Kara Murray-Traveluxe

Kara Murray-Traveluxe Luxury Travel Advisor | Stress-free VIP getaways & 5⭐ experiences around the world

I swear every family is asking about Costa Rica right now. 🌴And honestly? I get it.You get:✔️ Beaches✔️ Rainforest✔️ Wil...
15/06/2026

I swear every family is asking about Costa Rica right now. 🌴

And honestly? I get it.

You get:
✔️ Beaches
✔️ Rainforest
✔️ Wildlife
✔️ Adventure
✔️ Luxury resorts
✔️ Direct flights from many U.S. cities

If you're considering Costa Rica for your next family vacation, these are the 5 resorts I recommend most often and why.

One thing I always tell clients:

There isn't one "best" resort in Costa Rica.

The best resort is the one that matches YOUR family.

Which one would you choose?

The older I get, the more I realize luxury travel is really just paying to avoid inconveniences. 😂In my twenties, I thou...
15/06/2026

The older I get, the more I realize luxury travel is really just paying to avoid inconveniences. 😂

In my twenties, I thought luxury travel meant fancy hotels, marble bathrooms, and champagne.

Now?

Luxury is:

✈️ The direct flight
🚗 Not spending half my vacation trying to figure out transportation
🏨 A hotel that's actually in the middle of everything
☕ An airport lounge when my flight inevitably gets delayed
😴 Refusing to wake up at 4 a.m. to save $42 on airfare

Honestly, I've reached the stage of life where convenience is the luxury.

Will I pay a little more to avoid three layovers, a 90-minute airport transfer, and a hotel that's 45 minutes from everything I actually want to see?

Absolutely.

Zero hesitation.

Because the older I get, the more I want to spend my vacation enjoying it instead of recovering from it.

What's one travel splurge you'll never give up?

One of the biggest surprises as a travel advisor?How often I talk people OUT of Hawaii. 🌺Now before you come for me, Haw...
12/06/2026

One of the biggest surprises as a travel advisor?

How often I talk people OUT of Hawaii. 🌺

Now before you come for me, Hawaii is absolutely incredible.

The scenery is breathtaking.
The culture is rich.
The beaches are beautiful.
And there's something special about waking up surrounded by mountains, ocean, and landscapes that don't even feel real.

But Hawaii is also expensive.

Between flights, hotels, rental cars, meals, and activities, it adds up quickly.

And here's where people get surprised:

Not everyone wants the kind of vacation Hawaii is best at.

If you love exploring, hiking, road trips, waterfalls, local culture, and getting out to experience a destination, Hawaii is worth every penny.

But if your dream vacation is spending five days floating between a gorgeous beach, a swim-up bar, and unlimited margaritas without thinking about a thing...

You may actually enjoy the Caribbean more.

Neither is better.

They're just different.

And honestly, that's why I ask so many questions before recommending a destination. My job isn't to send everyone to Hawaii. My job is to help you find the vacation that's right for YOU.

So now I want to know...

If someone handed you plane tickets tomorrow, would you choose Hawaii or the Caribbean?

I fear I may never emotionally recover from this London hotel 💂From the moment we walked in, everything just felt easy. ...
10/06/2026

I fear I may never emotionally recover from this London hotel 💂

From the moment we walked in, everything just felt easy. Warm welcomes, seamless check-in, and an atmosphere that somehow felt both upscale and comfortable at the same time.

There was a gorgeous bar just off the lobby, cozy seating throughout, and the kind of vibe that makes you want to linger instead of rushing off to your room.

What surprised me most?

The Japanese toilet. 😂

What won me over, though, was the location. It's right in the middle of everything, with a Tube station just a short walk away.

The older I get, the more I realize that a great location might be the ultimate luxury. Less time commuting, more time actually enjoying the destination.

Now excuse me while I compare every future London hotel to this one. 🤍

Have you ever stayed somewhere that completely ruined other hotels for you?

We've got some new faces around here, so I figured it was time for a proper introduction 👋Hi! I'm Kara.By day, I work fu...
08/06/2026

We've got some new faces around here, so I figured it was time for a proper introduction 👋

Hi! I'm Kara.

By day, I work full-time in the science world. By night (and most weekends), you'll usually find me planning trips, researching destinations, answering client messages, or dreaming about my next adventure.

I'm a luxury travel advisor who specializes in Europe, cruises, all-inclusive resorts, and bucket-list trips, but what I really love is helping people figure out what's actually worth their hard-earned vacation budget.

Because here's the truth:

Not every expensive trip is worth it.
Not every luxury resort feels luxurious.
And sometimes the "best" option online isn't the best option for YOU.

When I'm not planning travel, you'll usually find me:
✈️ Exploring somewhere new with my husband (and biggest supporter)
🍽️ Trying a new restaurant or planning our next place to eat
🚶‍♀️ Out for a walk with my two dogs
💻 Working on my travel business and dreaming up ways to help it grow
📍Researching destinations I may not visit for years because apparently that's a perfectly normal hobby

A few random facts about me:

• I can spend hours researching hotels for fun.
• I care way more about great service than flashy amenities.
• I believe a direct flight can dramatically improve your quality of life.
• I'll absolutely tell you if I think something is overpriced.
• I think some of the best travel memories happen completely unplanned.

Over the next few months, you'll see a little more of me around here. Not just travel tips and destination inspiration, but the real behind-the-scenes, honest opinions, travel reality checks, and occasional random thoughts that make me... me.

If you've been following for a while, thank you for being here. 🤍

And if you're new, I'd love to know:
What's the next destination on your travel wish list?

Also, if you enjoy my content and know someone who loves travel as much as we do, I'd be incredibly grateful if you'd share my page with them. It helps this small business grow more than you know.

Only the necessities:✔️ food✔️ water✔️ air✔️ pretending I live somewhere in Italy for 10 days 😌
17/05/2026

Only the necessities:

✔️ food
✔️ water
✔️ air
✔️ pretending I live somewhere in Italy for 10 days 😌

One of the BEST things we did in London?Afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason ☕✨And honestly… I did not expect it to become o...
15/05/2026

One of the BEST things we did in London?
Afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason ☕✨

And honestly… I did not expect it to become one of the highlights of the entire trip.

There’s just something about it:
🫖 the atmosphere
🍰 the pastries
🥂 the champagne
✨ the whole experience feeling elegant without feeling stuffy

It felt SO quintessentially London in the best way.

This is also why I always tell people that some of the most memorable travel moments aren’t necessarily the “big tourist attractions.”

Sometimes it’s the long lunch.
The hidden cocktail bar.
The afternoon tea you still think about years later 😌

I genuinely cannot wait to go back.

What’s one travel experience you still think about years later? 👀


13/05/2026

At one point during this trip my friends started making fun of me because I kept saying:

“Remember… it’s YOUR vacation too.” 😂

BUT I MEANT IT.

One of the biggest reasons group trips go sideways is because people think everyone has to do the exact same thing 24/7.

Meanwhile:
☀️ one person wants pool time
🚤 one wants excursions
🍹 one wants drinks and music
😴 one wants a nap by 2pm (🙋‍♀️)

And honestly??
That balance is what makes group trips GOOD.

The secret is:
✔️ pick a few group things each day
✔️ let people split off guilt-free
✔️ regroup later for dinner/drinks

Everyone travels differently and that’s okay 😌

Now tell me:
on group trips are you the
🏖️ relax friend
OR
📍 itinerary friend?

Some resorts are beautiful.And then there are resorts people become emotionally attached to 😅That’s exactly how people t...
12/05/2026

Some resorts are beautiful.

And then there are resorts people become emotionally attached to 😅

That’s exactly how people talk about Four Seasons Resort Hualalai.

It’s one of those places where people don’t just say:
“the resort was nice.”

They say:
“We can’t stop thinking about it.”

And honestly, that usually comes down to:
✔️ service
✔️ atmosphere
✔️ flow of the property
✔️ feeling relaxed immediately
✔️ not feeling overcrowded

Luxury travelers are paying for a FEELING just as much as a room.

And Hualalai does that incredibly well.

Okay now I’m curious—
what’s a hotel or resort you’d go back to in a heartbeat? 👀

Address

St James's Restaurant 4th Floor
London
W1J 9FA

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