Global travel firm goes local

Global travel firm goes local

The latest celebrity-themed vacation put together by Admiral Travel in Sarasota has a local feel.

The firm traditionally plans global escapes with the likes of Winston Churchill's granddaughter and the grandson of famed Italian shoe designer Salvatore Ferragamo. But its Hawaiian Holiday package, now available for booking, features college basketball personality Dick Vitale, who lives in Lakewood Ranch and tennis school mogul Nick Bollettieri, who lives in Bradenton.

The company, run by Malaka Hilton, has found a niche in the travel industry by sponsoring unique trips with a host of fashion, food and TV personalities. (See Review, June 13, 2008.)

For the five-day Hawaiian Holiday, guests will travel to the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea on July 28. For the next five days the guests will have a chance to mingle with Vitale, Bollettieri and a host of other sports TV stars, including Lou Holtz and Chris Berman.

Guests will also be able to play golf and tennis with the star hosts. Each ticket includes a $500 donation to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, founded by Vitale.