Reveling in Riu: A Deep Dive into All-Inclusive Experiences with Hugo Aguilera

Today we talk with Hugo Aguilera, the Director of Sales and Marketing for Riu Hotels. We explore the unique history of Riu Hotels and how it has expanded from its humble beginnings in Majorca, Spain to offering unparalleled hospitality across nine countries.

Discover the diverse sub-brands of the Riu family—whether it's Riu Plaza located in the heart of global cities, or all-inclusive Riu Palace Hotels and Riu Hotels positioned on the world's most pristine beaches. Learn about the quintessential Riu resort experience—comprehensive, immersive, and tailor-made to provide comfort and local cultural immersion, be it in Mexico, Costa Rica, Dubai, or the Maldives.

We also discuss the burgeoning popularity of all-inclusive vacations in a post-pandemic world, and value and quality offered by Riu Resorts. Stay tuned as Jessica Deverson, our deals guru, decodes the current travel deals and underlines the role of travel advisors.

To top it off, we share our recent travel escapades—Mike’s UK adventure filled with golfing in Scotland and vegetarian haggis, and James’s tranquil retreat at Pebble Beach, California, which was followed by an unplanned 48-hour journey back home.

Get set for a journey across continents and hotel lobbies—don't forget to share your feedback and travel questions for future episodes on our website. Your adventure awaits!

Welcome to No Tourist Allowed

Announcer: Welcome to No Tourist Allowed, a podcast where two recognized travel industry executives with a combined 71 years on the inside of travel and technology give up their secrets to the thing everyone wants to do: travel better, pay less, and see more of the world. Here are your hosts, Mike Putman and James Ferrara.

Mike Putman: Hello everyone and welcome to No Tourist Allowed. I'm Mike Putman.

James Ferrara: And I'm James Ferrara. And it's Mike, I guess, who has 70 years and I have one year. Is that correct, Mike?

Mike Putman: Hey, it's great to be back and I think we do have to say to our audience, thank you for being patient with us. The podcast can be a real challenge for two guys who are traveling all the time.

James Ferrara: A little bit later, Mike, we'll talk about some of our personal travels. But we've had a challenge the last couple of weeks getting back on schedule. Now we've got a big full schedule through the rest of the summer.

James Ferrara: Thank you for coming back and being with us. Numbers are great. You guys are out there listening and responding. Remember to go to NoTouristAllowed.com and let us know what you think.

Mike Putman: Yeah, share your opinions and if you have any questions, feel free to post them there. James and I will try to answer those either on the air or off air, whichever the case may be. But today we have a very special guest that we've been trying to get scheduled for a while.

Introducing Guest Hugo Aguilera of RIU Hotels

James Ferrara: We have a very special guest this week, and he is the Director of Sales and Marketing for RIU Hotels & Resorts, Hugo Aguilera. Hugo, welcome.

Hugo Aguilera: Hello, James. Mike, thank you so much for having me today. I'm very excited that I finally made it to your podcast. I know that we tried for several weeks, but we have to travel the world and have experiences, right? I think we're in a very similar position.

James Ferrara: Our audience is very understanding. We're going to start off by getting to know you a little bit. Mike has his famous rapid-fire questions to get us inside your travel head.

Rapid-Fire Travel Questions

Mike Putman: Hugo, if you can just give me a one-word or short phrase answer to these. I've got about seven or eight real quick questions so our listeners will learn a little more about you and your travel habits. First rapid question: number of countries visited?

Hugo Aguilera: Thirty-five.

Mike Putman: He knows right off the top of his head. And these were not seeded, so he did not know these questions were coming up. Hugo, do you like aisle or window when flying?

Hugo Aguilera: If I'm traveling alone, aisle.

Mike Putman: And are you a person who is spontaneous when you travel, or do you have to plan things out?

Hugo Aguilera: Definitely I have to plan.

Mike Putman: Of all the 35 countries that you've been to, what is the favorite souvenir that you've brought back?

Hugo Aguilera: That's an interesting question because I usually don't buy souvenirs. I think any memento, anything special, like a piece of artwork. I like to try food and drink and all the local cuisine and culture.

Hugo Aguilera: I guess the most valuable thing that I can bring back is something from their gastronomy or a very iconic drink from the destination. Those would be the things that I could buy and bring back to my country.

James Ferrara: I'm with you on that, Hugo. I tend to bring back stuff that has to do with food. I'm looking right now across my office at a tagine pot, a ceramic pyramid-shaped pot from Morocco that I brought back on my last trip. It's all about the food and wine.

Hugo Aguilera: Me too. I can give you a funny story about this. I was traveling with a group of seven people in Japan and I missed one of the trains because I stayed in line to try one of those famous Japanese cheesecakes.

Hugo Aguilera: I don't regret it because I had my cheesecake. Those are the kind of things that I can do. I can miss a train just to try something from the destination.

James Ferrara: Oh Hugo, you're my soulmate. You're going to fit into this podcast very well.

Mike Putman: Last question, Hugo. When you travel, do you travel with books or a Kindle?

Hugo Aguilera: iPad. I can do it all in one thing.

James Ferrara: On one of my last flights a couple of weeks ago, I needed a new book. I finished a book, which I hate in the middle of a trip, because now I have to carry it around for the rest of the trip.

James Ferrara: I stopped in a bookstore and I saw a book that was fascinating to me, but it's 800 pages. Now I'm dragging it around, but it is the collective nonfiction of James Baldwin. People of my age in the sixties and seventies in New York remember him as an incredibly important cultural figure.

James Ferrara: He was a gay Black man of intense, fierce intelligence. His writing is just thrilling, courageous, controversial, and deeply insightful. I'm happy that I bought this book, but my shoulder hurts because my backpack is costing me.

The History and Expansion of RIU Hotels & Resorts

Mike Putman: We'll wait for a thorough book review on that, James, once you're done. But today's topic is really more about Hugo's company, the amazing RIU Hotels & Resorts. Hugo, tell us a little bit about how RIU got its beginnings.

Hugo Aguilera: Actually, this year we're celebrating 70 years since the company started. It was back in 1953 in Palma de Mallorca, in the Balearic Islands. The company had its first hotel there called the Riu San Francisco, which until today is up and running. It is one of our signature flagship hotels.

Hugo Aguilera: If we go fast forward to the nineties, that's when the company started with international expansion. The first hotel in America was in Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic. That was the first hotel outside of Europe.

Hugo Aguilera: Since then, we've continued to open more hotels in new exciting destinations. In America, as of today, we are present in nine different countries and 21 different destinations with 47 hotels. That's a big achievement in such a short time.

RIU’s Diverse Brand Portfolio and Global Locations

James Ferrara: That is awesome. For our listeners, because I don't know what the level of consciousness is with our audience about RIU, for me as a retailer in travel, we're very aware. My company is one of the largest sellers of RIU experiences.

James Ferrara: Positioning it for our listeners, understanding that it's a big brand with a lot of hotels, there's probably quite a range of experience. Is there a brand positioning to help them understand?

Hugo Aguilera: Sure. Worldwide we have over a hundred hotels and we carry different brands under the RIU umbrella. First, we have a city line of hotels called Riu Plaza. These are city hotels located in the best centric destinations.

Hugo Aguilera: For example, we just opened our second hotel in New York City. We are located right at the heart of Times Square. That was a huge success for us to position the company in the US. We are also expanding into Chicago, opening a new hotel in the next couple of years in downtown Chicago.

Hugo Aguilera: We also have hotels in San Francisco and Miami, and we are building one in Toronto. Also in Europe, we have a property right in the heart of Madrid. As a Spanish company, we are very proud to have that hotel. It's the most iconic building that exists in Madrid. We have other destinations like Dublin, London, and Berlin.

Hugo Aguilera: We also specialize in the all-inclusive portion. We started with the Riu Palace and the RIU brands. We are positioned in the best beach destinations we can find. In Mexico, we have Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Costa Mujeres.

Hugo Aguilera: We also have destinations like Cabo San Lucas on the Pacific Coast, Mazatlán, and Puerto Vallarta. In Central America, we offer Costa Rica. But we are not only in America; we have hotels in Africa with the recent opening in Senegal. It's a very cultural destination.

Hugo Aguilera: We have a hotel in Dubai that is all-inclusive, which is difficult to find. We also have hotels in exotic destinations like Zanzibar and the Maldives. We open two hotels there. We have a wide variety of choices for our customers.

Hugo Aguilera: It's a great diversity. You can pick if you want to go on vacations with your family or with your significant other. We also offer adults-only experiences. Basically, depending on the mood you are in, you can pick RIU and the experience you want to live.

The Value and Experience of All-Inclusive Vacations

Mike Putman: What would a consumer expect when traveling to one of the all-inclusive hotels that you offer? What's the experience like there?

Hugo Aguilera: The most important thing for us is to offer our customers a very easygoing, consistent experience. Once you step into the hotel, you're pretty much covered. We offer a very robust all-inclusive experience.

Hugo Aguilera: All your meals and drinks are included. Everything will be part of your all-inclusive except for the normal things that hotels usually charge for, like laundry and phone calls. If you're on vacation, I don't think you're going to need those.

Hugo Aguilera: Other than that, you're covered. You can get as many drinks and as much food as you want. You can dine once or twice or three times in the same day. It's an all-inclusive property 24 hours a day.

James Ferrara: Let's talk about all-inclusive vacations in general. During the pandemic, this became the favorite way to travel. We saw our business in all-inclusive resorts triple over the last couple of years.

James Ferrara: We've seen some very big brands move into the marketplace. It's surprising to see Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton now. IHG has a deal with Iberostar. These big brands are coming into a marketplace that companies like RIU developed over decades. What is it about all-inclusive that's so attractive?

Hugo Aguilera: In my opinion, after the past few years with the pandemic, people gave a really good value to an all-inclusive vacation. While before not everybody was into these kind of vacations, people discovered there's good value in having everything included.

Hugo Aguilera: In your resort, you can decide to stay there and enjoy all the facilities and services. You can also combine it perfectly with a destination experience. You can go out and check out the cultural things that each destination has to offer.

Hugo Aguilera: You can go out and dine outside the hotel because being in an all-inclusive doesn't mean you have to be restricted to the hotel. People saw a lot of value in not having to worry about signing checks in every single outlet at the resort.

Hugo Aguilera: If you're traveling with kids, that also removes the hassle of thinking if they want a hamburger or an extra soda. If you're a budget-conscious person, it's one less thing to worry about. That's what I think happened, and all of these brands are following our lead.

Connecting with Local Culture and Exotic Destinations

James Ferrara: During the pandemic, the cruise industry shut down. A lot of people who had not tried land-based all-inclusive vacations were forced there. But they liked what they experienced. Now we've seen this incredible boom.

James Ferrara: It has to do with budget. One of the biggest complaints we have about a cruise is you pay X dollars for the cruise and then you pay X dollars again because you've built up all these additional charges.

James Ferrara: With an all-inclusive resort, you know what your budget is and there are very few surprises. Especially now with economic uncertainty, people are attracted to that. But there's also convenience and security.

James Ferrara: You mentioned getting off the property to experience the culture so you have a sense of place. How does RIU help people do that? If I'm in Cancun or Cabo, what am I experiencing at RIU so that I know where I am?

Hugo Aguilera: That's a great question because we try to incorporate local factors and experiences into the hotel. For instance, if you go on an all-inclusive vacation to Jamaica, you're going to experience part of that culture in the hotel.

Hugo Aguilera: There's going to be some reggae music playing at the property and entertainment every single night. Of course, it's going to be catered toward our audience. There will be international shows, but also a portion of local traditions.

Hugo Aguilera: If we change destinations to Puerto Vallarta, there's going to be a more Mexican experience. You're going to hear the mariachi playing at some point. In the theater, there's going to be a Mexican night.

Hugo Aguilera: Mexican cuisine is going to be present throughout your dining experiences. We also make sure that we give you some of the local food from your home country because we understand people want to try new things, but they also want the food they are used to.

Mike Putman: You spoke earlier about the Maldives. Are those locations all-inclusive as well?

Hugo Aguilera: Yes, they are.

Mike Putman: That is one place I haven't been which is on my bucket list. Maybe I'll try a RIU when I go.

Hugo Aguilera: We have the over-the-water bungalow all-inclusive experience. Imagine if you're stuck on your island for three or four days; you don't have other restaurant options or malls where you can go out.

Hugo Aguilera: We need to provide that experience. All those drinks will be included. With us, you get your Wi-Fi, your coffee, all your sodas, and alcohol included. There's no surprises once you step into the resort.

Market Trends and Future RIU Developments

Mike Putman: With the travel economy right now, customers have been facing high airfares and expensive hotel rates. How do you see it? What's going on out there?

Hugo Aguilera: At the moment, it's looking good for us. There's nothing we have to worry about yet, though we always monitor the macroeconomic situation. As you said, airfares started to go very high.

Hugo Aguilera: We've always believed in giving a really good rate to the market. That's why we are successful, because we give you value for your money. Right now, we have to let customers know to book in advance.

Hugo Aguilera: We think that if we wait for a last-minute thing, we're going to find a better deal. Unfortunately, with the airlines, that is not happening. If you see a good rate, take it and plan your vacations ahead of time.

James Ferrara: We're seeing some softening in the airfares. They have been coming down a little bit, at least to certain places. The other thing we have going is people want to get away from this heat in the US.

James Ferrara: My gosh, we're boiling and frying like eggs here. We're hearing from customers to just get them somewhere where there's a breeze. People want to go away now in the summer as well as the winter.

Mike Putman: Hugo, what's on the horizon for RIU? You've gone through a tremendous expansion over the last twenty years. What do you see the next five to ten years looking like?

Hugo Aguilera: We are back on track with our renovations and new hotels. This year, we are building a hotel in Toronto for the Riu Plaza line. We're also finishing London for this year. Chicago is already under construction.

Hugo Aguilera: In Jamaica, we are opening a brand new hotel, the Riu Palace Aquarelle, which is going to be opening in May 2024. It's just around the corner. We're constantly renovating hotels.

Hugo Aguilera: As we speak, the Riu Caribe in Cancun is closed for renovations. There's going to be a huge renovation there, including the addition of our new Riu Party concept. It's an entertainment program already included for adults, with foam parties and live DJs.

Hugo Aguilera: We will also be renovating another hotel in Puerto Vallarta. With that hotel being renovated, we are including the Elite Club by RIU. This is a hotel room category where you receive upgraded experiences.

Hugo Aguilera: It includes premium drinks, access to certain restaurants, and a special dedicated check-in line. It's one of these enhanced programs for customers who are looking for something extra.

Mike Putman: I really appreciate all the time that you've given us today, Hugo. It's been really enlightening to me and I'm sure to James as well. I can tell our listeners that I've had the opportunity to experience a couple of RIU properties and they are first class.

Mike Putman: If you want a great experience where the accommodations, food, and entertainment quality are high—and at a price that might surprise you—RIU is a great brand. Thank you for having such a great product and for being on the podcast.

Hugo Aguilera: Thank you so much, Mike, for being loyal to RIU. James, it was great catching up with you and thank you for having me at your podcast.

Weekly Travel Deals with Jessica Davidson

James Ferrara: Mike, now we're coming to the part of the podcast that is much more popular than you and I, and that is our deals guru, Jessica Davidson. Jessica is a well-known and respected marketing expert in the travel industry.

James Ferrara: We have the pleasure of having her on every week to go through all the deals and offers. It's really hard as a traveler to do this on your own. How do you know what's good and what's real? Well, we've got Jessica to help us with that. Jessica, welcome back.

Jessica Davidson: Thank you very much for having me once again. There are so many deals in the marketplace. How can you know which provides the most value? That is my full-time job.

Jessica Davidson: I can't imagine having another full-time job and trying to figure this out in your spare time. That is where a travel advisor comes in. A trusted travel advisor will narrow down the marketplace for you and focus on your wants and needs.

Jessica Davidson: This week I have two resort offers and two cruise offers. We're at a good point in the year where there's inventory left for 2023, so you're going to get great last-minute deals. Also, 2024 and 2025 product is out, so there are lots of early bird discounts.

Jessica Davidson: First up, I have RIU. RIU last year launched their Elite Club and guests have been really impressed. They're expanding that Elite Club to additional resorts later this year. The experience includes preferred room locations, VIP status, and free access to their Splash World and Riu Party events.

Jessica Davidson: From now through August for travel this year, the three resorts that are going to expand with the Elite Club experience will be the Riu Palace Kukulkan in Cancun, the Riu Palace Macao in Punta Cana, and the Riu Palace Pacifico in Puerto Vallarta.

Mike Putman: Excellent. We just had Hugo on, and he gave our listeners a little bit of information about the new status level at those properties. Great to hear there are some special deals going that way as well.

Jessica Davidson: Next up is American Airlines Vacations. These offers are for Palace Resorts and Le Blanc Spa Resorts in Cancun and Los Cabos. Both are very luxurious experiences.

Jessica Davidson: At Le Blanc, you can earn 25,000 bonus miles when you book through American Airlines Vacations. Le Blanc is luxurious, adults-only, and all-inclusive. You'll be pampered by a personal butler.

Jessica Davidson: With Palace Resorts, you're going to get 10,000 bonus miles. These properties are located in beautiful beach areas like Jamaica, Cancun, Riviera Maya, and Cozumel. When you book with your travel advisor through American Airlines Vacations, you're earning thousands of bonus miles.

James Ferrara: We just did an event at Le Blanc Spa last year for our luxury travel advisor training. To your point, look for someone who has been trained in the way that you want to travel. We have an event coming up at Moon Palace in Cancun at the end of this year, too.

Jessica Davidson: Definitely. There's no better way to research than to talk to an agent who has been there.

Mike Putman: People still ask me if they worked with one of our travel advisors, would they have to pay more? People don't understand that you get the expertise of someone who has been trained and has insider knowledge for free. It's included in the pricing from the hotel or the cruise line.

James Ferrara: If you go directly to the cruise line or hotel, the commission is already built in. If you're not using a travel agent, the hotel or the cruise line just keeps it. You don't save money by not using someone to help you.

Jessica Davidson: It's a common misconception. Even if it's the same offer as you could get in the marketplace, you're still helping a small business.

James Ferrara: And now you've got an advocate. If something goes sideways, you're not on your own. It's a no-brainer.

Jessica Davidson: I have two more offers in the cruise space. If you're looking to set sail soon, Holland America Line has their Escape the Winter Blues sale. This is the best time to do it if you live somewhere cold.

Jessica Davidson: When you book warm weather cruises sailing this year, you'll get free prepaid gratuities, or "crew appreciation." You'll get 50% reduced deposits and up to 50% off shore excursions when you add the "Have It All" package. Whether you want to sightsee in Santiago or enjoy their beautiful Half Moon Cay, you can get paradise on sale.

Jessica Davidson: If you're planning for later, Princess Cruises has the "Score for 24" early booking sale. They're offering really low fares on 2024 and 2025 cruises. By booking early, you'll have access to the best staterooms and shore excursions.

Jessica Davidson: Seven-day cruise fares are going for as low as $399 per person, and third and fourth guests sail free on select voyages. Take the stress out of the planning and do it now. Plus, it's the Love Boat.

James Ferrara: $399 for a seven-night cruise is unheard of. Fantastic deal. Jessica, where are you going next?

Jessica Davidson: New York tomorrow. New York and the Hamptons.

James Ferrara: Sounds like a good trip. We'll see you there. Thanks so much, Jessica.

Mike’s Golfing Sabbatical in Scotland

Mike Putman: James, you and I have been on the road and we want to share some of our experiences with our listeners. What have you been doing for a couple of weeks?

Mike Putman: I have spent the last couple of weeks in the United Kingdom. I went over to London for a few days and then went up to Scotland and played golf for about 14 days. I got to play some of the greatest courses in the world and rented a car and drove all over Scotland.

Mike Putman: While you guys back here were sweltering in the ninety-plus degree heat, I was wearing sweaters every day. If you live in the South, think about going to Scotland in July. It's just a really nice break.

James Ferrara: I would love the sweaters, but someone else will have to drive. Did you see anything or stay anywhere interesting?

Mike Putman: Beyond playing golf and meeting interesting people, we went to Edinburgh and then east to North Berwick. A lot of the world's seafood actually comes from that region. There are some fantastic restaurants there.

Mike Putman: From there, we went to St. Andrews, then over to Gleneagles in the middle of the country, and then to the islands in the west. I drove through Loch Lomond with beautiful high mountain ranges and lakes. I also took a ferry with a car, which I had never done before.

Mike Putman: Interestingly, I stayed in an accommodation in Tarbert that ended up being a barge. Years ago, in these Hebridean Islands, they used barges to transport coal for electricity. Nowadays they aren't needed because of solar and wind power.

Mike Putman: I stayed on a converted barge that looked exactly like a barge from the outside. It was not very appealing when I drove up, but they had converted the inside into really nice rooms with ensuites and separate heating.

Mike Putman: I also had quite a few flavors of Scotland. I enjoyed haggis, and I actually had vegetarian haggis one night. It doesn't have a really strong taste to it, but it has a lot of spicing.

Mike Putman: A typical day would be a full Scottish breakfast: poached eggs, what they call bacon—which we would call country ham—sausages, mushrooms, and blood pudding, which I would abstain from. It was a very heavy, hearty breakfast.

Mike Putman: Then I'd go play golf. Over there you don't take carts, so you're walking about seven miles to play 18 holes in the wind. Then maybe a little sightseeing, a nice dinner, and call it a night. It was a great sabbatical where I was able to unwind.

James’s Air Travel Challenges and Industry Critique

James Ferrara: My travel experience was the opposite of that. I've been on the road for two weeks as well. I went to Pebble Beach in California, which is a legendary golf course. Unlike Mike, I was not playing.

James Ferrara: A couple of days after I was there, the women's PGA Championship was held there. It's a spectacular course along the rugged oceanfront coastline. Getting back from California to New York, which should take six or seven hours, took 48 hours.

James Ferrara: I was caught up in a meltdown of the East Coast airline system. Newark Airport was ground zero, and United was heavily affected. I was stuck in Houston for a night and then Chicago.

Mike Putman: I had a couple of friends who were stuck in Newark for three days trying to get to Scotland.

James Ferrara: Weather is the big bogeyman in the airline business and nobody controls it. However, the weather problems actually happened several days before this issue developed. What you've got is airlines blaming the weather when what is really going on is mismanagement and corporate greed.

James Ferrara: It is the result of understaffing and airlines not hiring enough people. I also saw very unhappy employees. Instead of five people manning a customer service desk, there were only two. Crews are being overworked and underslept.

James Ferrara: I'm upset because I can grab a five-star hotel and I have status to cut through the mess. But I saw people with children who were terrorized and left stranded. The line for the customer service desk in Houston ran the entire length of the concourse.

James Ferrara: I watched a man in a wheelchair move only five feet in that line over the course of an hour. They were abandoned by the airline. A week later, I had to wait over three hours on the phone just to report my lost bag.

James Ferrara: This is a total failure. We spend our careers trying to make sure people have wonderful travel experiences, and then we turn those people over to the airlines and they're treated like dirt. It undermines everything I do.

James Ferrara: We are adding 24/7 support—even though the airline should be there—so people are not left on their own. It particularly stings given where airfares are right now. The system is too fragile because the airlines are not doing their job.

Mike Putman: I can certainly understand your frustration. The US airlines are under-investing in their product and overcharging for fares. The US government has bailed them out three times now.

Mike Putman: I went to change my trip to the UK and the day before departure, the business class one-way fare was $11,000. They are taking advantage of people.

James Ferrara: When I was stuck in Houston, I found two coach seats left on an American Airlines flight to Newark. Those coach seats were $1,400 each because they were taking advantage of the situation.

Mike Putman: They also bribe people off planes with vouchers so they can sell those seats to someone willing to pay $1,400. That's a little bit of dirty play.

James Ferrara: When I got home at 4:00 AM and learned my bag was lost, there were 300 people in line. I found a supervisor and he told me to just go home and call a number because nobody was there to look for bags anyway.

James Ferrara: It was great advice. I made my own hotel reservation and sent the receipts to United. They are going to reimburse me because they know if they don't, I'll be screaming on social media.

London Recommendations: Boutique Hotels and Gastropubs

James Ferrara: I had to turn around the next day and go to London. I had an absolutely great experience there. In London, I discovered a small group of boutique hotels called Firmdale Hotels. They are boutiquey, very designy, and beautiful.

James Ferrara: I was there for the Fourth of July, which is interesting, but all is forgiven after all this time. We were in Marylebone on Marylebone High Street, which is a lovely part of town.

James Ferrara: We also went up to Camden Lock, which is a sprawling market. You get there through canal boats. You take a boat from the Maida Vale area and go through the old commercial canals. It's a little bit more off the beaten path.

James Ferrara: There is a hotel called The Dilly. It has a Michelin-starred Indian restaurant inside. London is one of the best places outside India to get Indian food. I highly recommend it. That travel experience kind of healed me a little bit.

Mike Putman: My favorite restaurant in all of London is called Anchor and Hope. It's a gastropub near Waterloo. I was able to go there and had a really nice Dover sole.

James Ferrara: You and I went there years ago and had their lamb shoulder. It was great.

Conclusion and Closing Remarks

Mike Putman: I'm glad to be back home, and glad to have another great episode in the can. I'd like to thank all of our listeners for being loyal and sharing No Tourist Allowed. Please send us feedback or travel questions at NoTouristAllowed.com.

James Ferrara: Thank you everyone. Remember, travel isn't always perfect, but it's always valuable. The ups and the downs are all part of it. If you do it right, these things will fill your soul. See you next time.

Announcer: Thank you for listening to another episode of No Tourist Allowed. This podcast is produced by Podcast Studio X.