Stephanie Malakie of Empress Travel Club Named Forbes Travel Guide’s Travel Professional of the Year
Empress Travel Club Founder Stephanie Malakie was named Travel Professional of the Year by Forbes Travel Guide, an honor awarded to a single advisor globally each year. Recognized for her personalized, experience-driven approach, Malakie leads the boutique agency in creating transformative, luxury travel experiences with insider access and high-touch service.
Monte Carlo, Monaco, April 09, 2026 --(PR.com)-- Empress Travel Club proudly announces that its Founder and CEO, Stephanie Malakie, has been named Travel Professional of the Year by Forbes Travel Guide, an honor awarded to a single advisor globally each year.
Presented at the 2026 Forbes Travel Guide Summit in Monaco, this prestigious recognition celebrates exceptional leadership, innovation and influence within the global luxury travel industry. Malakie was selected from an elite group of top advisors worldwide for her role in redefining the modern travel advisory model through Empress Travel Club’s highly personalized, concierge-style approach.
With more than two decades of experience in luxury hospitality and travel, Malakie founded Empress Travel Club to challenge traditional agency structures—introducing a membership-based model centered on deep client relationships, thoughtful customization and seamless execution. Today, the company serves a global clientele of discerning travelers, delivering bespoke journeys defined by insider access and meaningful, transformative experiences.
“I am incredibly honored to receive this recognition from Forbes Travel Guide,” said Malakie. “What makes this award especially meaningful is that it reflects values I deeply believe in—integrity, collaboration, innovation and heartfelt leadership. Travel has the power to transform us; it reconnects us to ourselves, to each other and to the world around us. At Empress Travel Club, we’ve always believed these journeys are not transactions, but catalysts—and this recognition is a reflection of that purpose and the relationships we’ve built along the way.”
The award was presented during the annual Forbes Travel Guide Summit, a premier gathering of luxury hospitality leaders from more than 60 countries, where top professionals are recognized for shaping the future of luxury travel.
Under Malakie’s leadership, Empress Travel Club has become known for its elevated, relationship-driven service model—offering clients exclusive access, highly tailored experiences and seamless, end-to-end travel management delivered with precision and care.
This recognition further solidifies Empress Travel Club’s position at the forefront of the luxury travel industry, as it continues to set a new standard for deeply personalized, experience-led travel.
About Empress Travel Club
Empress Travel Club is a boutique, membership-based luxury travel agency specializing in bespoke, experience-driven journeys for a global clientele. Founded by Stephanie Malakie, the company operates as a private travel concierge, offering insider access, exclusive privileges and highly personalized service. With a team spanning multiple time zones, Empress Travel Club provides seamless, around-the-clock support and curates transformative travel experiences tailored to each client’s unique vision.
For more information, visit www.empresstravelclub.com or follow Empress Travel Club on Instagram @empresstravelclub.
Presented at the 2026 Forbes Travel Guide Summit in Monaco, this prestigious recognition celebrates exceptional leadership, innovation and influence within the global luxury travel industry. Malakie was selected from an elite group of top advisors worldwide for her role in redefining the modern travel advisory model through Empress Travel Club’s highly personalized, concierge-style approach.
With more than two decades of experience in luxury hospitality and travel, Malakie founded Empress Travel Club to challenge traditional agency structures—introducing a membership-based model centered on deep client relationships, thoughtful customization and seamless execution. Today, the company serves a global clientele of discerning travelers, delivering bespoke journeys defined by insider access and meaningful, transformative experiences.
“I am incredibly honored to receive this recognition from Forbes Travel Guide,” said Malakie. “What makes this award especially meaningful is that it reflects values I deeply believe in—integrity, collaboration, innovation and heartfelt leadership. Travel has the power to transform us; it reconnects us to ourselves, to each other and to the world around us. At Empress Travel Club, we’ve always believed these journeys are not transactions, but catalysts—and this recognition is a reflection of that purpose and the relationships we’ve built along the way.”
The award was presented during the annual Forbes Travel Guide Summit, a premier gathering of luxury hospitality leaders from more than 60 countries, where top professionals are recognized for shaping the future of luxury travel.
Under Malakie’s leadership, Empress Travel Club has become known for its elevated, relationship-driven service model—offering clients exclusive access, highly tailored experiences and seamless, end-to-end travel management delivered with precision and care.
This recognition further solidifies Empress Travel Club’s position at the forefront of the luxury travel industry, as it continues to set a new standard for deeply personalized, experience-led travel.
About Empress Travel Club
Empress Travel Club is a boutique, membership-based luxury travel agency specializing in bespoke, experience-driven journeys for a global clientele. Founded by Stephanie Malakie, the company operates as a private travel concierge, offering insider access, exclusive privileges and highly personalized service. With a team spanning multiple time zones, Empress Travel Club provides seamless, around-the-clock support and curates transformative travel experiences tailored to each client’s unique vision.
For more information, visit www.empresstravelclub.com or follow Empress Travel Club on Instagram @empresstravelclub.
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Empress Travel Club
Stephanie Malakie
818-860-4480
www.empresstravelclub.com
Stephanie Malakie
818-860-4480
www.empresstravelclub.com
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