In this series, we shift the spotlight from client coverage to the PR pros behind the scenes, discovering the destinations they’re traveling to and what they’re bringing with them. This week, we spoke with Jennifer Hawkins, Managing Partner at FINN Partners, and Wai Lin Yip, Director of Digital & Brand Marketing at The Peninsula New York, to discover where they’ve been of late, the next locales they’re headed to and the items they don't leave home without.
After a year of hopping between time zones—visits to Italy to see clients, to London to see our daughter studying abroad, a Med cruise with the family, and lots of US hops for new hotel openings and more—I’ve learned that clever, thoughtful packing is everything. My upcoming multi-location trip will include Southern California beaches, Colorado mountains and arid deserts in New Mexico, so I have to be really strategic when packing (carry on!) and determining what makes the cut:
A Black Oversized Cashmere Wrap Sweater – My go-to for the plane. It’s cozy in-flight and doubles as an elegant wrap for evening weather dips.
Scarf – A nice oversized, easy to roll/non-wrinkle scarf for the plane and to spark up an outfit if need be.
Bathing Suit + Cute Sandals – Because you just never know when you’ll stumble on the perfect pool, spa, or beach moment.
Athleisure Wear –I always pack a sleek, lightweight pair of leggings that take up almost no space for the hotel gym (just in case!). Also a versatile athleisure wear pair of black pants (loose not tight) that are easy to pack and can do double duty on a flight or in a meeting.
Bose Noise-Canceling Headphones – For zoning out on long-haul flights, listening to my fav podcasts and music, or just creating my own quiet bubble.
Packable Hat – My latest go-to is a foldable wicker bucket hat. Couple that with my Supergoop and I’m SPF set.
NodPod Sleep Mask – My secret weapon for adjusting to any time zone.
Travel-Size Designer Lotions & Potions – Little luxuries that make me feel refreshed on the plane. My spa clients are always very generous with their samples and they come in handy for my trips. My fav right now is the ILIA Lip Wrap Overnight Mask.
Packing Cubes – To keep outfits and accessories organized, especially when packing for multiple climates.
Carry-On Tote That Slides Over My Suitcase Handle – My current favorite is from Lo & Sons (though I wish it had an exterior water bottle pocket!). It has a bottom zipper pocket for shoes, which saves space in my main luggage.
Medjet Assist – This is a new must have for me, my team and my family – it is a global air medical transport and travel security membership. Medjet will arrange medical transportation to a home-country hospital of your choice. I’ve heard of too many people getting injured or sick and not able to get back to their hometown hospital in a timely way.
A Fresh Notebook – I always jot down thoughts, ideas and inspirations while traveling—there’s something about being in a new place that sparks fresh perspectives.
For me, packing is about creating a portable version of comfort & maintaining a bit of style.
As part of the hotel industry, I love to travel and usually prefer to plan my trips in advance and around my child's school schedule. Some of our past family vacations include Rome, Barcelona, London, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Malta, Prague, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Toronto, and my native Hong Kong. It's fun for my son to meet our friends in different cities around the world and visit family in various locales.
We love domestic travel in the US for long weekends, i.e. Orlando, SF, Boston, and DC, and we enjoy going on cruises with the whole extended family (Cunard and Disney). We're looking forward to trips to Berlin and home for the holidays in Vancouver and LA. I'm currently researching destinations in the USVI, Hawaii, Croatia, Mexico City and St. Lucia for 2026.
Some of my travel essentials include:
My favorite thing to bring is my Tumi carry-on suitcases and duffle bags with packing cubes, and foldable Longchamp bags. My must-have is a Lululemon reusable water bottle as I try not to use plastic bottles. I prefer to stay at hotels which focus on sustainability and provide glass water bottles in rooms, like the Peninsula Hotels.
Making sure I have my Global Entry noted on my flights has been key when traveling with a young child as it's difficult to be in huge lines after a long direct international flight. I signed him up for Global Entry when he was a month old so we could fly through customs and the infant photo on his passport was the cutest thing.
I'm not well versed in universal chargers, cables and battery packs, and don't know why I need so many cables, but I know they are critical to navigating around town and am grateful my husband always sets up a pack for me.
My husband and I drink a lot of lattes and make sure we have a list of coffee shops to visit during our travels; we normally visit 2-3 a day. I always bring my Stojo's Coffee on-the-go coffee cup so I don't have to use so many disposable cups – it's lightweight and collapsible.
Supergoop because you can never have enough sunblock. A Dodgers cap and Veja shoes for walking. I often wear stilettos for work so it's nice to have comfortable shoes on and be able to walk all day. I also like to pack an Athleta bathing suit and Havaianas for the pool.
For the plane, I like to tuck a Kindle into my backpack and physical books in my carry-on. I ran a book club for UC Berkeley-UCLA Alumni for many years and love to read and still buy lots of guidebooks (we have a small collection of Monocle Travel Guides) as nothing beats the maps and detailed info in a physical guidebook. Not every hotel has Chromecast, so it's nice to have a Kindle on hand.
I have multiple pairs of Warby Parker reading glasses and sunglasses, so I always have a pair in my purse, at work and at home. On the plane, I also pack a scarf, compression socks, noise cancelling headphones and an eye mask. For comfy plane rides, Athleta and Lululemon always do the trick.
I'm also in charge of packing for my son, so toys, books, Bose headphones and devices for him on the plane. He still loves a blankie with a few of his favorite stuffies and lots of snacks. Legos are awful to find when he drops them on the plane, but we always bring a stash and end up buying more while traveling. You can never have enough Legos, right?
