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Mercedes Basutto
Dubai, UAE  ⇄  Roma, Italia

Mercedes
Basutto

20 years + work experience with the highest standards in Hospitality, Restaurant Auditing, Customer Service. A career in Aviation Industry in Emirates Airlines with 5 yrs in the leadership position.
Business Management of a self-employed franchise at Travel Counsellors LLC Dubai: using the most advanced hybrid reservation booking system with 24/7 support team for luxury travel.

20+
Years Experience
17
Years Emirates
4
Languages
24/7
Client Support
Emirates Airlines
Emirates Airlines
Cabin Crew | Leadership
Dubai
Dubai
United Arab Emirates
Travel Counsellors
Travel Counsellors
Bespoke Luxury Travel
World Destinations
Destinations
Global presence

Career Timeline

A life in motion

From Santa Fe, Argentina to the skies above six continents — every chapter a new school of excellence.

Global Journey

Across Continents

From Esperanza to Dubai — every city a new chapter.

Professional

Curriculum Vitae

Experience

Business Owner | Senior Travel Counsellor
Travel Counsellors LLC · Dubai, UAE
Oct 2020 — Present

Part of a global team delivering bespoke travel consultancy and business travel solutions. Crafting end-to-end personalised journeys integrating flights, hotels, experiences, transfers, events and local activities.

  • Consultancy for business travel, holidays, sports and music events
  • Strategic planning of itineraries and destinations
  • Coordination with international suppliers and local partners
  • Management of complex bookings and tailor-made journeys
  • 24/7 client support
  • Recognised for quickly resolving logistical and operational challenges
Service Delivery | Cabin Crew Career & Leadership
Emirates Airlines · Dubai, UAE
2009 — 2020 · 11 years

Operational and supervisory role on board with a strong focus on customer service and team management. Progressed from Economy through Business and First Class to Crew Supervisor.

  • Passenger service management across all cabin classes
  • Resolution of requests, complaints and complex situations
  • Coordination of multicultural crews (145+ nationalities)
  • Training and coaching of new team members
  • Safety management and emergency procedures
  • 2× MVP — Inter-Airline Volleyball Tournament
Mystery Shopper — Hospitality Audit
Magnify · Dubai, UAE
Nov 2020 — Nov 2023

Supporting clients in evaluating their guest experience through comprehensive service and customer experience audits. All parameters and guidelines provided by Magnify followed with precision.

  • Detailed service evaluation checklist with time-stamp methodology
  • Customer experience analysis and feedback reporting
  • Gastronomy assessment: plate presentation and service standards
  • Front-of-house staff skills evaluation
  • Atmosphere and overall environment auditing
  • Measuring: Authenticity · Consistency · Engagement · Excellence
Piano Teacher & Classical Pianist
Private Studio · Dubai, UAE
2020 — Present

Individual piano lessons for students of all ages and levels. Preparation for international certification exams: Trinity College London (Performance) and ABRSM.

Guest Relations
Decolar.com (Online Travel Retail) · São Paulo, Brasil
Jun 2010 — Jan 2011

Client relationship management and post-sales support for travel bookings and tourism services.

Client Relations Specialist — Remote
Teleperformance · Buenos Aires, Argentina
Apr 2007 — Jun 2008

Customer service, client retention and product upselling. Telephone communication and complaint resolution.

Business

Services & Projects

A multidisciplinary portfolio built on two decades of operational excellence across travel, aviation and hospitality.

Business Development

Strategic travel consultancy for individuals and organisations — from corporate itineraries to VIP investment trips and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

  • Corporate and business travel management
  • Investment discovery trips, GCC and beyond
  • Bespoke luxury journey design
  • Sports and music events worldwide
  • 24/7 concierge support
Hospitality Auditing

Certified Magnify assessor helping UAE's leading hospitality brands measure and elevate their guest experience through rigorous mystery shopping.

  • Full guest experience audits
  • Service standards evaluation
  • Staff performance assessment
  • Atmosphere and ambience review
  • F&B and gastronomy consulting
Personal Projects

Independent ventures that reflect a passion for culture, connection and excellence — from piano studios to community building across continents.

  • Travel Counsellors franchise, UAE
  • Classical piano teaching studio
  • Latin community building, Italy and UAE
  • Language and cultural mediation

Personal Journey

Beyond the résumé

The passions and experiences that shaped the professional.

A World Explorer

From au pair adventures in Iceland and the UK to eleven years flying the world's skies with Emirates — travel is not just Mercedes' profession, it is who she is.

As a Travel Counsellors franchise owner in Dubai, she designs journeys as singular as the people who take them, weaving every component into one seamless whole.

Global FootprintLived and worked across Argentina, UK, Iceland, Brazil, Dubai
17 Years with EmiratesFlying to destinations across six continents
Travel Counsellors UAEBespoke journeys from A to Z, 24/7 support

Classical Pianist

Music has been part of Mercedes' life since the age of six. Trained at the Amalia Pérez Conservatory in Santa Fe, Argentina, she went on to teach piano in Dubai for over a decade.

She prepares students for international certifications — Trinity College London (Performance) and ABRSM — bringing the same rigour and warmth to the piano bench that she brings to everything.

Conservatory TrainedClassical piano since age 6 — Amalia Pérez Conservatory, Santa Fe
Trinity College London & ABRSMInternational exam preparation
Piano lesson Dubai
Mercedes at piano

Through the Lens

A life of movement gives you an eye for beauty in the unexpected. Photography has been a quiet companion to every journey — capturing the textures, light, and humanity that no itinerary can fully plan for.

From the grandeur of Kerala's tea plantations to the timeless stones of Rome, Mercedes' photographic sensibility reflects the same attention to detail she brings to every experience she designs.

Travel PhotographyDestinations across six continents — Kerala, Rome, Indian Ocean
Kerala tea plantation

Athlete & Team Player

Sport has always mirrored the values Mercedes brings to her work: teamwork, resilience, and the joy of a well-earned victory. Volleyball has been a constant throughout her life.

During her eleven years at Emirates, she was twice named MVP at the Inter-Airline Volleyball Tournament — a recognition that speaks to natural leadership both on and off the court.

2× MVPInter-Airline Volleyball Tournament — Emirates Airlines
Team CultureUniversity of Pennsylvania — Power of Team Culture (2019)
Beach volleyball championship

As seen in

The National Press Feature
"Former Emirates high-flier pursues her passion to land new role as a piano teacher"
June 2021  ·  Read the full story →
The National feature

Client Testimonials

What clients say

A beautiful journey from beginning to end. Thank you Mercedes for every single detail.

Sri Lanka

Excellent management and exclusive offers. Mercedes Travel makes a real difference in personal attention.

Ras Al Khaimah · Ritz-Carlton

Impeccable organisation for a family trip. Mercedes perfectly understands what we are looking for.

Spain

Get in Touch

Let’s connect

Whether you are planning the journey of a lifetime, looking for a hospitality audit partner, or simply want to connect — Mercedes is always glad to hear from you.

"A satisfied client is the best business strategy of all."
— Mercedes Basutto
Travel Counsellors UAE  ·  Magnify Assessor  ·  Emirates Alumni
Dubai, United Arab Emirates