We Know Because We Go

We call ourselves ‘experts’ because we know the small details about destinations, airlines, hotels and activities worldwide that you can only get from experiencing them in person.  We’re already an extraordinarily well-travelled bunch but we never rest on our laurels, so check out the trips we made in 2024 to keep our destination knowledge topped up. 

We tried out a couple of newly opened hotels, checked out some trendy hotels see if they lived up to the hype, explored some new and off the beaten track regions of countries we already know and love, and had a go at lots of innovative new activities so we can recommend them (or not!) to our clients.

Sri Lanka: Beth 

Beth went on a Sri Lankan Odyssey with a group of lucky agents in June, and did a comprehensive recce of some of the best hotels in Kandy, the tea region, Galle, the southern coast beaches and the west coast beaches. This was Beth’s second time in Sri Lanka and she was able to check out a few of Alice’s favourites as well as lots of excellent new properties.  Her stand-out favourites were Kumu Beach and the Fort Bazaar but it was suberb across the board, and she’s come home even more passionate about Sri Lanka than ever!

Malta: Alice

Building on Beth’s trip to Malta in 2023, Alice went to look at a range of hotels in Valletta and Sliema to add to our portfolio in 2024.  In Valetta,  Alice loved the 4* boutique La Falconeria right in the heart of town, and brand new San Karlu, tucked away on a quiet street.  For excellent facilities including a large pool, 5* AX The Palace in Sliema is a solid option for families.  We’re happy to recommend these alongside Beth’s luxury picks from her 2023 trip: the opulent Iniala Harbour Suites,  Valetta’s Grand Dame hotel The Phoenicia, and Mdina’s historic Xara Palace.

Thailand: Lia 

Lia went over to Khao Lak in June for a trade show bringing together thousands of Thailand’s hoteliers for meetings with overseas agencies.  A bit like a hotel version of speed-dating, Lia was able to catch up with the owners and managers of dozens of our favourite hotels across Thailand, preceded by some inspections in Koh Lanta. It’s fair to say that Lia fell in love with the Pimalai, which was already a client favourite! After the show, Lia headed north to Chiang Rai and Khao Sok and came back raving about the National Park and her experience at 500 Rai.

Australia & Singapore: Alice 

This was a personal holiday with her kids, but as usual, Alice couldn’t help but inspect a few hotels whilst she was away! Alice used to live in Australia but had never visited the West Coast so this trip was a chance to explore Perth, the Margaret River wine region and as much of the coast as possible, as well as popping over to Sydney. Suffice it to say that Alice returned home waxing evangelical about it all! Margaret River was a particular favourite (ask her about the stingrays!) and the kids absolutely adored stopping over in Singapore and spending a day at Universal Studios.

Vietnam: Lia 

Late in the year, Lia went with a group of agents as a guest of The Adventure Connection to Vietnam. Beth and Alice both love Vietnam but it was a new destination for Lia so luckily the trip packed a huge amount in, from Hanoi and Halong Bay to Hoi An, Danang and Ho Chi Minh.   Lia got stuck into a wide array of immersive activities, from tree-planting to weaving, and saw an excellent range of accommodation,  from home-stays to opulent cruise ships.  She loved the Renea Cruise in Halong Bay, the rustic Phu Luong Eco Retreat and the boutique Siesta Premium in Hanoi. 

Maldives: Alice & Beth

Following right on from Beth’s Sri Lanka trip, afterwards she popped over to the Maldives to inspecting as many Atmosphere Core hotels as possible. The two OZEN properties are staggeringly luxurious Premium All Inclusives and although Bolifushi has fun slides, it was Ozen Life Maadhoo which stole Beth’s heart.   Of the Oblu islands, Oblu Select at Sangeli is our clients’ favourite and Beth agreed; it’s so fun, and perfect for families.  Then later in the year, Alice checked out the brand new 5* Raaya by Atmosphere – the 2 bed villas are incredible but the f&b isn’t quite right at this price-point, and the snorkelling was a little disappointing. 

Greece & Turkey: Alice & Beth

In 2024, Alice and Beth added to their already impressive array of hotel inspections in Greece and Turkey.  Beth returned to the Cyclades to explore Naxos and Mykonos, and really rated the Myconian Ambassador as a handy base away from the tourist hoards.  Alice spent a relaxing week at 5* All Inclusive Elix by Mar-Bella near Parga on the Greek mainland and explored Athens and the Parthenon with her kids.  Her stand-out hotel of the region in 2024 was Hillside Beach Club in Fethiye Turkey, an active family-friendly resort which is now amongst her favourites worldwide. 

Cairo: Alice

Alice has already been to Egypt (and Cairo) many times,  but in October she grabbed a chance to inspect some Giza hotels while she was over on Temple World business.  With the new Grand Egyptian Museum now open near the Pyramids in Giza,  it makes sense for people to stay locally rather than brave the traffic from downtown, but there are surprisingly few good hotels in Giza!  Alice loved the boutique feel of the Steigenberger Pyramids right opposite the museum,  and although it’s a bit further west, the new Hyatt Regency was her favourite of 5 star options.

Our Expertise is Free

As you can see, we’re a small but very busy team here at Sirocco! Although we know how jammy it is that we can stay in luxury hotels across the globe and call it ‘work’,  the knowledge we’ve built up from our constant travelling and inspecting is the reason we’re able to do such a good job when we’re planning holidays. 

Along with our hotel and destination visits, we’re also constantly meeting with hotel owners and managers throughout the year either via Zoom or in person when they’re over in the UK on sales calls, and we attend numerous industry trade shows by region annually as well.  This means that although we’re small, we have built up loads and loads of high-level contacts at hotels around the world, and we always let them know if we’re sending a client their way – whenever they can, they like to add something to make our clients’ stay extra special! That’s the kind of personal touch that a larger agency just can’t provide.

So why go it alone and wade through hundreds of online reviews to find the perfect destination or hotel for you, when you can just ask us, we’ve been there, and we may have  even met the owner or the sales manager! It’s free to ask us for advice and quotes and there’s no obligation to book. Our service genuinely doesn’t cost you a penny extra, as we’ll match or beat web rates. Best of all, when you book with us, you’ll get ATOL/ABTOT cover and in most cases 24/7 in-country support too. Plus, we’re really nice! You won’t get that on the web.

For free expert travel advice from people who’ve been there,  get in touch with Alice, Lia and Beth at info@siroccoluxurytravel.com or give us a call on 020 8940 4114.