Why I started Vila Leuza…
Some of my favorite memories growing up were traveling the world with my family, especially with my travel advisor mom leading the way. We explored everywhere, from the sweeping plains of Tanzania to the sun-drenched islands of Greece to the dazzling lights of Hong Kong. By the time I turned 18, I had already stepped foot on five out of seven continents (don’t worry, Australia and Antarctica, I’m coming for you).
Those early adventures shaped everything about me. Staying in stunning luxury hotels, discovering hidden gems, and experiencing unforgettable moments that could only happen abroad completely changed who I was and who I would become. Travel opened my eyes, expanded my heart, and gave me a deep appreciation for the magic of seeing the world firsthand. It’s also where my passion for luxury travel experiences and bespoke trip planning first began.
Somewhere along the way, researching travel became my obsession. I wasn’t just traveling, I was studying. I became obsessed with learning about the best luxury hotels, the most unforgettable restaurants, and the most authentic experiences in every corner of the world. I wasn’t just looking for good, I was looking for the best of the best. I wanted to get to the bottom of what exactly was the cream of the crop in travel — and how I could experience it for myself (and now, how I can curate it for my beautiful clients).
Even though I never had the chance to meet my grandmother, Leuza Bernardes, I’ve always felt an incredibly strong connection to her. Her presence was something I felt constantly: warm, soothing, and surrounding me like a pink-golden light (as my mom describes it). She has been a guiding force in my life, inspiring me with love, strength, and a deep sense of purpose from beyond.
My connection to my Brazilian roots ran deep, thanks to my mom’s stories about growing up in both the hustle and bustle of São Paulo, full of endless energy, street vendors, and vibrant city life, and on sleepy fazendas where the loudest sound was pigs oinking in the fields (true story). Those stories anchored me. They gave me a sense of belonging to something bigger: a culture rich in warmth, resilience, and passion. My mother passed down so much of Brazil’s spirit to me, spirit she inherited from her mother, Leuza. That pride blossomed into a lifelong love for the world at large.
I wanted to see everything, starting with Brazil, and I'm proud to say I’m still chasing that dream today. Traveling is the greatest love of my life, and it’s something I pursue not just with passion, but with real skill and intention.
Planning bespoke travel experiences is my ultimate passion project. I live for discovering new destinations, researching the world’s finest luxury hotels, and crafting personalized, unforgettable journeys. I don’t believe in cookie-cutter itineraries. Every experience I create is tailor-made to my clients’ style, interests, and dreams. Whether it's a luxury honeymoon to the Maldives, a bespoke family safari in Africa, or a food-focused escape to Italy, my goal is to deliver travel that feels uniquely theirs — and beautifully bespoke.
I officially founded Vila Leuza in 2025 at age 21, right as I was about to graduate from the University of Miami. Honestly, I didn’t always know this was the path I was meant to take. But looking back, it’s clear it was in me all along. Travel planning has always been my superpower. I always joke that I’m a personalized travel advisor in my heart — give me any destination and I’ll tell you exactly where to stay, what to do, and when to go. I’ve spent my entire life immersed in researching luxury travel, five-star hotels, dream destinations, airlines, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
When it came time to figure out my next move, I kept coming back to the two women who shaped me most: my mom (obviously), and my grandmother, Leuza. My grandmother was absolutely iconic: brilliant, bold, magnetic, a true tour-de-force if you will. She built a thriving import/export business at a time when female entrepreneurship was rare, especially for a widowed woman raising four children in São Paulo. She traveled to New York, Milan, Paris, and Miami, curating the most exquisite pieces to bring home to Brazil.
She had such an extraordinary eye for fashion, beauty, and design that women would buy anything she recommended — even $80,000 fur coats she had picked out in Paris, sold to women in Brazil (a country that, mind you, doesn’t even really get cold). Her taste was impeccable, and people trusted her completely because they knew whatever she brought them would be nothing short of extraordinary.
In the same way my grandmother had a gift for fashion and design, I’ve always had an eye for travel. I’m wired the same way — drawn to the finest details, obsessed with finding what’s truly special, and passionate about curating unforgettable journeys around the world. However you slice it, my grandmother and I have always been deeply connected, even though we never got the chance to meet. We are absolutely cut from the same cloth. I hold her with me every single day.
Actually, now that I’m writing this, I realize that entrepreneurship runs even deeper in my blood. Although I named my brand after Leuza, my other grandmother, Marlene, was also an incredible entrepreneur — and honestly, a total creative genius.
In 1976, The New York Times even wrote an article about her store, The Calico Doll House — a magical little shop she dreamed up and opened in Hewlett, Long Island. They described it as a place where “a door opens and you are transported to a kind of Never-Never Land.” Inside, there were handmade dolls, antique toys, miniature furniture, vintage fabrics, and — get this — custom dollhouses that sold for up to $1,800. (Yes, you heard that right. In 1976. For a dollhouse.)
Marlene poured her entire heart into it. She personally designed every inch of the shop, right down to the salvaged wood counters she built from her own backyard fence. She filled the space with calico curtains, tiny handmade worlds, and one-of-a-kind treasures you couldn’t find anywhere else. It wasn’t just a store, it was a dream come to life. Like The New York Times said, it was “the fulfillment of a dream.”
And fittingly, she loved calico cats. She thought they were the best — colorful, independent, and full of personality — just like her. She even had a cat named Colors, who she absolutely adored.
Hearing stories like that growing up — about both of my grandmothers — made me realize that building something beautiful and personal wasn’t just possible, it was part of who I am. They both followed their passions with heart and style. They both created little worlds for people to step into and fall in love with.
And like Marlene said, Vila Leuza and its creation is “the fulfillment of a dream,” and I know that through it, the spirit of both of my grandmothers lives on. They both had such a passion for design, beauty, and curating the world exactly as they saw it — and that’s exactly what I’m doing now through bespoke travel planning.
Today, through Vila Leuza, I get to bring that passion to life: crafting luxury travel experiences that are thoughtful, stylish, highly personalized, and completely unforgettable. Every journey is curated with heart, soul, and an insider's eye, straight from the source. ;)
