KiwiCardio

I plan trips to the Alps, Aspen, and Japan every winter. So it means something when I say one of the world's great winter stays is in Canada.

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise stands directly on the shore of its namesake lake in Banff National Park, facing the Victoria Glacier. No other hotel gets this position, and in winter it becomes something out of a storybook: the lake freezes into a skating rink framed by ice sculptures, horse-drawn sleighs trace the shoreline, and the mountains stay dusted in white for months.

Skiers are spoiled here too. Three resorts are within easy reach, including Lake Louise Ski Resort just minutes away, with some of the most scenic runs in North America and none of the lift lines you'd expect for terrain this good.

Advisor tip: Lakeview rooms are worth every penny, especially in winter when the frozen lake and glacier fill your window. They sell out first, so this is a book-early property. Message me to start planning.

Flown recently? Then you’ve felt it. Record passenger volumes, tighter ID requirements, and construction at major hubs have changed the math on getting to your gate. Here’s how I protect my clients from all of it:

I build realistic buffers. Tight connections that worked five years ago don’t work now, especially through the busiest international hubs.

I arrange fast-track and VIP services. Many airports offer expedited security, private escorts, and lounge access that most travelers never hear about. I book them routinely.

I watch your flights. Delays and cancellations get handled while you’re still in the air, not after you’ve landed and joined a rebooking line of 200 people.

And a reminder for U.S. travelers: REAL ID is now required for domestic flights, so check that license before your next trip.

The airport is part of the trip. I plan it like one.

“Is a Nile cruise actually worth it?” I get this question constantly. My answer: on the right boat, it might be the best hotel in Egypt. And it moves.

Historia Boutique Nile River Cruise sails between Luxor and Aswan, designed around the glamour of 1920s river travel with a fully contemporary interior. Around 40 cabins, floor-to-ceiling windows facing the water, a rooftop pool deck, and a spa on board.

The real luxury is the format. You unpack once, and the temples come to you. Karnak and the Valley of the Kings, then Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Philae, each visited with expert Egyptologist guides while the boat handles every mile in between.

Advisor tip: itineraries run three, four, or seven nights, and the direction you sail changes the pacing. I’ll help you pick the right one. Let’s start planning.

Ask me where to stay in Napa, and I won’t even pause. Neither will most sommeliers and chefs, by the way. The answer is the same.

Auberge du Soleil began as a restaurant in 1981, on a Rutherford hillside covered in olive trees, and the rooms came later. The Michelin-starred restaurant remains the heart of the property, and the terrace looks straight down the valley over some of the most famous vineyards in America.

A few reasons clients return: the adults-focused calm, the hillside spa, and a location that puts you 10 minutes from more legendary tasting rooms than you could cover in a week.

Napa deserves a proper stay. Get in touch and let’s start planning!

Want the Tuscany you’ve seen in the movies, without a single tour bus in sight? I know exactly where to send you.

Borgo Santo Pietro is a restored 13th-century villa in the Val di Merse, south of Siena, surrounded by 300 acres of organic farmland, gardens, and vineyards. Nearly everything on your plate comes off that land, and the estate even produces its own skincare line, Seed to Skin, used throughout the spa.

My favorite afternoon here: a short drive to the Abbey of San Galgano, where a real sword in the stone has been embedded in rock for 800 years.

Twelve guest rooms, one working farm, zero crowds. This is the Tuscany clients ask me to find. Reach out, and I’ll plan it.

Here’s a piece of hotel trivia I love sharing with clients: Ritz-Carlton has around 100 hotels worldwide. Fewer than ten carry the word Reserve. Zadún is one of them.

The Reserve designation is the brand’s most exclusive tier, and it changes the experience completely. At Zadún, in San José del Cabo, that means villa-style rooms built into the desert dunes above the Sea of Cortez, a personal host assigned to your stay, and a pace that feels nothing like a big resort.

The spa, Alkemia, is a destination on its own, and dinner at Humo, the wood-fire restaurant, is one of the best meals in Los Cabos.

Advisor tip: winter brings whales right offshore, and this stretch of coast near Puerto Los Cabos is calmer than the Cabo San Lucas end. Reach out to learn more.

Of everything I book, this is the trip I get the most questions about. Fair, because fewer people have stayed here than climb Everest in a season.

White Desert operates the only luxury camps on the Antarctic continent. You board a private jet in Cape Town, land on a blue-ice runway about five hours later, and check into a camp of just a handful of heated pods with a private chef.

The days are unlike anything else I plan. Ice tunnels, gentle summits, champagne picnics on the ice, and the option to visit a colony of thousands of emperor penguins. Some guests even continue on to the South Pole itself.

The season runs November through January, and with so few beds on the entire continent, this books out far ahead. If Antarctica is the trip, this is the way to do it. Message me to learn more!