In this new series, we flip the script on travel and hospitality PR pros to see where they’re headed and what they’re taking with them. This week, we spoke with Laura Davidson, CEO of LDPR; Christine Turner, founder & president of TURNER; and Nestor E. Lara Baeza | partner and president NYC, XHIBITION to discover their favorite places to visit and what they don’t leave home without.
Laura Davidson | CEO, LDPR
What's great about being in travel PR is I can always combine business and leisure travel! Especially with our fabulous LDPR clients. My most recent trip was to Scotland - one of my favorite places in the world. After a few days in Edinburgh seeing clients and finding new restaurants (top pick: KORA by Tom Kitchin) and new neighborhoods (go to Stockbridge!), we went off to St Andrews where my son attends university. Walking that beach in front of the Old Course never gets old. I also had a fab fall adventure in Montana visiting the green o at Paws Up. Nothing like a few days in a luxury treehouse to destress the system. And I'm so thankful for electric bikes... Next up: I'm taking my family to Barbados to LDPR client O2 Beach Club & Spa where I can watch them surf from my perch on the beach. And on my bucket list? Machu Picchu with our client Abercrombie & Kent, or maybe Patagonia. I love my job :)
Packing List:
Christine Turner | Founder & President, TURNER
Christine Turner with husband, Geoff Landry, Hvar, Croatia
Now that the snow is falling in the Rockies, I’ll be heading to the mountains for ski trips. Having grown up in Colorado, my bag is always ready for mountain adventures. We love skiing Vail and Beaver Creek and often stay at Park Hyatt Beaver Creek as it’s ski-in, ski-out, and the outdoor firepit and lobby bar are great to meet friends for après. We’ll also ski Snowmass this winter and will stay at Viceroy Snowmass. A few of my ski weekend essentials:
Christine Turner and Geoff Landry, with their kids, Natalia, Ryder and Tigist, Split, Croatia
We also traveled to Croatia a few months ago – my husband, Geoff, and I took our three teenagers, Natalia, Ryder and Tigist, to Split, Hvar, Korčula and Dubrovnik. Hvar is beautiful, we stayed at Amfora Grand Beach Resort, enjoyed Beach Club Hvar and Hula Hula, wine and olive oil tastings, snorkeling and cliff jumping and incredible restaurants including Stajun. Next stop was Korčula which is smaller and quieter, except we arrived to their “half new year party” which is the biggest event of the year for locals; a cross between Mardi Gras, Oktoberfest and July 4th with a parade, costumes, live music and fireworks. Dubrovnik is one of my new favorite European cities – enjoyed Old Town’s promenade, museums, great dinners including Arsenal and Rudjer; glad I had my On Cloud shoes for hiking and the walk around the medieval walls that surround Old Town. We also sailed the Elaphiti Islands. It was warm so I packed silks and light fabrics – ViX and Johanna Ortiz swimwear and dresses, Aura linens, Australian brand Spell, Poupette St. Barth, Misa, and my Oliver Peoples sunglasses and Heidi Klein canvas bag. Two weeks in a carry-on can be a challenge, but REI’s packing cubes and TRUFFLE’s TSA-approved Clarity Jetset always help!
Next up? Las Vegas for U2’s concert at Sphere, South Carolina to visit my daughter who is a student at Clemson University, and summer planning is still underway, but most likely Portugal.
Nestor E. Lara Baeza | Partner + President NYC, XHIBITION
Cabin, Winter Dunton Store
This winter, I am looking forward to visiting one of my favorite destination resorts: Dunton Hot Springs, Relais & Châteaux, in Colorado's San Juan Mountains. I've visited the property during the warm months and am excited to finally see it under a blanket of snow. I am not an avid downhill skier, but I look forward to snowshoeing and trying cross-country skiing on a trail laid by former Olympic Nordic skier Wendy Wegner.
From there, I may extend to Santa Fe, where our client, The Inn of The Five Graces, has launched new Private Experiences for guests and recently unveiled a refresh of the iconic Pink Adobe restaurant.
I am heading to Costa Rica in March to attend the Flavors Without Borders culinary event at Casa Chameleon Las Catalinas, Relais & Châteaux. The Guanacaste province, and Las Catalinas, in particular, has become a hot spot for real estate development, with resort properties adding branded homes as part of their destination offerings.
Since most of my travel usually involves a business component, I pack at least one pair of Duke & Dexter loafers. They're pretty versatile and easy to dress up or down in almost any weather. I also always pack Fair Harbor trunks and shorts when I travel. They have a great selection of inseams, fabrics, and prints to fit the vibe of the destination I am visiting.
Lastly, like any PR professional, I always pack blank Thank-you notes. Early in my career, I always wished I had packed them until I finally just made it part of my packing list and routine. They come in very handy for tipping and letting someone know when they have gone above and beyond.
