Where travel strategy meets experience design and event consulting.
Merit & Miles was founded on the belief that the best experiences aren’t mass-produced, they’re considered.
After more than a decade working across destination management, hospitality, and event design, I saw firsthand how often programs default to what’s easy, familiar, or expected.
Merit & Miles was built as an alternative to that.
A more intentional, design-forward approach, where each experience is shaped by the destination, the people, and the purpose behind it.
Meet Chelsea Kennelly
Founder, Experience Designer & Strategic Travel Advisor
For over a decade, I’ve led destination events, corporate retreats, and high-touch hospitality programs for Fortune 500 brands, global companies, and luxury-focused clients, working across leading DMCs, event agencies, and hotel partners.
Throughout that time, I was responsible for the concepting, programming, and execution of multi-million-dollar experiences around the world. But more importantly, I developed a clear point of view:
The most impactful experiences aren’t defined by scale.
They’re defined by intention, setting, and how they make people feel.
That perspective is what led me to create Merit & Miles.
I approach destination experiences as something more than logistics or planning. Each program is designed as a complete journey, where travel, environment, and experience design work together to support a specific outcome, whether that’s alignment, connection, celebration, or transformation.
I’m especially drawn to places with a strong sense of identity, boutique hotels, storied properties, and destinations that bring depth and character to the experience itself.
Whether designing a leadership retreat in the desert, an incentive program in the Caribbean, or a milestone gathering in wine country, my role is to translate goals into experiences, and to ensure every detail feels seamless, considered, and elevated from start to finish.
Industry Recognition:
Smart Women in Meetings Innovator Award, 2019
Our Approach
Travel is a powerful connector — for teams, leaders, families, and communities. We believe in designing experiences that feel elevated yet effortless, purposeful yet relaxed, strategic yet human.
We also believe the setting shapes the experience.
That’s why we prioritize properties and destinations with a strong sense of identity, whether it’s a restored historic estate, a design-led boutique hotel, or a place with cultural depth and character.
We look beyond availability and rates.
We consider flow, atmosphere, service style, and how every detail contributes to how the experience feels.
Every program is intentionally limited in scale so we can maintain a high level of detail, personalization, and care.
Our work blends:
• design-forward thinking
• luxury hospitality standards
• experience strategy + programming
• destination knowledge
• operational excellence
Because the best journeys don’t just take you somewhere — they transform how you feel together.
What Makes Merit & Miles Different
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Strategy First
Every experience begins with a clear intention, whether that’s alignment, celebration, or connection.
The destination, property, and program are selected to support that outcome, not the other way around.
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Hospitality-Driven
Rooted in luxury service principles, every detail is considered through the lens of how it feels to the guest.
From arrival to departure, the experience is designed to be seamless, personal, and memorable in ways that aren’t always visible, but always felt.
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Design Meets Logistics
Travel advisory, experience design, and operational execution live under one roof.
This ensures the vision carries through every stage, from initial concept to final moment, without dilution.
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Curated Global Network
Trusted partnerships with luxury hotels, storied properties, and vendors around the world.
Not just access, but alignment with teams who understand the level of detail and care each program requires.
Why Clients Choose Us
Because they don’t want a standard offsite or vacation.
They want:
A point of view, not a package
A setting that elevates the experience
A partner who understands both creative vision and operational execution
A destination experience that feels seamless, considered, and worth the investment
We design for impact, but we deliver with precision.
Ready to design your next destination experience?
Let’s create something extraordinary.
