Discover
places that
make you glow.

EXPERIENCE DETAIL OBSESSED AND WHITE GLOVE PLANNING SO YOU CAN JUST SIMPLY SHOW UP.

“Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown.” - Anthony Bordain •

“Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown.” - Anthony Bordain •

“Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown.” - Anthony Bordain •

“Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown.” - Anthony Bordain • “Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown.” - Anthony Bordain • “Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown.” - Anthony Bordain •

Our Services

Glow Escapes is a high-end travel design studio that curates tailored, luxury journeys for travelers who want their vacations to feel thoughtfully crafted for the memories that matter most. We blend our personal hotel recommendations and concierge-level planning with creative itinerary design to deliver experiences that feel polished, personal, and effortlessly elevated. The result is a travel experience that feels immersive and quietly indulgent, so you can simply arrive and enjoy that vacation glow.

Resort Glow

Hotel and resort only bookings are a complimentary service and come with our VIP perks and amenities. Nothing gives you a vacation glow like a luxe hotel with 5 star service. Margarita by the pool or a green juice after yoga? Yes, please!

Cruise Glow

For some, cruising is a way of life and we take our cruising VERY seriously. This is one of our go-to’s for group travel. Let’s get you sailing from the beaches of the Caribbean, to the glaciers of Alaska and perhaps the Med in between.

Safari Glow

Safaris are one of our love languages. We have go-to partners to ensure this trip of a lifetime becomes one you take more than once. Catching sunrises and sunsets are the norm in the bush, perfect for a romantic getaway or a multi-gen family trip.

Disney Glow

We have an in house Disney/Theme Park Expert for all things Disney. Our expert can ensure you make the most of every park day. You will enjoy more time eating Dole Whip and meeting characters for autographs!

The Process & Investment

Each vacation is unique. You might just need a hotel booked. Perhaps you are wanting to book a cruise or safari. Booking hotels, cruises and safaris are a complimentary service. If you would like everything handled from A to Z, there is a reasonable design fee depending on the depth of travel details needed.

01
Discover

A call where we will dive in and learn about you to understand your travel identity (hotel style, pace of travel, must-haves, “absolutely nots,” and budget comfort zone).

02
Options

We will offer a quote(s) via email where we will send you hotels/tours/cruises discussed. Upon receiving your feedback we will make necessary adjustments/additions.

03
Design

If you are utilizing our travel design services, we will book the hotels, transfers, tours and everything in between. Two weeks before you travel you will receive a bespoke itinerary that you can refer to throughout your vacation.

04
Travel

We will check in to make sure you are happy and check to see if you need anything along the way. We love to hear from our clients during travel!

05
GLOW

Enjoy that vacation glow! We will follow up post trip to make sure you loved every moment and get feedback to make your next one even better.

Our Partners

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Frequently
Asked
Questions

  • We do offer a complimentary hotel-only booking service. Hotels pay us a commission once travel is completed. For this service, we ask that you have an idea of your destination and an approximate budget in mind. If you request a specific hotel, you should have an idea of what it costs per night so the quote is aligned with your budget. Cruise-only booking is also complimentary. We also offer a full travel design service where we plan your entire trip from A to Z, which can include flights, transfers, hotels, tours and pre/post cruise. For our full design services, we charge a reasonable design fee discussed during the discovery phase of your trip planning.

  • We like to have a discovery call with new clients to begin learning your personal travel identity. For organizational purposes, we prefer to quote and book communications via email. We are happy to respond to text messages regarding questions before, during, and after travel. We actually LOVE to hear from our clients during their trip. Send us a pic of your fabulous room, we love to see it!

  • Life happens and we completely understand. As your bespoke travel partner, please know that we are not compensated for hotel-only bookings until your travel is complete. By the time a proposal is presented, thoughtful planning and expertise have already been invested. If you have opted for our full design service, the design fees are non-refundable. We try to minimize working for free and appreciate you valuing our time. If dates need to be adjusted we are happy to accommodate. If we notice a client cancels regularly, we will need to implement a cancellation fee.

  • We can not book your flights and hotels using your credit card points. We have clients who incorporate these bookings into longer trips. We are happy to advise on accommodations and include these in your itinerary. We do recommend using points for flights but we cannot book them for you. But by all means, use your points girl!

  • Absolutely, we do this all the time. Sometimes we can even be added to your hotel or cruise (if you haven’t made final payment) and we are happy to jump in and elevate your trip in any way we can.

  • We always recommend protecting your travel investment and are happy to provide a trip protection quote for you. We are not insurance brokers but we are sellers of insurance. We will provide options; you must perform your due diligence to ensure the plan covers all your necessary travel needs.

  • You book with us because our heart is in every single trip. We love what we do and you will have someone advocating for you every step of the way. We also maintain valuable relationships in the travel industry. We spend significant time connecting and traveling to see new hotels, meet with hoteliers/GM's, cruise/tour operators and destination management companies to ensure we can offer a VIP experience for our personal clients. We can offer perks like free breakfast, room upgrades when available and early check-in/checkout. Additionally, you get a real life human championing for you immediately upon booking your vacation. You are also supporting a small, woman-owned business instead of a large conglomerate that truly does not care if you get that room upgrade. Meanwhile, we do a little happy upgrade dance every single time.

  • It is important to note that we are NOT Booking or Expedia. If you only want the cheapest room available because, “we are only going to sleep there,” we likely aren’t the right fit for you. For us, the hotel is an experience and a large part of any vacation and a destination in itself. We offer a range of pricing options to accommodate different categories of hotel stays and trip types. There are many ways to book travel so if you see a better price, please let us know and we will be happy to try to match it. If we cannot match, we will let you know and discuss the best options but please give us the opportunity to try if we have already started working together. We sincerely appreciate the opportunity to bring your journey to fruition.

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

  • Liesel is an absolute pro when it comes to booking a dream vacation. We had the pleasure of working with her when booking a 10 yr anniversary trip with our boys (8 & 5) to Costa Rica. She took into account all of our interests and planned the most epic vacation that was equal parts relaxing and adventure. 3 different resorts in 10 days allowed us to explore different parts of the country and embark on various activities from waterfall hikes and nighttime frog walks in the jungle, to relaxing in natural hot springs and ziplining overlooking volcanos, to beach days full of snorkeling and pina coladas. This was by far the greatest vacation of our lives and we cannot wait to book our next one with Liesel!

    Lauren C. & family, celebrating a 10 yr anniversary trip, adventuring across Costa Rica

  • We will never travel without Liesel again. She planned a milestone birthday trip that far exceeded anything we could have done on our own. Every detail felt effortless, personalized, and beautifully thought out. She truly listened to what we wanted and elevated the entire experience with special touches we never would have accessed otherwise. From start to finish, we felt completely taken care of. Her knowledge, communication, and genuine passion for travel made this trip unforgettable. We are so grateful and already looking forward to our next escape.

    Mary S. - planned a 40th birthday celebration in Costa Rica!

  • Liesel made our honeymoon completely unforgettable. Traveling to Africa felt intimidating at first, but she handled everything seamlessly, from flights to airport transfers to incredible accommodations. Every step of the journey felt safe, smooth, and thoughtfully planned. She listened to our budget and still delivered a luxury experience that exceeded our expectations, with personal touches waiting for us at every stop. We felt cared for the entire time and never had to worry about a thing. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and we cannot wait to work with her again.

    Monica & Rob M. - celebrated a honeymoon on safari in Africa

  • Liesel is truly one of a kind. She has planned multiple trips for me, and each one has been seamless, thoughtful, and perfectly tailored. Whether it was a milestone birthday in Napa, a family trip to New York City, or a relaxing getaway to St. Lucia, she handled every detail with care. Her experience, connections, and attention to logistics made everything feel effortless and elevated. She understands the vibe of each trip and executes it flawlessly, allowing you to fully enjoy the experience without stress. I would not travel any other way.

    Christin J. - happy repeat client!

  • I’ve never felt more seen, styled, and cared for in a travel experience. Liesel transformed a great trip into something truly iconic, filled with thoughtful details, elegance, and ease. Every part of the itinerary felt intentional and luxurious, creating a journey that was both seamless and unforgettable. Her ability to design such a personalized and elevated experience made me feel incredibly special from start to finish. I’m so grateful for her vision and care.

    Mattilyn R. - for a 2 week cruise to Northern Europe with pre/post travel design

  • We’ve booked with Liesel for multiple trips, and each one has been absolutely perfect. She consistently finds accommodations that match our style and adds thoughtful touches that make every stay feel special. What really sets her apart is how she handles unexpected issues. When things didn’t go as planned, she stepped in immediately and resolved everything behind the scenes so we could keep enjoying our trip. She’s more than a planner, she’s an advocate and a lifesaver, and we wouldn’t travel without her.

    Lauren O. - a cruise to Mexico, a trip to Vancouver and Italy by train

  • Liesel has planned multiple international trips for us, and each time she has been invaluable. She is incredibly resourceful, attentive, and always goes above and beyond to improve our experience. When issues arose, she handled them immediately, often securing upgrades and ensuring we were taken care of at the highest level. She also thoughtfully tailored every detail to our needs, including arranging special accommodations for a family member with limited mobility. Every trip includes personal touches that make it feel truly special. If you want to elevate your travel experience, she is the one to call.

    Josh K. - two cruises pre/post design

  • I just wanted to thank you once more for all your assistance planning our trip! I am so grateful to have had your help planning and even more so during our stay. I felt relieved that I had you just a phone call away should we have needed anything and even more so when we decided last minute to extend our stay. My family thanks you for all your hard work and for all the lovely, detailed extras! We had an amazing time. I look forward to our continued relationship for all our future adventures!

    Sandy S. & family - a Disneyland stay followed by a coastal escape

Contact us

Liesel Hlista

Aimee Dunford

Liesel Hlista

Founder Glow Escapes
Luxury Travel Designer

Hi! I am Liesel Hlista, and I am a traveler to my very core. Many monumental moments in my life have been across the globe. I was born to military parents in Germany. And I lived in Panama and Korea before moving to the U.S. as a teen. I studied abroad in Spain in college, was a television host for a travel show on NatGeo People, got engaged on a safari in South Africa, married in Italy, and I have taken my two kiddos everywhere that I can. 

Some stand out trips have been journeying across Mongolia, climbing temples in Myanmar, scuba diving with sharks in the Philippines and I am always hunting for THE perfect beach. I have my personal top ten list! What started as a hobby planning ALL my friends' trips has grown into a full-fledged, passionate travel business. I love designing vacations and will make yours the trip of a lifetime. The memories made traveling are the ones that stick. I know my own children don't always remember what they got for Christmas, but they do remember spotting turtles in Belize, salsa dancing in Cuba and dancing with their Bula buddies in Fiji.

Enough about me! Where do YOU want to go? Let's make it happen. I am here to take the stress out of the planning and match you with your perfect vacation destination. Glow Escapes was birthed from my travel loving heart. We can book beautiful hotels, cruises, and safaris. We are your one stop travel design shop for your romantic engagement or honeymoon trips to the adventure family travel and everywhere in between.



Aimee Dunford

Luxury Travel Designer
Disney Specialist
Cruise Expert

Hi! I’m Aimee, and I am a lover of new and unforgettable travel memories made with my little family! Though I traveled mostly local to California as a child, I didn’t really get bitten by the travel bug until I spontaneously booked a month-long backpacking trip through Europe when I was 21 years old! Between the museums, castles, food, and people... I knew this was only the beginning of some epic adventures. From my honeymoon in Tahiti and Bora Bora, to uncountable cruises to Mexico, the Caribbean, and the Med, exploring Hawaii, New York, and Yosemite, I am constantly in awe of the breathtaking sights and sounds this planet has to offer. Zip-lining in Belize, dancing Flamenco in Barcelona, and exploring the Blue Caves in Italy are some of my most cherished memories with my family. There is truly nothing better than seeing the world through the eyes of my young teenagers and watching them try new foods and experience new cultures.

We are a Southern California family through and through, and so, you know we love nothing more than a day at the parks! We have been to them all: Disneyland, Universal, Six Flags, Knott's. I have been lucky enough to be able to raise my kids at the “Happiest Place on Earth!” (I have been to Disneyland over 500 times!) I am Glow Escapes Disney/theme park expert and the go-to person for all of your park questions and needs! I have given dozens of tours to Disney parks, and it is an absolute joy of mine to help people experience the real magic of Disney!

Glow Escapes was born with my best friend of 20 years, founder Liesel Hlista. Together, we are the ultimate travel aficionados. I am delighted to book unique hotels, fabulous cruises, life-changing safaris, and everything in between! I am your one-stop travel design shop for romantic engagements, honeymoons, family trips, and solo adventures, aiming for stress free travel for you and memories that will last a lifetime!