Palm Beach Travel Agent vs. Booking Yourself: Here's How I Tell Clients to Decide
Clients ask me this all the time, and my answer is more nuanced than you'd expect from a travel agent. Book yourself for simple, one-stop trips you've done before. Use me when the trip is multi-country, involves a 5-star hotel where amenity programs apply, or is a luxury cruise where onboard credits and cabin selection actually matter. Read my other post too on whether you need a Palm Beach travel agent.
I'm Krista Nannery, a Virtuoso travel advisor based in Palm Beach. I spent 20 years in investment management before this, which means I’m pretty analytical when it comes to planning great trips. Here's the honest comparison.
What you get when you book yourself
• Whatever the OTA or hotel website shows you on the public-facing page
• Loyalty points (sometimes — many "deals" exclude points earning)
• A confirmation email
• A chatbot, a 1-800 number, and a hold queue if anything goes wrong
That's the full list. The hotel rate is the hotel rate. The cruise line's website is the cruise line's website. You are buying retail, with retail-level support.
What you get when you book through me
At the same price as the website (rate parity), through my Virtuoso affiliations and host agency Gifted Travel Network's relationships with the major hotel amenity programs, you typically receive:
• Daily breakfast for two — typically $80–$150 in value per day
• A hotel credit (commonly $100, sometimes more) usable on dining or spa
• Priority for room upgrades, confirmed at check-in based on availability
• Early check-in or late checkout when available
• VIP recognition — the GM knows you're coming
• On luxury cruises: onboard credit, prepaid gratuities, or shipboard amenities not shown on the cruise line's site
• Me, in your time zone, if anything goes sideways at 2am Rome time
On a five-night Four Seasons or Rosewood stay, that's typically $700–$1,000 in tangible value at no extra cost — and I haven't even started talking about the itinerary design.
Where booking yourself genuinely wins
Three scenarios where I'll tell you to do it yourself:
• Points redemptions. If you want to use Hyatt, Hilton, or Marriott points, you generally have to book direct. I can't book most points stays.
• Award flights. Booking complex award tickets is its own specialty. Find a points-and-miles consultant for that, not a travel advisor. (Check out Point.me.)
• Genuinely simple trips. One direct flight, one resort, no complex moving parts. Save the planning fee for the trip that needs it.
Where I genuinely win
• Multi-country itineraries. This is most of what I do. Sequencing Italy, Switzerland, and France — or Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand — is real coordination work that pays off in a smoother trip. Italy is consistently my #1 seller and Switzerland is in my top five.
• Luxury river cruises. I'm a European river cruise specialist and work with all the major luxury cruise lines. Cabin selection on river and expedition ships matters more than people realize, and the differences between Viking, AmaWaterways, and Avalon are significant.
• Luxury ocean cruises. With lines like Four Seasons Yacht, Ritz Carlton Yacht, Regent, and Silversea, I can often add perks and amenities you can’t get by booking direct.
• Five-star hotels. Four Seasons, Rosewood, Aman, Belmond, Mandarin Oriental, Peninsula, Bvlgari — these properties have advisor programs that meaningfully change what your stay looks like.
• First-time-to-destination trips. Italy, Japan, Egypt, Tanzania, Greece. Places where local logistics — driver, guide, timing, the difference between a good Nile cruise and a great one — determine whether you have a great trip or a frustrating one. Egypt happens to be one of my specialties; I would love to send more people there.
• Milestone trips. Anniversary, big birthday, retirement trip, family reunion. The trips you don't get a do-over on. Last year I planned a 30-day six-European-capital trip for a client celebrating a significant birthday. That's not a trip you DIY.
What about Amex Platinum Fine Hotels & Resorts?
I get this question often, and I'm a credit card optimizer myself — I have all the cards and have been playing this game for longer than most people. Amex FHR is a real program with real benefits, and for a single hotel booking with no other moving parts, it's competitive. For a multi-stop itinerary involving several hotels, transfers, and a private guide in Rome on Tuesday at 9am, Amex is not built to handle the coordination. It's a card benefit, not a planning service. (I have a separate post that goes deeper on this comparison.)
My three-question test
If you're trying to decide right now, ask yourself:
• Is this trip more than two cities or one country? If yes, work with me.
• Am I staying at a 5-star property where amenity programs apply? If yes, the breakfast and credit alone usually justifies booking through me.
• Is this a milestone or once-in-a-decade trip? If yes, work with me. The downside of something going wrong with a self-booking too high.
If you answered no to all three, book it yourself. I'd genuinely rather you call when the trip needs me.
Want a real comparison for your specific trip? Book a complimentary 30-minute Zoom consultation. If we're not the right fit, I'll tell you.
About Krista
I'm a Virtuoso travel advisor based in Palm Beach, Florida. I attended the University of Notre Dame for undergrad and have my MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Before building my travel business, I spent 20 years in the investment management industry and over a decade living and working in London, England. I've personally traveled to 80+ countries and now design thoughtful, highly customized trips for travelers who value expertise, access, and a seamless experience.
