Getting the Most Out of Your Next Luxury Family Vacation

As a luxury traveler, you have a deep appreciation for unique travel experiences. You work hard to afford the best, and you should never settle for anything less than a captivating and rejuvenating luxury travel adventure. 

To get the most out of your next travel experience, you should work with a trusted luxury travel planner capable of turning your inspiration into a reality. No detail should be left to chance, especially if your vacation includes opportunities to reconnect with family, friends and loved ones. 

This blog is designed to help you get the most out of your next luxury family vacation. You undoubtedly lead a busy and hectic lifestyle to provide your family with everything they need to succeed in life. What better way to offset a busy lifestyle than enjoying an unforgettable luxury vacation with the people you care most about? 

Are you ready to get away, reconnect and live an adventure perfectly suited to your interests and tastes? Let’s get started.

Thinking About Booking Your Own Luxury Travel?

Think Again!

Have you ever planned your own luxury vacation? If so, then you already know that it isn’t easy. Attempting to navigate travel options online is nearly impossible. Even worse, you may not always get what you bargained for. 

Discerning travelers understand that planning any vacation is usually cumbersome and often ends up in disappointment. While a hotel or tour operator may show idyllic scenes on their website and advertising materials, reality may be far different. Hotels age over time. Weather and season play a dominant role on every tour, and operators always attempt to put their best foot forward, even if the end result is misleading or outright deception.  

What you’re ultimately left with is a roll of the dice. If you plan your luxury travel independently, you have to temper your expectations or you will likely end up disappointed. 

Take a moment to consider how you make purchases online. When you identify a possible purchase, whether it be a retail item, hotel or vacation, you likely take a considerable amount of time reading reviews. But have you ever considered the fact that you have no insight into the nature of the people who wrote these reviews?

When making a major purchase, would you walk down the street and ask random strangers for advice? Of course not. Making luxury travel decisions based on the opinions of random reviewers on the internet makes even less sense. Consider also that it is estimated that 61 percent of internet reviews are fake. 

All travel is big business. The larger the tourism-related business, the larger its internet presence. As a luxury traveler, you undoubtedly want to experience something unique and sublime. One of the greatest risks of using the internet to plan your own luxury travel experience is that you’ll end up stuck on the tourism treadmill. Savvy travelers seeking something out-of-the-ordinary understand that “hidden gems” are always hidden. You can’t expect to find something rare with mainstream tools available to everyone that owns a smartphone or computer. 

So, where does all of this leave you and your family? If you use traditional methods to plan your luxury travel experience you will undoubtedly have some good memories, but you’re also going to have some that are not so good. You may love your hotel and hate the location. Your children’s dream may be to see a bear in Alaska but you end up visiting at a time of year when bears are inactive. 

All of which begs the question, what’s the solution?

Why You Should Use a Luxury Travel Agency

When your luxury car breaks down, do you download a handful of YouTube videos and attempt to repair it yourself? If the roof on your house starts leaking, do you trust the repair to a random stranger on the internet? If your children need braces, do you seek out the cheapest options online?

Obviously, the answer to all of these questions is “no.” When you need professional work done, you contact a professional with credentials who you trust to do the work right the first time. When you consider the cost of luxury travel, why would you put your trust in anything less than a professional who will ensure your trip is the best it can be?

There are a variety of reasons why working with a luxury travel agency when planning your next family vacation makes good sense. However, you also need to find a luxury travel company with a proven track record, capable of helping you plan the perfect family vacation. 

There are four attributes you should look for when deciding on a luxury travel agent. We outline them here as follows:

Pay Attention

Any experienced luxury travel agent will begin the process with a comprehensive evaluation of your desires. This interview process will be comprehensive and you’ll quickly realize why working with a professional is so important.

Your interview will help you identify elements of travel that you may have never considered. Do you or your spouse have any food allergies? Do your kids have particular interests? What do you expect from your accommodations? Do you like crowds or prefer solitude? Are you willing to travel abroad or prefer to travel closer to home?

As you answer these questions, your luxury travel agent will begin to narrow down your choices and offer you a menu of travel options from which you can choose. 

Plan

Here is the best part. Once you’ve selected your travel preference, your agent will handle all of the planning. Every last detail will be taken care of. Other than providing suitable documents, all you have to do is confirm your itinerary. Imagine a travel experience where you can fully relax, even while you’re in transit to your destination. Isn’t that the whole point of going on vacation?

Pack

You’re also going to have to pack the things you need to ensure you get the most out of your vacation. Obviously, an Alaskan adventure requires different clothing than a luxury cruise to the Sea of Cortez. Your luxury travel agent will provide you with a list of packing suggestions so that you get the most out of your vacation while remaining comfortable and safe.

Persevere

Even the most detailed plans sometimes go awry. You may lose your passport, miss a connection or have a medical emergency. The best luxury travel agents don’t walk away the second you hop on your plane. Rather, they remain your constant companion throughout your entire family vacation.

If you encounter a problem, you immediately know who to call for assistance. The peace of mind this creates cannot be overstated. 

Best Luxury Travel Options For Families

There are countless “luxury” resorts all over the planet but the most sublime and exclusive resorts suited for families are often extremely difficult to find. So what exactly are the best travel options for families? 

First and foremost, it’s important to look for three attributes when deciding on a luxury family travel destination. Ask yourself these questions:

• Is the luxury property a destination where everyone in the family will be entertained, including parents, children, teens, grandparents, etc?
• Will the accommodations be functional for your specific needs? For example, do rooms connect? Is there enough privacy for adults? Can you put two beds in one room?
• Does the property include the amenities your family members expect? This could include a “Kids Club,” hot drinks and refreshments in the lobby, and even an intuitive staff. 

Once you answer these basic questions, you will be able to narrow down your options. Now it’s time to choose a resort property in a destination that appeals to your clan. Consider a few options below.

The Caribbean and Bahamas

There are many luxury resorts to choose from in the islands and they offer a variety of amenities and attractions perfectly suited to families seeking unique luxury travel experiences.

Some properties feature sprawling landscapes with multiple hotels, dozens of restaurants, unique bars and lounges, golf courses, and spas. These properties also cater to young children and teenagers with features that include mini-golf courses, kids clubs, movie theaters, and arts and crafts classes. Some even house entire multimillion-dollar water parks with wave pools and waterslides.

The most exclusive resorts in the Caribbean and Bahamas are also located near marine sanctuaries and reserves where visitors can explore and encounter everything from exotic birds to sea turtles and nurse sharks. 

Europe

Luxury resorts in Europe have many of the same amenities one may find elsewhere but you will also find wonderful surprises that will enthrall your family. One property found in Switzerland offers a ski-in and out experience that’s glamorous but still appeals to kids. Adults can enjoy a day skiing in one of the most amazing backdrops on the planet, while the children immerse themselves in an icy wonderland at the Kids Club featuring ice caves, ice slides and a children’s ski school. Group activities and family bonding time may also be of interest and can include special dinners and family bike rides.

The United States

Many luxury travelers from the United States are surprised to learn that there are some incredible resort options in their own backyard. A quick trip to southern Florida will provide your family with the opportunity to experience marine wildlife and a variety of watersports in the warm sun and cool breezes common to the area throughout the year. 

Indeed, there are countless luxury resorts to choose from but with a little help and guidance from a luxury travel agent (see above), you really can’t go wrong.

Luxury Dude Ranches for Families

Is there anything more romantic than the Old West? Dude ranches offer a family luxury vacation experience unlike any other. You and your family have the opportunity to relive a simpler time without sacrificing the amenities you need to enjoy your time away from work. 

You may be surprised to learn that dude ranches have been around since the 1880s. Even then, city dwellers longed for an age that had already slipped away, and dude ranches offered a way for people to live out their romanticized cowboy fantasies.

Today’s dude ranches are inspired by the ranches of old but they seek to strike a balance between authenticity and luxury. You can saddle up and rustle some dogies while other members of the family go mountain biking, practice yoga or sample fine wines with a famous face. 

One Montana ranch features 37,000 acres of rugged landscape combined with modern pampering. The property caters mostly to adults and older children where guests enjoy their own modern ranch-style home featuring giant glass windows that blur the division between outdoors and indoors. Nature abounds all over the property and can be viewed while sipping on a glass of wine in or out of the house. 

A standalone restaurant is constructed with the same aesthetic. The food is top-tier and the views are unrivaled. An onsite spa is a perfect place for Mom to unwind while Dad enjoys world-class fly fishing. With many other innovative and exciting things to do, this family luxury dude ranch vacation may be just what you’re looking for.

A Colorado dude ranch offers something special for all ages. The property features a restored 19th Century ranch house with eight modern tents where guests enjoy an incredible experience nestled among towering mountain peaks. The setting is magical and tent interiors feature glamorous amenities like king-sized beds, bathtubs, and gas stoves. Guests dine in the ranch house and can enjoy the nearby outdoor springs and bathhouse. 

Have you decided where to visit on your next luxury family vacation? Hopefully, this blog gave you some fresh ideas. Contact us today, and we’ll start planning it for you.

We know you care how you spend your time. When traveling the world with Cerulean, your itinerary is specifically designed around you and your loved ones’ travel needs. Our exclusive connections and partnerships around the world get you VIP perks and upgrades to ensure that the actual experience exceeds what you imagined it to be. 

Discover places you never knew existed and experiences you never imagined possible. Schedule a call with one of our award-winning luxury travel advisors today, and we can guarantee that you will get three new experiences or place ideas that you haven’t thought of before.