How Do You Use LuxuryLink?

In exchanging some PMs, thisquestion was discussed with several community members.

We have used almost all of the LL auction packages we have purchased as book ends or cobbled building blocks. One exception was cooking classes we purchased in Pubela, Mexico (although we did add an extra nights stay). In other words, we tend to add an auction package at the start of an extended journey (we have planned through other sources - sometimes at the start, or the end or both the start and end hence book ends). On a holiday in European last year, we cobbled together three building blocks ofLL packages and enjoyed almost three weeks of deeply discounted (something approaching 25 30% off the lowest Internet prices we could find) luxury accommodations.

What about others? Do you typically buy a package and use it strictly as your destination, do book ends or cobble together for extended holidays? If you do take these approaches, what steps do you attempt to take to make certain your plans come together? Have you always be successful or have you been disappointed in coordination attempts?

Very interesting. I think we are "book end " people! In Nicaragua, we use other properties and then Morgans Rock, in Costa Rica, we also use a few auctions put together. In November, we will put two properties together. We don't seem to have problems coordinating all of this. Actually, I love the challenge. The biggest challenge though always seems to be coordinating this with air (or discounted or sale seats.)



I do like to contact various experts in the countries we are going to to help with the coordination. For example, in January, we went to Belize and Guatemala. Guatemala was completely booked by an expert in the area. His last job was to coordinate us getting to Belize and taking us to our LL property. We then spent the rest of the time at the LL property.

Hi O and bonniejoy,
We do the same thing, book ending two or three stays. Traveling outside the US often does not warrant the high air fare for just a 3-might stay in some lovely LL property, so we do cobble our trips. We did just that with our last trip to Budapest and Prague. We are doing the same thing again this coming June with the Bellevue Hotel in the Italian Alps and the Hotel Gruener Baum in Austria. When travelling between two or three LL properties, we ofthen built in an extra night, or more, somewhere on route, so we will arrive in the early afternoon for check-in to the full benefit of our first night's stay. Sofar, we have been very happy with this method and have stayed at many lovely LL properties. It takes perhaps a little extra work in researching a trip a little more closely, making sure to get the right transportation between properties, see what you can see on route, etc. But for us, we love the adventure of arranging a trip ourselves and save in the process. We have put together many "luxury" trips at a fraction of the cost of a fully organized trip with a tour company, not that I am knocking tour companies, they certainly have their place in the travel industry.