For years, travel advisors have faced a choice: in-store or at home. Home offers flexibility – crucial for those with families – but it also has its own challenges.
Ashlea Blake, owner of boutique luxury and corporate agency Blake Travel (an Envoyage partner), is rethinking that divide with the opening of her first office on the Mornington Peninsula.
Blake specialises in luxury and boutique travel with bespoke itineraries for clients who love the finer things in life. She launched the agency in 2021 after senior roles at Flight Centre, and in a short time has built a thriving business recognised as a finalist at the 2024 Luxperience Awards and the 2025 NTIA.
“Lately more and more new clients have asked ‘where are you based’ and ‘can I come to you,’” Blake told Travel Weekly. “It felt time to create a space with the feeling of a home in mind, where clients can enjoy calm, uninterrupted appointments – just as we do when visiting their homes.”
Blake is clear, however, that this is not a store. Flexibility remains central for her and her advisors, many of whom are mums.
“I wanted to be transparent from the start: we operate by appointment only. My team need to be amazing mums first to be amazing consultants, and I’ll never take that time from them,” she said.
The new office supports that balance. “It gives our mums a beautiful alternative to working from home, without the pressure of being there every day or working 9-5. It also brings the team together – they’re proud to invite clients to this space.”
Blake has no plans to champion the return of traditional shops.
“I personally don’t think stores are making a comeback – I honestly couldn’t think of anything worse than sitting in a store all day. But human connection and interaction are. If done right, offices like this with flexible conditions offer huge opportunity. Most people in the industry are parents, yet many companies still force 9-5 and weekends. We’re excited to offer something completely different, not just for our clients but for our people.”
