Reviews, Travel Tips & Insights...

Trip design, leader training, and hotel selection — straight from a June 2026 briefing with Backroads' own account team.

Inside the Napua Tower, the Villas, and What Our July 2026 Sales Briefing Revealed A property built in sections — here's how Grand Wailea's own Leisure sales team says it actually works. ADVISORS NOTEBOOK · MAUI, HAWAII Elli Travel Group's advisors sit in on partner briefings and webinars so our clients don't have to — direct from the hotel's own sales team, session by session. This post is based on a July 30, 2026 webinar briefing with Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resor

ADVISORS UNPACKED · LANAI, HAWAII Same Island, Two Completely Different Trips Our luxury travel specialists stay at the hotels, eat at the restaurants, and report back exactly what they think — so you can book with confidence, not guesswork. This comparison is based on a firsthand visit by Juan Fernandez, Kristen Fernandez, Corey Cook, Samantha Shaw, and Kayla Schlesinger in March 2026. Our advisors experienced both Four Seasons Resort Lanai and Sensei, A Four Seasons Resort,

Four Seasons Hualalai's chef- and wellness-packed summer wraps up as its 30th anniversary builds to a Legacy Dinner and Taste of Hualalai, September 25-26.

We stayed at all three of the Big Island's top luxury resorts. Here's how Rosewood Kona Village, Four Seasons Hualalai & Auberge Mauna Lani actually compare.

Our advisors spent a night at Sensei Lanai, Hawaii's data-driven wellness resort. An honest review of the gardens, hale spa, and rooms — plus booking perks.

Firsthand advisor comparison of Rosewood Mandarina and Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort — rooms, price gap, privacy, and which one actually fits your trip best.

An honest Naviva review from Elli Travel Group, an official Four Seasons Preferred Partner — firsthand advisor insight on Punta Mita's most private resort.

A gateway-by-gateway routing guide for New York, Boston, Atlanta, and DC travelers — including the SJU→VIJ direct route most advisors don't mention.

Our advisor went in skeptical of an all-private, man-made-lagoon resort in Curaçao. She left already planning her return — and with very specific advice on which room to book.

Honest comparison of all four Four Seasons Hawaii properties. Binary decision triggers, side-by-side table, and which property wins for golfers, families, honeymooners, and first-timers.

Which Rosewood Little Dix Bay room should you book? A category-by-category guide straight from the property's sales team, plus Elli Travel Group's Rosewood Elite perks.

Most travelers researching Four Seasons Oahu ask the same question: “what about the Disney Aulani next door?” The honest answer: no cross-access, clear lagoon boundary, completely separate resorts. Our July 2026 Four Seasons briefing also covered the Club Collection (already fully renovated), the lagoon food service (unique to this property in all of Hawaii), and the rooms renovation completing summer 2027

Crescent-by-crescent location guide, age policy explained, 7 pools mapped, and current dining updates. Elli Travel Group’s July 2026 insider briefing on Four Seasons Hualalai.

New spa (opened July 2026), resort fee update, room renovation timeline, and club floor insider tips. Elli Travel Group’s complete Four Seasons Maui briefing.

Inside the Full Collection — Eight Properties, Two Trains, One Briefing from Belmond's Sales Team ADVISORS NOTEBOOK · PERU What eight properties, two trains, and a population of baby alpacas taught our advisors about building the right Peru itinerary ABOUT THIS SERIES Our advisors spend hours each week in webinars and briefings with destination experts and hotel sales managers, building the knowledge and relationships behind every itinerary we build. This post is based on a p

First-hand reviews of luxury Maui hotels: Fairmont Kea Lani, Four Seasons, Andaz, Grand Wailea, and Ritz-Carlton Kapalua. Wailea vs. Kapalua explained.

Our advisors spent three nights at Auberge Mauna Lani. Honest review of the rooms, the sunrise outrigger canoe, and why it’s the Big Island’s best family resort.

Our advisors visited Kona Village, a Rosewood Resort firsthand. The best spa on the Kohala Coast, private casitas, and the lava landscape that sets it apart.

Find the perfect St. Barths hotel — from Cheval Blanc's Palace glamour to Rosewood Le Guanahani's family-friendly luxury. VIP perks with Elli Travel Group.