Christine, I Know You Suggested Something Else But Our Friends LOVED This Resort

This happens all the time. After spending a lot of time getting to know my clients -- their vacation wishes, their travel style, their budget -- I send over options for resorts that would be perfect for them. Then, I get an email from them that starts like this,

"Christine, we love these resorts but our friends told us that they went to Resort X and it was fabulous. Can we get a quote for that?"

My answer invariably starts like this,

"Awesome Client, I had actually considered Resort X for you but it's not a good fit for your because..."

So, on behalf of all travel agents everywhere, I'm going to ask you to stop speaking to your friends. OK, I'm not asking you to stop speaking to your friends entirely, but please stop crowdsourcing your travel recommendations. You're going to end up unhappy.

People tend to believe that because they are friends with someone that their travel tastes are the same. I can tell you from experience that 9 times out of 10 it's not true.

I'm sure your friends did love their stay at Resort X. Your friends wanted a vacation with lots of activity (yay, foam parties!), they didn't care about the type of alcohol they were served as long as it was free-flowing, food wasn't important and they wanted to bring their kids. Oh, and they had a very tight budget. For them, Resort X was perfect. There were lots of activities for the kids, the one buffet restaurant and three swim-up bars with local beer suited them just fine and they LOVED the foam party. The vacation also fell within their budget. Resort X was a good fit and the family had a great time.

You, Awesome Client, told me that you are celebrating your 20th wedding anniversary. You are looking for an adults-only resort that is quiet and relaxing since you and hubby want to recreate your honeymoon by spending seven days on the beach just staring into each other's eyes. You are foodies and want a wide selection of excellent restaurants. Your husband is a bourbon aficionado and wants to be able to sample a variety of excellent liquors. While you don't want to break the bank, you are OK with spending a little more since this is a special trip.

You will HATE Resort X.

For you, Resort Y, Z or A would be excellent choices as they meet your needs for this extra special trip.

If you need someone to fix your roof or want to know where to buy that awesome furniture they have in their sunroom or even want to know which restaurant has the best steak, ask your friends.

When you are spending thousands of your hard-earned dollars on a vacation, trust your travel agent to match you with the perfect trip. If you don't trust them that much, find a new travel agent.

Happy Travels!