SEBASTIAN LUXE TRAVEL

Trips I'd Plan for My Closest Friends

Beautiful hotels are easy. The right hotel, in the right room, in the right part of town, is the whole point.

I plan elevated, design-forward trips for families and couples who want it to feel effortless once they land.

Because no one wants to cry in the lobby.

What I Do

What I'm Known For

European Ski Weeks That Actually Work

Zermatt. Lech. The Dolomites. I think about ski school, village layout, transfers, and where you will want the long lunch before anyone starts packing.

Thoughtful Family and School-Break Travel

Beautiful hotels are only useful when the rooms, pacing, and logistics work for the people actually traveling. Especially the smallest ones.

Design-Forward Escapes

Beaches, wellness retreats, villas, and city stays with strong architecture, real service, and no chaos hiding behind a linen shirt.

Expedition and Adventure Journeys

Antarctica, the Galápagos, Patagonia, and beyond, planned with specialist knowledge so the ship, route, lodge, and timing are right from the start.

CURATED PROPERTIES

The Shortlist

The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman

The beach that ends every debate about where to go for a long weekend. Easy flight, easy resort, and somehow it never feels crowded even when it is.

GRAND CAYMAN

Cheval Blanc

Polished, warm, and surprisingly livable for a palace hotel. The spa alone justifies staying in for an afternoon.

PARIS

Nekajui, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve

Perched on a cliff above the Pacific with the kind of architecture that makes you stop mid-sentence. For when you want a hotel that actually changes your mood.

COSTA RICA

Four Seasons

The one that works for everyone. Kids are happy, parents are relaxed, the beach is right there, and the staff remembers your name by dinner.

COSTA RICA

Amanzoe

A modern acropolis above the Aegean. Private pavilions with reflection pools and the kind of silence that makes you realize how loud your life has been.

GREECE

Cap Juluca

One of the prettiest beaches in Anguilla, with beachfront rooms, a calmer rhythm, and service that knows when to appear and when to leave you alone. Polished, peaceful, and very easy to love.

ANGUILLA

Some hotels look amazing online and are exhausting in real life. My job is making sure you end up at the right ones.

Honest

This Is Probably a Fit If

You want someone to tell you which hotel is actually worth it.

You care about layout, light, and service.

You would rather get it right the first time than spend three nights comparing browser tabs.


If you are looking for cheapest available, I support you. I am just not your person.

How I Help

The Planning, Without the Spiral

Hotel-Only Bookings

Already know where you want to go? I will help you choose the right property and room, book it with preferred-partner benefits when available, and handle the details with the hotel.

Full-Service Trip Planning

Hotels, transfers, private guides, thoughtful pacing, and the reservations that make everything click. A real trip plan, not a folder full of links.

Expedition Journeys

For Antarctica, the Galápagos, Patagonia, and other wonderfully complicated places, I pair luxury planning with specialist knowledge of ships, routes, lodges, and seasons.

The Author Kate Van Dell and a young child snuggling on a boat tour in Paris with the Eiffel Tower in the background, overcast sky.

About Kate

I spend an unreasonable amount of time thinking about hotels.

Which rooms are quiet. Which suites are worth it. Which locations make a trip feel easy instead of exhausting. Which properties look beautiful online and still are not quite right.

I plan thoughtful, design-forward travel for families, couples, and milestone group trips who want the trip to feel as good as it looks.

Choosing well from the start changes everything.

Kate Van Dell with long dark hair smiling at the camera, with a beach and ocean in the background on a sunny day.
Kate Van Dell
Founder & Lead Advisor

“She understood our needs and booked two beautiful hotels that were perfect for our family. We loved the thoughtful upgrades and attention to every detail.”

Sara G. | Spain

Let's Talk

Most Trips Start with a Quick Email

Send me your dates. We figure it out from there.