The Last Resort – Details, episodes & analysis

On this episode of The Last Resort, host Christina Jelski talks to Abbey Meyer, CEO of Missouri-based Sky High Travel, about her recent visit to the Hotel Xcaret Arte near Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

Meyer describes how the adults-only Xcaret all-inclusive stands apart with its art-filled interiors, diverse cuisine and what she boldly claims is “the most incredible spa in all of Mexico.” While the resort commands premium pricing, she also explains how the included access to immersive cultural activities and Xcaret’s surrounding eco-parks justify the investment for adventurous travelers. Jelski and Meyer also talk broader luxury all-inclusive demand in Mexico, what the current pricing picture looks like and whether all-inclusive supply is starting to outpace demand.

Currently in its second season, The Last Resort is a monthly hospitality-focused podcast brought to you by Travel Weekly. In each episode, travel advisors share their first impressions of the last resort they visited.

The 12th episode of the second season will be posted on December 9.

Further resources:

 Abbey Meyer

• Instagram
• Sky High Travel

Hotel Xcaret Arte

Grupo Xcaret's Rodrigo Motavelazco on working with advisors (Travel Weekly) 

Grupo Xcaret has a new booking tool for travel advisors (Travel Weekly)

Want to share feedback on the last resort you visited?
Email us: TheLastResort@travelweekly.com

Theme Song:
Beachfront Celebration by Kevin MacLeod
License 

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On this episode of The Last Resort, host Christina Jelski talks to Jill Albino of Jill Albino Travel and Gabrielle Brechner of Watch Our Step Travel about their recent visit to the Botania Relais & Spa on the Italian island of Ischia.

Albino and Brechner share details on the property's intimate atmosphere, unique villa-style accommodations and standout culinary experiences, including a “dessert pasta” that’s prepped tableside. They also highlight Ischia's potential as a less crowded alternative to popular destinations like the Amalfi Coast, as well as discuss the island’s accessibility, with its proximity to Naples and Capri making it an attractive addition to a broader Italian itinerary.

Currently in its second season, The Last Resort is a monthly hospitality-focused podcast brought to you by Travel Weekly. In each episode, travel advisors share their first impressions of the last resort they visited.

The 11th episode of the second season will be posted on November 11.

Further resources:

 Jill Albino

• Instagram

Gabrielle Brechner

• Instagram 

Botania Relais & Spa 

Want to share feedback on the last resort you visited?
Email us: TheLastResort@travelweekly.com

Theme Song:
Beachfront Celebration by Kevin MacLeod
License

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Last Resort: Impression Isla Mujeres by Secrets

On this episode of The Last Resort, host Christina Jelski talks to Kristi Mackedanz, travel advisor and founder of KM Travel Designs, about her recent visit to the Impression Isla Mujeres by Secrets near Cancun, Mexico.

Jelski and Mackedanz talk about the property’s unique arrival experience, which Mackedanz describes as a true “wow” moment, as well as why a pairing a stay at the Impression Isla Mujeres by Secrets with a visit to sister property Impression Moxche By Secrets near Playa del Carmen makes for a winning combination. The pair also chat about how this luxury all-inclusive has changed the Isla Mujeres lodging landscape and why Mexico travel more generally remains perpetually in demand.

Currently in its second season, The Last Resort is a monthly hospitality-focused podcast brought to you by Travel Weekly. In each episode, travel advisors share their first impressions of the last resort they visited.

The second episode of the second season will be posted on February 12.

Further resources:

Kristi Mackedanz

• KM Travel Designs 
• KM Travel Designs – Destination Weddings 
• Instagram
  
  

Impression Isla Mujeres by Secrets

Impression Isla Mujeres makes an impressive debut (Travel Weekly) 

Want to share feedback on the last resort you visited?
Email us: TheLastResort@travelweekly.com

Theme Song:
Beachfront Celebration by Kevin MacLeod
License

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of The Last Resort, host Christina Jelski talks to Leah Winck, owner of Journey On Travel, and Rebecca East, travel advisor at Life Styled Group, about their recent visits to the Four Seasons Resort Bali At Jimbaran Bay and sister property the Four Seasons Resort Bali At Sayan.

Winck and East talk about how both resorts excel at incorporating authentic cultural experiences and what it’s like to take a raft transfer from the Jimbaran Bay property to the Sayan resort. The pair also chat about how the two very distinct properties can easily be paired together as part of a Bali vacation and why U.S. demand for long-haul destinations like Bali remains robust.

The Last Resort is a monthly hospitality-focused podcast brought to you by Travel Weekly. In each episode, travel advisors share their first impressions of the last resort they visited.

Season two will begin in January.

Further resources:

 Leah Winck

• Journey on Travel
• Instagram 
• Facebook

Rebecca East

• Life Styled Group
• Instagram

Four Seasons Resort Bali At Jimbaran Bay 

Four Seasons Resort Bali At Sayan

Want to share feedback on the last resort you visited?
Email us: TheLastResort@travelweekly.com

Theme Song:
Beachfront Celebration by Kevin MacLeod
License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Last Resort: Kisawa Sanctuary

On this episode of The Last Resort, host Christina Jelski talks to Linda Sergeant, founder of Far and Away Luxury Destinations, an affiliate of In The Know Experiences, about her recent visit to the Kisawa Sanctuary on Mozambique’s Benguerra Island.

Sergeant talks about the Kisawa Sanctuary’s expansive, residential-style accommodations, robust wellness offerings and why this under-the-radar property has potential to become “one of the world's best hotels.” Sergeant also shares why many U.S. travelers are no longer putting off booking trips to bucket list destinations like Africa and why last-minute travel planning remains a major obstacle for advisors.

The Last Resort is a monthly hospitality-focused podcast brought to you by Travel Weekly. In each episode, travel advisors share their first impressions of the last resort they visited. The Last Resort is in its first season with new episodes coming out the second Monday of each month.

Episode 10 will be posted December 11.

Further resources:

 Linda Sergeant

• Bio
• Instagram

Kisawa Sanctuary

Want to share feedback on the last resort you visited?
Email us: TheLastResort@travelweekly.com

Theme Song:
Beachfront Celebration by Kevin MacLeod
License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Title: The Last Resort: Margaritaville Beach Resort Riviera Maya

On this episode of The Last Resort, host Christina Jelski talks to Syreeta Grose, owner of Grose Travel Services Meetings and Events, and Tim Flatz, owner and senior advisor for Discovery Travel, about their recent visits to the new Margaritaville Beach Resort Riviera Maya in Mexico.

Grose and Flatz talk about the property’s status as the first adults-only Margaritaville Beach Resort in the Karisma Hotels & Resorts portfolio, and chat about highlights like the best pool bar for grabbing a custom cocktail (where Flatz discovered his new go-to, a Coconut Mojito) and their experience with the resort’s glow-in-the-dark pickleball offering. They also touch on the fact that group business—from destination weddings and bachelorette parties to family reunions—remains red hot this year and discuss why a slowdown during “low season” may be a thing of the past.

The Last Resort is a monthly hospitality-focused podcast brought to you by Travel Weekly. In each episode, travel advisors share their first impressions of the last resort they visited. The Last Resort is in its first season with new episodes coming out the second Monday of each month.

Episode nine will be posted November 13.

Further resources:

Syreeta Grose

• Facebook 

Tim Flatz

• Discovery Travel
• Facebook
• TikTok 
• Instagram 

Margaritaville Beach Resort Riviera Maya

Karisma Hotels & Resorts

Upscale all-inclusive resorts embrace elevated wristbands (Travel Weekly)

Picking up on the pickleball craze (Travel Weekly)

Want to share feedback on the last resort you visited?

Email us: TheLastResort@travelweekly.com

Theme Song:
Beachfront Celebration by Kevin MacLeod
License

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of The Last Resort, host Christina Jelski talks to SmartFlyer-affiliated travel advisor Sarah Lopez and Travel Weekly managing editor Rebecca Tobin about their recent visits to the 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

Lopez and Tobin talk about 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay’s prime position along Kauai’s famed North Shore and why the property offers an ideal wellness retreat-style experience, without being an “in your face” wellness destination. The pair chat about some of their favorite amenities at the resort, from delicious bagels at the property’s Neighbors cafe venue to complimentary access to electric Audi e‑tron vehicles. Lopez also discusses the negative impact that the recent Maui wildfires have had on Hawaii bookings as a whole.

The Last Resort is a monthly hospitality-focused podcast brought to you by Travel Weekly. In each episode, travel advisors share their first impressions of the last resort they visited. The Last Resort is in its first season with new episodes coming out the second Monday of each month.

Episode eight will be posted October 9.

Further resources:

 Sarah Lopez

• Instagram

Rebecca Tobin

• Travel Weekly
• Instagram
• X (Twitter)

1 Hotel Hanalei Bay

1 Hotel Hanalei Bay opens on Kauai's North Shore (Travel Weekly)

Want to share feedback on the last resort you visited?
Email us: TheLastResort@travelweekly.com

Theme Song:
Beachfront Celebration by Kevin MacLeod
License

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of The Last Resort, host Christina Jelski talks to Deb Swacker and Claire Herzog, who are both independent travel advisors affiliated with Fora Travel, about Sage Lodge, a Montana mountain resort located 30 miles north of Yellowstone National Park.

Swacker and Herzog talk about the property’s accommodations, including its family- and group-friendly Ranch Houses, which each have four bedrooms and sleep up to 16. They also discuss food and beverage highlights—including an Old Fashioned with an unusual secret ingredient—and why Sage Lodge is a perfect launch pad for outdoor exploration and activities. Additionally, both advisors touch on Montana’s recent tourism boom and talk about why national park travel remains a perennial bucket list favorite.

The Last Resort is a monthly hospitality-focused podcast brought to you by Travel Weekly. In each episode, travel advisors share their first impressions of the last resort they visited. The Last Resort is in its first season with new episodes coming out the second Monday of each month.

Episode six will be posted September 11.

Further resources:

 Deb Swacker

• 227 Travel
• Instagram

Claire Herzog

• Claire Herzog Travel
• Instagram

Sage Lodge

Want to share feedback on the last resort you visited?
Email us: TheLastResort@travelweekly.com

Theme Song:
Beachfront Celebration by Kevin MacLeod
License

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of The Last Resort, host Christina Jelski talks to Maurice Smith, founder of Eugene Toriko, and Courtnie Nichols, CEO and founder of TravelBash, about Namron Hospitality’s La Valise Tulum in Mexico.

Smith and Nichols talk about the property’s Instagram-worthy “rolling beds” and key differences between the resort’s beachfront wing and more recently added jungle accommodations, as well as why the La Valise Tulum is a perfect launchpad for couples seeking peace and privacy, but also easy access to nearby restaurants and nightlife. The two also talk about Tulum’s explosive growth and the destination’s diverse array of hospitality options.

The Last Resort is a monthly hospitality-focused podcast brought to you by Travel Weekly. In each episode, travel advisors share their first impressions of the last resort they visited. The Last Resort is in its first season with new episodes coming out the second Monday of each month.

Episode six will be posted August 14.

Further resources:

Maurice Smith

• Eugene Toriko
• Instagram (Maurice Smith)
• Instagram (Eugene Toriko)
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Courtnie Nichols

• TravelBash
• TRLVB
• Instagram

La Valise Tulum

Namron Hospitality

Renovated La Valise Tulum reopens after fire (Travel Weekly)

Want to share feedback on the last resort you visited?
Email us: TheLastResort@travelweekly.com

Theme Song:
Beachfront Celebration by Kevin MacLeod
License

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of The Last Resort, host Christina Jelski talks to Stacey Kaplan, a travel consultant with Tzell Travel Group, and Suzanne Ferrando, a travel advisor with Elli Travel Group, about the Salamander Hotels & Resorts-managed Aurora Anguilla Resort and Golf Club on Anguilla’s Rendezvous Bay.

Kaplan and Ferrando chat about key updates made at the recently revamped property, which was previously flagged as the CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa. Additionally, they touch on their favorite on-property culinary options, from the resort’s D Richards steakhouse to the Tokyo Bay modern Japanese concept, and also talk about why being able to market the property’s charter flight service from New York’s Westchester County Airport and the Fort Lauderdale Airport is a “gamechanger.”

The Last Resort is a monthly hospitality-focused podcast brought to you by Travel Weekly. In each episode, travel advisors share their first impressions of the last resort they visited. The Last Resort is in its first season with new episodes coming out the second Monday of each month.

Episode five will be posted July 10.

Further resources:

Stacey Kaplan

• Tzell Travel Group

Suzanne Ferrando

• Elli Travel Group

Aurora Anguilla Resort and Golf Club

Salamander Hotels & Resorts

New Aurora Anguilla serves up a luxurious stay. And plenty of lobster. (Travel Weekly)

Aurora Anguilla is joining the Salamander Hotels portfolio (Travel Weekly)

Aurora Anguilla Resort will be open year-round (Travel Weekly)

Want to share feedback on the last resort you visited?
Email us: TheLastResort@travelweekly.com

Theme Song:
Beachfront Celebration by Kevin MacLeod
License

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.