Solo Travel

How to Have the Best Solo Traveling Experiences

Where you stay matters—especially when you're traveling alone. These hard-won lessons prove why service standards make all the difference for solo travelers.

By Jennifer Jilot

April 15, 2026Updated September 13, 2026

Best Tips for Solo Travelers: Rediscovering What You Enjoy, on Your Own Terms

When was the last time you created and followed a routine made just by you?

Too many years of accommodating other people's schedules and desires make it hard to remember what you enjoy on your own. When was the last time you let yourself truly explore, on your own terms?

In my time traveling alone, I've learned one main lesson: where you stay matters. If you're a solo female traveler, it matters twice as much. One trip to Turks and Caicos taught me that lesson the hard way — and two stays at Forbes-rated properties confirmed it.

Hostels highly rated on TripAdvisor might be a fun adventure, and an Airbnb with twelve reviews in the suburbs might be nice. But if you want to travel with true confidence and security, there is a much better solution.

Why Objective Service Standards Matter

Service can be rated objectively. The Forbes Travel Guide does just that, with a system of 900 objective standards — spanning everything from guest room quality to spa treatments to dining — to rank and rate service in the hospitality industry. Using the travel guide ensures you stay at or above the standard, rather than relying on aggregate, AI-summarized Google reviews.

You can also contact me directly for personal travel advice from a Forbes-endorsed travel advisor — without any fear of a fee or service charge. LuxRally Travel advisors are banned from charging fees. We're paid by the properties and the industry, not by you.

Before I understood the difference, I booked my solo trips the way most people do. I would do a quick Google search, glance at reviews, and book. Experience taught me there was a better way. Now as an agent, for myself and for my clients, I rely on proven service standards over crowdsourced opinions.

Bright Parisian hotel sitting area with a cream upholstered armchair and ottoman, pink hydrangeas on a side table, and French doors opening to a balcony with views of the Eiffel Tower — Four Seasons Hotel George VA quiet morning with the Eiffel Tower in view — the kind of moment solo travel is made for.

When a High Rating Doesn't Mean High Service

A few years ago, I stayed at a stunning resort in Turks and Caicos. It had a 4-star Expedia rating, and photos were trending all over social media.

Did it look like paradise? Yes. In practice, no.

From my first meal, the staff seemed unsure how to engage with a solo traveler. Each dining experience began the same way: "Just one?" That signaled a lack of communication and training — the on-site restaurants should already know the guest profile.

If not, they could have noted this simple guest element and communicated it. That disconnect continued throughout the stay. Hotel-booked excursions were marred by incorrect assumptions, safety risks, poor coordination, and no follow-up.

At the beach, a server crossed the line from service into discomfort, mistaking personal remarks for personalization. A horseback ride booked through the concierge turned into a poorly managed group outing — one I navigated alone — that left me deeply uneasy. The destinations were beautiful, but the service made it difficult to enjoy them.

Luxury Solo Travel: Two Excellent Hotels for Solo Travelers — Rosewood Bermuda and Four Seasons George V Paris

Now contrast that experience with another property, rated objectively by Forbes' standards.

At the Rosewood Bermuda, a Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star hotel, service was intentional and thoughtful from the start. The concierge exemplified luxury solo travel at its best: when I expressed interest in jet skiing, she asked about my experience level and preferences, then designed a one-on-one guided experience rather than defaulting to a group activity.

Even small moments mattered. As I left one morning for a walk along the harbour, a doorman asked about my plans, remembered them, and followed through. When I returned, he greeted me with genuine enthusiasm and interest in my experience. I felt seen, not watched.

Good service is personalized. Anticipatory. Memorable.

Aerial view of a verdant golf course with sand bunkers, winding cart paths, tropical trees, white-roofed Bermudian houses, and the Atlantic Ocean in the background — Rosewood BermudaThe lush, ocean-edged fairways of Bermuda — one of many curated experiences a thoughtful concierge can arrange.

The Four Seasons George V in Paris, a Forbes 5-Star hotel, consistently delivered that same standard. Over several days of solo travel, every interaction reinforced a sense of ease and belonging. A concierge curated walking routes through the Marais, suggested a candlelit corner table at a bistro near the Seine, and arranged a private gallery visit — all tailored to my interests. No question felt like an inconvenience, and at no time was I asked, "Just one?"

This is what Forbes Travel Guide-rated service does for solo travelers. It shapes not just the trip, but the memories you take home.

Elegant indoor swimming pool with ornate wrought-iron railings, white lounge daybeds, tall windows, classical columns, and a luminous backlit ceiling in a palatial hotel spa setting — Four Seasons Hotel George VThe iconic indoor pool at the Four Seasons Hotel George V — where Forbes five-star service extends to every corner of the property.

Solo Travel Safety: How a Travel Advisor Makes Your Trip Safer and Easier

Good service doesn't begin and end at the hotel. Working with a travel advisor means support starts the moment you begin planning your trip.

Value for money matters, of course, but so does the service. Advocacy and continuity. Honest recommendations, genuine personalization, and follow-through tailored to you.

I've had clients call me at 2 a.m. for last-minute transfers in unfamiliar cities. One solo female traveler told her family before leaving, "If you can't reach me, call Jen. She'll know exactly where I am and what to do."

I have clients who simply say, "Book me a vacation; you know what I like."

That's a 5-star standard of service. Personalized. Anticipatory. Memorable.

Good service means a hotel greets a client's dogs by name upon arrival. It means solo travelers benefit from having one trusted number they can call at any hour.

The best part: working with me is always free. Whether you need solo travel tips, solo travel safety advice, guidance as a solo female traveler, or the ultimate luxury solo travel experience, contact me below. I can help you travel confidently, comfortably, and better than ever before.

Traveling solo doesn't mean traveling alone — it means choosing experiences that make you feel truly at ease.

Elevated view of a resort swimming pool surrounded by blue-and-white striped lounge chairs, stone terraces, palm trees, and ocean views in the distance — Rosewood BermudaTurquoise waters and striped loungers at the Rosewood Bermuda — where every poolside detail is considered.

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Jennifer Jilot

Jennifer Jilot is a fully licensed travel advisor with LuxRally Travel, a Forbes Travel Guide Endorsed agency, specializing in curating exceptional travel experiences. As Director of Operations, she supports the day-to-day functions of the agency while also working with her own clients as a travel agent with a focus on luxury travel. She handles key operational areas including air ticketing support, commission tracking and reconciliation, and vendor logins and system access, and steps in when something needs to be resolved quickly.