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ABOUT JOHN
Welcome, thank you for starting your journey with us.
I'm John Clifford, the Founder and Chief Travel Designer of ITM, an award-winning expert on private-jet travel, exotic destinations, design hotels, celebrations, honeymoons, gay & lesbian (LGBTQ+) and international journeys .
Widely known as The Hotel Curator, I hand-pick unknown, rare & secret hideaways in every corner of The World. I utilize my personal Black Book of insider contacts to craft one-of-a-kind experiences -- all curated around what matters to you.
Robb Report just awarded us on their exclusive, inaugural Travel Masters List 2023, featuring quite simply the best travel operators and specialists in the world.
Conde Nast Traveler recognized us for a third time in a row, on the Top Travel Specialists 2023 as an expert on Hotels, LGBTQ+, Private Jet Travel, Destination Celebrations and more.
Travel+Leisure Magazine has also honored us on the 12 most recent The A-List 2023 in 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and as an A-List All-Star in 2004.
Here's some of what they have to say,
Travel can be both profound and transformative. Exhilarating and unforgettable. But not always. The difference between a good trip and a great one—perhaps a life-changing one—is so often about tapping the right people to help plan it. It can be hard to know who to trust to create your dream adventure or even a jaunt back to your favorite destination. There are hundreds of travel specialists, after all, most of whom will argue convincingly that they have contacts and connections to open doors around the globe. Only a handful of operators worldwide, however, have the expertise, clout and ambition to make the unimaginable real. To celebrate them, and to help you, we have brought them together under the banner of Travel Masters. There are fewer than two dozen, nearly all of them specialists in certain regions or types of journeys. They come with our endorsement. - Robb Report
"A skilled travel fixer can craft an unforgettable experience—and manage logistics under even the trickiest of circumstances. These are the pros who assemble many of the elaborate itineraries that appear in this magazine, and since the dawn of the pandemic, their up-to-the-minute insights on shifting safety protocols have made them even more essential. They'll pull off the impossible and spare you the logistics. If you don't rely on them yet, now is the time to start."
What sets your offerings apart from those of other travel specialists?
For us, it's making an insider experience possible with the actual tastemakers and luminaries themselves, not just private guides or docents. I have always known and believed that “Travel Transforms” but now, more than ever, with so much loss, pain and suffering....navigating the complex ocean of regulations, requirements and safety protocols is a new art, one that I have spent the entire year perfecting. - Condé Nast Traveler
"Clifford’s address book of prime contacts has been built over more than three decades. Obsessed with the most secret, best run, and brightest, he’s the type of advisor who can just as expertly plan a luxurious mountain, river, and beach trip through Costa Rica as a weeklong wedding celebration in Lecce, Italy. Often invited to preview under-the-radar properties, Clifford is known for finding glass-slipper fits for clients, whether an emerging bed-and-breakfast or a high-design urban hotel. He’s often invited to scout new hideaways long before they’re on the radar of the mainstream, giving his clients an inside track to new experiences long before they hit social media stardom." - Travel+Leisure
Professional Certifications
LS - Lifestyle Specialist: Luxury TravelLS - Lifestyle Specialist: LGBTQ+ (Gay) Travel
DS - Destination Specialist
Asia+Pacific: Japan, Thailand, India, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos
South Pacific: Australia+New Zealand, Fiji, Tahiti
Bahamas+Caribbean: All islands
Central America: Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua
South America: Brazil, Argentina
North America: All US States, Hawaii, Mexico, Canada
Europe: UK, Ireland, Italy+Sicily, France, Netherlands, Greece, Spain, Portutgal, Croatia, Turkey
Africa: Morocco, South Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius. Seychelles
Middle East: UAE, Maldives, Israel, Egypt
AWARDS+PARTNERS
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