ritz Paris

Travel plans don't always go smoothly... and when the travel gods throw wrinkles into our journeys, this is when truly great hotels shine. Ritz Paris offered us gracious hospitality and incredible service during such a time (just yesterday).

I had flown to Paris after my Baltic cruise to meet my daughter. She was arriving the next morning to begin a Masters program at Parsons Paris and to move into an apartment for the duration. After a month of jumping through French bureaucratic hoops, she, her boyfriend, and their two dogs enjoyed the flight over on La Compagnie. They made their way, luggage in tow, to her new apartment. On arrival, the door to the building was locked, and the building manager was nowhere to be seen.

What to do in the early morning, on a Sunday, in August, in Paris? You will not be surprised that the only response to our repeated phone calls was voice mail. We left messages. We left more messages. None were not returned. What to do? Where to turn?

Ritz Paris was a true angel in a time of near panic. I approached guest reception. Would my daughter and her two dogs be welcome to hang out in our room? Mais oui, but of course was the immediate response, without a moment of hesitation.

They left a massive amount of luggage with the bell captain, made their way up to our Junior Suite, and camped out for the day. They enjoyed showers and got some much needed sleep.

But how to get her into her own apartment? My phone calls were getting no response, so I turned to Didier, the hardworking concierge pictured above. Explaining the problem, Didier got to work. I don't know how he did it ... but after hours of perseverance, he eventually got the manager of the leasing company on the phone. Ultimately he got through to the building manager. Bottom line: my daughter received her key late last night ... and she'll be able to move in today.

This story of great service doesn't end there. Remember the ton of luggage that was checked at the front door of the Ritz? I got them a room at the Castille, directly behind the Ritz on Rue Cambon. The Ritz bell captain rolled the trolly of luggage through a subbasement of the Ritz to the back of the hotel and across the street to the front door of the Castille.

No one could expect better service, and I am deeply grateful. I showed it to my wonderful hosts at Ritz Paris as best I could (will need to get some more euro notes this morning). So a story with a happy ending!

copyright (c) 2019 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

tour guides | don't "settle" for your cab driver

Hector, our exceptional tour guide in Costa Rica (c) 2017 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

I just read a travelogue by one of my favorite bloggers, Ben Schlappig of One Mile at a Time. Ben's expertise consists of his encyclopedic knowledge of using "miles" to book premium airline flights and hotel stays. Ben, in addition, has a thorough knowledge of various credit cards and their benefits and sign-up bonuses. I've used his service to book award flights.

Ben's story illustrates why arranging tour guides is an art.  While visiting Jerusalem with his mother, they planned to do some sightseeing. Armed with a list of specific sights they wanted to see, they hopped in a cab to their first destination. The cab driver offered to be their tour guide for the day, and they accepted.

The experience was not what they hoped for. The driver had his own ideas of what they should see and refused to take them to some of the sites on their list. He disparaged some of the Christian sites that Ben's mother wanted to visit. And, perhaps most typical of these kinds of "guides," he insisted on taking them to a tourist shop outside the city to buy a few souvenirs they intended to purchase. It ended up being a crappy, tourist-trappy store, its parking lot filled with tour busses. Once the driver pocketed his commission, the tour suddenly ended, and Ben and his mom were driven straight back to their hotel.

There are exceptional tour guides out there who will treat you to a truly exceptional experience. You'll hear stories, see sights, and gain insights that you'll remember for the rest of your life. Hector (pictured above) was our knowledgeable and personable tour guide in Costa Rica. His love for the animals and plant life of the rain forest was obvious ... and he was a hilarious story teller. I'll never forget his account of the two times he gave tours to "Mr. Jimmy" and his wife Rosalyn. (Yes, that Mr. Jimmy, the 39th President of the United States).

When and where do you find the "best of the best" tour guides? Definitely NOT in the driver's seat of your taxi. Likely NOT at the concierge desk the day before you want to take a tour. And most likely NOT if you start enquiring a few months before your trip; the best guides always get booked first ... and you'll be left with the "best of the rest."

My advice: contact your luxury travel advisor six months or a year before your trip. Sometimes we'll have a personal relationship with a great independent guide, and we can connect you. More often, we will turn to our in-country Virtuoso partners; they have the specialized expertise required to pair you with a guide best suited to you, your family, and your interests.

copyright (c) 2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

how to get between Vancouver and Whistler

horse drawn carriage in Stanley Park, (c) 2017 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Be watching for our Top Ten List from Virtuoso Travel Week. In the meantime, I wanted to pass along a simple tip I learned from our rep from the Four Seasons Whistler.

The drive from the Vancouver airport to Whistler is 84 miles, just over two hours by car according to google maps. What's the best way to make the transfer?

(1) Hiring a limo is the most costly but most luxurious option (unless you want to rent a helicopter). If you're looking for a luxury experience, from the moment you board your flight and sit in your First Class seat, this may just be the ticket for you.

(2) It used to be possible to take the Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Whistler, but now that leg is only available as part of one of their three day train expeditions to Lake Louise or Banff ... highly recommended trips, by the way!

(3) I wouldn't recommend the horse-drawn carriage in the picture above, as it's probably not the best way to journey 84 miles!

(4) Here's the tip: book a one way car rental in each direction. If you make your rental through the Avis office in Whistler, there's no drop-off charge. This saves you the not-insignificant daily parking fee at your resort in Whistler. The Avis office is in the lobby of Whistler Cascade Lodge, and you can telephone at (604) 932-1236.

Or the concierge at Four Seasons Whistler or Fairmont Chateau Whistler can make the rental arrangements for you. We can get you Preferred Partner or Virtuoso amenities at either of these resorts.

copyright (c) 2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

how to visit Pearl Harbor

Want to visit Pearl Harbor this summer? Here are two top tips:


(1) Stay at the Four Seasons Oahu so that you won't have to drive through the heavy Honolulu rush-hour traffic to get to Pearl Harbor. If you're traveling with your children, I especially recommend the Family Getaway Package. You'll get a second (connecting) room at 50% off. All children aged 5 and under receive complimentary meals (excludes in-room dining and pool/beach dining), and children between 5 and 12 years of age can enjoy complimentary access to the resort's Kids For All Seasons program. A three night minimum stay is required, and the normal deposit and cancel deadlines apply.

Best of all, the Four Seasons Preferred Partner amenities apply to both rooms! Don't know what they are? I'm not permitted to publish them on a public website, but just email for a complete list of FSPP amenities at every Four Seasons worldwide! I can tell you that the free breakfasts alone will save you hundreds of dollars over a typical stay.


(2) Visiting Pearl Harbor. The USS Arizona Memorial is a must-see attraction. Tickets are complimentary on a first come, first serve basis, meaning you need to arrive early to get yours. Does the idea of fighting traffic, finding parking, and queueing up for tickets not appeal to you? Here are some better ways to visit Pearl Harbor.

Pearl Harbor Excursion — a group tour — you'll be picked up at the Four Seasons on Sundays, Tuesday, Wednesdays, and Fridays to visit the USS Arizona Memorial. No logistics to worry about. Pickups are scheduled at 6:30 a.m. with returns at 10:30 a.m. ($38 adults, $30 children + taxes and fees)

Pearl Harbour Remembered — a group tour — includes the USS Arizona and Battleship Missouri and continues with a drive through Historic Downtown Honolulu and the National Memorial of the Pacific. Pick up is at 8:30 a.m. with your return at 3:30 p.m. ($102 adults, $82 children + taxes and fees)

Most highly recommended — a private tour, available seven days a week (3 hour minimum @ $157.07 per hour + individual tickets) for up to 6 guests. This tour can be customized to include the exactly the attractions you're interested in.


I can put this all together for you — your reservation at the Four Seasons, your second room at half-off, Preferred Partner amenities for both rooms, and requesting the Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina concierge reach out to you to arrange your visit to Pearl Harbor. No fuss, no muss!

copyright (c) 2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

great tour guides = extraordinary experiences

Sally, our extraordinary tour guide in England

We all know (or can imagine) what it's like to have a tour guide who's merely "average." While he or she may be perfectly competent and get you from place to place with a minimum of hassle, the narrative might be, well, just average. Lots of facts, lots of dates, lots of yawn-inducing details concerning who begat whom, and so on.

Imagine the difference when you get one of the best in the business! That was the case with Sally, pictured above, who was our tour guide last week in England. Working exclusively with Noteworthy Events, Sally is perhaps the best tour guide I've ever had. A gifted storyteller, she held my attention throughout the five days of our trip (and I have perhaps the lowest boredom threshold on the planet). She told stories with drama and passion and truly made our England trip one of the most extraordinary travel experiences I've ever had.

Sure, you can book a tour guide through a hotel concierge, and you may save 15%, but you'll get whoever is "left" a few days before your tour. Since all the great guides get booked early, you'll get someone who's "average." If you want a really great tour guide, my advice is to contact your Virtuoso travel consultant as soon as possible.

Now that I'm back from London, you may enjoy reading through all of my blog posts from the trip.

London skyline at dawn
a couple in the Waterloo tube station
English gardens in the early spring
Downton Abbey | I was there!
sitting in Churchill's chair
the changing of the guard | avoid the crowds
St. Paul's Cathedral | behind the scenes access
the crown jewels | up close and personal

Still coming ... luxury hotel site inspections from London and the countryside.

copyright (c) 2016 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.