Virtuoso Travel Network's "Most Innovative" Advisor Announces Insider Travel Experiences For 2010


AuthentEscapes, a new Virtuoso specialty tour operator, entices adrenaline junkies,
sports enthusiasts, wine connoisseurs and foodies with celebrity-hosted journeys

Sarasota, Fla. (January 12, 2010) – Charter the F/V Time Bandit from TV’s Deadliest Catch, visit Napa during the “crush” with Superbowl-winning coach and winemaker Dick Vermeil, hear stories from behind the scenes of the Clinton and Bush White Houses and rub elbows with sports legends in Hawaii with Dick Vitale.  Newly-confirmed hosts have worked closely with AuthentEscapes to create unique experiences for guests traveling on a wide range of programs, including the following:

Inside Napa Valley's “Crush” with Coach Dick Vermeil - Experience the harvest period of Napa Valley (called the "crush" by those in the Valley) with Coach Vermeil, a Calistoga native.  Program at Calistoga Ranch includes tours and tastings at prestigious wineries, including Duckhorn, Parraduxx, Silver Oak, Chateau Montelena and, of course, Vermeil Wines. (October 2010)

The World of Fine Wines: Lisbon to Bordeaux - Charles Curtis, MW, head of North American wine sales for Christie’s, will welcome guests onboard The World of ResidenSea for a rare series of in-depth experiences of world-class wines. (July 2010) 

Waterways of the Tsars: Stories from the Clinton and Bush White Houses - Get behind-the-scenes insight on the Clinton and Bush years from former White House Executive Chef Walter Scheib, as you cruise the waterways of Russia. (August 2010)

Hawaiian Holiday with Dick Vitale - Join Dickie V in Maui with a roster of celebrated sports personalities.  "Fun in the sun -- playing golf, tennis, hitting the beach and helping The V Foundation battle cancer, sounds like a perfect vacation to me,” says Vitale.  “The Four Seasons Resort in Maui is AWESOME, BABY, WITH A CAPITAL A!”  (July 2010)

Go Fish or Stay Home: Charter the F/V Time Bandit - Jonathan and Andy Hillstrand, famous brothers onboard the Time Bandit on TV’s Deadliest Catch, invite you and up to four friends to test your grit in Alaska’s icy waters of the Bering Sea.  (March 2010 – one charter only)

“We’ve had overwhelming response from viewers who want to test their ultimate manliness,” jokes Andy Hillstrand, Deadliest Catch co-star and captain of the Time Bandit.  “Seriously, people want to know if they can really handle being a greenhorn on a crab boat.”  AuthentEscapes one-time-only Bering Sea crab fishing charter with the Hillstrand brothers is an extreme experience that’s not available anywhere else. 

“Innovation is the name of the game in order to survive in today’s travel marketplace,” said AuthentEscapes’ CEO Malaka Hilton.  The owner of Virtuoso-member agency Admiral Travel International has been paving the way in experiential travel since organizing a private charter to the Cannes Film Festival in 2005.  In fact, Hilton was recognized for innovation by Virtuoso suppliers at the consortia’s annual Travel Mart in August 2009.

This January, AuthentEscapes joins the Virtuoso network as one of the first specialty tour operators in a new exclusive product division.  “Having grown up in the bespoke travel business, both for groups and individuals, it has been exciting to see Malaka and (husband) Ryan Hilton develop AuthentEscapes and build on their creative success,” says Virtuoso CEO Matthew Upchurch.

“What excites me more is that they are now part of Virtuoso as a supplier so that our network can benefit from their contacts, exclusive access and product. Just as we surprised the industry in the early nineties with Voyager Club, this new category of Virtuoso supplier can set a new benchmark in creating exclusive product that will set us apart.”

Space on AuthentEscapes journeys is available through Virtuoso-member travel advisors. To learn more, visit www.authentescapes.com or call 1-866-994-9814.