Our history

Thirty-eight years, three generations and one belief: travel enriches the human experience.

It started with one advisor in Athens

Tiffany Hines and her mother, Ella Grondahl, founder of Global Escapes
Tiffany and Ella
Ella, founder of Global Escapes, raising a toast at dinner
Ella, our founder

Global Escapes began 38 years ago in Athens, Georgia, with our founder, Ella Grondahl, and a simple idea: travel is better when someone who truly knows you plans it.

Ella spent more than three decades planning trips for families across Athens, many of whom still travel with us today. She has since retired from taking new clients, but she’s still part of the family and still the first to ask where everyone is headed next.

Today her daughter, Tiffany Hines, leads Global Escapes as President & CEO. Athens is still home base, our Dunwoody office carries on the legacy of Travelfaire for metro Atlanta, and we now serve travelers in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and at Lake Keowee, South Carolina, with locations there coming soon. Every one of our advisors brings that same personal care to every trip.

A trip down memory lane

Trips, team days and the people who make it all happen.

Laughing through it all
Laughing through it all
Field trip day
Field trip day
The Dunwoody crew
The Dunwoody crew
Always learning
Always learning
Mykonos, Greece
Mykonos, Greece
A night to celebrate
A night to celebrate
Home team
Home team
Long lunches with Ella
Long lunches with Ella
Team day out
Team day out
Delta Flight Museum
Delta Flight Museum
The whole crew
The whole crew
Women’s chamber lunch
Women’s chamber lunch

What we believe

Travel enriches the human experience.

It’s why we do this work, and it shapes every trip we plan, whether it’s a long weekend or the journey of a lifetime.

What guides us

Four values we hire for, plan by and hold each other to.

Authentic

We tell you the truth about a place, a hotel or a trip, even when it isn’t the answer you hoped for.

Insatiably curious

We travel constantly and ask a lot of questions, of our partners, of each other and of you.

Optimistic

There’s almost always a way. When plans change, we focus on what’s next, not what went wrong.

Service over self

Your trip comes first. That’s been true for 38 years, and it’s the reason clients stay with us for decades.

What makes us different

We build relationships that ensure the experience matches the traveler.

A dedicated team that has your best interest at heart

Your advisor plans around what matters to you, with our whole team behind them, from the first idea to the welcome home.

Real offices, real people

Sit down with us in Athens or Dunwoody, meet by video from anywhere, or call and reach a person who knows your name.

38 years of relationships

Decades of friendships with hotels, cruise lines and guides around the world mean upgrades, perks and help when it matters.

Meet our advisors Read what travelers say

Tell us the dream. We'll bring it to life.

Share as much or as little as you like. A member of our team will reach out personally to start shaping your trip.

Rather talk it through? Call 706.549.1164

Offices in Athens and Dunwoody, Georgia. Coming soon to Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Lake Keowee, South Carolina. Lake Keowee Athens Dunwoody Tuscaloosa

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