The Discerning Collection is a specialist privately owned, independent travel company operator offering ‘boutique’, hand-picked and personally validated holidays. Typically this would consist of smaller boutique hotels, villas with private pools, riads and traditional, ethnic hotels for the more discerning guest.
Our vision
To build the UK’s most successful boutique tour operation, with the highest levels of customer retention, advocacy and referrals.
We pride ourselves on our service and although all specialist travel companies will wax lyrical about this all important part of the holiday, very few actually provide a level of service that really lives up to the promise. We want to be seen as an operator that genuinely cares for our guests as opposed to one that cares more about chasing the ‘bottom line’.
We have chosen our product offering extremely carefully ensuring that each hotel, private villa, apartment or riad has a proven track record of higher than average repeat business.
With new accommodation we will insist on being part of the recruitment process ensuring that the local community is well represented and that the management adheres to our values and vision. As such we are one of the founder travel members of Feefo, the online review site that delivers genuine customer feedback straight onto our site. So all our customers reviews, whether they be excellent or not so excellent are posted onto our site.
We are therefore not afraid to take criticism and will do our utmost to make the necessary changes immediately if we have got it wrong. You can see our reviews simply by clicking onto the Feefo logo at the top right hand side of this page.
Our customers
We are thrilled to boast that 80% of our guests rebook their holidays with us so we must be doing something right. Our reservation staff often know our guests personally and we our extremely grateful for their continued loyalty. If we are looking at profiles, The Discerning Collection client is typically ABC1 with a high disposable income and who is looking for exceptional service in accommodation away from the mass market resorts. These clients will typically take at least two high spend holidays per year (more if they are retired). These clients are as happy to spend holidays in simple, rustic villas as they are in 5 star deluxe hotels. Whatever they choose, the actual holiday must at least achieve and, more often than not, exceed their expectations.
Our team & values
The UK team at The Discerning Collection have an extremely high, in-depth knowledge of the entire product on offer so that the guests are given unrivalled advice on their holiday even down to the exact room number they will be staying in whenever this option is available. The overseas team in each destination are available around the clock whilst the guest is in resort. They have also been chosen for their knowledge of the destination, their courteous nature and their ability to offer assistance to guests wherever and whenever it is required. Selling excursions is way down on their list of priorities in resort. To enhance our service all staff at Discerning Collection whether in the UK or overseas will never take the guest for granted. We treat them as individuals with different needs and requirements. We will always do everything in our power to make sure that the right holiday is sold to the right guest.
Some background info on the team and owners at Discerning Collection
Both Nick and Viv Wrightman started their careers in the travel industry and have lived and breathed travel all their working lives. Nick started as a graduate trainee at Thomson Holidays and Viv at the lovely specialist, Sunmed Holidays. After excellent training and invaluable experience at both companies Nick and Viv have gone on to bigger and better things, setting up and owning the renowned Tapestry Holidays and now owners of the albeit small but, in their humble opinion, perfectly formed, Discerning Collection.
The combination of their skill sets makes for an excellent team which strives to provide the best service to their thankfully very loyal guests. Nicks strengths are in the sourcing of product and Viv is able to deliver the operational expertise to ensure that all the marketing promises are delivered and exceeded wherever possible. One of the strengths of the business is the personal relationships both of them have with the owners and managers of all the properties that are featured in the current portfolio. All properties are personally visited by all staff and no hotel, villa, riad or apartment is sold without Nick and the relevant member of the team having personally inspected every room and insuring that the owner and manager share the same high levels of service to all guests. The exceptionally high levels of repeat business are a testament to Nick and Viv’s passion to provide excellent holidays in delightfully unspoilt destinations.
Although they have worked together nearly all their lives they only relatively recently got married and have two lovely children, India and Archie, now 10 and 8 respectively. Having moved from Chiswick, West London, they now live in Ascot and love the countryside and slightly gentler pace of life that the ‘sticks’ seems to provide!
Our Team
Nick Wrightman
CEO
Both Nick and Viv Wrightman started their careers in the travel industry and have lived and breathed travel all their working lives. Nick started as a graduate trainee at Thomson Holidays and Viv at the lovely specialist, Sunmed Holidays.
After excellent training and invaluable experience at both companies Nick and Viv have gone on to bigger and better things, setting up and owning the renowned Tapestry Holidays and now owners of the albeit small but, in their humble opinion, perfectly formed, Discerning Collection.
Charlotte Wates
Product Manager & Tailor Made Specialist
Charlotte has worked in the travel industry for 15 years which was moulded from a couple of seasons working overseas on the coast of Turkey, followed by travelling extensively around the country which she is now so passionate about. After returning to the UK, Charlotte became a tailor-made specialist for Turkey for a small tour operator before moving on to organising intrepid trips around her other favourite destination…Morocco.
After a few years in sales she branched out into product and contracting side as well as brochure design. 7 years ago, Charlotte joined the team at Tapestry, now Discerning Collection bringing these skills with her. The whole team at Discerning Collection love speaking to guests and whilst Charlotte loves Turkey her real passion is selling Morocco. She knows it like the back of her hand and is able to suggest interesting and lovely itineraries for a quick weekend away with perhaps a cookery course or a 10 day holiday to include the mountains and trekking… whatever you fancy she can definitely help and her passion is infectious.
Beata Kulesza
Sales & Customer Relations
Beata is an integral part of the sales team and started with Tapestry Holidays in 2003 and knows our product intimately, she is renowned within the team for remembering exactly which guest staying in which room and when – which we think is quite remarkable! A lot of our guests have booked their holidays with Beata for many years and know her as their loyal and personal travel advisor and more importantly her friend.
Beata hails from Warsaw in Poland and is still amazed as to how many of our guests mis-pronounce her name. Every day she is constantly spelling out her name aloud… B E A T A!
Huseyin Gencer
Turkey Specialist
Huseyin has been working in the travel industry since 2001 and joined Tapestry Holidays as part of the operations team in 2003 so has a wealth of experience and understands all of our guests’ needs and requirements whilst on holiday in Turkey. Huseyin now manages Kalamus Travel, our handling agency in Kalkan, he also assists Nick with contracting fabulous new accommodation in Turkey and is our local eyes and ears.
He is there day and night and works tirelessly throughout season to ensure that the operational aspects of our guests’ holiday run as smoothly as possible. Huseyin is also a very proud father of a gorgeous little boy, Muhammed!
Our Product
All individual parts of the supply chain from flight seats, transfers and car hire have been chosen for their individual levels of service. Hotels and villas are therefore chosen for their exceptionally high levels of repeat business and are in locations that are far removed from the mass market. Unlike many operators, the product is also as flexible as the guest would wish, with departures from any airport and for any duration. A simple seven night holiday to more complex multi centred itineraries are all available. Currently we offer holidays from the UK to Turkey, Greece, Italy, Mallorca and Morocco.
WHY BOOK WITH DISCERNING COLLECTION?
The product is hand picked and personally recommended by us.
We will recommend not just the right destination and hotel, but also the right room for you.
We provide a personal and personalised travel itinerary, tailor made for you.
You can book in confidence, in the knowledge that over 2 out of 3 customers book with us year in year out.
Our business is based on referral; we have a vested interest to get it right!
We don’t let you book on-line. With us, it’s personal – we want to discuss your holiday needs with you so we can get it just right and in doing that we will do all the work for you.
We provide knowledgeable and caring staff in resort to provide you will local advice, support and care and attention to ensure the holiday is just perfect for you.
We provide a 24/7 support so if you need us we are there for you.
Out holidays are not the norm; we have hand selected hotels and experiences that offer exceptional quality, personal service and experiences.
We are a family owned and run company that cares about its customers.
Everything you book is completely financially protected (either under the Government’s ATOL scheme and our own Financial Trust).
