In Conversation with our favourite US Travel Agents

The US was where LTR Co-Founder Andrew Loyd first gained experience of private estates, managing several for high-profile American families. In the last two decades, Loyd & Townsend-Rose has established itself as the leading bespoke travel company for discerning American visitors to the UK and Ireland. We have forged close-knit friendships with many US tour operators and love curating unique and memorable travel itineraries for their clients. From visiting the iconic Highland Games while staying in a grand Scottish castle with full staff to antique shopping in the Cotswolds or private dining in the capital’s most exciting restaurants and experiencing the top golf courses, we organize each and every detail for our visitors. We are proud and honored that our vacation and concierge services have become among the most trusted and sought after for US travelers. In our latest blog we chat to a few of our closest US travel agents, from Manhattan to Little Rock, Arkansas, and find out more about their travel inspirations, passions and plans for the new year, as well as hidden gem destinations and what  they love about working with us!

In 1969, Frontiers was started by my parents and is today owned by my brother, Mike Jr and I.  We branched out to create “Frontiers Elegant Journeys” which caters to the fully independent traveler.  One of the cornerstones of my philosophy is the “lost art of listening”.

I am a die-hard Atlantic Salmon fisherman and now look forward AVIDLY to annual pilgrimages to beloved rivers in Iceland, Russia and Norway – my Arctic summer – sometimes I feel like I never get to wear my summer wardrobe!

I love exploring exotic and hard-to-get-to places – like Camp Leakey in Borneo, Easter Island, the upper reaches of Burma, the steppes of Mongolia, etc…

At the highest end, I’ve noticed a transition from those solely seeking the “experience of luxury” (i.e. copious tins of caviar, champagne-filled bath-tubs, etc) to an appreciation for the “luxury of the experience” (i.e. private entrée access, after-hours visits, and bespoke excursions)

There is no one answer to this! My ideal honeymoon would be India – start Shakti Himalaya in the mountains, paired with a little Rajasthani indulgence (maybe The Serai in Jaisalmer) and end with a few nights in Maldives.

Andrew has mastered the aforementioned “Lost Art of Listening”; so he knows how to match the clients’ personality with a property and then he “gets” the USA traveler so can customise the whole experience to a T!

A very big thank you to Mollie Fitgerald from Frontiers Travel for taking the time to answer our questions so insightfully.

Absolutely, private, luxurious homes are much more secure in these uncertain times.

It is much easier to monitor the staff and safety protocols for all occupants in a small private setting.

Well, places that used to be off the beaten track are not as much anymore but many still maintain their authenticity such as Puglia, Italy, a region I love.

LTR works very much the same way my company does in that we stay small with all hands on deck, knowing our product and regions well, to deliver the best possible experience to our clients.

Again, thank you very much to Laura Blair for taking time to answer these questions for us.

My parents, Fred and Tina Poe, founded Poe Travel 62 years ago….I’ve grown up in the business and you could say that travel is my DNA.

Funny you should ask this, as Margaret Kemp, my business partner, and I are having a meeting with Katherine Wyrick who writes PoeGo in the next couple of weeks.  I do know that it will be a virtual PoeGo and want it to have a positive tone of voice for travel moving forward.  It is so tricky right now as I know you understand …. I want it to be inspiring and thought provoking without a big “sales pitch” as we just don’t know what 2021 will look like yet … good news about the vaccine.

The tsunami of travel is going to hit most likely the end of 2^nd quarter of next year … but that is just a guess …. everyone I know is itching to get back to Europe … and I think LTR is in a brilliant position as I think most will want to use a villa/house as “home base” and travel from there ….

Obviously, Andrew’s love of wigs!

At Loyd & Townsend Rose, we help our clients organize luxury vacations to the UK. We feature grand and opulent accommodation, including historic castles and magnificent, quintessentially British stately homes for an unforgettable stay.