From the Travel Office: High Season Favorites

Il San Pietro, Positano Each January brings a flurry of calls to the Travel Office, as members start to plan their vacations for the rest of the year. These members usually have the best luck reserving exactly what they want, even in high season at the most sought-after properties. This window of opportunity closes quickly, however, making it important to book space in certain destinations right now.

The legendary resorts along Italy’s dramatic Amalfi Coast routinely run out of space for the season by February or March.Il San Pietro and Le Sirenuse always seem to go first, followed quickly by the Santa Caterina, Palazzo Sasso and Hotel Caruso. It’s also wise to book certain European cruises right away; Baltic itineraries, French barge charters and cruises over the holidays fill up the fastest.

Holiday periods in the Caribbean are extremely competitive as well — many Harper-recommended island resorts sell out almost a year in advance for stays over Christmas. Beachfront accommodations and connecting rooms (for families) can be especially hard to come by later in the year.

Farther afield, the most intimate and ideally located safari lodges offer only a handful of rooms, making booking well in advance essential. South Africa’s Mateya Safari Lodge has only five suites, and Zarafa Camp in Botswana features just four luxurious tents. With 11 villas, Namibia’s Little Kulala seems quite large by comparison! New Zealand’s exclusive “super lodges” similarly limit guest numbers.

To take advantage of peak availability, contact the Travel Office at (800) 375-4685, (630) 734-4610 or [email protected].