Former Hummingbird specialist branches out with luxury agency

Her love of the Indian Ocean comes from working at Hummingbird, where she spent six years and became a regional specialist, including visiting around 30 resorts in the Maldives.
 
“I built up a presence in the US market for Hummingbird and really helped it grow into the company it is today, which was extremely rewarding,” she says. 
 
Following the recent birth of her daughter, Collett says she felt a change of pace was required. She adds while she was “itching to get back to work” after maternity leave, she realised she needed to find the balance between motherhood and her love of luxury travel.
 
Her eponymous luxury travel brand made its debut on Instagram earlier in January and she is clear on what sets her apart. “My experience and relationships are what makes me different, and my desire to connect with my clients on a personal level,” she says. “I’m a very open person, and always happy to have a chat.”  

Those relationships come from a lifetime of travel, globetrotting with her father, industry legend Roy Collett, founder of Colletts Travel and recipient of the 2023 TTG Luxury Travel Awards Contribution to Luxury award.
 
“Growing up, our family was fortunate enough to stay at many luxury hotels and on cruise ships. I remember my dad would film me on his camcorder as I showed him around and gave him the grand tour,” she explains. 
 
As she grew older, her love of travel turned to a professional interest, and at the age of 20 she started an internship at The Dorchester in London.
 
She adds things really took off for her when she landed a year-long internship at Denihan Hospitality Group in New York.
 
“They said ‘if you can get yourself a visa, the role is yours’. So I sorted that and headed off to New York,” she says. “I tried my hand at everything there, working in roles from events and sales; to front desk and housekeeping, which allowed me to see how a hotel is really run,” she explains. 
 
When her internship ended, she made her way back to the UK and bagged herself a job at Pineapple Marketing, meeting with agents to represent hotels such as One Aldwych and The Goring in London, as well as Carlisle Bay in Antigua and Cobblers Cove in Barbados. 
 
But it remains the Indian Ocean that really resonates with her. “The Maldives is just the most beautiful place on earth,” she says. “It’s one resort per island, so it’s very private, very beautiful and very safe. The service and hospitality is amazing, and I love how everything is all in one place. Then you’ve got Sri Lanka, which I absolutely love for its culture, wildlife, history and food. You can be on the beach one minute, and then in tea country the next.” 

And when it comes to future growth, she says she would “love the business to grow organically through referrals”. 

“I have a few trips to Europe this year and also to Dubai. Of course, being a mum the priority is my daughter, but if I was to go to a trade show I would like to think I could make ILTM work at the end of the year!” she says.