Latest news with #HenleyVazquez
Travel Weekly
2 days ago
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Last-minute booking surge and price-drop tool at Fora
Jamie Biesiada The 2025 trend of close-in bookings has continued into the summer. For the past few weeks at Fora Travel in New York, 45% of bookings have been for travel taking place within the month following the booking. "Summer is so last minute," said Fora co-founder Henley Vazquez said. "We had a record month in June. The bookings last week alone, we have millions of dollars booked last week for travel this week. We're just seeing this huge surge of interest in traveling." Domestic travel is growing faster than international travel, she said, but noted that Fora clients are headed "everywhere, and everywhere last minute." Vazquez largely attributed that last-minute trend to the uncertainty in the world, both economically and politically. New price-drop feature at Fora Amid all the last-minute bookings, Fora has introduced a new feature for advisors: a price-drop alert on refundable hotel bookings. Right now, the feature is applicable only to hotel bookings made via GDS, Vazquez said, which make up most of Fora's hotel bookings. Bookings are automatically monitored, and if the price a client is paying changes by more than 5% or $50, the advisor will get an email alerting them to the change. At that point, the advisor can alert their client, Vazquez said. While they could offer to rebook them at the lower rate, she said they could also encourage them to book a better room category with the money saved. So far, the feature has saved Fora clients "hundreds of thousands of dollars," she said. "It's certainly, as a travel advisor, something I would have dreamed of for years to not have a client go out and go, 'Hey, I found this better price now on this room that you booked for me,' which totally erodes trust," Vazquez said. Fora built its price-monitoring technology internally. Vazquez said it offers the host a differentiator from competitors in the leisure travel space. Additionally, she hopes it gives advisors an inroad to close sales faster than otherwise. "It also gives you the ability as an advisor, which is another big bonus, to say to a client -- as I did recently -- 'Yeah, let's go ahead and book this, because if the price changes, it's refundable,'" she said. Given the feature's popularity among Fora advisors, Vazques said price-drop monitoring will likely be built into other systems for other products outside hotels in the future.
Malaysian Reserve
04-07-2025
- Malaysian Reserve
Europe's new wave of sleeper trains are next-level luxury trips
All aboard the Belmond Royal Scotsman and the new La Dolce Vita Orient Express out of Rome by SARAH RAPPAPORT EVEN before I've had a drop of Champagne with my four-course meal, I'm teetering on my heels. I'm dressed to the nines in a floor-length gown, making my way down a wood-panelled hallway that could be straight out of Downton Abbey, though it happens to be on a moving train. The Belmond Royal Scotsman is gliding along at 65mph through the rolling Highlands of Scotland, rocking me gently until I make it to the cosy safety of my red velvet seat in the dining room. There, at a long table set with custom china for half the train's guests — about 16 of us — I'm served hand-harvested scallops and a tender cut of beef. It's a country mile from the usual bag of chips and can of Coke I'd scarf down on a train trip, I think to myself, admiring how the suit-wearing waiters can refill tall crystal flutes with precision, never spilling a drop. Then it occurs to me: Getting back to my stateroom is going to be even harder. Stumble-prone as I might have felt in the moment, it turns out to be quite easy to attune yourself to the rhythms of a luxury train. Yes, there are a few tight spaces to navigate, and the formality of it all is initially intimidating. But on my first night aboard, on a mission to figure out what's behind the great railroad resurgence of the mid-2020s, I begin to see why ultrahigh-end options are popping up from Africa to Japan. Boarding a sleeper (as I did) 'might be the closest thing yet to time travel', said Henley Vazquez, co-founder of travel agency Fora, which has seen a 300% increase in demand for upscale journeys by rail since 2023. Train travel speaks to people's desire for simpler-seeming times, for slowing down and having all the details planned out. It's like a very fancy cruise — on land. I've sampled two of these train routes, on the Scotsman and the new La Dolce Vita Orient Express. Both followed loops, starting and ending in Edinburgh and Rome, respectively, with stops in small towns along the way to explore. A dining cabin aboard the mod La Dolce Vita Being on a luxe train is so much more than just cosplaying 1920s glamour in refurbished Pullman cars. It's about a style of travel that's more effortless, convivial and deeply engaging than anything else I've experienced. With only about 36 passengers per voyage, you get to know pretty much everyone. While skimming along the west coast of Italy on La Dolce Vita, I chat with an American businessman who's already counted six trips on Belmond's Venice Simplon-Orient Express, the line made famous by Agatha Christie. Over glasses of wine in the 1960s-inspired bar car, he tells me how he'd been a train-obsessed kid and has found the most grown-up way to enjoy them. All he needs to do is sit back and enjoy the ride: No driving to dinner, no planning excursions, no lifting a finger. Welcomed aboard to the sound of bagpipes If trains make sense for luxury-seekers, they also slide right into the business models of hospitality companies such as Belmond and Orient Express. They couple easily with those companies' resorts — you can stay at the just-opened Orient Express hotel in Rome before boarding La Dolce Vita, for instance. They add novelty too: To board the Royal Scotsman, you trail a kilted bagpiper through Waverley station in Edinburgh as curious onlookers snap photos. My double cabin on the Royal Scotsman is smaller than my college dorm room, but it's crammed with an impossible number of luxuries, from heated floors to fluffy Dior robes. (Belmond, like Dior, is owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.) Gold-coloured reading lamps flank the double bed, and there's a smart little cupboard in which to hang your formal clothes, along with a bijou writing desk. In contrast, La Dolce Vita's vibes mod, with mirrored walls, a groovy orange-patterned sofa bed the staff makes up for you and a compact shower with better water pressure than my London apartment. In both cabins, wide windows offer constant enchantment, be it views of the North Sea or cypress trees in the Tuscan countryside. Neither train has TVs and phone signals are intermittent. Despite there being nowhere to lay your luggage, the cabin prices are staggering: £5,300 (RM30,793) for two nights on the Royal Scotsman and from €5,100 (RM25,347) on La Dolce Vita. But the rates include the extravagant meals, drinks and entertainment. Entertainment and sweeping views aboard the Royal Scotsman The Royal Scotsman's rates also cover off-board excursions. Passengers can go 'forest bathing' (read: Peaceful stretching) with a local guide in Cairngorms National Park and learn Highland survival skills from wilderness expert Zeki Basan. A rugged twentysomething, Basan is a captivating custodian of ancient Scottish practices such as sparking a fire from lichen. In Italy, side trips include private access to the Museo Fortuny, the grand Venetian palazzo once owned by the artist and fashion designer Mariano Fortuny, and a tour of Siena that focuses on the artisans who revive the city's medieval Palio horse race each summer. These outings are intimate and efficient — quick but culturally insightful tours that you might not be able to access on your own. This writer aboard the Belmond Royal Scotsman One night, aboard La Dolce Vita, I delight in impeccably rich saffron risotto and cacio e pepe, prepared by chefs under the direction of Heinz Beck, the mastermind of Rome's three-Michelin-starred La Pergola. I chat with some new Russian friends, who invite me to visit St Petersburg. 'Of course, our countries aren't friends,' one of them said, in recognition of my American passport, 'but that doesn't mean we can't be.' When dinner finally ends, well after midnight, we all spill into the adjacent bar car, where a lounge singer, pianist and sax player get the whole car jamming to Mambo Italiano into the early-morning hours. In Scotland the after-dinner merrymaking is similarly indefatigable, but with folk tunes and a raucous dance party the staff joins in on. With so little time on board, nearly everyone chooses fun over sleep. Sleeping on a sleeper train isn't the highlight, anyway. The beds are plush and comfortable, sure, but the jostling is hard to get used to, and in Scotland at five in the morning, I'm awakened by the screech of wheels against the track. It's lambing season, so rather than count sheep to go back to sleep, I relax and observe the farmers multiplying theirs outside my window. Watching the world calmly pass by turns out to be much more restorative than an extra hour of shut-eye would ever be. — Bloomberg This article first appeared in The Malaysian Reserve weekly print edition
Travel Weekly
12-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Fora Travel CEO Henley Vazquez on the agency's NYC pop-up
Host agency Fora Travel is hosting a pop-up shop in New York this month, inviting the public to stop in for a cup of coffee, meet with Fora advisors and attend a variety of special events. The pop-up is located in the city's Soho neighborhood (433 West Broadway) and is open Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Senior editor Jamie Biesiada spoke with Fora CEO and co-founder Henley Vazquez about the idea and its execution. Henley Vazquez Q: Why are you introducing the concept of a pop-up? A: The idea was, how do you take that sort of old-world travel agency, like the corner store where you go in and plan a trip, and bring it into the new world of Fora, being the modern travel agency? And then also bring the experience that we as advisors have, like interacting with our partners and going to these conferences, and bring that out into the world where our advisors can bring their clients in. A person walking by could come in, interact, plan a trip, sort of put that whole thing into a real-life setting, and do it in Soho. It's very much right in the middle of everything. It's sort of wild to see the Fora flag flying over Soho. Q: What kind of space is it? A: It is a retail space, so quite a long loft. Anybody will be able to walk in. There are different sections of the shop set up. There's an area with lots of brochures, very much like that old-school travel agency. You can come in and go through them, look at the different partners. You can shop Assouline travel books, candles, various things that bring that experience of those suppliers into the world. You can pick up a coffee, so we'll have a barista in there. The back is actually dedicated to planning. If you want to come in and browse and actually sit down, it'll be entirely staffed by Fora advisors and you can sit down and plan or brainstorm a trip. Q: Which advisors are staffing that area? A: It is our Pro and X advisors [higher levels within Fora based on booking volume]. We've had a lot of interest. People are actually flying in from around the country in order to work shifts and be there to talk to travelers and tell them more about what it's like to work with an advisor. It's about them, but it's also about the brand and the experience of being a travel advisor and working with a travel advisor overall. Q: Can you tell me more about the supplier side of it, too? A: It's been really fun. I was there yesterday, and I've broken many nails ripping apart boxes — we have boxes and boxes of merch that our partners have sent in. Everything from leaflets and brochures that are inspirational to beautiful hardcover books that will give you inspiration. There's lots of excitement from our suppliers of giving a place where they can showcase, in a retail way, something that doesn't normally get so much visibility. Q: What would the success of this pop-up look like to you? A: Our summer campaign that we are going to be launching is really the whole idea of — and you'll see some ads around Soho saying this — your trip to Montauk won't plan itself, but a Fora advisor will. For us, the success is pushing forward the narrative that travel is happening. You should be doing it with an advisor to travel better. It's a little intangible what success feels like, because it's not like, 'Oh, I want to see the sales go up so much.' It's just, I want people to walk away with more awareness of the brand of our advisors, of what they're doing, and be inspired to go somewhere new.
Economic Times
29-04-2025
- Economic Times
Six stunning new Greek hotels to book now
Beach House Avali Greece is the hot destination for travelers this summer, according to Henley Vazquez, co-founder of travel agency Fora. 'Last summer it was Saint-Tropez, the summer before that was the Amalfi Coast,' she says. 'People are booking Greece left, right and center now.' And it's no secret why: Visitors flock to the country for its pristine beaches, the iconic blue-and-white Cycladic towns, ancient historical sights and, of course, that always-fresh culinary demand has been so extraordinary as to make airlines shift their schedules, yielding an all-time high of 28.2 million scheduled international seats on flights to Greece this summer. The Greek Tourism Confederation, which supplied the data on flights, says it's seeing sustained momentum from key markets such as the US and UK, even in the face of global economic uncertainty. Both Delta Air Lines and American Airlines are expanding capacity to Athens, even as they adjust outlooks for the year, predicting slower demand than previously forecast. For those booking tickets, or considering it, there's also a growing number of fabulous places to stay. This summer's new and newly renovated resorts include a cliffside retreat on Santorini and a seaside getaway under an hour's drive from the Athens city center. Here are the six most compelling openings to prioritize.A 45-minute drive southeast of the Athens city center, this beloved hotel is on one end of the trendy Athens Riviera , a hot destination that offers laid-back island charm without the ferry commute. Since its inception, Cape Sounio has claimed stellar views of the Temple of Poseidon, a marble structure on a hillside that dates to the fifth century BC. And because the resort was feeling a bit dated too, it just underwent a top-to-bottom renovation that makes it as glorious for contemporary travelers as it was decades ago. Now it has 139 bungalows, suites and villas scattered around a pine forest reserve that leads to the sea—in airy open-plan styles and many with their own pools. The property is family friendly, with a separate kids pool, a kids club and activities for youngsters like cooking classes and laser tag. For everyone else, there's loads to do in and around the Aegean, from scuba diving to snorkeling and private after-hours tours of the neighboring temple, which is dedicated, appropriately, to the god of the sea. Rooms from about $455), open Seasons' expansion to the Cyclades has been highly anticipated—its debut property in Athens is one of the best places to stay in the country—and this is poised to be no different. It's for guests who want the serenity of Mykonos—the pebbled beaches, the sugar cube buildings and the bougainvillea-lined streets—without the thump-thump-thump of its world-class nightlife. The new 94-room resort will offer just that combination from a location on the less developed southwest side of the island, with an infinity pool overlooking the Aegean and a modern interpretation of a traditional Mykonian kafenio (cafe). We're betting on gussied-up freddo cappuccinos—iced, blended and frothed—plus calamari and spanakopita aplenty. Opening date and prices adults-only cliffside hotel is popular for its best-of-both-worlds location, walkable to the blue-domed town of Oia and also perfectly primed for sunset views over the island's volcanic caldera. To make its draws accessible to more guests, it's now being expanded via a merger with its sister property next door, Alta Mare. To unify them, the owners are introducing a design scheme that leans heavily into the white-and-tan tones of traditional Cycladic buildings, both in the room interiors and on the buildings' facades. And distinguishing them from the island's five-star competition, all of the suites will feature private hot tubs or private pools facing the sea when the hotel reopens in May. Rooms from about € Rooster has quickly become the hottest spot on Antiparos since opening in 2021, putting the tiny island on the map for luxury travelers. Now, the hotel's stylish owner Athanasia Comninos—a shipping heiress who's worked at Vogue Greece and in interior design—has taken over an eight-bedroom guesthouse on a secluded clove on the southern side of the island too. Come June, it will reopen with a new look that's true to Comninos' signature rustic-chic style. For a hotel so diminutive, there will be an outsize slate of amenities, including an outpost of lauded Athenian restaurant Cookoovaya, a beach bar, a small spa and a playground for children hidden among the olive groves. Rooms from about € Cycladic island of Paros has been undergoing a hotel renaissance in recent years, though it's still relatively less popular and less expensive than neighboring Mykonos and Santorini. (The arrival of an international airport next year is poised to change all that.) Parilio, a 10-minute drive from the popular white stone village of Nauousa is getting an upgrade too, going from 33 accommodations to 46 in June. New suites will have plunge pools and spacious terraces. When you need a break from the solitude, there's a built-in scene at the hotel's cross-shaped pool, which draws an artistic power crowd to its loungers and terraced bar. Rooms from € 1,000 feet of Ionian frontage that stretches across the laid-back southeastern side of Corfu, Avali will offer an intimate version of the all-inclusive resort when it opens in August. It will have just 76 rooms—decorated in cool tones, some with daybeds and private pools—plus two restaurants and three bars, several of them alfresco and facing the namesake feature. (Avali means 'small bay' in the local Corfiot dialect.) The bay's calm waters should make for either a relaxing backdrop or an active vacation; the spa will have outdoor cabins, and a water sports center is set to offer paddleboards and kayaks. Of course, you can always opt for a little of both. Rooms from €289.
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Time of India
Six stunning new Greek hotels to book now
Greece is the hot destination for travelers this summer, according to Henley Vazquez, co-founder of travel agency Fora. 'Last summer it was Saint-Tropez, the summer before that was the Amalfi Coast,' she says. 'People are booking Greece left, right and center now.' And it's no secret why: Visitors flock to the country for its pristine beaches, the iconic blue-and-white Cycladic towns, ancient historical sights and, of course, that always-fresh culinary scene. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack India stares at a 'water bomb' threat as it freezes Indus Treaty India readies short, mid & long-term Indus River plans Shehbaz Sharif calls India's stand "worn-out narrative" The demand has been so extraordinary as to make airlines shift their schedules, yielding an all-time high of 28.2 million scheduled international seats on flights to Greece this summer. The Greek Tourism Confederation, which supplied the data on flights, says it's seeing sustained momentum from key markets such as the US and UK, even in the face of global economic uncertainty. Both Delta Air Lines and American Airlines are expanding capacity to Athens, even as they adjust outlooks for the year, predicting slower demand than previously forecast. For those booking tickets, or considering it, there's also a growing number of fabulous places to stay. This summer's new and newly renovated resorts include a cliffside retreat on Santorini and a seaside getaway under an hour's drive from the Athens city center. Here are the six most compelling openings to prioritize. Cape Sounio, A Grecotel Resort A 45-minute drive southeast of the Athens city center, this beloved hotel is on one end of the trendy Athens Riviera , a hot destination that offers laid-back island charm without the ferry commute. Since its inception, Cape Sounio has claimed stellar views of the Temple of Poseidon, a marble structure on a hillside that dates to the fifth century BC. And because the resort was feeling a bit dated too, it just underwent a top-to-bottom renovation that makes it as glorious for contemporary travelers as it was decades ago. Now it has 139 bungalows, suites and villas scattered around a pine forest reserve that leads to the sea—in airy open-plan styles and many with their own pools. The property is family friendly, with a separate kids pool, a kids club and activities for youngsters like cooking classes and laser tag. For everyone else, there's loads to do in and around the Aegean, from scuba diving to snorkeling and private after-hours tours of the neighboring temple, which is dedicated, appropriately, to the god of the sea. Rooms from about $455), open now. Four Seasons Mykonos Four Seasons' expansion to the Cyclades has been highly anticipated—its debut property in Athens is one of the best places to stay in the country—and this is poised to be no different. It's for guests who want the serenity of Mykonos—the pebbled beaches, the sugar cube buildings and the bougainvillea-lined streets—without the thump-thump-thump of its world-class nightlife. The new 94-room resort will offer just that combination from a location on the less developed southwest side of the island, with an infinity pool overlooking the Aegean and a modern interpretation of a traditional Mykonian kafenio (cafe). We're betting on gussied-up freddo cappuccinos—iced, blended and frothed—plus calamari and spanakopita aplenty. Opening date and prices TBD. Andronis Luxury Suites The adults-only cliffside hotel is popular for its best-of-both-worlds location, walkable to the blue-domed town of Oia and also perfectly primed for sunset views over the island's volcanic caldera. To make its draws accessible to more guests, it's now being expanded via a merger with its sister property next door, Alta Mare. To unify them, the owners are introducing a design scheme that leans heavily into the white-and-tan tones of traditional Cycladic buildings, both in the room interiors and on the buildings' facades. And distinguishing them from the island's five-star competition, all of the suites will feature private hot tubs or private pools facing the sea when the hotel reopens in May. Rooms from about €800. Beach House The Rooster has quickly become the hottest spot on Antiparos since opening in 2021, putting the tiny island on the map for luxury travelers. Now, the hotel's stylish owner Athanasia Comninos—a shipping heiress who's worked at Vogue Greece and in interior design—has taken over an eight-bedroom guesthouse on a secluded clove on the southern side of the island too. Come June, it will reopen with a new look that's true to Comninos' signature rustic-chic style. For a hotel so diminutive, there will be an outsize slate of amenities, including an outpost of lauded Athenian restaurant Cookoovaya, a beach bar, a small spa and a playground for children hidden among the olive groves. Rooms from about €470. Parilio The Cycladic island of Paros has been undergoing a hotel renaissance in recent years, though it's still relatively less popular and less expensive than neighboring Mykonos and Santorini. (The arrival of an international airport next year is poised to change all that.) Parilio, a 10-minute drive from the popular white stone village of Nauousa is getting an upgrade too, going from 33 accommodations to 46 in June. New suites will have plunge pools and spacious terraces. When you need a break from the solitude, there's a built-in scene at the hotel's cross-shaped pool, which draws an artistic power crowd to its loungers and terraced bar. Rooms from €700. Avali On 1,000 feet of Ionian frontage that stretches across the laid-back southeastern side of Corfu, Avali will offer an intimate version of the all-inclusive resort when it opens in August. It will have just 76 rooms—decorated in cool tones, some with daybeds and private pools—plus two restaurants and three bars, several of them alfresco and facing the namesake feature. (Avali means 'small bay' in the local Corfiot dialect.) The bay's calm waters should make for either a relaxing backdrop or an active vacation; the spa will have outdoor cabins, and a water sports center is set to offer paddleboards and kayaks. Of course, you can always opt for a little of both. Rooms from €289.
