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Home > Arizona > Shani Laplume > My Life in Travel

Shani Laplume

Scottsdale, Arizona Travel Agent

My Life in Travel

Growing up in Winnipeg, Canada, I looked forward to Folklorama, an annual summer festival celebrating cultures from around the world. Perhaps that’s why traveling and exploring other lands captured my attention from a young age.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be a Flight Attendant.  I wanted to travel the world and this was how I wanted to do it.  As a flight attendant, I learned which airports were the best for connections, how to make the most of a layover and how to fly most comfortably. Shifting focus, I worked at luxury hotels in Winnipeg and then in Scottsdale, Arizona as a Concierge where I catered to many VIP’s including many celebrities as well as the Queen of England.  As a Certified Concierge, I’m a member of the National Concierge Association in Arizona, I am in contact with concierges all over the world. Just as I share recommendations on my current hometown, Scottsdale, with my network, I can reach out for recommendations for my clients, wherever they are headed. 

During a ten year hiatus as a stay-at-home mom, I was the go-to person for my friends about their travels, so when I was ready to go back to work, I took a Travel Leaders training course and became a certified travel advisor and joined Protravel International — the countries top luxury travel agency — as a luxury travel advisor, offering concierge-level services. 

I have traveled extensively around Canada, Western & Eastern Europe, Cuba, the United States, Mexico, Thailand, Philippines, as well as locally Hawaii and Arizona. My interests include adventure, wellness, culinary and cultural travel, honeymoons, river and ocean cruising, and I consider myself a curator of individual, family and group travel.

I like to offer my clients special culinary and cultural experiences. In Thailand, for example, I can arrange cooking classes and suggest restaurants such as my favorite Koh Samui food shack, where you pick out your seafood from a pond, and they prepare it on the spot.    

To dig deeper into Thai culture, I suggest visiting Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai, and trekking to the Hill Tribes. One of the most unusual is the Karen People. Guides will take you to their villages where you can buy jewelry and see a very different vision of beauty. The women there keep adding brass rings around their necks to extend them beyond anything you can imagine. 

I believe part of my job is to educate you about what you will be encountering—both the good and the bad. Morocco is beautiful, but on my first trip there, I was unprepared for the experience of going into a market and found it overwhelming. Everyone was shoving things in my face and demanding I look at their wares. It felt unfriendly. And then the microphones would startle me when they blared the call to prayer. The noise and the people grabbing at my attention in a foreign language were overwhelming. If you are prepared, then you can enjoy it.   A visit back to Morocco is definitely in my books again someday, this place offers so much more and the best part of traveling is experiencing all the country has to offer. 

Traveling opens your eyes to the world. What I love most about being a travel advisor is that I am offering everlasting experiences and helping people do something that enhances, and potentially, changes their lives. What are your travel dreams?

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CERTIFICATES & AWARDS

Certified Specialist: Hawaii
National Certified Concierge
Certified Specialist: France
Certified Travel Agent
Certified Specialist: Eastern Europe
Certified Specialist: Switzerland
Certified Specialist: Australia

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Picturesque Portugal
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Vive la France

Reviews

91 of 139 people found this review helpful

Dealing with cancellations and strikes

Reviewed By Mary - Phoenix | Traveled to Greece ~ Europe
Finest travel agent ever
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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85 of 128 people found this review helpful

Grand Canyon or bust!

Reviewed By Deanna - San Francisco | Traveled to Grand Canyon ~ Arizona ~ USA
Shani was great! I found her on the internet so had no personal connection to her or her office. From day one she treated me like a long time customer. Very thorough, responsive and very nice to boot. I highly recommend working with Shani!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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94 of 147 people found this review helpful

Amazing trip from start to finish!

Reviewed By Stephanie - Phoenix, AZ | Traveled to Thailand ~ East and Southeast Asia
Shani was great from start to finish! She took the time to get to know our wants and needs and kept those in mind throughout every step of the process. The hotels and activities she booked for us were exactly what we wanted and had personal touches along the way making it feel extra special!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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86 of 141 people found this review helpful

It was a trip of a lifetime with friends

Reviewed By Skip - Scottsdale, Az | Traveled to Mediterranean ports of Italy, France Spain
Shani took over the travel file that I had started. She provided us with many new ideas for for our destinations. We were on a cruise with predetermined ports.Her suggested excursions and places to visit were perfect for our inquiring minds. In addition , she responded quickly to emails and phone calls.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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78 of 126 people found this review helpful

France and Italy are amazing!

Reviewed By Jen Lewis - Phoenix, AZ | Traveled to Europe
In planning a very special trip, we used a travel agent for the first time, and Shani was outstanding. She helped plan, organize, schedule and book an amazing 3 week trip through France and Italy, land and a river cruise. For us having never been to either country, we relied on Shani to guide us with the best hotels, transfers, tours and tickets. She did an amazing job which made our trip even more special! Can't wait to book the next trip with her help.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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63 of 97 people found this review helpful

Annual Mother Daughter Trip

Reviewed By Texas Concierge - Houston, TX | Traveled to Arizona ~ USA
Shani did an excellent job from beginning to end. She took into consideration out interests.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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80 of 133 people found this review helpful

Family Cruise vacation

Reviewed By Mark - Scottsdale | Traveled to Caribbean
Shani was wonderful. She organized our cruise with six staterooms for our family cruise. She will be part of all our future vacation plans.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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71 of 117 people found this review helpful

Great Thai Experience!

Reviewed By JMac - San Francisco, CA | Traveled to Thailand ~ East and Southeast Asia
Shani is wonderful, a huge help no matter how big or small your trip. We've used her 3 times, once for African Safari, one Grand Canyon and the most recent Thailand. I can only assume she has been to these areas because she sends you to all the right places, from hotels to restaurants to attractions. If she's never been, then she's doing great homework. She is very accessible on email, text or phone call, sends you pertinent information and is just easy to work with. We will definitely continue to use her service. Thailand was great, Shani! Thank you so much!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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78 of 132 people found this review helpful

Looking for the ideal location to stay

Reviewed By Heather - Mount Pleasant | Traveled to Arizona ~ USA
Fast, efficient and found what we were looking for
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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33 of 44 people found this review helpful

Ciao famiglia

Reviewed By Dani O - Phoenix, AZ | Traveled to Italy ~ Europe
Working with Shani amazing! She understood our needs, our budget and provided excellent recommendations on what parts of Italy to visit based on our interests. I came to the table knowing what I wanted (certain things like hotel class was nonnegotiable…lol) but I was always open to her suggestions and recommendations. She was attentive, quick to come up with alternatives and solutions and just ON TOP OF IT, always. She did not miss one detail, including ensuring we were up to date on the ever changing CoVid travel restrictions as things changed rapidly. The private car service she arranged for each destination which included to and from the airport along with to and from the train to our hotels was meticulous. Each hotel she booked for us in Rome, Sorrento & Florence was just lovely and the staff at each was AMAZING.

Shani also sent a bottle of champagne to our room in Rome as a welcome to Italy gift! She absolutely went above and beyond to ensure our trip was wonderful!

I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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47 of 72 people found this review helpful

One of the best trips ever

Reviewed By Family vacation - Scottsdale AZ | Traveled to Maui Island ~ Hawaii ~ USA
She has been very helpful with our travel needs and is very knowledgeable in her field.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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72 of 123 people found this review helpful

Summer Memories...Fun, Adventure & Education

Reviewed By Marlee Mauvis - Phoenix, AZ | Traveled to California ~ USA
I contacted Shani with some specific requirements; busy family, only 4 days, traveling by car, child with special needs, so whatever we do needs to be accessible and full of adventure. She sent us an itinerary from the moment we drove out of the driveway. This kept us all accountable, and the kiddos busy and excited for every moment.

We traveled to Disney for 2-days to visit the new Star Wars exhibit with a stop at Joshua Tree National Park for some education and a sunset tour. It was amazing! The scenery was beautiful, even the kiddos were taking pictures we'll look back on with a big smile.

Shani sent an itinerary that included hotel and event confirmation #'s, addresses, a contact at each location. Not to mention, she made herself available for anything we needed while traveling.

Thank you Shani for turning wonderful moments into forever memories. Excited about our next adventure with you!!!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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37 of 54 people found this review helpful

Amazing Family Vacation!

Reviewed By LauraE - Phoenix, Arizona | Traveled to Puerto Vallarta ~ Jalisco ~ Mexico
Shani did an amazing job arranging our family vacation! We had an idea of what we wanted from the vacation, but didn't know where to begin looking. I gave her the destination, the dates we could go and what we were looking for. She found several hotels for us to choose from and made adjustments when I gave her feedback. The resort was stunning and our suite far exceeded our expectations. Shani arranged a welcome treat to be in our suite when we arrived. We loved the added touch! Shani helped us understand what covid tests and testing companies were acceptable for travel and that we needed to have all our information uploaded to a specific app before landing in Mexico. That made our arrival at the airport smooth and seamless. She also arranged our travel to and from the airport. All we had to do was show up and enjoy our vacation. She reached out to us while we were on the trip to make sure everything was going well. I highly recommend Shani and will definitely use her services again!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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82 of 144 people found this review helpful

Fantastic family vacation!

Reviewed By Jen - Hancock, Michigan | Traveled to San Diego ~ California ~ USA
Shani is so friendly, helpful and professional! She’s already planning another trip for me!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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68 of 117 people found this review helpful

Amazing Trip to relax at Luxury Hotel!

Reviewed By Holly Dowling - Scottsdale, AZ | Traveled to Los Cabos ~ Baja California Sur ~ Mexico
Amazing!! She takes care of every detail and we arrive as VIP's!!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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31 of 45 people found this review helpful

Our go-to travel coordinator

Reviewed By Stephanie - Canada | Traveled to Hawaii ~ USA
We have consistently had wonderful experiences working with Shani. We trust Shani so much with our travels that we selected her to be our travel coordinator for our wedding - ensuring all guests had appropriate accommodations and were well looked after.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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32 of 48 people found this review helpful

Great time was had by all!

Reviewed By Gail - Coronado CA | Traveled to Paris ~ France ~ Europe
The best. She went above and beyond to make our trip easier during this pandemic.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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25 of 35 people found this review helpful

Once in a lifetime experience

Reviewed By Summer of La Dolce Vita - Nashville Tennessee | Traveled to Italy ~ Europe
Knowledgeable, helpful, organized, kind, beautiful to work with!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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36 of 57 people found this review helpful

Hawaii

Reviewed By - - Santa Fe | Traveled to Maui Island ~ Hawaii ~ USA
Very thorough. She was a tremendous help when airlines cancelled on of our return flights.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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27 of 40 people found this review helpful

Best trip we could have ever imagined!!!

Reviewed By Kim - Wellesley, MA | Traveled to Italy ~ Europe
Shani was wonderful to work with- she was extremely responsive to our emails and calls and she made amazing suggestions and worked hard to make every aspect of our trip incredible!! She worked within our budget and made thoughtful recommendations every step of the way. Her personal touches in each of our hotel rooms upon arrival (prosecco, treats, room upgrades and thoughtful notes) made us feel really special. Her recommendations and advice made this the most wonderful trip and we will recommend her to friends and use her again ourselves in a heartbeat!! Thank you Shani!!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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28 of 42 people found this review helpful

A dream come true honeymoon

Reviewed By Frankie - Addison IL | Traveled to Tahiti ~ French Polynesia ~ South Pacific
Shani was the most helpful agent I have ever worked with. Answered questions with quick and informative responses. Shani even went out of her way to make sure that we knew every single detail before traveling. Especially with Covid going on. There were moments where Shani was more concerned if we have everything all set than we were. I recommend Shani for every single vacation going forward.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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32 of 50 people found this review helpful

Our amazing Honeymoon

Reviewed By Frank and Concetta - Addison IL | Traveled to Riviera Maya ~ Quintana Roo ~ Mexico
Shani was the most patient with us during this pandemic trying to find the perfect and safest place for us. We switched up our locations numerous amount of times and not once was she annoyed or frustrated. She completely understood what we were dealing with. She gave us the absolute most information of everywhere we asked and gave us thorough details of each location. I would recommend Shani for every single vacation you need to go on seeing that she is so knowledgeable about each location.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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32 of 51 people found this review helpful

Shani made the experience perfect!

Reviewed By Stephanie - Phoenix, AZ | Traveled to Hawaii ~ USA
Shani made our experience AMAZING from start to finish! We were traveling for my birthday and she even arranged special treats in the room to celebrate. All of her recommendations were wonderful, and working with her helped push us out of our normal box of things we would do to try new experiences we didn't know existed. I don't want to take a trip without having Shani coordinate it again!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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22 of 32 people found this review helpful

Our Bora Boar Anniverser trip

Reviewed By Tom - Grand Junction, Colorado | Traveled to Bora Bora ~ French Polynesia ~ South Pacific
Shani helped us craft our 10 year anniversary return trip to Bora Bora. She is amazing, there for us at every step of the planning, helping us while minor issues arose at the resort (Four Seasons) and made the trip as wonderful as we could have hoped for
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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25 of 38 people found this review helpful

Great experience in Italy

Reviewed By Kathy D - Scottsdale, AZ | Traveled to Italy ~ Europe
Detail oriented. 2 weeks in Italy ran like clockwork. Loved her suggestion of hotels…each unique and pleasurable. She is also very timely responding to questions. We appreciated her thorough planning!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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22 of 33 people found this review helpful

Amazing Trip and Recommendations!

Reviewed By Travel Dad - Scottsdale AZ | Traveled to Europe
Shani did an amazing job in recommending an itinerary. She was very responsive to our needs as a family. She was wonderful all the way around and I recommend her highly.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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24 of 37 people found this review helpful

Beautiful nature in northern Italy

Reviewed By GS - Cave Creek, AZ | Traveled to Italy ~ Europe
Shani and I worked together to plan an amazing trip to Italy. She made planning much easier and time efficient. We had an itinerary everyday with all the information we needed both in hard copies and an app on our phone. Shani was responsive to returning phone calls, email and texts. She was even available for questions when we were on our trip in Italy. I would gladly use her services again and recommend her to friends.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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27 of 43 people found this review helpful

A Trip we will never forgeet

Reviewed By Concetta - Addison, IL | Traveled to Bora Bora ~ French Polynesia ~ South Pacific
Shani hit every point we wanted, romance, adventure and relaxation. And also with all the COVID measures, she was the most informative and made the process so easy and eliminated stress because we knew we could trust her.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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24 of 38 people found this review helpful

Amazing

Reviewed By Amazing Alaska - Scottsdale, AZ | Traveled to Alaska ~ USA
Shani was great. This was the first time I've used a travel agent and I'm definitely going to continue. Shani was wonderful at helping me narrow down the places I wanted to see. She was always ready to answer questions and her response time was quick.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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22 of 35 people found this review helpful

Amazing experience!

Reviewed By Susan - Hancock, MI | Traveled to Paris ~ France ~ Europe
Shani was very thorough and our travel plans matched what we asked her for.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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61 of 113 people found this review helpful

our Honeymoon, times TWO!

Reviewed By Mr. & Mrs. Pappas - Scottsdale, AZ | Traveled to Cabo San Lucas ~ Baja California Sur ~ Mexico
Shani did not miss one touch...we walked into our BEAUTIFUL hotel room, she worked with local hotel staff to assure that we had surprises in our room, great accommodations...we even found a beautiful photo from our wedding on the nightstand!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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64 of 119 people found this review helpful

She finds the deals and goes the extra mile!

Reviewed By Kami - Maple Valley, WA | Traveled to Caribbean Sea ~ At Sea ~ At Sea
Shani Laplume coordinated travel for many households seamlessly. In the months leading up to the big event, she was incredible about keeping us on track and for awhile, each email from her greeted us with a LOWER PRICE on our final ticket cost. Her eagle eyes saved us *so much* money to put toward fun excursions on our cruise. More than that, she blessed us with a surprise cruise credit and outfitted our document folder with certificates to use towards upgraded dining options. The extra touch of laminating our bag tags was noted by all and indicative of the extra mile Shani at Protravel will go for her clients. I can't wait until we head somewhere new so Shani can help make it an awesome experience.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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59 of 110 people found this review helpful

Hawai’i Vacation

Reviewed By RSalz - Louisville, Colorado | Traveled to Hawaii ~ USA
Engaging, informative, attention to details, follow up
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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7 of 11 people found this review helpful

Travel Around the World

Reviewed By The McKee Family - Scottsdale, Hawaii | Traveled to Italy ~ Europe
Shani’s enthusiasm for her career, love for traveling, experience, patience, and dedication lay the foundation for great trust between her and her clients.

We love working with Shani, she has done a fantastic job when planning trips around the world for our family!

Shani understands what we like, and she arranges the perfect activities for all of us to enjoy.

Shani’s determination to find one of a kind experiences makes our vacations very special. She makes great recommendations all five of us appreciate.

Shani keeps us organized and informed throughout our trips. Her problem-solution skills make our trip flawless when unforeseen issues such as poor weather or flight cancellations arise. Shani acts fast so we are able to enjoy our vacations and be worry free.

Shani is the best, we love working with her!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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57 of 112 people found this review helpful

A fantastic journey!

Reviewed By What a trip! - Wellesley, MA | Traveled to Thailand ~ East and Southeast Asia
Shani was spot on for each of our stays in Thailand. Hooked us up w great guides and venues. Shani was responsive to all our requests for information and clarification. Her brochure that she provided was our bible! It was all great. I’d recommend Shani to all!!! Thank you Shani.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Mother & Daughter Escape to Paradise!

Reviewed By Renee - Winnipeg, MB, Canada | Traveled to Honolulu, Oahu ~ Hawaii ~ USA
My mom and I had an excellent holiday in Hawaii and we are so happy with the service that Shani provided us. Prior to booking, Shani took the time to answer all of our questions and provided us with great information about the hotels, locations and activities. Upon our arrival, Shani followed up with us to ensure that everything went well with our trip and made sure that we knew that she was available to help if we needed her. She even called the hotel manager to see if they could accommodate one of our requests. I would recommend Shani to all of my friends and family. Our trip was perfect! Mahalo Shani!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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My Travel Experience

Places I’ve personally traveled to or destinations I’ve booked for my clients.