Some Dreams Don’t Expire: Sari Ancona Launches S. & Co. Travel Decades After First Imagining It
Quick answer
Sari Ancona is the New Jersey-based founder of S. & Co. Travel, a boutique luxury travel business focused on family vacations, honeymoons, romantic escapes and milestone celebrations. She first dreamed of owning a travel agency decades ago and studied hotel management. After setbacks in the hospitality industry and years in real estate, she built a location-independent travel business through the host agency Fora.
“Some dreams don’t have an expiration date,” says Sari Ancona.
Decades ago she pictured herself running a traditional brick-and-mortar travel agency. At the time she didn’t know how to start, so the idea stayed a plan. Today she is the founder of S. & Co. Travel, a boutique luxury travel business, and she sees the years in between as preparation rather than lost time.
Key takeaways
- Ancona’s interest in travel and hospitality led her to study hotel management to run two family-developed hotels.
- Two setbacks ended that path: the 2008 financial crisis halted one hotel project, and a fire destroyed the second property during construction.
- She spent years in real estate before realizing modern travel advising no longer needs a storefront.
- S. & Co. Travel focuses on three areas: luxury family vacations, romantic escapes and honeymoons, and milestone celebrations.
- She chose Fora as her host agency to build a sustainable, relationship-driven business.
How did Sari Ancona’s path to travel begin?
Ancona’s love of hospitality goes back decades. When her family began developing two hotels, she went back to school to study hotel management, planning to be the general manager of both properties.
Then the plan fell apart. The 2008 financial crisis ended one of the projects. A fire destroyed the second property while it was under construction, and local restrictions kept it from being rebuilt. The hotel-management path was over. Ancona moved into real estate, but her entrepreneurial streak and her love of hospitality never went away.
What made her decide the timing was finally right?
The breakthrough was noticing how much the travel industry had changed. A travel business no longer needs a storefront. Advisors can now build independent, location-flexible businesses that combine hospitality with entrepreneurship and the freedom to work from anywhere.
That reframed her history. She doesn’t see S. & Co. Travel as starting over. She sees it as the moment decades of aspirations, experience and lessons came together. “The dream never disappeared,” she says. “The possibilities simply became greater.”
What does luxury travel mean to S. & Co. Travel?
For Ancona, luxury isn’t only five-star hotels or exclusive destinations. It means understanding each traveler, anticipating their preferences, and making the whole experience feel effortless and meaningful. “Luxury is more than where you go,” she says. “It’s how you feel throughout the journey.”
S. & Co. Travel focuses on three kinds of trips:
- Luxury family vacations that work for every generation.
- Romantic escapes and honeymoons.
- Milestone celebrations such as anniversaries, birthdays and once-in-a-lifetime trips.
Her clients tend to be busy individuals, couples and families who want a trusted advisor to listen and handle the details.
What can career changers learn from her story?
Ancona’s story is a reminder that a delayed dream isn’t a dead one. Her hotel-management training, her years in real estate and her eye for service all show up in how she runs her business today. And by working through a host agency rather than opening a storefront, she built a business around the independence, flexibility and growth she wanted from the start.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Sari Ancona?
Sari Ancona is the New Jersey-based founder of S. & Co. Travel, a boutique luxury travel business. She has a background in hotel management and real estate.
What kinds of trips does S. & Co. Travel plan?
S. & Co. Travel specializes in luxury family vacations, romantic escapes and honeymoons, and milestone celebrations.
Is S. & Co. Travel part of a larger agency?
Yes. Ancona works with Fora as her host agency, which supports independent travel advisors.
How do I start planning a trip with Sari Ancona?
Visit her S. & Co. Travel advisor page on Fora to connect, whether you already have a destination in mind or are just starting to dream.
Plan your next journey
Connect with Sari Ancona at S. & Co. Travel to start planning a family vacation, honeymoon or milestone celebration.
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