4 days ago
How A Miami Beach Residential Concierge Transformed Into A Luxury Travel Planner
Concierges have had a long reputation for being the go-to individuals for securing that impossible restaurant reservation or those must-have theater seats for hotel guests. A residential concierge at a luxury apartment property, however, has a far more arduous responsibility that has to meet the demands of its discerning residents, who expect a role that is more exemplary of a personal assistant by today's standards.
Jacqueline Gonzalez has been in South Florida's hospitality industry for more than 17 years and has built a reputation for being one of the region's premier residential concierges, after joining the Continuum in South Beach as its head concierge more than a decade ago.
With today's demands from residents in a post-COVID world becoming ever more elevated, Jackie quickly caught on and transformed her position into that of consultant for the resident's lifestyle choices. Since becoming the swanky beachfront property's Lifestyle Director, Jackie has expanded her role to resemble that of a luxury travel planner. She did this by forging her own relationships with destinations and luxury travel brands across various continents—enabling her to offer far more for residents than they would expect
We caught up with Jackie who gave us some insight in to her new found skill set.
How did you go from being a concierge and lifestyle director to planning travel for residents?
My carefully curated events at the Continuum have included planning wine tastings, yacht tours, dinner events, broad cultural activities and wellness offerings. Given that our Miami Beach community is largely seasonal, many of our discerning residents began asking about recommendations for the same activities beyond our local community. A natural segue was to begin researching and constructing travel excursions.
How much travel do you plan for residents?
Travel planning for Continuum residents is in its infancy, but increasingly on the rise. I have a natural understanding of how our residents enjoy spending their leisure time. Travel offerings will be around the world. I often shortlist ideas and float the itineraries to individuals for them exclusively, or possibly to a sampling of our residents for collective input. The goal is to curate destinations and trip itineraries annually that will have broad appeal, for say 10-15 residents.
What's the most elaborate or expensive trip you've designed?
Many residents expressed a keen interest in visiting Portugal. In the fall of 2023, I arranged a week-long trip to Porto, a city in the northern part of the country. This itinerary included a visit to a renowned maker of luxury linen, the oldest library in the country, an historic producer of porcelain and the city of Guimarães - the birthplace of Portugal – along with an excursion on the Douro River. We also made must-see visits to a number of renowned Michelin Star restaurants, as well as several world-famous wineries in the region. Each day we stayed at a different 'Quinta' - a rural estate that housed an historic castle transformed in to a hotel which were truly memorable. The trip was an overwhelming success.
Can you share how you're able to plan these trips? What connections do you have to make them happen?
I have developed established partnerships and collaborations with luxury brands for destinations around the world that cater to the elite traveler. This network enables me to tap in to local knowledge, stay apprised of new trending entrants and ultimately co-develop a memorable and unique trip.
You've actually accompanied some residents on trips. Tell me about how this happened and why?
After spending considerable time and attention to detail, it is important that I am a participant in the journey. While the Continuum residents are like family, I must see first-hand how the experience is of supreme caliber that meets with their expectations.
There are several trips now on the table. For our avid wine enthusiasts, a culinary excursion to a 300-year-old winery in Tuscany named Tenuta Torciano. Next, I have also discovered a one-of-a-kind resort in Arizona called Miraval. The property boasts hotel rooms and villas coupled with a program of the most advanced wellness treatments and therapies. This appeals to my own personal interest in wellness. Also on my wish list is a planned trip to Weggis in Switzerland, and the Chenot Palace, considered to be the number one health and wellness retreat in the world.
