Each year, Luxury Travel Advisor introduces its Trendsetters, in which we highlight top advisors from the most prestigious luxury travel agencies across the United States and beyond. Now, to feature those who help make the Trendsetters the rock stars they are, we’re debuting Luxury Travel Advisor’s Road Warriors.
All of our 2019 Road Warriors are suppliers who were selected by our most recent batch of Trendsetters. This time, we have a tag-team duo: Nathalie Debonnet and Thais Magri, both of whom represent both The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort and Le Meridien Bora Bora.
Debonnet, the two resorts’ director of sales and marketing, and Magri, the associate director of sales for the Americas for the two, often work closely together when caring for their travel advisor partners. Their top tip? “Listen to the advisor’s needs, so we can better direct them to the best options for their clients. In the end, we work together to provide memorable experiences—and if our guests and partners are happy, we are all happy,” the pair tells Luxury Travel Advisor.
“We believe that having a good relationship with our travel advisor partners make all the difference,” Debonnet says.
“They trust us with their clients, and we will go above and beyond for them,” Magri adds.
Listening to the advisor’s, and their client’s, needs is the first step is building a strong relationship. However, Debonnet and Magri tell us they reach out to their advisors by phone and email frequently to keep communications open. They also visit agency offices, host webinars and FAM trips and attend roadshows. “The idea is to have new information about the hotel and the destination to share with our partners, so they can always learn something from us, making the presentation interesting and helpful for everyone,” Magri says.
But being a successful supplier partner is more than just relaying new information. “I also like to share personal experiences at the resort during my presentation, so people can relate to it,” Magri says. And, to go above and beyond the usual agency visit, the duo arranges fun activities while they’re meeting with their advisor partners (think stand-up paddle boarding in Marina Del Rey, CA, cooking classes at Eataly in New York and bike rides in San Francisco). However, they do incorporate plenty of learning in these programs.
If it sounds like they travel a lot, it’s because they do. Debonnet says they visit their major markets at least twice a year, based on productivity, and they spend upwards of two weeks per month on the road.
Both Debonnet and Magri and based in Los Angeles. Prior to finding her way to The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort and Le Meridien Bora Bora, Debonnet, a veteran of The Leading Hotels of the World, was born and raised in the South of France to a French father and a Swedish mother (and grew up speaking both). Upon graduating with a degree in art history, Debonnet moved to L.A. to become a tour guide and never left. “Through my career in hospitality, I have met the most fascinating and kind people—many of them have become my extended family,” she says. “I am honored to be part of this community.”
Magri, on the other hand, is Brazilian by birth; she decided on a career in hospitality when she was 16 years old (“the best decision ever,” she tells us). Prior to her current role, she also worked for Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA and The St. Regis Punta Mita in Mexico. “Travel brings people together and I am so proud to be part of this great mission,” Magri adds.
“It is a very rewarding job, as our goal is to provide an unforgettable experience to others,” Magri tells Luxury Travel Advisor.
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