When it comes to planning your next trip, the internet will give you thousands of options, but a luxury travel concierge can give you something far more valuable: certainty. Not just that your hotel is the right fit or that you’ll get the best table in the city, but that every moment will be memorable for the right reasons.
Unlike traditional agents who curate itineraries from afar, an experienced lifestyle concierge like Erica Jackowitz doesn’t just book the trip, she lives it first. “We don’t curate travel, we live it,” she says. “Every story I tell comes from experience. From what I’ve sought out, what I’ve requested, and how I’ve learned to ask for it. Those moments become the blueprint for the unforgettable experiences I create for my clients”
From finding hidden moments no blog will tell you about to orchestrating events that seem impossible to arrange, here are 10 things we as travel concierges know that help us elevate trips to the next level.
1. Don’t Just Curate Trips — Live Them
Jackowitz doesn't rely on secondhand information. She’s physically visiting destinations, testing experiences, and staying at properties before she even considers recommending them. This approach ensures travel planning tips come from real-world trials, not online reviews.
2. Find Magic Beyond the Internet
A search engine can tell you the most popular attractions. Jackowitz can tell you what will move you. Jackowitz recalls, “I befriended a local in Maine who told me to hike Cadillac Mountain at 2 AM and watch the first sunrise on the Eastern Seaboard. It was one of the most magical moments I’ve lived through, the kind that makes the whole world stop.”
It’s about looking past the veil of social media, building relationships and asking locals the right questions. That's what opens the door to truly exclusive travel experiences.
3. Perfect the Details Others Overlook
The best hospitality moments rarely announce themselves. “After a match on red clay, no one wants to pack sneakers the color of the court,” Jackowitz says. “A simple wash before they’re returned changes everything.” It’s these unspoken touches, the ones that quietly remove friction, that make a stay feel less like service and more like instinctive care.
The art lies in anticipation: the glass of water that appears before you have to ask, the luggage that’s already waiting in your next room, the driver who somehow knows your favorite playlist. None of it feels orchestrated, yet every detail is deliberate. This is hospitality at its highest level and it’s the invisible choreography that Erica creates to transform a trip into a seamless and soulful experience.
4. Compare Across the Best — Not Just Pick One
Most travelers book based on one glowing recommendation. But Jackowitz insists that exclusive travel planning requires context: “If someone says this is the best resort in the Maldives, have they been to all the other private islands? We create a comparative index by experiencing everything so we know what should be and what shouldn’t.”
That insider index is the secret ingredient that turns good advice into gold.
5. Make the Ordinary Feel Exclusive
Even the simplest experiences can feel extraordinary with the right timing. “When you’re surrounded by tourists, it loses its magic,” says Jackowitz. “I might tell a client to start their hike at a, strategically, earlier time. At 10 AM, you’re one of a hundred; at 7:30 AM, you might have the ridge to yourself.” That kind of timing isn’t coincidence, it’s intentional planning designed to turn ordinary moments into something unforgettable.
6. Tailor Experiences You Didn’t Know Were Possible
Some exclusive travel experiences sound cinematic, by design.“I’ve arranged lunch on a hidden corner of the Great Wall of China., White linen table cloths, champagne, the works.” Jackowitz says. “If a family wants to visit the Colosseum in Rome, I'm thinking ‘how do I make it theirs for the day? Can their kids spar like gladiators?’ You have to know what’s inside the box before you can think outside it.”
7. Cut Through the Instagram Illusion
Not every picture-perfect spot lives up to its expectations. “Instagram might show you a beach club that looks like paradise, but maybe the loungers are on rocks and the waiters don’t seem to know you exist. For some people, that’s the difference between a daya of joy and a day of frustration.” says Jackowitz.
It’s the kind of detail you only uncover in person, and exactly what Jackowitz protects clients from.
8. Travel Hacks You’ll Actually Use
Jackowitz’s travel rituals are filled with small, clever details; the kind of hacks that make travel smoother, smarter, and infinitely more enjoyable.
“Plane picnics always. I never eat airline food, except Emirates’ caviar service in first class.” Jackowitz says with a smile. “I eat in the lounge so I can go straight to sleep when the plane takes off and get a full night’s rest."
"When I check out of a hotel, I order a chicken club to-go the night before. It travels well, and I keep the soggy ingredients on the side."
"On an overnight flight, I immediately change into pajamas. It keeps my outfit fresh and I feel clean when I land, even if I’m heading straight to lunch or a boat."
Small details, seamless comfort, and a hint of luxury. That's the Erica Jackowitz approved way to travel.
9. Create Lasting Family Traditions
Some advice is about more than the trip, it’s about memories. “If you’re traveling with kids, start a travel journal. They may fight you on it, but they’ll cherish reading it later in life,” Jackowitz suggests. Whether it’s a paragraph, a drawing, or a list, it’s a souvenir more valuable than anything from a gift shop.
10. Hack Your Senses
Memory is tied to smell, and a luxury travel concierge knows how to use that to your advantage. “On a special trip, skip bringing perfume from home. Buy a new scent at duty free and wear it only on that vacation. It will always transport you back to that time and place,” says Jackowitz.
This sensory hack creates a lasting emotional connection to your travels that no photograph can match.
A luxury travel concierge is more than a planner, they’re your insider access point to experiences you can’t do a simple search for. Jackowitz knows how to turn a standard itinerary into a curated sequence of moments that feel personal, seamless, and unforgettable.
Whether it’s dining alone on the Great Wall, waking up to the first sunrise in the United States, or discovering a private bay with no one else in sight, their expertise turns your vacation into a story worth telling. And the best part? They've already lived it, and know exactly how to make it work for you.