Personal Travel Manager Frances Cream booked a European holiday of a lifetime for a lovely family of five, with their eldest son, Asten, helping to design and curate many of the most memorable experiences. When he came up with the idea of treating his parents with a surprise date night in Venice that they would never forget, Frances was ready to help make it happen.
Although he’s only fifteen years old, Asten has a true passion for travel that goes well beyond his years. During the planning stages of their holiday, he approached me on the quiet to discuss what sort of surprise we could create for his parents. I looked into a few options, and together, we designed a truly magical experience for them: a private gala dinner at the Aman Venice.
This exquisite hotel occupies a spectacular sixteenth-century palazzo overlooking the Grand Canal. We arranged for Asten’s parents to be picked up from their hotel by water taxi, then they enjoyed a romantic gondola ride, complete with flowers, wine and music, to their surprise destination. They had no idea where they were headed, as Asten had only told them to be ready for a glamorous date night.
Needless to say, Asten’s parents were completely blown away by their red-carpet night out in Venice, and by the thoughtfulness of his grand gesture. He truly thought of every detail, even paying for the entire experience without his parents catching on to his secret plans. We communicated via secret WhatsApp messages to ensure that his surprise was kept firmly until wraps until the moment of the big reveal.
Asten’s reward was to see the look for utter surprise and happiness on his parents’ faces, not to mention the endless stream of excited updates about how much they were loving their night out.
For me, it was a delight to collaborate with someone who truly loves travel as much as I do, and who shares my passion for creating magical holiday moments. Although he has set a very high bar for himself, I’m sure Asten has plenty more ideas for memorable surprises up his sleeve, and I can’t wait to help him make them happen!
Frances Cream is a Personal Travel Manager based in the Gold Coast.
TravelManagers respects and honours the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands where we work and gather, and those we visit.
