Palladium Hotel Group Senior Business Development Manager Joanne Peters says she’s got the best job in the world, not least because she gets to visit her favourite island on a regular basis. The Travel Gossip Legend finalist fills us in on her travel journey, from stamping brochures to repping in Greece and beyond.
I started my career at Lunn Poly on a YTS, stamping brochures, before going overseas as a holiday rep. My travel career began more than 30 years ago and I can still recite my transfer speech from when I was a rep in Faliraki. There’s something about arriving at a resort airport that brings all those memories flooding back. Since then, I’ve been cabin crew for Virgin Atlantic, worked on cruise ships, at Gatwick and Heathrow before landing my dream job with the Palladium Hotel Group.
I’m lucky to work for a company with such exciting brands, including the iconic Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel, which has to be one of my favourite hotels in the world. While it attracts plenty of celebrities, I’m sworn to secrecy about who! I’m especially excited about the rebranding of the original Ushuaïa Tower this summer into The Unexpected Hotel Ibiza, with plans to expand the brand to Ras Al Khaimah in 2026/7.
Ibiza is truly my happy place. With nine Palladium hotels on the island, I’ve been there around 60 times, both for work and my own holidays. I never miss the opening parties in April, and my summer getaway is always in July. There’s something mystical about Ibiza; they say the island either accepts you or rejects you. If she accepts you, you’ll keep returning and form a deep connection. I still get a tear in my eye every time I leave.
People often misunderstand Ibiza, thinking it’s just for young partygoers, but it’s so much more than that. It’s welcoming to everyone. No-one cares what you wear, how old you are, or what size you are. It’s also fantastic for shopping – I’ve picked up Zara items for €20 that would cost £40 in the UK.
One of my favourite spots is Cala Gracioneta, just a 10-minute coastal walk from our adults-only TRS Ibiza. It’s a stunning, tiny bay with crystal-clear water and an incredible beach club restaurant built into the rocks. Keep your eyes peeled for celebrities there.
Fam trips are my absolute favourite part of the job. I truly believe you need to experience something to sell it. Last year, we ran 11 fams, and I love seeing agents’ faces light up when they arrive at our hotels. That ‘wow’ moment never gets old. It’s so important to give agents time to really get to know a property, so we always ensure plenty of downtime. We also host conferences, which means I’m away a lot – something that suits me perfectly.
My love for travel and beaches probably stems from my childhood. I was born on the Isle of Wight but spent my school years in Leicestershire. Every summer, I’d go back to the island for six weeks, running barefoot on the beach. It’s no surprise I feel the cold—I need it to be at least 30 degrees to feel truly warm! That might be because I spent so many years working overseas.
Back in the day, you were either a ‘Spanish rep’ or a ‘Greek rep’. In the mid-90s, Greece was still quite small in terms of tourism, with lots of B&Bs and little apartments, while Spain had larger three- to five-star hotels. I was based in Greece for many years, cycling up and down hills in 45-degree heat in a nylon uniform, juggling maps and a heavy bag. Meanwhile, the Spanish reps had cars and air-conditioned hotels – we always said they had it easier!
Being a rep teaches you resilience and how to handle anything life throws at you. We didn’t have mobile phones or the internet, so if a guest had an emergency, the apartment owner would bang on your door in the middle of the night. If you didn’t hit your sales targets, you didn’t get a day off. Airport days were long, followed by early morning welcome meetings, then bar crawls into the early hours. It was hard work, but it was the best time of my life, and I made lifelong friends.
When I’m not travelling, I’m based in Royal Victoria, just a three-minute walk from ExCel in London’s East End. It’s the perfect location, giving me easy access to London City, Stansted, Heathrow and Gatwick and the A13, M11, or M25. I love the view from my apartment, especially at night, looking across the Thames to Canary Wharf’s sparkling lights.
My friends know me for my ‘Dolly Dramas’ when I travel – whether it’s cancelled flights, broken-down cars, or delays. The nickname ‘Dolly’ came from my cabin crew days (‘Trolley Dolly’), and when I joined Palladium, I was christened ‘Hard Rock Joanne’ after spending months promoting Hard Rock Hotel Tenerife. My friends call me Jo, but at work, I’m Joanne – mainly because some Spanish colleagues pronounce ‘Jo’ as ‘Ho,’ and I’d rather avoid that!
This industry has given me so much, and to be recognised again for the Travel Gossip Legend award is a true privilege and I am incredibly honoured. When I found out I was shortlisted, I was truly overwhelmed – it’s such an amazing feeling to be recognised in an industry that I absolutely love. A lot of hard work goes on behind the scenes to plan training, host fam trips, keep agents updated on new hotel openings, and promote our agents’ loyalty programme, Palladium Pro. So to be in the running alongside some truly legendary people in travel is simply incredible.
Docklands or Ibiza? Ibiza
City or beach? Beach
Primark or Zara? Zara, always
Ouzo or Sangria? Sangria
Cats or dogs? Dogs
The Travel Celebration featuring the Travel Gossip Awards takes place on 25 March at The Peninsula London.
