Service Standards

“Go where the memory is better than the photograph”   — Me

Time is the ultimate luxury, and the work of Travel With Melissa is to protect yours. Behind every seamless journey are relationships built over nearly two decades, firsthand knowledge of every property and partner Travel With Melissa recommends, and meticulous attention to detail. These standards describe how Travel With Melissa and its clients work together, so that every arrangement is made with precision and every door opens quietly in your name.

1. Communication. Email is the best way to reach Travel With Melissa. It allows every request to be documented, tracked and actioned with precision, while texts and messaging apps leave room for missed details. Travel With Melissa is always glad to arrange a call and would follow with an email confirming what was decided.

2. Availability. Travel With Melissa is available Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central, and responds to messages within one business day. Fridays, evenings, weekends, holidays and time away are reserved for rest, so that Travel With Melissa brings its best to your journey. Messages received then are answered on the next business day.

3. While you travel. Your itinerary names a dedicated service contact for your arrangements on the ground, available around the clock and positioned to resolve matters in real time. Please contact them first and copy Travel With Melissa by email. A message to Travel With Melissa at 1 a.m. will not resolve a situation as quickly as your local team can. For Hotel Only arrangements, Travel With Melissa provides the name and email of your hotel concierge, who is your first point of contact. In an emergency, please contact local emergency services first. Because the best channel varies by destination (phone, email, WhatsApp or text), Travel With Melissa recommends having every option ready before you depart.

4. Service decisions. The finest guides, vehicles and experiences book well in advance. Please decide on your tours, transfers and experiences 30 or more days before departure (earlier for peak season and select destinations, noted in your itinerary). All requests are fulfilled on a best-efforts basis. Each request made within 30 days of departure carries an additional $350 fee, due before work begins. A request is all services asked for in a single written message, and requests of unusual size or complexity are quoted separately. This fee is nonrefundable, whether or not the requested service can be secured, as it compensates the time and effort of Travel With Melissa on your behalf.

5. Hotel selection. Once your hotel is approved and booked, any request to reconsider or revisit alternatives is handled as Hotel Concierge Service at $100 per location, due at the time of request whether or not a change is made.

6. Changes after acceptance. Significant changes are available through a supplemental proposal. Fees vary with the scope of the change, are quoted in advance, and are due before further work begins. Supplier change and cancellation terms apply separately.

7. Exceptions and courtesy. Fees under these standards do not apply to changes caused by a supplier or by an error on the part of Travel With Melissa. Minor adjustments are handled as a courtesy, and any fee may be waived at the discretion of Travel With Melissa without creating a precedent.

8. Requests and approvals. Many journeys are arranged with the help of an assistant, a family member or an office. So that every decision has a clear owner, requests and approvals are accepted only from the lead traveler and any designated contact named in your Vacation Agreement. Email approval from either is the record of your decision. Requests from anyone else are shared with the lead traveler before action is taken.