By Kortney Gruenwald
This week we are honored to feature guest blogger, Kortney Gruenwald of
Modern Jet Setter.
Kortney is the luxury travel blogger who's goal is to inspire wanderlust in millennial women (or hey, women of all ages) to explore the world in style and celebrate the jet-setter lifestyle. We absolutely love this new and confident approach to women in travel and that is why we are so excited to share her expertise today!
in italia | photo courtesy of modern jet setter
"For us millennials, the heart of luxury rests in the core of the culture; the closer we get to it, the more enchanting the travel experience."
There is one undeniable fact shaking up the travel industry: millennials are changing it one wanderlust-inducing Instagram post at a time. Long gone are the rules and niches luxury travel, which used to require a 5-star hotel, bell boy service and fillet mignon for dinner. Well, us millennials are a touch needier than that…but not in the way you think.
Germany | PHOTO COURTESY OF MODERN JET SETTER
Millennials are shattering the status quo and reinventing the definition of a luxury travel experience. We don’t want the far-detached-from-culture resorts. We want socially shareable, authentic experiences abroad that enrich our lives without sacrificing the finer things. We want unique, unheard of experiences that go beyond a check on the bucket list. For us millennials, the heart of luxury rests in the core of the culture; the closer we get to it, the more enchanting the travel experience.
Here are 5 luxury travel tips that will bring every millennial’s vacation to the next level of luxury, no matter what your budget may be!
1. Seek History and Character with Hotels and Resorts, Not Stars
I regularly review and capture the essence of hotels on my travel blog The Modern Jetsetter – and let me tell you a secret: 5-star does not always mean the best. Seek out luxury boutique hotels and B&Bs for a more authentic traveling experience. From a luxury farmhouse in the Austrian Alps, a renovated fortress in Tuscany to the hotel Hemingway stayed in Paris – luxury is in the heart of the culture and sometimes a far cry from big-name chains.
Austrian Alpine Home in the Country | PHOTO COURTESY OF MODERN JET SETTER
2. Book Custom Tours with Local Small Business Owners,
Not Big Companies
Our first step to finding a tour company in a destination is often typing in “tours in city X” into Google. Go beyond a simple search engine and dig away. Find the locals who speak your native language that offer an experience tailored to your wildest wanderlust fantasies. Your travel experience shouldn’t be fresh off the one-size-fits-all itinerary mill; find the business that will be the bridge between you and your dream holiday. I know when booking a tour with Travel Italian Style, no wish is too great. If I ask Cassandra to take me to a cashmere farm in Puglia, she would make it happen.
IN ITALIA | PHOTO COURTESY OF MODERN JET SETTER
3. Ask Where the Locals Eat, and Eat There
IN ITALIA | PHOTO COURTESY OF MODERN JET SETTER
I enjoy fine dining as much as the next person, but fine dining doesn’t always equate to the poshest new restaurant in town or loftiest per-person charge. Fine dining in a destination for me is getting as close to a grandma’s kitchen as possible – that’s where the traditional culinary magic happens. Ask the locals where their favorite restaurants are. Chances are they will be a healthy walk or drive outside the city center, but chances are the portions are bigger (“hangry” travelers, rejoice) and the flavor captures the soul of the culture more than modern culinary spins. I once had gluten-free zucchini “pasta” in Rome and that’s a mistake I’ll never forget.
4. Travel is an Occasion,
So Dress for It
An authentic travel experience is an active examination of the artistic extensions of a culture and temporarily absorbing it as a part of your own daily routine – for me, that’s where fashion choices come in. If you treat travel as an occasion from the moment you step foot into the airport to the day you come back home, the grander the experience. We dress up for work, big meetings and Saturday night on the town – all to feel confident – why not treat foreign adventures with the same importance?
IN ITALIA | PHOTO COURTESY OF MODERN JET SETTER
5. Ask for Upgrades, and Don’t Lie About It
Skip the anniversary, birthday and newly engaged lies — just ask for the upgrade. Whether you’re at the airport, car rental counter the check-in desk at your hotel, simply ask for the upgrade you are craving. They often have a rotation of perks available that are up for grabs if you muster up the courage to demand the luxury you – as a millennial and travel influencer – deserve. And if you can’t do it for yourself, do it for your Instagram feed — first-class photographs way better than coach.
And there you have it, 5 great tips to bring your next vacation to the next level, because you deserve it! To follow along with Kortney's travel's be sure to check out her Instagram or on her site http://www.themodernjetsetter.com/.
ModernjetSetter.com
Meet the Author:
Kortney Gruenwald
As an Italian-American girl currently living in Germany, and originally from Phoenix, Arizona, Kortney has an obsession with new experiences and living life romantically, in every sense of the word…
After graduating from journalism school, Kortney worked as an editor for nearly two years before she decided she was entirely too creative for a 9-5 and took the entrepreneurial plunge into starting my own publication and brand: The Modern Jetsetter. This is now her "full-time baby."
Truly, her job is to inspire you to elevate your lifestyle through travel and inspire you to take the plunge into living the vibrant, romantic and adventurous life you always dreamed of.
There is nothing wrong with treating yourself to the life you deserve.