About

McLean is the owner and founder of Lily Pond Luxury, an independent affiliate of Travel Experts.  Born from McLean’s love of luxury travel and extensive experience as a travel editor and hotel inspector, Lily Pond Luxury specializes in custom luxury itineraries for individuals, families, and corporate executive teams looking to maximize their ROE: Return on Experience, using a proven blend of relationships, service, and technology to create and execute memorable and enriching travel experiences.

 McLean is a 2023 Conde Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialist and is a proud member of Virtuoso’s premier community for luxury travel advisors, Ultraluxe, an invitation-only program for the group’s top-performing luxury travel advisors. She holds a Master’s Degree in Journalism from Georgetown University and an undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University. She lives just outside of Washington, DC. 

At five years old, Rebecca had already stayed at the George V in Paris and eaten gelato by the Trevi Fountain, and before her twenty-first birthday she had already toured five continents.
 
She finds beauty in all the places she travels, whether its a hidden panorama of Belize by propeller plane, the landscape of Jordan by camel, or the amazing Road to Hana in Hawaii. As newlyweds, Rebecca and her husband traveled extensively in search of places offering unparalleled dining experiences, including Le Pergola in Rome, Victoria and Albert’s in Orlando and the De Kas organic greenhouse outside of Amsterdam. Today, she views parenthood as an opportunity to share her love of travel with her son and her husband; it’s her goal to show him more of the world each year.  
 
In addition to being a travel agent, Rebecca is an attorney who proudly serves as a member of the Oyster Bay Zoning Board. She represents over 300,000 residents in their needs within the township, and represents her travel clients in their quest to enjoy singular touring experiences. To round out her accreditations, Rebecca has recently become one of the first travel advisors worldwide to be certified as a Wanderlist specialist; this enabling her to curate gorgeous, bespoke travel portfolios for her clients. She enjoys helping families deepen their connections to one another and the world around them through experiences and adventures. 

Through her modern-day luxury travel consultancy D.A. Luxury Travel (launched in 2006), Kristin and her team cater to discerning vacationers who don’t just want to take trips – they want to experience travel. In 2016, Chambers wanted to create a space in which seasoned and emerging travel advisors could evolve the industry together. And so TRAVELLUSTRE was born, a full-service travel agency that oversees a highly regarded Boston-based portfolio of fellow luxury travel consultants. Here are a few of our key takeaways in this session with Kristin Chambers. 

Lauren LaCour is the Director of Supplier Relations for Departure Lounge, one of the most modern and dynamic luxury travel agencies in the world.  The agency is a Virtuoso member and enjoys status in more than 30 of the top preferred travel agency programs of the leading brands in luxury travel (including Four Seasons Preferred, Marriott Stars & Luminous Luxury Brands, Hyatt Privee, Rosewood Elite, Hilton Impresario, Belmond Bellini Club…and more…) which brings buying power and perks to their clients.  Lauren joined Departure Lounge as a travel advisor in 2015 after a successful career as an Executive Director with JPMorgan where she spent 12 years overseas.  As Director of Supplier Relations, she manages the agency’s priority programs and Partner-exclusive FAMs. Lauren is also a million+ producer enabling her to bring different perspectives to her role.  Lauren is a globetrotter – having lived in London, Paris, Hong Kong and New York and worked in Amsterdam, Brussels and Edinburgh. Her time living abroad has given her an extensive global network and inspires her to help others experience new cultures and beautiful places around the world.  She has traveled to 86 countries enabling her to discuss potential vacation destinations around the world and curate personalized experiences.  Lauren is passionate about helping others build their businesses and developed the framework for Departure Lounge’s Mentoring Program. 

Caroline simply cannot imagine life without exceptional international travel.

Alongside her family, Caroline has explored the globe, experiencing the best that luxury travel has to offer. Combined with her background in hospitality, Caroline understands the travel needs of the most discerning customers. She is dedicated to excellent customer service and satisfaction and will create the perfect personalized itinerary for any destination or desire for her clients.

The highest quality transportation, accommodations, and dining make a trip unforgettable, but Caroline's top priority is what’s truly priceless: your time. Her worldwide web of affiliates through the Travel Experts and Virtuoso networks means that no location, activity, or experience is impossible. Don’t waste your time chasing down details or – worse – spend your finite amount of travel time wrangling logistics. Let Caroline take the guesswork and hassle out of your travel.

Should any unexpected issues arise, rest assured that Caroline has your back. It’s the peace of mind you can only achieve through knowing that a true expert will make sure surprises don’t negatively impact your adventure.

Michelle Barth – has 14 years of experience as a Travel Specialist, having explored 45 countries over six continents. Michelle launched Escape Travel® in 2015, specializing in creating truly custom, one-of-a-kind experiences. Michelle constantly seeks new destinations, experiences, and expert partners to encourage our travelers to “Escape the Ordinary.” Michelle embraces the Southern California lifestyle! She enjoys practicing yoga and visiting the beach with her fiancé and her four-legged daughter, Billie Jean. 

Stacy is a multi-disciplinary marketing and communications leader with a passion for luxury travel, brand storytelling, and meaningful partnerships. As Director of Marketing at Departure Lounge, she brings an informed creativity to elevating brand visibility, fostering meaningful relationships, and crafting compelling narratives that support and celebrate travel advisors and industry partners.  

Driven to discover the “why” and to ask “what if..?”, Stacy is most energized when cultivating connections between people, places, and ideas in ways that spark inspiration and discovery. Before returning to travel, she collaborated with names like TED, Disney, Cirque du Soleil, EY, Boeing, Dell, Turner Entertainment Network, and more.

She brings the same philosophy to her role with Truevail, where she enthusiastically collaborates and contributes her expertise in marketing innovation, trend-spotting, and partner communications to support and amplify the evolving travel landscape.  

A self-described Global TexAlaskan, Stacy currently calls Anchorage home, has deep Texas roots, and has lived and traveled extensively around the world. Before starting her communications career, her first job out of college was at the front desk of the Four Seasons in downtown Houston. So the powerful full-circle moment of coming “home” to luxury travel is something she delights in every single day. 

Laura developed an interest in travel at a young age, growing up reading National Geographic and Conde Nast Traveler, dreaming of all the places she would go. 

She has a degree in Travel in Tourism, working first as a successful realtor before pursuing her passion for travel, starting first at a traditional storefront where she quickly went from rookie of the year to a top performer in the company. This background provided her with a solid foundation in entrepreneurship, customer service, sales and marketing, which all directly impact how she operates her travel business today. 

Elsewhere by Laura was founded in 2020, focusing on highly customized itineraries curated specifically for her client’s individual needs, drawing from her own personal firsthand knowledge and experience. Laura’s passion has always been in the luxury travel space, and as a self-professed hotel snob her first independent travels included stays at La Mamounia and Fogo Island Inn. Her specialities include honeymoons, destination weddings, milestone celebrations, and multi-generational family getaways. She is also experienced in corporate air, regularly working with local movie production accounts for their VIP travel needs. 

Laura is a leader in luxury travel in Canada, consistently recognized as a Condé Nast Top Travel Specialist, Top Performer and TEN Champion media ambassador with Travel Edge. She regularly attends top luxury travel events across the globe, ensuring she is always in the know on the hottest destinations, trends and new hotel openings. She loves nothing more than sharing the world with her clients, creating memories to last a lifetime! 

Anthony Cifelli has spent many years in the travel industry, helping to develop business in the corporate, leisure and incentive markets.

In 2008, he joined Janine Cifelli Representation (JCR). Along with Janine, they have built one of the top hospitality representation companies in the US. For the past 11 years, he has provided sales and marketing for exclusive hotels, resorts, private islands and destinations.

In 2018, Anthony began developing Truevail, a hands-free marketing program designed to capture and nurture leads for travel advisors. By helping advisors create a sustainable method for marketing their services, Truevail gives travel advisors the freedom to focus on servicing their clients and creating the business of their dreams.   

Lauren graduated from UC San Diego with a degree in International Studies and Linguistics. She has worked for years in schools and non-profits, putting her language and communications skills to noble use. Since the beginning of the company, Lauren has been with Truevail, providing excellent customer support. She had the opportunity to live in Australia and New Zealand for two years, and has traveled extensively across Europe, Asia, and South America, broadening her global perspective. Lauren’s empathetic approach at customer support has earned her a name in the industry through the recognition of her work at Truevail. 

A devout Champagne drinker, adventurer, birder, and art lover, Silver’s favourite destinations are Reims, Mexico City and Sintra.  
 
Silver has over 10 years of experience as a Customer Success Architect who blends creativity with tech savvy, always with a playful twist. From UX & web design to e-commerce entrepreneurship, she's been a part of the Silicon Valley tech scene since her teens, a trajectory that led to her founding two tech startups of her own. She has partnered with Facebook, Google, Intel and other tech giants as well as the iconic London Tube (TFL). Off the clock, you'll find her scaling rock faces or exploring nature with her two labs– Pancho and Otter. 

With a passion for branding, typography, and clean layouts, Sarah brings a certain je-ne-sais-quoi  to her work, blending timeless design principles with a modern edge. She thrives on crafting for high-end luxury brands, guided by the precision of Swiss grids and an eye for clean, elegant layouts. Born in Paris, she’s lived in Switzerland and Montreal, and now calls California home. Constantly on the move, Sarah’s love for travel and exploration fuels her creativity, adding that unmistakable French touch to every project.

Greg is an experienced information system architect with 25 years of building data-driven applications for small businesses, academic institutions, and non-profits. He combines deep technical expertise with empathetic listening and pragmatic problem-solving. 

Throughout his career, Greg has founded several software consulting firms, serving diverse clients from Cornell University to the World Health Organization. This broad experience has honed his ability to build teams and systems that consistently deliver on intended outcomes. 

A lifelong traveler, Greg has recently focused on creating value for the travel industry. With his partners at Truevail, he's developing systems that empower travel professionals to connect with customers and expand their reach through web and mobile technologies. 

David is a visionary in the realm of creative marketing. With a rich background that encompasses graphic design, web development, branding, and creative direction, David has continuously demonstrated his prowess in elevating brands.  

In addition to his expertise in entrepreneurship and across design disciplines, David has honed his skills in video and email marketing for renowned luxury travel brands. His ability to craft captivating visual narratives and innovative digital strategies has proven invaluable in driving business growth for hundreds of travel advisors and agencies. 

David holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design, which has fueled and informed his passion for creating memorable brand experiences. Whether through impactful visual identities or strategic digital campaigns, David consistently leverages his creative talents to propel brands and drive innovation through design. 

Lyndsey, an experienced Customer Support leader, calls Folkestone, England home. Her professional approach combines a passion for process mapping with a charming yet direct communication style. She has lent her expertise to SaaS and ecommerce startups, as well as non-profits. You'll find Lyndsey doing her daily swim in the brisk waters of the English Channel at the crack of dawn. Back on land, she nurtures hundreds of tropical plants, indulging her love for botany. Her adventurous spirit has taken her trekking in Namibia, surfing in Morocco and countless adventures with the Air Cadets. 

Whether she's leading teams, tending to plants, or discovering new landscapes, Lyndsey approaches each endeavour with boundless enthusiasm and curiosity. 

Kate is a seasoned professional with over 13 years of experience in the luxury travel industry. Her journey began in 2011 at the prestigious Golden Door Resort, where she quickly ascended from PR assistant to head of the Marketing & PR Department during her 8-year tenure.
 
During her time there, Kate cultivated relationships with elite brands and publications, including Condé Nast, Travel & Leisure, Robb Report, and more. Her degree in Public Relations and marketing experience helped her manage high-profile collaborations, notably with renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz and luxury retailer Bergdorf Goodman.
 
Kate's passion for travel extends beyond her professional life, with her adventures spanning across the globe. Her favorite destinations include Morocco, Portugal, Italy, and Peru.

With close to two decades of video production under his belt, Cody Long has been behind award-winning storytelling, including four regional Emmys and on a Pulitzer finalist team at the Los Angeles Times. A traveler at heart, Cody has explored Europe, South Africa, New Zealand, and more, bringing his passion for travel into every project. Bridging the gap between video and travel, Cody has taken assignments from Tokyo, Bangkok, Singapore, Mexico City and more. Cody is helping elevate Truevail's visual presence through sharp, engaging video tutorials and social media reels.

Cathy is a writer and editor with extensive experience in features and entertainment journalism. She’s been writing about travel since she lucked into a ski FAM to Colorado years ago – and hasn’t looked back since. She’s always looking for new cities to explore and new stories to tell. While she’s waiting for ski season to begin, you’ll find her editing other writers’ travel adventures and planning her next wander through the world’s UNESCO wonders.