Dear Reader,

I hope you are surviving winter wherever you are, including the torrential rain of Hawaii, the freezing temps on the upper east coast, and the long days of winter gray that this season brings.

Maybe it's time to think of a vacation.

A common misconception about working with a travel advisor is that we only work with luxury clients. I want you to know that it isn’t true.

This leads me to the next trip I planned for clients.

Spring Break in Florida

Photos sent from my clients from their trip

It was about this time last year when I started planning a trip for a family to St. Pete Beach, Florida, who needed budget-friendly options.

• What my clients wanted: To travel as a family somewhere warm for Spring Break for a change, instead of staying in cold Minnesota. They had a stricter budget due to some unexpected house repairs. They wanted to stay in the Tampa area since family had recommended it for years.
• Timeframe: I had about a month to plan the trip. They decided not to let the house repairs ruin their desire for a family vacation. (You don’t need to either.)
• What I booked for them: 5 nights at The Hilton Garden Inn St. Pete Beach and a small-group boat tour with a local marine biology student. (A highlight.)
• How much it cost for my clients to work with me: $63. I charge $30 per additional person beyond two. This is due to the extra research it takes to ensure hotels have sleeping arrangements available—cribs, connecting rooms, sofa beds, etc. —and to assess how good the kid clubs are, for example. My favorite is when a room says 3 people when the bed is a king and only a loveseat for the third person. You only get that information by meticulously poring over photos and comparing room descriptions on various platforms. Who wants to do that? (Me, I do)
• How much did the trip cost? $3,200 for a family of four. Airfare was purchased on points.
• The big surprise of the trip: The Hilton Garden Inn had a boutique, family-owned feel and a surprisingly good beach restaurant. This place definitely punched above its weight class.

Did you know that most hotel chains are franchised? This is how you can have wildly different experiences from one location to the next. I have an extensive network that knows which hotels within a company group is worth-it.

Travel Tips from a Traveler

Planning your budget & featured guide

Deals

*Hotels in order of deal list

Here is a list of curated deals I now have access to right now.

My favorite platform for booking clients at boutique hotels has a 10%-35% deal I can offer them until March 2nd. (And these deals come with perks!)

• Hotel Bardo in Tulum—35% off stays until July 2026
• Hotel Bardo in Savannah, GA—20% off stays until July 2026
• Can Mascort Eco Hotel, Costa Brava, Spain— 20% off stays until August 2026
• Hotel Sahrai, Morocco—20% off stays until July 2026

Additional deals

I have a VIP deal at the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme (shown in the planning a budget post above). I’ve stayed there, and it is beautiful, located in the 1st arrondissement, close to the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay, with views of the Eiffel Tower from the Seine.

Note: We booked our stay with points, and booked a cute apartment hotel (Aparthotel) for the remaining stay through me. I can book combo trips for you.

My office hours start tomorrow. Let's chat about booking you in one of these great hotels or wherever you want to go in the world.

If you know someone who wants to travel this year or needs budgeting ideas, please forward this email.

My newsletter link to sign up: https://kristenfungtravels.kit.com/​

Last issue: Palm Springs Modernism Week​

Coming up next: The Coast Starlight

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