The Story Behind Velvet Hippo

A Passion for Travel, Made Personal

Velvet Hippo was founded by Tracey Geen and Jaide Garcia, a mother-and-daughter team with a shared love of travel, exceptional service and creating experiences that feel genuinely personal.

Tracey brings decades of experience in the travel industry, having worked with some of the UK’s leading travel companies before deciding the time was right to build something of her own. Over the years, she has developed an exceptional depth of knowledge across destinations, hotels, airlines, cruises and complex itineraries, together with the kind of trusted relationships and industry connections that only come with long experience.

Her passion for travel has always gone beyond simply making bookings. It is about understanding what people really want from a trip, knowing where the value lies, recognising the small details that can transform an experience, and using experience and relationships to make things happen smoothly.

Jaide brings a complementary perspective. A seasoned traveller herself, she has extensive first-hand experience of destinations around the world, alongside strong organisational skills, business experience and a meticulous eye for detail. She understands both the practical side of travel and the importance of how an experience feels from the client’s perspective.

Together, they created Velvet Hippo to offer something more personal, flexible and considered than a traditional travel service.

Velvet Hippo creates luxury holidays, tailor-made journeys and curated lifestyle experiences defined by discretion, elegance and exceptional access. From flights, hotels and cruises to theatre, entertainment, sporting events, private transfers and bespoke itineraries, every arrangement is approached with the same attention to detail and commitment to service.

The philosophy is simple: take the time to understand each client, use experience and trusted industry relationships to open up the right options, and make the entire process feel effortless from the first conversation to the journey home.