Before I planned trips, I cooked and poured wine in some of New York's most celebrated kitchens — including Daniel and Cosme. That world taught me how to read a menu, understand a wine list, and tell the difference between a restaurant that's good and one that's actually worth your time. It sharpened an instinct for authenticity that I couldn't turn off: the family-run vineyard over the famous one, the tucked-away patisserie over the hotel breakfast, the café with forty years of history over the one with the best lighting for photos.

When I made the move into travel, it turned out that instinct translated perfectly. The best trips aren't built around landmarks — they're built around moments that feel specific to a place. My job is finding those moments, and then making sure you actually get to have them.

Meet Kelsey:
Former Chef, Sommelier, & Culinary Travel Advisor

A Culinary Career That Became a Travel Philosophy

I work with two kinds of travelers, and honestly, many people are both depending on the trip.

What Working With Me Actually Looks Like

Some of the time, they know exactly where they want to stay and are perfectly happy handling the rest themselves — they just want the Virtuoso perks and priority access that come with booking through an advisor. Complimentary breakfast, room upgrades, early check-in, resort credits: real benefits, no planning fee, no fuss.

Other travelers might want everything handled. The flights, the hotels, the restaurant reservations, the private wine tasting, the driver who meets them at arrivals, the itinerary that leaves enough room to breathe without leaving anything to chance. That's the full-service experience — bespoke, culinary-forward, and built entirely around how you like to travel.

Neither approach is more right than the other. My job is figuring out which one fits your trip — and delivering it without you having to think twice about it.

The Access & Affiliations That Make a Difference

As a Virtuoso member and Fora X Travel Advisor, I have access to preferred partner benefits at hundreds of luxury hotels worldwide — complimentary upgrades, daily breakfast, early check-in, late checkout, and resort credits that simply aren't available when you book direct. These aren't negotiated case by case; they're built into the relationship.

Beyond the perks, what these affiliations really represent is access: to the people on the ground, the hotel GMs who take a call, the trusted local partners in each country who know which experience is actually worth your time this season. That kind of connection is harder to quantify than a room upgrade — and usually worth more.