Elán

20/08/2024

We’ve shared some critically important information with our clients who are our email list:

19/08/2024

Victoria is on her way to Barcelona to experience Ilma, the latest addition to the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. Watch here for a report!

02/08/2024

We were truly honored to be included in the opening of Jack’s Club at the St. Regis Chicago. The evening started with a reception outside the ballroom, before we ushered to our table inside Jack’s Club and were treated to a phenomenal evening of cocktails, food and entertainment.

Chris Norton and his band kicked off the evening’s entertainment with his incredibly high-energy brand of jazz, followed by the sophisticated bossa nova sounds of Bebel Gilberto.

Jack’s Club is an homage to John (“Jack”) Jacob Astor IV, the founder of the St. Regis New York. These clubs are opening at St. Regis properties around the world, and are one of the touchstones to one of our country’s truly iconic hospitality brands.

The St. Regis Chicago is truly a gem…an unwavering dedication to their guests is seen in their beautifully designed guest rooms, restaurants, and public spaces. Elán is proud that the St. Regis hotels are an integral part of our portfolio.

22/04/2024

I just returned from touring the Four Seasons Private Jet. Join the exclusive ranks of Elán clients who have traveled in unparalleled style. https://mailchi.mp/elantravel.net/the-four-seasons-private-jet

17/04/2024

Victoria is in Seattle today, spending time on the Four Seasons Private Jet and meeting with the team about her clients’ future worldwide jet adventures!

29/02/2024

Victoria just returned from Rome, where she took part in Marriott Luxury Brands Inner Circle meeting of top travel advisors.

It was a wonderful chance to visit one of the world’s great cities and become reacquainted with Marriott’s premier luxury properties, the W, the Edition, the chic new Bulgari, which acted as her host, and the classic, elegant St. Regis, the site of the final event, a stunning midnight supper.

Moreover, as a member of Marriott’s Inner Circle, Victoria has the opportunity to provide input to the hotels’ operators, working hand in hand to hand to enhance client/guest experiences.

The ancient city of Rome is a city on the move, and Marriott’s beautiful properties afford guests a number of ways to experience different flavors of Marriott luxury.

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09/02/2024

https://mailchi.mp/elantravel.net/very-big-news-from-eln

Those of you who have followed our story know that we lost our beloved Briggs a little over a year ago. The heartbreak was real. But it was time to honor him with a new addition, Sophia…or as we call her, Sophie! We knew that our little girl was going to be joining us when we took our family trip ...

29/12/2023

We arrived at Heathrow early this morning, after an overnight flight via Detroit (a really nice airport, by the way), and immediately caught a taxi to Le Manoir.

A bit overtired, we grabbed breakfast and a couple of gallons of coffee in Raymond Blanc’s famed restaurant. Really delicious.

Then, we settled in to one of the lounge rooms, grabbing a sofa in front of a roaring fire, to continue jump-starting our systems…with even more coffee.

One of the deadliest mistakes you can make after a west to east transatlantic flight is napping, so we took a tour of the gardens with one of the property’s 12 full-time gardeners. Extremely impressive, the gardens are the result of Blanc’s 39 years of curation, producing organic fruits, vegetables and herbs for the kitchen.

More exploration ahead, but we’ve since been taking it easy. After the garden tour (in the rain), we grabbed a bit of tea and a light snack of small sandwiches, careful not to overdo it in anticipation of tonight’s seven-course dinner at the restaurant.

This is, for us, quite a wonder. We lived in Oxfordshire during the time when Blanc opened Le Manoir. Mike was an Air Force officer and Victoria was working part-time for Banbury Travel. Despite a tight budget, we traveled extensively throughout the U.K., taking in plays, visiting historic properties, and dining in those places we could afford.

No complaints—it was a spectacular time in our lives—but pricey restaurants were beyond our reach. Blanc’s opening of Le Manoir, which immediately garnered two Michelin stars (which it has maintained for 39 years), heralded the advent of an era of culinary excellence in England. We visited, but our budget dictated that our visit was limited to strolling the grounds, then stopping afterwards at a pub for a pint and a ploughman’s lunch.

So, this is quite a treat for us…a stay at a place that was when we first visited, a dream, well beyond our means.

Our suite is, to put it mildly, spectacular. Everything about Le Manoir is sublime. See comments below for more.

Le Manoir: https://www.belmond.com/hotels/europe/uk/oxfordshire/belmond-le-manoir-aux-quat-saisons/

Elán: https://www.elantravel.net

14/12/2023

We are so excited to be returning to Belmond’s Le Manoir au Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire, England. We’ll be jetting off from Chicago just a couple of days after Christmas, then making our way to Le Manoir from Heathrow.

This has some special significance for us. When Chef Raymond Blanc first opened in 1984, Mike was stationed at RAF Upper Heyford and Victoria was working part-time for a Banbury Travel. We lived in Kidlington, on the outskirts of Oxford, and took full advantage of our time in England. It was during these years that we visited some incredible places, and first rubbed elbows with the Royal Family.

Our time in England was magical.

Le Manoir immediately established new culinary standards for the U.K., garnering two Michelin stars in its first year, a distinction they have now maintained for 39 years, still under Chef Blanc’s watchful eye. At the time we first visited, restaurants and hotels like Le Manoir were, for us, purely aspirational.

Our bank account was pretty meager, but we still managed one brief visit to Le Manoir.

With Victoria’s ascendancy as one of the world’s top travel advisors, we have since been fortunate to be able to visit and dine at some of the world’s top hotels and restaurants. Many of them have been Belmond properties, which consistently exceed the highest standards of excellence. We are overjoyed to be able to return to this legendary property.

Watch our blog and this space for more details on our visit, as well as our journey onward to London.

https://youtu.be/HwqTJsn3a98?si=gr-MV0aaDtHIxhIJ

Raymond Blanc dreamed about creating an enchanting manor house that celebrates the best in food and resonates to the sounds of laughter and enjoyment. Now he...

12/12/2023

https://mailchi.mp/elantravel.net/its-time-to-think-about-2024s-favored-destinations

As we look to the months ahead, we predict that Greece and Montenegro will emerge as favored destinations of discerning travelers in 2024. No one is better positioned than One&Only to offer you the perfect combination of comfort and sophistication in these beautiful, historic destinations.  Whether...

12/12/2023

Elán is fortunate to be able to offer our clients the finest options in hotels and resorts, destination experiences, yachts, private jets, and ocean voyages.

One&Only has positioned their resort properties at the very top of the pecking order, and now is a great time to consider reserving space at one of their properties in Greece or Montenegro, either as a gift to someone special or as a treat to you (and your family):

One&Only continues to bring our clients innovation and comfort in groundbreaking resorts that are setting the standards for excellence. A visit to one of their extraordinary resorts in Greece or...

08/11/2023

Victoria just returned from the Four Seasons Insider meeting in Mexico City—an exclusive, by invitation only event with top travel advisors—where she met with top executives from their hotels and resorts around the world, and discussed recent developments and future plans.

Forums such as this are how we keep abreast of the latest industry developments, and also provide a conduit for two-way dialogue, allowing us to communicate how the Four Seasons can best serve our clients. Elán was honored to be included in this select group.

12/09/2023

Elán is in Italy! We have a few free moments this morning, so we wanted to share some of what we’ve been up to since our arrival on Saturday.

We are staying at a Villa in Positano, on the stunning Amalfi Coast. So far, we’ve had amazing meals and met some wonderful new friends.

We’re off to Ischia later this morning.

10/08/2023

Do you want to go into space? We can help you make that dream come true. Victoria is at Spaceport America, watching the first civilian astronaut mission of VSS Unity.

10/08/2023

Victoria arrived at Spaceport America today, and will be witness to the first civilian astronaut mission aboard VSS Unity. The story below…

Two years after Sir Richard Branson and his team blasted off to the edge of space, his company is set to do it again — this time with a civilian crew. NBC’s ...

12/07/2023

We’re back from Alaska and thought you might want to read about it: https://www.elantravel.net/travel-beyond/alaska-the-land-of-giants

If you haven’t visited, it should be on your bucket list.

Elán Travel

25/06/2023

Our last few days have been action-packed. The highlight was our Elán “Summit,” which was punctuated by a visit from Carson Muir, Abercrombie & Kent’s Sales Director for the Upper Midwest and Canada.

Elán tossed together some home cooking, Carson brought the bubbly, and we discussed business past, present, and future.

We often turn to A&K for help with our clients’ itineraries…and our own. Their local teams of experts, situated around the world, provide us with insights and access to experiences of unparalleled quality. However, it generally begins with Carson, who acts as our primary point of contact at A&K, where his encyclopedic knowledge of the company’s resources serves as our compass in navigating the process of travel planning for our clients.

We invite all our travel partners to visit us at Elán’s Northern Outpost.

20/06/2023

Prepping for the Elán Summit…

15/06/2023

We’ve just returned to the Lower 48, after an incredible trip to Alaska. Every part of it was phenomenal, and we owe much of the credit to our colleagues at Abercrombie & Kent, who helped us build our itinerary, securing great experiences at every step of the way.

The Grand Finale was a two-night stay at what is truly one of the most unique destinations on Earth. Sheldon Chalet is the realization of the dreams of Don Sheldon, Alaska’s foremost aviation pioneer. Long ago, Don staked his claim to a plot of land jutting up from a nunatak in the midst of a gigantic ice field that now sits within the boundaries of Denali National Park. He initially built a small mountain house on part of this property, but died before his dreams of building the Chalet could be realized.

After his death, the family discovered his original blueprints, which served as the basis of what is now an incredibly luxurious destination in the most remote and wildly beautiful place imaginable. As a precursor to our Sheldon Chalet experience, we met with Don’s son Robert and his impressive son Ryan in Talkeetna. We boarded our A-Star helicopter for our trip to the Chalet and were initially met by a wall of snow and fog.

Turning back to an intermediate location, we waited a few minutes, then began our second attempt at flying to the Chalet. Picking his way through pockets of low visibility, our pilot made it!

Upon arrival we were met by Marne Sheldon, Don’s daughter-in-law, who manages the Chalet, and the staff, which consisted of our concierge, a professional chef, and two guides. We’ll provide a more detailed overview in our blog in the days to come, but the stay was one of incredible comfort in a luxurious setting, interspersed with the highest level of gourmet dining and activities on the glacier and surrounding mountains (snowshoeing, skiing, and sledding).

We can say, without reservation, that a visit to Sheldon Chalet is not only incomparable; it is at the pinnacle…not only in terms of its physical location, but more so in terms of the continuous display of jaw dropping natural beauty in a setting of ultimate luxury.

14/06/2023

Posting by satellite connect. No internet at Sheldon Chalet. Suffice it to say that this is one of the most profoundly beautiful places on Earth.

Manage your Garmin Explore or inReach account. With Explore and inReach, you can communicate, map, track, and share your trek from anywhere on Earth.

11/06/2023

Today was overcast and rainy at the lodge, but we were still off to a great start, with fresh berry muffins and steaming coffee to start our refueling.

Breakfast was…again…epic. Late in the morning we flew to a mountain ridge for a hike in a much different environment than we had previously experienced, then flew to an outcropping overlooking a roaring mountain river, where we enjoyed a fantastic picnic, charcuterie, and some wine.

10/06/2023

How many “Wow!” experiences can you fit in a week, a year, a lifetime?

Today we flew from Winterlake to their sled dog camp, did some mushing, and did some glacial trekking, followed by picnic on the glacier. An otherworldly experience….

10/06/2023

Greetings from Winterlake Lodge! This is paradise in the Alaskan wilderness. We’ll follow up with more photos once we’re able to catch a better internet connection, but we have settled in to our cabin and did both a tour of the facility yesterday, as well as a hike through the nearby wilderness.

It’s a rustic place…no gold-plated toilets here…but the cabins are comfortable and all provide a stunning vista, looking out to the lake that lies beneath the mountains. While in camp we’ve spent most of our time in the lodge, warmed by wood-burning stoves. Reading and discussing life with other guests fills some of the time, and the food is to die for.

Yesterday afternoon, the staff began by presenting an extensive charcuterie selection, accompanied with fresh local oysters and scallop schnitzel bites. Dinner included a tomato salad with some greens we had foraged nearby, followed by an exquisite sockeye salmon and risotto main course.

Today we’ll be off to sled dog camp and a visit to a nearby glacier. Photos to follow…when we have a fast enough connection.

08/06/2023

Yesterday, Elán was airborne! We flew out of Talkeetna aboard a De Havilland Turbine Otter configured for glacier landings. As is always the case, weather is the primary factor that affects how well a trip to Denali (North America’s tallest mountain at 20,310’) will go.

As we approached the airfield, the clouds began to break. We checked in, were weighed, and awaited our pilot, Jackson. A young guy, Jackson was nonetheless quite experienced, with over 2,000 hours of flying time (the company requires a minimum of 1,500 to be hired).

We first flew directly to a 36 square mile ice field at 6,000 feet, where we landed. The scenery en route and upon arrival was stunning. Plus, we got a preview of Sheldon Chalet, where we will be staying in just a few days (watch for more on that in the days ahead). After about a half hour on the glacier, we took off for further air touring.

The flight was very smooth, but in these mountains conditions change minute to minute. Jackson maneuvered us through a mountain landscape that was truly mind-boggling and we were fortunate to see most of Denali, though the summit was obscured by clouds.

Once we had the opportunity to see all that we could, Jackson set course for Talkeetna Airfield, concluding a two-hour flight that brought us face to face with unimaginable beauty. Majestic.

Really, this was a fantastic experience, one that we would urge everyone who visits Alaska to pursue.

07/06/2023

A big day for Elán yesterday!

After another excellent breakfast at the Alyeska Resort, we set our course for Whittier, on the Kenai Peninsula. The drive was beautiful, driving through mountains the entire way.

The last bit of the drive was through the longest railroad/car tunnel in North American, which cuts through Maynard Mountain for 2.5 miles. Because of the need to accommodate trains and vehicles traveling in two directions, departures are timed, and those cars/trucks driving to Whittier depart on the half-hour. Fascinating.

Arriving in Whittier, one finds a hardscrabble port. A huge amount of commerce, including locally caught seafood, passes through Whittier. It’s a working village, with a few coffee and food shops, but truthfully less than scenic in and of itself, save the surroundings.

We met our captain for the Day, Gabriel. Gabe was born in Alaska and is an expert glaciologist, as well as something of a marine biologist, having studied and worked at the famed Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Mountain climber, diver, survival expert, USCG-certified captain, Gabe has done it all. And he was a fantastic guide.

We spent nine hours with Gabe, traversing a huge amount of Prince William Sound, located on the east side of the Kenai Peninsula. Throughout the course of the day, we visited and learned about numerous glaciers, stopped to buy oysters at a remote (and very isolated) oyster farm, gathered “beach lettuce,” and gathered fish and shrimp, which Gabe cooked for us onboard.

The amount of wildlife is amazing, and through the course of the day we saw seagull and puffin rookeries, dolphins, seals, sea lions, and an abundance of sea otters. It truly is an amazing place, and Gabe extended our time on the water beyond our original schedule to fit it all in. On a rainy, cool day which seemed a little daunting at first, Gabe and the magnificent surroundings made it truly memorable.

06/06/2023

An astounding day in Alaska. We flew from Anchorage to Chinitna Bay, where we saw a large number of brown bears in the wild, including a mom bear with two cubs. It was an amazing experience in a beautiful wilderness.

05/06/2023

Up early this morning…3:30 a.m….the result of the time change.

Today we’re off to Chinitna Bay in Lake Clark National Park, to visit with some bears.

The flight into anchorage is stunning.

04/06/2023

Elán is jetting to Alaska!

We’ll be arriving in Anchorage in just a few hours. Tomorrow we’ll be flying by floatplane to Chinitna Bay in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve to spend some quality time with the brown bears.

From there it will be on to the Kenai Peninsula, where we’ll check into the Alyeska Resort for a couple of days of local explorations, and then on to Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge and Winterlake Lodge, a world famous fly-out lodge accessed by floatplane.

Then, it’s on to one of the most extraordinary destinations on the planet, Sheldon Chalet. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that Mother Nature will cooperate with good flying weather.

Stay tuned.

29/05/2023

ALERT: Elán will be traveling in remote Alaska and mostly off-grid from June 3-15, 2023.

05/05/2023

In our many explorations of the world on our clients’ behalf, there has been no destination any more remote and exclusive than the one we are visiting next month. We will be following up with more details, but here’s a preview: