Independent travel advisor

The right hotel changes
the whole trip.

I design hotel-first itineraries and book them through Fora Travel — with the room category, upgrades, and resort credits that come from actually knowing these properties.

Where I focus
TOKYO PARIS MILAN
MARRAKECH KYOTO LISBON

The regions I know deepest — more guides added as I go.

Photo — swap for a real portrait
The desk

Hi, I'm Philip Kelly.

I'm a Fora Travel advisor who's spent years doing this research for free, on my own trips — chasing the right room over the cheapest one, reading floor plans, and figuring out which hotels are actually worth the splurge. Now I do it for other people too.

Booking through me costs the same as booking direct, and comes with the perks that Fora's hotel relationships unlock — upgrades, resort credits, early check-in — that you won't get on your own.

Specialty: luxury & boutique hotels · honeymoons · multigenerational trips

Fora-backed

Full access to Fora's booking tools, rates, and hotel relationships.

Limited trips

I take on a small number of trips at a time. Yours gets my full attention.

Personally obsessed

The research habit started long before the job title did.

How it works

Booking with me, in four parts.

Tell me the trip

A short call or form: where, when, who's coming, and what a great hotel means to you.

I build the shortlist

Two or three hotels that actually fit — not a list of everything with five stars.

I book the perks

Upgrades, credits, and amenities attached at booking — at no extra cost to you.

Support while you travel

If a flight gets cancelled or a room isn't right, you have a person to call — not a hold line.

Destination guides

Where to stay, and when to go.

View all guides →
Japan

Tokyo

Aman, the two Four Seasons, Park Hyatt, Bulgari — mapped by neighborhood, view, and who each one actually suits.

Peak: Mar–Apr Shoulder: Oct–Nov
France

Paris

From Cheval Blanc to the Left Bank's quiet boutiques — the honest trade-offs between them.

Peak: Jun–Aug Shoulder: Apr–May
Morocco

Marrakech

Riads vs. resort-style properties, and why the season you pick matters more here than almost anywhere.

Low: Jul–Aug Shoulder: Mar, Nov
Italy

Milan

A working city with a handful of genuinely excellent hotels — here's who they're each for.

Peak: Sep (Fashion Wk) Shoulder: May
Hotel brand directory

The brands I book most, by tier.

Ultra-luxury
AMANROSEWOODBULGARIONE&ONLY
Luxury
FOUR SEASONSMANDARIN ORIENTALPARK HYATTBELMONDST. REGIS
Boutique & design-led
SIX SENSESEDITION1 HOTELSACE HOTEL
From the journal

Reviews, comparisons, and trip notes.

Read the journal →

Aman Tokyo vs. Park Hyatt Tokyo: which one is actually right for you

Two of the city's most-recommended hotels solve very different trips. Here's how to tell which one is yours.

Read the post

The case for visiting Kyoto in November instead of April

Same beauty, a third of the crowds, and rates that make the good rooms actually available.

Read the post

What a travel advisor actually does (and why it doesn't cost you extra)

The honest version of how advisor commissions work, and what you get that you can't book yourself.

Read the post
Kind words

From recent trips.

We got upgraded to a suite in Kyoto without asking, and the itinerary paced itself perfectly with two kids in tow.

— The Alvarez Family, Kyoto & Tokyo

Honestly didn't think a hotel could make or break a honeymoon until this one did — in a good way.

— R. & J., Marrakech

She talked me out of the hotel I originally wanted, and she was right to. That's the whole value, right there.

— M. Chen, Paris

Start planning

Tell me about the trip.

Fill in what you know — even a loose idea is enough to start. I'll follow up within one business day with a shortlist and next steps.

Booking through me costs the same as booking direct — my fee is paid by the hotel, not you.

Trip request

No booking fee. Response within one business day.

Thanks — your request is in. I'll follow up within one business day.