Danielle Tamulis is ready to book that perfect St. John vacation.
Danielle Tamulis first fell in love with St. John when she began visiting the island as a small child with her mother.
Since then, she has visited frequently and even spent a summer during college living on Love City. Now graduated from James Madison University and working in the event planning field in Washington, D.C., Tamulis recently launched Sweet Escape Destinations, combining her love for St. John and her career expertise.
“I’ve been coming down since around 1992 when my mom brought me for the first time,” said Tamulis. “I moved down in 2007 with my best friend from college and we lived here for the summer after our freshman year. I fell in love with the island and I’ve been coming back three or four times a year since.”
Inspiration struck for this 25-year-old as more and more friends and family members began asking her advice when planning trips, Tamulis explained.
“What happened was a lot was my friends and family members would ask me to help plan their St. John vacations,” she said. “I’ve really been doing this, planning vacations on St. John, for years in my spare time. So I thought why not start a personal destination planning business.”
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Recently, Tamulis did just that; launching her website www.sweetescapedest.com just last week. Both knowledgeable and passionate about St. John, Tamulis offers packages tailored to one’s specific needs. Coming down with a big group? Let Tamulis plan a guy’s day for the gents while the ladies enjoy a spa day.
A sample Ladies’ Day outing outlined on Tamulis’ website starts off with Bloody Marys and Mimosas at brunch, followed by a spa day and a rejuvenating yoga session on the beach. End the girly day with a shopping trip at Mongoose Junction and a cocktail at happy hour.
While the ladies are being pampered, a sample guy’s day with Sweet Escape Destinations will feature a morning scuba dive or a round of golf at Mahogany Run on St. Thomas. The men can also enjoy hiking one of the many trails on the island before meeting up with the ladies at happy hour.
Although Tamulis offers sample outings on her website, the destination planner stresses flexibility.
“I have some sample packages outlined on my website, but I can add or change anything for people,” said Tamulis. “It’s all about creating something special for the client that is tailored just for him or her. I can plan for groups or families or couples.”
From villa provisioning to a meal whipped up by a private chef, Tamulis’ new company offers a range of services.
“I can plan a full seven day itinerary for people or just plan one day of their vacation or even just stock their villa with their favorite foods and drinks,” she said.
Tamulis is dedicated to keeping her client’s trips stress-free, she added.
“It’s all about being able to relax down here,” said the Sweet Escape Destinations owner. “I’ve been on most of the boats, so I know what they offer. I can help make sure someone has fun and isn’t stressed out on their vacation.”
The new entrepreneur is even offering the ultimate in personal service; herself as a tour guide.
“I am available as a personal tour guide as well,” said Tamulis. “If someone wants me to come down on their trip and show them around, I’m available for that too.”
While Tamulis continues to tweak her website – which she described as a work in progress — Sweet Escape Destinations already offers exclusive trips with Calypso Charters. Tamulis is also working to offer planned trips to the British Virgin Islands as well, she added.
“I haven’t done anything like this before,” said Tamulis. “But this is my passion and I’m up for the challenge.”
Tamulis’ website, www.sweetescapedest.com, is up and running and she is working on a mobile app to be released soon as well.
For more information about Sweet Escape Destination, email Tamulis at dtamulis@sweetescapedest.com; call (203) 907-9837, or visit the company’s web site at www. sweetescapedest.com.