Frontier Travel’s General Manager, Ann-Catherine (AC) Jones was among the luxury travel industry’s global elite, invited to attend a VIP lunch during Virtuoso Travel Week on Wednesday.
AC was one of a handful of travel advisors from around the world, and the only Australian, to attend a prestigious event recognising the 25 top sellers of ultra-luxury hospitality company, Belmond. The Belmond Bellini Club is a small group of top-producing agency partners, of which Jones is a member.
The lavish lunch was hosted at none other than the decadent Tiffany & Co. store within Bellagio Las Vegas. Like Belmond, Tiffany is a luxury brand within the uber-luxury LVMH Group stable of brands, hence the unique venue.
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While one of Tiffany’s busiest stores in the United States, and the first to open in Las Vegas, the outlet closed its doors to guests for the invitation-only event. LATTE, who was invited as an exclusive guest of AC to the function for a few photos, can attest that potential walk-ins were being deferred to return later when the store reopened for business.
Belmond senior executives present at the lunch to mingle with the “best of the best” travel advisors ventured from South Africa, Mexico, Italy and other parts of the world.
With the front door locked and millions of dollars worth of bling at her fingertips, and because after all, diamonds are a girl’s best friend, AC took one for the team when given the chance to try on the Tiffany outlet’s most expensive jewel – a 5.99 carat, ‘D’ internally flawless, US$1.375 million ring.
And while it may not have slipped over AC’s first knuckle, the photos offer a small sense of the level of excitement felt.
One of the elite Belmond Bellini Club members also walked away with a gift voucher for US$1,000 following the lunch soiree.
Meanwhile, this year’s Virtuoso Travel Week also saw Frontier Travel’s Beau O’Neill formally recognised at the Gala Awards Night with a nomination for exceptional work ethic.
“To be recognised with a global nomination in front of 2,000 peers was very special for all of us who attended and capped a brilliant week for Frontier Travel,” AC remarked.
The Frontier Travel team, pictured at the Gala Dinner on Thursday night to conclude Virtuoso Travel Week 2022, included (from left); Craig Stepnell, The VIP Traveller; Ann-Catherine Jones, Frontier Travel; Deb Oliver, Island Travel Specialists; Roland Howlett, Director – Frontier Travel; Lisa McFadyen, Black Book Travel; Donna Phillip, Donna Phillips Travel; Kevin Garwood, The VIP Traveller; Sonia Jones, Sonia Jones Travel and Beau O’Neill, Frontier Travel.