Bettina Hahn Luxury Travel

A few things travel advisors wish more travelers knew:

The best trips rarely come together at the last minute. The rooms everyone wants, the best guides, the restaurants worth planning around, those tend to get reserved well in advance.

A great local guide can completely change how a destination feels. The difference between “seeing a place” and truly understanding it often comes down to the person showing you around.

Another thing I’ve learned after planning a lot of trips: the most memorable days usually aren’t over-scheduled. Some of the best moments happen when there’s time to wander or follow a recommendation you heard earlier that day.

And maybe the biggest one. When you work with a travel advisor, you’re not just booking hotels. You have someone quietly paying attention to the details before you leave and while you’re traveling. Flights change. Weather shifts. Plans evolve. Behind the scenes, we’re making sure the trip keeps moving smoothly so you can stay focused on the experience.

That’s the part most travelers don’t see, but it’s often what makes the biggest difference.

Ready to experience Spain beyond Madrid and Barcelona? This is the property I keep circling back to.

Abadia Retuerta LeDomaine is in the Douro Valley of Castilla y León, about two hours from Madrid, and one of those regions that hasn't made it onto most Spain itineraries yet.

The estate covers nearly 1,800 acres; the vineyards produce some of the most decorated w**es in the country; and the property's restaurant, Refectorio, has held a Michelin star for years.

What makes a stay here different: guests have access to the full estate. Vineyard walks, w**e tastings with the w**emaking team, and cellar visits that go well beyond what most hotel w**e programs offer. The spa is built into the original 12th-century abbey structures, and the courtyard pool, flanked by stone walls and formal gardens, is among the best hotel pools in Spain.

Get in touch to learn more.

Planning Portugal and only thinking about Lisbon? Allow me to make the case for the north.

Porto is one of Europe’s great second cities, and Infante Sagres is its grande dame.

Opened in 1951 as the city’s first luxury hotel, it has hosted royalty, heads of state, and film stars ever since. The stained-glass staircase alone is worth walking up and down twice.

The location is the other reason I book it: you’re in the heart of downtown, an easy walk to Livraria Lello, the Ribeira riverfront, and the port w**e lodges across the river in Gaia.

Insider tip: pair Porto with the Douro Valley, about 90 minutes away, for w**e country after the city. Reach out to start planning.

February is one of the most rewarding months to experience Finland.

It is peak season to see the Northern Lights, with long dark hours and clearer skies. Snow blankets the landscape, setting the stage for skiing, snowshoeing, dog sledding, and snowmobiling, all with fewer crowds than the holiday period.

Insider tip: We are currently in a solar maximum, meaning aurora activity is expected to remain strong through 2027.

Now is the window to start planning!

Of everything I book, this is the trip I get the most questions about. Fair, because fewer people have stayed here than climb Everest in a season.

White Desert operates the only luxury camps on the Antarctic continent. You board a private jet in Cape Town, land on a blue-ice runway about five hours later, and check into a camp of just a handful of heated pods with a private chef.

The days are unlike anything else I plan. Ice tunnels, gentle summits, ch*****ne picnics on the ice, and the option to visit a colony of thousands of emperor penguins. Some guests even continue on to the South Pole itself.

The season runs November through January, and with so few beds on the entire continent, this books out far ahead. If Antarctica is the trip, this is the way to do it. Message me to learn more!

I plan trips to the Alps, Aspen, and Japan every winter. So it means something when I say one of the world's great winter stays is in Canada.

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise stands directly on the shore of its namesake lake in Banff National Park, facing the Victoria Glacier. No other hotel gets this position, and in winter it becomes something out of a storybook: the lake freezes into a skating rink framed by ice sculptures, horse-drawn sleighs trace the shoreline, and the mountains stay dusted in white for months.

Skiers are spoiled here too. Three resorts are within easy reach, including Lake Louise Ski Resort just minutes away, with some of the most scenic runs in North America and none of the lift lines you'd expect for terrain this good.

Advisor tip: Lakeview rooms are worth every penny, especially in winter when the frozen lake and glacier fill your window. They sell out first, so this is a book-early property. Message me to start planning.

The whole family, one roof, zero hotel hallways. Private villas are how my favorite families do the festive season, and the best ones are booking right now.

A villa solves what hotels can't for multi-generational trips: everyone together under one roof, a private chef instead of restaurant reservations for twelve, space for the grandparents to nap and the kids to run.

Where I'm sending families this year: jungle villas in Costa Rica with monkeys in the trees, catered chalets in the Alps with ski-in access, staffed oceanfront estates in Cabo, villa compounds in Hawaii where three generations can spread out, and private safari villas in South Africa with their own guide and vehicle.

Festive villas require the longest lead time of anything I book. The question worth asking at the dinner table this month: where does the whole family want to wake up this holiday season?

Iceland is wild. Your hotel doesn’t need to be.

The Reykjavík EDITION is one of my favorite bases for exploring Iceland without feeling remote every night.

I like this stay because it balances adventure with ease. Private guides can pick you up steps away, Northern Lights tours are easy to time, and evenings don’t require planning. Cocktails downstairs, a late dinner nearby, or straight to bed all work equally well.

After long days exploring waterfalls, glaciers, or lava fields, coming back to a calm, design-forward hotel with a great spa and strong dining feels like the right contrast.

Iceland is truly unforgettable. Let’s start planning!

“How far in advance should I book?” It’s the question I hear more than any other, and the honest answer is: it depends on the trip and what your vision is. So I made you a little cheat sheet.

6-12+ months: safaris, Antarctica and expedition cruises, festive holiday weeks, and river cruises.

6 to 9 months: Australia and New Zealand, European summer at top-tier properties, and multi-generational trips needing connecting rooms or villas.

3 to 6 months: most European trips, Southeast Asia, and Caribbean winter.

Less than 3 months: city breaks, shoulder-season Europe and Mexico.

Of course, for last-minute requests, I can often work a little magic through my close relationships with trusted partners.

The pattern is simple: the smaller the property and the more specific the dates, the earlier you book.

Not sure where your dream trip lands on this list? Ask me. That’s what I’m here for.