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Fora x Belmond luncheon
Fora was honored to be selected by Belmond as the travel agency to kick off their North American road show. On a chilly day in TriBeCa, 10 Belmond executives met some of our advisors and Fora HQ members for a luncheon. During the lunch, our advisors were able to connect with the Belmond execs to discuss travel plans for 2024, insider tips and new additions and updates to their properties.
We asked our Belmond friends about their travel aspirations, favorite place for a spritz and top Belmond picks. Read on for their answers.
Images courtesy of Thomas Alderink & La Residencia, Mallorca
Thomas Alderink: Account Director, Leisure, New York
What is you bucket-list travel destination for 2024?
I've been with the brand for over 15 years, and there are two properties I've yet to see: Napasai in Koh Samui, in Thailand, and Jimbaran Puri, in Bali.
What is your favorite place for a spritz?
Definitely in the gardens of Villa San Michele, located just outside of Florence. It has the most stunning views overlooking Florence. It's magical.
What's the most underrated Belmond property?
For a traveler going to Mexico, they often go beach, but I highly recommend visiting the charming colonial town of San Miguel de Allende, where we have the beautiful Casa de Sierra Nevada.
What's your favorite Belmond property?
I love all Belmond properties, but I have a special place in my heart for La Residencia Mallorca. I took my sister there on her first trip to Europe, and just traveling through her, witnessing her experience through her eyes, made that trip more magical than ever. It was truly a blessing to be able to do so, and I highly recommend a visit to La Residencia.
Images courtesy of Napasai, Koh Samui & Monasterio, Cusco
Lucie Faucon: Director of Sales, The Cadogan, London
What is you bucket-list travel destination for 2024?
I still have 40 countries on my list, but I would say something very remote and very cold: Antarctica.
What is your favorite place for a spritz?
I have to go to Italy for a spritz.
What's the most underrated Belmond property?
The very special Belmond that I'm connected with is the Hotel Das Cataratas, which is in Brazil, because it's inside the national park, and you're the first one to view the falls.
What's your favorite Belmond property?
My favorite Belmond of all time is a Belmond I spent two weeks in because I was stuck there during COVID, because I could not fly back to the UK, and it's Reid's Palace in Madeira.
Images courtesy of Casa de Sierra Nevada, San Miguel de Allende & Reid’s Palace, Madeira
Cristiane Bertechini: Sales Manager, Brazil
What is you bucket-list travel destination for 2024?
For sure Peru and Machu Picchu...and all the hotels there are just incredible.
What is your favorite place for a spritz?
No doubt the Hotel Das Cataratas in Iguaçu Falls. Sit in the Tarobá Bar, and watch the sunset over the falls. It's just amazing.
What's the most underrated Belmond product?
The safaris in Botswana. It's a place to discover, and has a lot of adventure.
What's your favorite Belmond property?
Copacabana Palace in Rio. Rio is an incredible city. It's a party city, and anytime you go, it's fun and amazing.
Claire Bergdoll: Leisure Sales Manager, El Encanto, Santa Barbara
What is you bucket-list travel destination for 2024?
I've been to Japan in the summertime, but I want to go in the winter to ski.
What is your favorite place for a spritz?
I'll give you a Santa Barbara recommendation: Aperitivo on State Street. It has the best spritzes and pastas.
What's the most underrated Belmond property?
Casa de Sierra Nevada in San Miguel de Allende. It's so easy to get to, especially from the West Coast. It's just beautiful, historic. It reminds me a little bit of El Encanto.
What's your favorite Belmond property?
Obviously El Encanto, because that's my hotel. It has a special place in so many people's hearts. There are people who have honeymooned there 30 years ago who come back. There are people celebrating their eighth grade graduation. There are couples celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary. They're all coming to this property and it holds such a special place for so many people, so of course it holds a special place for me, too.
Mary-Kate Hendricks: Leisure Sales Manager, Mount Nelson, Cape Town & Belmond Safaris, Botswana
What is you bucket-list travel destination for 2024?
Definitely the Peru properties: Machu Picchu, Lima, Cusco as well as the Belmond train.
What is your favorite place for a spritz?
A local spot for a spritz in Cape Town is on the Camps Bay Strip: a beautiful summer evening, watching the sun set over the Atlantic Ocean. There's no better place.
What's the most underrated Belmond property?
The Cadogan in London. It has a home-away-from-home feeling, with beautiful gardens directly opposite from it. It really has an incredible feeling to the hotel.
What's your favorite Belmond property?
I got engaged at the Savute Elephant Lodge in Northern Botswana, so obviously that's got a very special place in my heart. But in terms of wildlife, even as an African, you are blown away by the amount of elephants, the lions. It's absolutely incredible.
Images courtesy of The Cadogan, London & Maroma, Riviera Maya
Daniel Pasquali: Vice President, Sales Innovation and North America Leisure Sales
What is you bucket-list travel destination for 2024?
Peru: I want to go on our luxury trains there, overlooking the Andes, maybe feeding alpacas and just experiencing this wonderful country.
What is your favorite place for a spritz?
I honestly have many, many places because I love a spritz. But the most memorable spritzes I had were at Splendido Mare, not leaving the entire day, just watching people: guards coming in, fishermen coming in. It's just gorgeous.
What's the most underrated Belmond property?
The river barges, Les Bâteaux Belmond in France. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It is absolutely fabulous culinary wise and experience wise. And you're basically on your own private floating luxury villa with a Michelin-Starred chef, and you experience the wonders of France.
What's your favorite Belmond property?
Maroma, Rivera Maya, the beating heart. We invested so much money in the past years, together with LVMH. When you're part of this rebirth, it almost feels like a true family and being part of you, and this property is absolutely stunning.
Images courtesy of Cipriani, Venice & Splendido, Portofino
Pedro Mateus: Regional Director of Sales & Marketing, Caribbean
What is you bucket-list travel destination for 2024?
Peru.
What is your favorite place for a spritz?
That would be Venice.
What's the most underrated Belmond property?
It would be our Peru properties.
What's your favorite Belmond property?
Cap Juluca and La Samanna. I love them both.
Elisabete da Gama: Senior Sales Manager, Reid’s Palace, Madeira
What is you bucket-list travel destination for 2024?
Peru. I would love to go to Machu Picchu and Peru for sure.
What is your favorite place for a spritz?
That would be the pool of Copacabana. That would be nice there.
What's the most underrated Belmond property?
That's us: Reid's Palace, on Madeira Island. Nobody thinks about us, it's not on the radar, but it's an amazing place.
What's your favorite Belmond property?
Cipriani. It always will be Cipriani.
Images courtesy of Cap Juluca, Anguilla & La Residencia, Mallorca
Sylvia Smith: Area Director, Sales and Marketing, Mexico
What is you bucket-list travel destination for 2024?
I have a few: Alaska, Japan and Malta.
What is your favorite place for a spritz?
Tunki Rooftop Bar at Casa de Sierra Nevada. We have an incredible Aperol spritz called the Tunki Spritz, and you have incredible views of San Miguel de Allende at the same time you're sipping an amazing drink.
What's the most underrated Belmond property?
Casa de Sierra Nevada in San Miguel de Allende.
What's your favorite Belmond property?
My favorite Belmond — I'm biased — is Maroma.
Antonella Merli: Area Director of Sales, Italy & Spain
What is you bucket-list travel destination for 2024?
I'm going to Peru this summer, so this was on my bucket list forever. But if you had to choose one of the destinations we have in Europe, I would say that on the bucket list you must put Sicily.
What is your favorite place for a spritz?
Of course it has to be Venice; this is where you can have the best spritz.
What's the most underrated Belmond property?
I don't believe that there is an underrated Belmond property in the world. Maybe the underrated destination at the moment is Sardinia because it's brand new for us, so we are just starting to understand it and sell it in the best way. In the next few months we will be on top of that.
What's your favorite Belmond property?
That's a very complicated question. I don't think I'm allowed to answer to that.
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