One of the things that surprises new clients is how many questions we ask before we ever start planning their vacation. Many people expect to tell us where they want to go, when they want to travel, and their budget, then let us take it from there. Instead, they find themselves answering questions about past vacations, travel styles, favorite experiences, and even how they feel about long travel days.
There’s a reason for every single question.
As a Virtuoso travel advisor, we’re not just planning a trip to a destination. We’re learning how you like to travel. The more we understand about what makes a vacation memorable for you, the better we can recommend hotels, experiences, and destinations that truly fit your travel style.
What Your Travel Advisor Is Really Learning
During your travel consultation, we’re looking for much more than dates and destinations.
We’re learning whether you prefer boutique hotels or larger luxury resorts. Whether you enjoy relaxing by the pool or spending every day exploring. Whether your dream vacation is packed with sightseeing or leaves plenty of room to slow down and simply enjoy where you are.
We also want to understand the pace that feels right for you. Some travelers love moving from city to city, while others would rather unpack once and settle into one incredible destination. Neither approach is better than the other, but they lead to very different itineraries.
These conversations are what make personalized vacation planning so valuable. Instead of recommending what’s most popular, we recommend what fits you.
Your Past Vacations Tell Us More Than You Think
One of our favorite questions to ask is:
“What was your favorite part of your last vacation?”
The answer is often something people don’t expect.
Sometimes it has nothing to do with the destination itself. It might be enjoying coffee on a private balcony every morning. Maybe it was a memorable dinner at a family-owned restaurant, wandering through a local market, or simply having someone else handle all of the logistics so you could truly relax.
Those little details tell us far more than a list of destinations ever could. As an experienced travel advisor, those insights help us understand what will make your next vacation even better.
Every Traveler Is Different
One of the biggest misconceptions about vacation planning is that there’s one “best” hotel or one “perfect” itinerary.
The truth is, there isn’t.
Two couples can both want to visit Italy, but one may dream of sipping wine in Tuscany, enjoying leisurely afternoons, and staying in charming boutique hotels. The other may want to experience Rome, Florence, Venice, and the Amalfi Coast all in one trip, filling every day with museums, guided tours, and iconic landmarks.
Neither vacation is better than the other. They’re simply designed for different travelers.
That’s why working with a luxury travel advisor is so different from booking online. Our recommendations aren’t based solely on ratings or what’s trending. They’re based on understanding how you like to travel.
Why the Little Details Matter
Some of the questions we ask may seem small, but they have a huge impact on your overall experience.
Do you love slow mornings with a cup of coffee before starting your day, or are you ready to head out as soon as the sun comes up? Do you enjoy trying local restaurants, or do you appreciate the convenience of having everything included at your resort? Are you comfortable with long travel days if it means seeing more, or would you rather spend less time in transit?
The answers help us recommend the right hotels, build a custom itinerary, and create a vacation that feels effortless from beginning to end.
Sometimes those conversations even lead us to recommend a destination you hadn’t considered because it’s actually a better fit for the experience you’re hoping to have.
The Difference Between Booking Online and Working With a Travel Advisor
Anyone can reserve a hotel room or book a flight online.
What a Virtuoso travel advisor provides goes far beyond making reservations.
At Susan’s Travel Services, every vacation begins with a conversation. We believe the best trips aren’t built from generic lists of the “top hotels” or the “best destinations.” They’re built by understanding the traveler first.
That’s why we ask so many questions before we ever begin planning. Those conversations allow us to recommend hotels that match your preferences, create an itinerary that fits your travel style, and design a vacation that feels like it was created specifically for you.
That’s the difference between simply booking a trip and planning one with intention.
If you’re looking for a personalized travel experience that’s built around the way you like to travel, we’d love to help. As a Virtuoso travel agency, we specialize in creating custom vacations designed around our clients, because no two travelers are exactly alike.