Debbie Rackard Travel

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 wine lodges across the river in Gaia.

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

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.

Did you know one of Africa's greatest safaris happens almost entirely on water?

Eagle Island Lodge, a Belmond property, occupies a private island deep in the Okavango Delta, one of the most remarkable ecosystems on Earth: a desert that floods every year into a maze of channels, lagoons, and islands teeming with wildlife.

The safari itself is unlike anywhere else in Africa. Gliding through the reeds in a mokoro, the traditional dugout canoe. Boat safaris through papyrus channels. And the lodge's signature: helicopter flights over the Delta with the doors off, which clients consistently call the highlight of their entire trip.

Water, wildlife, and almost no one else around. Reach out to start planning.

“Wait, hotels have Michelin ratings now?” I’ve been asked some version of this a dozen times this year, so let’s decode it.

Michelin Keys: launched in 2024, awarded to hotels rather than restaurants. One Key means a special stay, two means exceptional, and three places a hotel among the world’s very best.

Forbes Travel Guide Stars: the long-standing gold standard for service. Inspectors visit anonymously and grade hundreds of touchpoints. Five Stars is the top honor and genuinely hard to earn.

Here’s my take as an advisor: awards are a useful signal, not the whole answer. Plenty of Three Key hotels would be wrong for your specific trip, and some of my favorite properties fly below the award radar entirely.

The ratings tell you a hotel is excellent. I tell you if it’s excellent for you. That’s the difference. Reach out anytime to learn more!

Dreaming of Kyoto but dreading the crowds? Same. This is my answer.

Aman Kyoto occupies a hidden forest garden in the hills of northern Kyoto, assembled decades ago by a textile collector and closed to the public ever since. It's the rarest kind of real estate in this city: total privacy, minutes from the icons.

Why I book it:
• Location without the chaos. The Golden Pavilion is minutes away, yet the property feels like a private national park. No lines, no tour groups, no noise.
• A true onsen. The bathhouse is fed by natural hot springs, something almost impossible to find within Kyoto itself.
• Space, finally. Kyoto hotel rooms are famously tight. These pavilions are among the largest in the city, with forest views from every window.
• The Aman guides. Private access and after-hours temple experiences that guests can't arrange on their own.

Advisor tip: November here is astonishing. The maples turn, and the whole garden glows red and gold.

Kyoto is the trip everyone wants right now. Reach out to 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. So I made you a cheat sheet.

12+ months: safaris, Antarctica and expedition cruises, Japan in cherry blossom season, festive holiday weeks, and river cruises.

9 to 12 months: Australia and New Zealand, European summer at top-tier properties, and multi-generational trips needing connecting rooms or villas.

6 to 9 months: most European trips, Southeast Asia, and Caribbean winter.

Under 6 months: city breaks, shoulder-season Europe, Mexico, and last-minute magic I can occasionally pull off through my relationships.

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.

Cruise the Danube with me. You can even play pickleball🎾 and mahjong🀄️
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