Insider Tips from
Experienced Travelers
For the type-A, always-optimizing travelers among us: Our ongoing Q&A series uncovers the secrets of professional voyagers and worldly connoisseurs. From planning and packing to navigating new terrain like a local, discover insider tips that elevate every journey to unforgettable heights.
Victoria Hooberman
Founder, Scott Williams
Luxury villa specialist Victoria Hooberman founded Scott Williams in 2007. Based in Bruton, Somerset, she now leads a close-knit team managing a considered collection of over 250 private homes across Greece, Spain, Italy, France, Croatia, Morocco, the Caribbean, and Sri Lanka. Refreshed each year and carefully curated, the Scott Williams portfolio brings together places with a strong sense of character and setting. Service is at the heart of the experience, both during the booking process and on the ground—with Victoria involved at every step. When not arranging holidays for others, she can often be found on her beloved Paxos—the first destination in the Scott Williams story, and the place she still returns to whenever she can.
1. You’ll never catch me departing for a trip without…
My silk pillow case. It’s one luxury you can take with you anywhere, and I won’t sleep without one.
2. The luggage brand I’ll always invest in is…
Bennett Winch. Their signature holdall allows me to keep dresses crease-free, wrapped around my belongings, and since I discovered their clever design, I don’t travel without mine.
3. When choosing a private travel concierge, the three must-haves are…
To be recommended by someone I know and trust, to truly listen to what you need, and to be contactable via WhatsApp for instant guidance. These are also core elements to our Scott Williams service, too—most clients find us through word of mouth.
4. My greatest travel extravagance that’s become an essential is…
To always have a driver. I travel a lot, and being taken safely to the airport or met on arrival is a luxury I now cannot do without.
5. For travel safety and intel, my ultimate insider source is…
Someone who lives there. Through friends, I can usually find someone I trust to talk to ahead of travel to a new destination.
6. The single most versatile item of clothing for a summer weekend jaunt is…
An Alice Temperley kaftan and a pair of her sunglasses. We worked with Alice to launch her first summer beachwear collection at Dar Arbala, one of our beautiful Moroccan villas, a few years ago, and her kaftans are beautiful.
7. Favorite season to escape to Southern Europe is…
June. The sea is warm enough to offer me my first dip of the year, and the bright flowers and fresh green colours make everything look so alive—a celebration of the lovely long summer ahead. It’s especially lovely to be on Paxos during June when the shutters are thrown open, the restaurants welcome in their first diners, and the buzz of excitement for summer ahead is tangible.
8. My go-to travel read when I need pure escapism is…
Victoria Hislop—her tales set on the Greek islands can transport me there in moments.
9. Packing for a weekend in NYC, carry-on only? My tip is…
Always be armed with red lipstick—friends say it’s my signature trait, and it’s true that simply applying it makes me ready for any eventuality.
10. My favorite in-flight wellness ritual or remedy…
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream, of course! I don’t know a woman who travels without it.
11. If I have a day off in a city, my perfect agenda starts with…
Heading to the highest point in the city for breakfast with a view.
12. My method for securing a last-minute table at a starred restaurant is…
To use a very confident voice—use only your first name and it’s amazing how many times you won’t be asked your surname! We also can’t help ourselves in offering favorite extras and insider favors to our owners and clients, and it’s amazing how many times our actions are repaid in kind, with treats such as lovely restaurant tables. Treat people kindly, and most often, that kindness is returned.
13. Jet lag cure that actually works for me every time? It’s…
I find that pure excitement at the trip to come (or at being back home in beautiful Bruton again after a trip) will fight off any jet lag. I’m a happy and positive person and I love to enjoy life—especially in a warm and sunny destination.
14. My go-to way to capture travel memories is…
To bring that memory home with me and add it to my curated Scott Williams collection. A wonderful trip to Barbados at Christmas with my family has led us to look at adding a program with exciting new houses there. We loved the friendly relaxed style of the island and I’ll now remember that trip with very fond memories every time I help a client to enjoy their own fabulous holiday there.