Local Foreigner is a team of expert travel advisors. Local Foreigner is a boutique consultancy specializing in high-end curated travel.
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From the bespoke to the basic, we guide our clients on everything from a weekend in Paris to an expedition to Patagonia, a yacht charter in the Mediterranean to a safari in Botswana. Our mission is to serve as trusted tastemakers who curate authentic experiences and connect discerning travelers with passionate locals. We’re a team of four women, and one of us is constantly on the road scouting hotels, testing guides, scoping out what’s worth it and what’s not.
No theme to today's Friday Feedback - just some good, old fashioned love letters so some of our favorite properties that are consistently doing things right. Whether it's spa, housekeeping, or a superlative basket of breakfast pastries, our hats are off to hotels that keep things polished and consistently excellent. Head to our stories for this week's shoutouts (including one in our own backyard.)
Around the Local Foreigner offices, we refer to Botswana as "Varsity Safari." Bots is aptly known as "The Peaceful Nation," a sobriquet you'll understand by the time you lower yourself into your first mokoro. Vast expanses of varied landscapes, intimate wildlife encouters, and low-capacity lodges are the hallmarks here, and Selinda Camp epitomizes the model - the lodge has just four total suites and sits on over 130,000 acres. Selinda is owned by National Geographic photographers and filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert, and the property’s unique Linyanti location includes wetlands as well as incredible species diversity, providing a range of water and land activities. If you're someone who travels to get away from it all, Selinda should be top of you list.
"All inclusive," "rocky beach," and "solo dining" don't have to be dirty words - in fact, when done right, they can be major assets. Head to today's Friday Feedback and let us convince you.
Calling all bookworms, bibliophiles, and anyone who has ever fallen asleep with a novel on their face! Back-to-school is rippling across the country, and there's no better time to stock up on new reads to fuel your mind and imagination. Today on the blog, we're running through some of the most iconic bookstores around the world, plus our favorite nearby hotels to spend the whole night tucked in, with the lamp on the nightstand aglow, as you promise you're just going to do *one* more chapter. Prepare yourselves (and your shelves), and head over the link in bio to read.
Each island in the Balearics offers its own unique charm, but this summer, all the buzz has been about tiny Formentera. With its pristine beaches and crystal-clear waters, Formentera is Ibiza's *very mindful, very demure* little sister, a chic oasis for those who want to get away from it all. And when we're soaking up the Spanish sun, we're doing it at Teranka, the 35-room sanctuary surrounded by pine forests on the island's southern coast. Teranka is a place that knows its angles - the garden restaurant is tucked into olive trees, sun-dappled and relaxed, while the rooftop restaurant, with its geometric sunshades and views to the endless sea, feels like a ship afloat on the sunset. And if you're feeling especially meditative after sunrise yoga, stroll the sandy path down to the beach - as you stare out at the horizon, there's nothing but water between you and Africa.
We love Europe's heavy hitters as much as the next person - visiting Paris or London three or four times in a year is par for the course for many members of the Local Foreigner team. But we're also always on the lookout for what's new in spots that don't get as much press. In this week's Friday Feedback, we're talking Edinburgh instead of London, Amalfi instead of Positano, and Bavaria instead of the Swiss Alps - head to our stories to see which properties we've loved on recent visits and why.
It might be the youngest Hawaiian island, but the Big Island is the best destination to experience Old Hawaii. A place where dirt roads curve around coastal cliffsides and local businesses shutter before 9pm, the Big Island is known for its endearingly slow pace of life. But visitors also come for its spectacular typographical diversity - here, it’s possible to snowboard the snowcapped summit of Mauna Kea, watch lava sputter from an active volcano, and drive past hilly pastures and cattle ranches, all before catching the sun dip below the horizon line of the Pacific. Today on the blog, we're running through our favorite ways to get into the Aloha spirit - link is in the bio.
Japan has been a hot-ticket destination for years, but recent trends, including cherry blossom crowds and some of the world’s toughest tables, have travelers looking outside of the peak spring season. The fall foliage is arguably even more stunning than the sakura (and a bit easier to nail schedule-wise), and the Niseko hotel scene is improving with each passing ski season. The Ritz Carlton in Nikko, the upcoming Rosewood Miyakojima, and Four Seasons Osaka, which opened August 1, are also bringing luxury access outside of the already-incredible options in Tokyo and Kyoto. Traveling out of well-trodden cities and out of season makes the Land of the Rising Sun shine.
*Character* was the common denominator in the properties our team loved this week. Whether we found it in a 17th-century fort on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, tucked into a most remote corner of the Scottish Highlands, or on an eight square-mile island that's world famous but only reachable in the smallest of planes, the stays we loved most this week were packed with the type of atmosphere and service that makes guests want to return again and again, no matter how many planes, trains, or automobiles it takes. Head to our stories for our raves.
Europe's heart beats within its cathedrals, each a testament to history, artistry, and faith across centuries. Today on the blog, we're wandering through some of our favorites, necks craning and aching, mouths agape at the grandeur. From the spires of Gaudí's Sagrada Família in Barcelona to the immensity of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City to the gothic majesty of Paris's Notre Dame in Paris - scheduled to finally reopen this December, in time for their magnificent, traditional Christmas Eve midnight mass - these are buildings worth planning a trip around. Head to the link in bio for more.
The Beijing Opera, or Peking Opera, has a rich history dating back to the late 18th century, and performances whisk audiences back to the Qing Dyansty with epic flair. Added to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010, traditions are passed from master to student through oral instruction and imitation, with archetypal characters instantly recognizable thanks to their vibrant costumes and exaggerated makeup. It's a must-do when visiting Beijing - and if you want to retire like an emperor after enjoying a performance, the Aman Summer Palace is the place to do it. This 51-room property blends modern comfort with imperial elegance, with latticework doors, wood-beamed ceilings, and polished Jin clay tiles. Learn visual arts with a master paper cutter in the Culture Room, and enjoy room service delivered in stacked bamboo cases. And don't miss the courtyard restaurant for Peking duck, served with a side of with ancient melodies floating over from the nearby Music Pavilion.
We love when a brand shows range, and there are few better examples than the duo of Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita and Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort. Just a few minutes apart by golf cart, one is grown-up, small, tented, wellness focused, and the best version of an all-inclusive, and the other is a sprawling classic that's been beloved by families for decades. Between the two, all the facets of Punta Mita are on offer. Check out our Friday Feedback stories for a few more properties that have made us feel like we're really *in* a destination this week.
The term “Angkor Wat” conjures images of crumbling temples buried deep in the jungle, sometimes with Angelina Jolie skulking around in cargo shorts. But Angkor Wat itself is just one of 72 individual temples within the Angkor Archeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Cambodia’s Siem Reap province, and while it is the single largest temple within the Park (in fact, at 400 acres, it’s the largest religious site in the world), during a visit to the temples, it will just be one of the many places that will drop your jaw. On the blog, we’ve highlighted five temples that are must-visits for any trip to Angkor – think of this list as a starting point for parsing the vast cultural and religious history that is writ large (often literally) across these incredible structures. Blog link in the bio.
The diversity of experience available in Peru is matched by few other countries in the world - this is a destination where no two days of your itinerary will be interchangeable, and the best time of year to do it is from May to October. Travel by luxury train or llama, visit the top of Machu Picchu and the bottom of the Sacred Valley, and take your pick between impossibly charming boutique hotels and well-established grand dames. If you’ve loved Patagonia, Mexico, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Morocco, or Cambodia, it’s time for Peru.
"Service" is the it factor of our industry - it can take a dusty hotel and make it an all-timer, or it can submarine a three-Michelin star dinner. Today in Friday Feedback, we're shouting out some spots where the service shines - with some extra love in particular for Leo at Four Seasons Tamarindo.
Wellness means different things to different people, so choose your fighter: (1) A lakeside Swiss spa; (2) The sound of crashing Caribbean waves during your massage; (3) Eating Michelin-level cuisine in the middle of 1.5 million acres of wilderness; or (4) A Watermelon Fizz in the dreamy surrounds of Cap Juluca's Uchu (pictured). Having trouble deciding? Head to our Friday Feedback stories to see which properties made us feel like we were living our *best lives* this week.
Set at an altitude of over 7,300 feet, the sprawling capital of Mexico isn't short on history or major landmarks, including the ancient Aztec temple Templo Mayor, the grand Metropolitan Cathedral, and the opulent Palacio de Bellas Artes. Today on the blog, we’re running down our favorite spots to explore (and eat, obviously) in CDMX (and when we’re tuckered out from pounding the pavement, we’re retiring to the Four Seasons Hotel Mexico City for a grilled pineapple Molcajete in their dreamy, leafy courtyard oasis.) Head to stories for more.
Costa Rican coffee hits different. The lush, dramatic jungles that make Costa Rica the perfect spot for adventure travelers are also ideal for growing the joe that fuels them - picture waking up to a cup of arabica straight from the plantations of the Central Valley before heading out for a day living your “sabanero” fantasy, riding out on cattle round-ups, hiking through virgin rain forests to volcanic peaks, and swimming in natural springs. The homebase for this little daydream? We're going with the super-chic Hacienda Montezuma. You'll share the private estate's 3,700 acres with tapirs, anteaters, monkeys, sloths, coatis, wild cats, birds, butterflies, and 1,300 heads of Brangus and Brahman cattle, and if you can make it home again without deciding you need to invest in a dozen crocheted, tassled hammocks, you have more restraint than we do.
Whether your family is looking for an airy suite in Tokyo, a log cabin in Wyoming, or a lodge in New Zealand where you wish the staff would adopt you, this week, we had multigen trips on the brain. When you're ready to ready to get the whole crew under one roof (or sky), head on over to our Friday Feedback stories.
With the European Union’s largest population by metro area, characterizing a “classic” Berlin experience is nearly impossible. On summer mornings, early rising joggers preparing for September’s Berlin marathon pass black-clad partygoers starting the walk home from a night at one of the city’s storied nightclubs. And in the middle of it all, on the sprawling Bebeplatz and adjacent to the Berlin State Opera, sits the Hotel de Rome. Once the esteemed headquarters of the 19th-century Dresden Bank, it now stands as a beacon of elegance and sophistication in Berlin's bustling landscape. We’re running down some of our warm-weather favorites in the very vibrant German capital – head to our stories for a peek and on to the blog for more.
Only eight degrees above the equator, Phuket's landscapes are abundant in both tropical forests and stunning mountains. The island has a year-round balmy climate and, although Patong is the most popular destination, the best parts of Phuket are the most secluded. Amanpuri, which occupies an entire private peninsula on the shores of the Andaman Sea, more than fits the bill when it comes to privacy. Aman’s flagship property is on a former coconut plantation, and the clifftop spa, with its bamboo treatment pavilions overlooking the palm-fringed property, sets the Aman standard for excellence in wellness, offering every imaginable holistic treatment, from massages and facials to personalized cleansing programs. For more indulgent pursuits, don’t miss the hotel’s daily poolside tea time, when staff members continue the coconut theme, serving addictive kanom krok, Thai coconut pancakes.
There were 154 individual pieces of feedback added to our system in June, from both team members and clients, covering hotels, restaurants, tours, and experiences, and running the gamut from the good to the bad to the ugly. But when we come across a review that says, "This is, to put it quite simply...the nicest hotel anywhere that I have stayed in for a very long time," we sit up and take notice. Check out our Friday Feedback stories to see who impressed this week.
A novel of contrasting textures and colors, Chile is a topographic eden for the intrepid. The country’s northern and southern-most extremities stand as polar opposite bookends, the prologue and the epilogue of a staggering Andean adventure. Barren, desolate Atacama is the brilliant red precursor to the emerald lakes and white capped peaks of windswept Patagonia. Chile's natural beauty has inspired authors and artists for generations, so much so that it's known as the Land of Poets; on the blog, we're waxing poetic ourselves on the most epic aspects of our most recent visit.
Resorts on the water? Yeah, we've heard of them. Whether on the shore of Lake Pichola, overlooking the Ligurian Sea, or on over 6,000 private acres in the middle of the Mediterranean, today in Friday Feedback, we're dreaming of the coasts with the most(s). Pop over to stories for more.
There is magic in the streets of San Miguel de Allende, an artistic enclave tucked into the hills of Guanajuato. Centered around the pink-hued Parroquia, a neo-gothic sandcastle dripping with colonial charm, the city splays across the manicured El Jardin and its surrounding cobbled streets. Vendors tote zoos of balloons, artisans lay their wares on market floors, and vintage VS Bugs are parked around every corner. At the Rosewood San Miguel de Allende, a hacienda style property at the foot of Colonia Centro, hulking wooden entry doors give way to an airy courtyard, where ivy-covered walls draw the eye up toward the sky. You'll be out all day criss-crossing cobblestone streets, but don't forget to return for cocktails on the hotel’s buzzy rooftop – a popular bar with the city’s best views.
Every now and then, we hit on a hotel that just makes us sigh with bliss. It might be a mind-blowing private villa in Mexico, a tented camp among the Tanzania baobabs, or *just* (ha!) the Ritz Paris - we don't have a "type" around here. In our Friday Feedback stories, we're sending love letters to three very diverse properties firing on all cylinders that have made our team weak in the knees recently.
This spring, Local Foreigner’s Alex Kramer and Larkin Massie took a whistle-stop tour through Italy, including stays in Rome and Florence with Rocco Forte Hotels. “This was Italy out of a movie,” Alex said afterward. Today in our stories and on the blog, we’re living La Dolce Vita vicariously through them, as they recount their favorites from both cities.
A pink palace gilded with silver screen lore, The Beverly Hills Hotel isn't just a Beverly Hills icon, it's the linchpin of the city's fame. Long before Tinsel Town cameras rolled in, The Beverly Hills Hotel welcomed prosperous land owners looking to buy their very own plot of farm country. It wasn't until the 1930s, when a certain clubby restaurant was built on unused polo grounds, that the hotel became a hub for powerhouse movie makers and Hollywood wheelers and dealers. The 1940s brought Don Loper's iconic banana-leaf wallpaper and the building's distinctive pink topcoat, a flamboyant backdrop for the parade of celebrities that has filled its hallowed halls since.
611 Broadway Suite 829
New York, NY
10012
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| Friday | 9:30am - 6:30pm |
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This spring, four members of the Local Foreigner team took off on a high-altitude scouting adventure through Bolivia. Starting by criss-crosing the world’s highest capital city, La Paz, by their unique cable car public transit system, they then headed into the clouds and the remoteness of the Altiplano on Explora’s Travesía. From the surreal mirrored expanse of the Uyuni Salt Flats to the serenity of the high-altitude deserts, the three jewelbox lodges on the Bolivian route are designed to harmonize with the natural environment, emphasizing silence, privacy, and space. After long days of exploration, the team returned to the lodges for wood-fired dinners (and time spent entering very detailed scouting feedback into the system, of course!) #wemaketravelbetter . . . #TravelBolivia #ExploreBolivia #VisitBolivia #DiscoverBolivia #BoliviaAdventure #BoliviaTravel #BoliviaTourism #LaPazBolivia #UyuniSaltFlats #SalarDeUyuni #BolivianHighlands #SouthAmericaTravel #AndesMountains #ExploraTravesia #SustainableTravel #AdventureTravel #TravelSouthAmerica
We are a luxury travel consultancy that delivers flawless service and a seamless planning process. Our mission is to set the standard of excellence for integrity of expertise, quality of service, and attention to detail for those who invest in the experience of travel.
Founded in 2012, our Soho office in the heart of New York City now houses a dedicated team of 8 experts, travelers, and adventurers and hosts a growing team of independent travel advisors.
