Meet a Travel Extraordinaire

Whether it’s voyaging the Arctic Circle, attending Wimbledon, private shopping appointments at major fashion houses, taking a Kilimanjaro trek with portable luxury camps, or retracing your family’s history with a dedicated historian, Antony Merkel, owner of Peridot Travel, goes to unparalleled lengths to infuse your travel experiences with comfort, luxury and meaning. The only thing you must do is pack your bags, get up and go.

Merkel was just named a Top Travel Advisor for 2026 by Conde Nast Traveler and earned it. Now living and headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif., Merkel’s company is a boutique luxury travel advisory firm specializing in customized, high-end trips for clients across the U.S. and internationally. He focuses on thoughtful, tailored experiences rather than off-the-shelf itineraries. His trips center around complex, bespoke travel where clients are looking for elevated service, and a seamless experience from start to finish.

A native Atlantan, Merkel’s parents immigrated from South Africa in the late 1970s. A love of travel was quickly sealed growing up in an internationally minded household where global awareness and cultural perspective were part of everyday life. He attended Greenfield Hebrew Academy, now Atlanta Jewish Academy, then Woodward Academy, and belonged to Congregation Beth Tefillah. Merkel’s roots in the Atlanta Jewish community have always been very strong and having parents who came from abroad meant that travel, different cultures, and seeing the world were always part of how he understood life far beyond Atlanta.

Merkel shared, “Growing up with South African parents meant we traveled internationally every year, often on long-haul routes connecting through Europe, so, from a young age, I had a very global frame of reference. I was always curious about the bigger world — studying maps, collecting hotel keys, asking people about where they were from — travel felt less like a vacation and more like a window into how other people live. That early exposure shaped me.”

After college, Merkel spent six years working at a high-profile talent agency in the entertainment industry, which he called a masterclass in high-end client service. He explained, “I was working with very discerning clients who were flying first class and staying in exceptional hotels, and I learned the level of detail, discretion, and responsiveness that top-tier service requires. When I realized that career path wasn’t long-term for me, I saw a clear opportunity in luxury travel — there were plenty of people booking trips, but fewer truly curating them. I already had relationships in the luxury travel space, began working with established firms, and eventually launched my own company. By then, I had long been the person friends and family turned to for complex or special trips, so it felt like a very natural progression.”

Merkel started with honeymoons and milestone trips, and over time, naturally expanded into multi-generational families, couples, friend groups, and more complex itineraries around the world. He said, “Some clients are planning a once-in-a-lifetime safari or a month in Asia while others want a perfectly executed long weekend — what matters to me is that the trip is thoughtfully designed and aligned with how they like to travel.  Over the past decade, I’ve built deep relationships across the globe so that wherever my clients go, I can connect them with the right people and properties. Even if I haven’t personally been somewhere, I’m never more than one degree removed from trusted experts on the ground. My role isn’t just to book luxury hotels — it’s to match the level of support and curation to the traveler. Some clients want fully private, highly structured itineraries, while others prefer to explore more independently but with the right guidance, access, and hotels arranged in advance. It’s always about crafting the right experience for the individual.”

Merkel has also served on the advisory board of new hotel openings and a featured panelist at conferences and trade shows such as Virtuoso Travel Week with 6000-plus attendees. Regarding hot spots, he said, “Right now, I’m especially excited about places like Japan, South America (particularly the Amazon, Patagonia, Atacama Desert) the Azores, and regions of Africa like Namibia and Botswana. I’m also seeing growing interest in the Baltics and the Balkans – destinations that feel culturally rich and visually stunning but are still a bit under the radar compared to more obvious European icons. That said, I don’t really plan around what’s ‘hot.’ Some clients want the classic names — the Amalfi Coast, the South of France — and we absolutely do that at a very high level.”

When asked about mitzvah trips, honeymooners, singles, any specialty traveling, tours, custom trips and families of kids of all ages, he said, “I work across a wide range of life stages and trip types, but almost all my work centers around meaningful travel. When families want to mark an important moment in a thoughtful way, I have excellent contacts on the ground to design that properly.”

Merkel believes travel is different for everyone, which is what makes his work so interesting. If there’s a common thread amongst traveling, it’s the emotional moments — the way a place or an experience makes someone feel. Those are the moments people carry with them long after they’ve forgotten the logistics.

He added, “Luxury can certainly elevate a trip, but it’s not what makes it memorable on its own. What makes a trip unforgettable is thoughtful design — pacing that allows people to be present, experiences that feel personal rather than scripted, and small details that show someone anticipated their needs. When a trip feels effortless and emotionally resonant, that’s when it becomes meaningful. Over the years, I’ve built strong relationships with hoteliers, guides, and on-the-ground partners, and that often translates into meaningful upgrades, personalized amenities, better rooms, and access that simply isn’t available through an online booking engine. It’s not just about perks; it’s about having someone in your corner who can anticipate needs and step in if something needs adjusting.”

For Merkel, being a travel specialist isn’t about booking hotels — it’s about creating experiences that feel seamless, intentional, and deeply aligned with purpose. He sees his role as a long-term advisor. He added, “Over time, I understand how a client likes to move through the world, and that’s when the trips become truly special. When it’s done right, travel isn’t just a vacation, it becomes part of someone’s story.”

For more information, please visit peridottravel.com.