Why I Recommend Resorts You've Never Heard Of

If I asked you to name the best luxury river cruise line, what would you say? I think I can guess. If I asked about the best all inclusive resort, or honeymoon resort, I think I would be able to guess your answers there also. The question is, are these really the “best” or are they the ones with the best marketing budget and strategy?

We all fall victim to the marketing trap. And it’s not just with regard to travel. We hear a name, it sounds familiar and gives us that warm fuzzy secure feeling and we ride that wave. We ask friends what they think, and they are in the same boat as us. Maybe they’ve even been to those resorts, and it wasn’t bad, so they tell us it’s “the best".” How many times have you asked a friend for a recommendation for travel and had them reply, “Oh but don’t go there, we didn’t love it?” Probably not too many.

Most of my favorite resorts or destinations, where I have had the best experiences, where my clients have the best experiences, are probably ones you’ve never even heard of. I have personally visited dozens and dozens of resorts and do you know what I’ve found? The most frequently talked about; those with the marketing budgets…they’re good too, sometimes. But there are so many better options for so many people and they just don’t know.

Before I became a travel advisor, I probably would have answered those questions exactly the same way. I knew the names everyone else knew. If everyone was talking about a resort or cruise line, I figured there had to be a reason.

Now that I've toured countless resorts, sailed multiple cruise lines, and heard hundreds of client stories after they get home, I've learned something.

The "best" is rarely universal.

I've talked to people who have stayed at a resort that everyone raves about and tell me, "It was nice, but it just wasn't us." Then I've sent someone to a place they've never heard of, and months later they're already asking when they can go back.

That's because the best vacation isn't about the biggest name. It's about the right fit.

Some people want a huge resort with ten restaurants, nightlife, and something happening every minute. Others want twenty rooms, a quiet beach, and a bartender who knows their drink by the second day. Neither one is better, they're just different.

The same goes for river cruises. Everyone asks me which one is the best, but my answer is almost always, "Tell me what you're looking for first." The cruise that's perfect for one couple could be completely wrong for another. (and my favorite one…you’ve likely not heard of)

I don't recommend resorts because they're all over Instagram. I recommend them because I've been there, I've walked the beach, I've eaten in the restaurants, and I've heard what my clients had to say after they got home. Sometimes the recommendation is the brand everyone has heard of. But just as often, it's one that makes people say, "I've never even heard of that place."

I love the resorts with cult like followings. The “sleepers” who the masses haven’t heard of, but time after time, they deliver. They aren’t the ones the influencers or celebrities are promoting (why would they give the secrets away anyway). What they do have is incredible service, beautiful beaches, amazing food, and guests who keep coming back year after year.

Those are the places I get excited about.

So before you book the resort everyone on Facebook says is "the best," ask yourself one question.

Is it the best...or is it just the most advertised?

Sometimes those are the same thing.

A lot of times, they aren't.

And finding that difference is one of my favorite parts of my job.