PRESS & RECOGNITION
Thirteen years of building something worth writing about.
We don’t set out to win awards. We set out to design extraordinary travel — and occasionally, the industry notices. What follows is a record of those moments. We share them not to impress, but because our clients deserve to know they’re working with someone whose work has been independently recognized at the highest level of the industry.
2021 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · 2026
CONDÉ NAST TOP TRAVEL SPECIALIST 2021 — 2026
Six consecutive years. The Condé Nast Top Travel Specialist recognition is awarded to what the publication calls “industry superstars who pull off the impossible” — a designation earned through demonstrated expertise, client results, and peer recognition within the global travel industry.
In 2023, Lauren was personally invited to the Condé Nast offices in New York City as a guest of the editor — one of the most significant moments in her career and a reflection of the relationships she has built at the highest level of the industry.
Lauren was also selected as one of 30 luxury travel specialists worldwide invited to participate in the Condé Nast Points of View Summit — a gathering that represents the best of global travel advisory.
Thirty specialists. Worldwide. Lauren is one of them.
INDUSTRY RECOGNITION
CARIBBEAN JOURNAL
Best Cruise Agency
Awarded by Caribbean Journal — the leading publication covering Caribbean travel and tourism — recognizing TDC as among the top cruise agencies in the industry.
OYSTEO
World's Best Luxury Travel Agents
An independent global recognition of the world’s leading luxury travel advisors, selected based on expertise, client outcomes, and peer standing within the industry.
ASTA
Verified Travel Advisor
Verification from the American Society of Travel Advisors — confirming professional standards, ethical practice, and demonstrated expertise in the travel industry.
CONSUMER PRESS
Featured in AARP — Three Times
AARP reaches 38 million members. Lauren has been featured as a trusted expert source across multiple AARP travel articles — on family travel, multigenerational trips, and why working with a travel advisor matters.
AARP · APRIL 2023
"Plan Multi-generational Family Vacations Without the Stress"
Lauren’s client Debbi Breeling is named and quoted in this piece — crediting Lauren specifically for navigating a four-generation Disney World trip for nine travelers.
AARP
"Consider a Travel Agent for Your Next Vacation"
Lauren is quoted twice as a luxury travel expert — on why advisors protect clients when things go wrong, and on the gap between how hotels photograph and how they actually look.
AARP
"When to Use a Travel Agent"
A consumer guide to working with travel professionals — featuring Lauren’s expert perspective on the value an advisor brings to complex and high-stakes trips.
NASHVILLE VOYAGER
FEBRUARY 2024
"Meet Lauren Cardinale of Travel Design Co."
A full founder profile covering Lauren’s journey from hotel management at Starwood and Marriott International to founding Travel Design Co. in New Orleans in 2013 — and the Condé Nast recognition and industry relationships she has built in the years since.
INDUSTRY PRESS
TRADE RECOGNITION
TRAVELPULSE
"Travel Experts Share 5 Reasons to Book a Cruise"
Lauren is quoted multiple times as a cruise and family travel expert — on value, flexibility, entertainment, and dining. One of her most-cited industry quotes on the unmatched value proposition of cruising.
TRAVELAGE WEST
"Mix and Match: Pairing Clients With the Right Tour Style"
Lauren contributed expert insight on matching travelers to the right tour style and travel experience — featured in one of the travel industry’s leading trade publications.
ASTA
"15 Things Your Travel Agent Wants You to Know"
Lauren contributed expert perspective to ASTA’s consumer-facing guide on the value of working with a professional travel advisor — one of the organization’s most widely read pieces.
"Industry superstars who pull off the impossible."
— Condé Nast Traveler · On Top Travel Specialists
CREDENTIALS & DESIGNATIONS
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
✦ Condé Nast Top Travel Specialist
2021 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · 2026
✦ Caribbean Journal Best Cruise Agency
✦ World’s Best Luxury Travel Agents
OYSTEO
✦ ASTA Verified Travel Advisor
✦ Virtuoso Travel Advisor (VTA)
SPECIALIST DESIGNATIONS
✦ Signature Travel Expert Select
France & Dominican Republic
✦ TripAdvisor Reco Founding Advisor
One of the first advisors recruited to TripAdvisor’s Reco program
✦ Fiji Matai Specialist
✦ CTA — Certified Travel Associate
The Travel Institute
✦ Member, Signature Travel Network
✦ Operating under Travel Planners International (TPI)
IATA #10504292
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Recognition means nothing without results. Let's design your next extraordinary journey.
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