I was at LAX with my 3 young kids, about to start our 2 week trip to Vietnam and realized I made a huge mistake with our visa (hot tip - every person with a passport has to have their own visas, including kids). I frantically called and spoke to Ray, who was so calm and honest and helpful - he definitely went above and beyond for a stranger. Later that evening, when I was more composed from the stress of rescheduling our entire trip, he patiently walked me through his services and passed along helpful advice. Ray definitely made this otherwise worrysome experience so much less awful and his kindness gives me optimism for the world, will definitely connect when I need travel services read more

Ray is amazing! He helped me with getting a visa and it was handled smoothly and efficiently. He is professional and helpful.

Called this morning to book a trip to China. I spoke with Ray and was very informative on what i needed to travel even though i did not book something yet, he took the time to explain travel in China. It is very hard to find good travel agents, i will definitely book my next trip with his agency Elite 5 read more

Got my 10 years China visa in 5days, best service with professional and knowledgeable advices for traveling China. I have been using this agency for over 10years. You will not go wrong with Elite 5 Star. read more

Elite 5 Star Travel - Got my 10 years China visa in 5days, best service with professional and knowledgeable advices for traveling China. - Travel Services Near Me - Alhambra, California

This business is terrible. Don't come and support this location. I've called this business in needing passport pictures and this business doesn't answer my calls/kicked it over to voicemail; that's not how you do business. PEOPLE...DON'T SUPPORT THIS CRAPY TYPE OF BUSINESS! read more

Judgmental and inexperienced. I called about complex Chinese visa situation, and the agent immediately criticized me for discarding my expired passport with expired Chinese Visa, as "unreasonable." Honestly, I don't see how it's unreasonable--plenty of people lose passports, and mine wasn't even current. His condescending judgement was uncalled for. When I called him out, he got defensive and said I should be grateful for his "free service" since he couldn't help me apply and get paid. I never asked for judgment or free services. If I wanted free info with attitude, I'd just use ChatGPT. I found another agency that's actually helping me apply with professionalism and respect. Avoid this place. read more

Our family just came back from our 6 days trip in Playa de Carmen. The resort that Ray recommended- Palmaia de Aia- the wellness was impeccable !!! Everything about that resort starting from the plant based vegan food, a la carte, not buffet style , daily actives, environment, core value was like a 100 percent match to my preference. I would not have found this resort without Ray. I would definitely have Ray arrange our future family trips :) read more

Elite 5 Star Travel - Travel Services Near Me - Alhambra, California

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Ray is the best travel agent, he's patient, honest, straightforward, willing to work harder to get us the best rate. Even when we need urgent quotes after hour he would still trying to accomodate us. Would really highly recommended Ray for all your travel needs. Thanks Ray! read more

the hubs and me - we thought we'd try out a travel agent for our next Italy vacation. we called these guys because of their great reviews. we were called back ASAP and the guy was so sweet and honest by telling us that we'd save more money and be better off doing it ourselves because of where we were traveling. this sort of honesty deserves 5 stars, don't ya think? i love good peoples. read more

Best customer service for travel to Asia, especially with visa application information and support for personal, business, or group trips. Ray is kind, professional, helpful, and attentive. Our go to place for travel agency. read more

Anthony and Ray are the travel MVP's. They've helped me book multiple domestic flights/hotel packages to Denver, Orlando, Vegas, San Diego, Houston, & etc. It's great to know they have your best interests in mind and would go over the top to help plan and map the whole trip while also making sure you get the very best deal. It's actually quite impressive how quick and efficient they work. Just give them the destination, budget, & activities and they got you covered. I plan to go Japan some time in the future when things blow over so y'all know where I'll be going for my travel needs. Overall, straight up genuine dudes that really prioritize clients first. Even if you've just met them, they'll chit-chat with you like they've been your homies since kindergarten lol. 5 stars for Elite 5 star travel. read more

Ray is the best! He gave me information I needed and was very straight forward. Friendly and great guy! I wouldn't use any other travel agency because ray is that good ! read more

Honest and straightforward, called about some flight tickets information, he explained the pricing of the flight clearly.

Ray and Anthony have been my travel agents for years now, and I always look forward to booking my annual vacation with them. They go to great lengths to get you the best deal....they really are the best in the game. I always pop into their office around February/March every year to book my trip and it's great always catching up with the fellas. Unfortunately, given the COVID-19 outbreak, and pretty much debilitating tourism and small businesses everywhere, Ray was still able to get me my full refund for the flight (I hadn't book a hotel yet). When all this blows over(whether containment, vaccine, etc), I will be back in 2021 to book my trip with them again. read more

How do I even start with this guy...Ray is phenomenal and helped me and my husband book a fantastic honeymoon in the Maldives and Singapore. We had an absolute BLAST and we are so so so grateful to Ray for everything he has done to ensure that we would have the best experience. All his recommendations were stellar and we truly enjoyed ourselves. He was always available for any questions and we really felt taken care of by him. After going through a lot of wedding planning stress, Ray made our honeymoon booking SO EASY and I am so glad we reached out to him! We will definitely be using Elite 5 Star for future trips. I highly recommend using their services. read more

If I can give 10 stars, I would totally rate Elite 5 with 10 stars. Anthony is the most responsible travel agent I have ever dealt with. He never tries to over sell anything and gives his genuine professional advice. I've been shopping for an Alaska cruise line for my family for a few months and had inquired through multiple companies and travel agencies. I choose to purchase through Anthony because he was so eager to help and so patiently going over all the cruise line options and explained the process since I had never been on an Alaska cruise. It is after 2-3 calls with him, I decided to purchase through Elite. Surprisingly, after I paid the deposit and received the itinerary, I realized that the package he got for us has additional perks that was not originally discussed (on board credit of $500 per room as well as other bonuses)!! He got us the maximum benefit of the credit. Unfortunately, 2 months after I placed the deposit, there was the COVID-19 outbreak and after 5 months my family made the choice of canceling the trip. Originally, Anthony had advised that the cruise line will not be able to offer any refund on the credit since deposits were non-refundable and our cruise date was not within the months that are eligible for refund. So under those circumstances, we were only able to receive future credits that expires in 1 year. However, with this virus situation, we're unsure when would we be able to travel again. With us not wanting to lose our deposit $, I had asked Anthony to help us contact the cruise line to attempt for refund. He was on hold with the cruise line for 5 hours for them to tell him to call back in a week. After 1 week, he spent another 4 hours trying to get through to them and thankfully his effort did not go to waste! He was able to get the cruise company to refund us the room deposits in 30 days!!! I am so grateful for everything he had done for us, especially that he actually did not make any money on this transaction and we had NEVER met before (1st working with Elite 5). All of our conversation were done over the phone. However, I am convinced that there there will be no other travel agents as responsible and professional as Anthony! Please go to Elite 5 for all you travel needs. read more

This is a long review, but I wanted to express my feelings about Anthony and Elite 5 Star, and what an excellent service they provide. He came through for us when things were going wrong and that proves he and Elite 5 Star are the best in the biz! So from the beginning we were planning a trip in March 2020. Anthony was very helpful and we narrowed it down to Belize. He helped us with everything! From airline tickets, Hotels, and even how to get a water taxi from the main land to the island(where our hotel was located). Amazing service and we were all set for our trip. Then Covid-19 hit. Our trip was approaching in a few days, but with travel advisories, flight cancellations, quarantine when landing, and more, we decided to cancel the trip we were looking forward too :(. Anthony completely understood and quickly called to cancel flight and hotel. Bad News... they only would give us credit, no refund. Even though the flight was cancelled and Belize was in a state of emergency. I know Anthony was on the phone for hours and tried emailing them to get the refund. He encouraged us to try whatever ways for us to get our money back. We called and even emailed, but they stood firm. Only offering us credit to book at the same hotel later when things settled down. Next we tried filling a dispute with Amex and provided them with evidence about State of emergency/Flight advisories/cancellation etc. Months go by and we hear back from American Express that we lost our dispute. Well that's great! Thought you were on our side, looks like we are out a few thousand dollars. Then we get contacted by Anthony, hey guess what, gotcha that REFUND!!! He has been working all along on the refund. Sending emails and trying to reason with them to give us our money back. In the end Anthony really pulled through for us and I can't recommend him and Elite 5 Star services enough! When things settle down and it's safe to travel definitely give him a call!!! read more

Bravo Ray, I am glad that you are my agent, you assisted me to purchase tickets for 3 different trips, not only highly efficient but also above and beyond. When the Coronavirus hit, and I had to cancel all the trips, you were already ahead of the game and found out the best way to get the most refund for me. Ray, I had been traveling over 30 years, you are on the top of the travel agent list! I wish that everyone sees the review and books their trip with Ray and Elite 5 star travel; you will have peace of mind, happy traveling! read more

Ray just helped us plan our family trip to Thailand and Taipei. This planning occurred for almost year as we were unsure of cities to visit, hotels, etc. With Ray's expertise our itinerary included several cities with enough time spent in each city to enjoy the sights. Ray's customer service is great and he answered all our questions. Highly recommend Ray for all your travel needs. read more

Only spoke briefly with Ray about getting my passport photo taken, and he was extremely polite, professional, and honest. He recommended a different location to get my passport photos done because their location specializes in destination planning. They do take photos, but the quality wouldn't really meet passport renewal qualifications. He recommended Nice One Hour Photo, another travel agency in the same plaza as the photo shop, or Costco for a cheaper alternative for passport quality photos in Monterey Park. He also recommended I fill out my passport renewal form and submit it myself to reduce extra fees, cut out the middle man, and save time! Just from the phone call alone, I knew I could trust him. If I ever have travel plans, I'm definitely coming here, no doubt!! read more

Ray is a great travel agent. He's very responsive and gives the best recommendations. We have booked many trips with Ray and always happy with our accommodations. I give Ray and Elite 5 stars. Best at what they do. read more

Anthony recently assisted my in-laws with their Eva air booking to HK for their upcoming trip in spring. The process was very easy communicating with Anthony through phone and text and sorting out travel accommodation and time in and out. Anthony was able to get the right assigned seating for comfortable long distance international travel for my in laws. Made us all at ease with the booking process and getting everything on time for us and for reasonable pricing for month long trip. Anthony is professional and tentative and detail oriented when it comes to adventuring and exploring the world and giving you best advices on hotels and travel itineraries. If you want to travel the world give Anthony and Elite 5 star a try the experience you get is way more than 5star! We will be using Anthony more often as a family overall can't highly recommend him and his team enough for all domestic and international travels! read more

I have been traveling since I was 26 by myself to Switzerland, then back to Europe 6 more times, including a bike touring, again by myself, in the Netherlands for a month, all booked online without any help. So, I've never thought I needed a travel agent until Asia trip came up. My family and I needed to travel to Taipei, Seoul and Jeju Island, and it was really confusing with all these different airlines and different stops and transfers. Then, I met Ray! Wow, he simplified the trip for me with just two major airlines, and saved me money along the way. Then, the coronavirus outbreak occurs, he reached out to me to ask me "if I was concerned". I said "a bit", and he went out of his way to refund everything when my fares and hotels were not refundable. I know he lost some commission in this, but he did what was right. My child is only 4 years old and he's in the high risk population to contract this virus. A person like Ray in today's business world is rare, but I am glad Ray is that person. Thank you, Ray! I am your loyal customer. By the way, I booked my first Europe trip with a travel agent, and his name is Ray. read more

I emailed to inquire about a trip my friends and I were planning to take in a few months. While I received a response the following day with several flight options, I had a few follow up questions. I replied thanking them for their timely response but also inquiring about cost and modifying one aspect of the flight. I never received a response for this second email. I went ahead and booked the trip myself. I wish they had responded because we were ready to book this trip that week, but perhaps they were too busy. We wanted to go through a travel agency for our annual trip since this would have been the first time we'd be visiting Asia, and we felt overwhelmed. Having seen the very high reviews of this agency, I thought they'd be more helpful. A business who ignores an email, I suppose, doesn't really need the business that much. I did appreciate the first response, and it set up expectations of continued involvement and timeliness. However, I was mistaken. read more

Ray is very friendly and knowledgeable. I highly recommend discussing your travel plans with him so he can provide recommendations for the trip. He was able to assist me book my trip (with many revisions and changes to the itinerary) without any issues and with a great attitude. I highly recommend Ray! read more

Ray and Anthony at Elite 5 Star Travel helped my husband and I tremendously when it came to planning our honeymoon. We initially decided to go to Hong Kong and Thailand for two weeks. Right when we were about to book our flights and hotel, they gave us a call to let us know that there had been a Zika Virus outbreak in Thailand and wanted to warn us (how awesome of them, right?). We then decided to change our honeymoon destination to Hong Kong and Bali. This was our first time traveling out of the country and they made us feel comfortable and more at ease with the thought of traveling outside of the U.S. They took care of us from beginning to end. They took care of all the bookings and confirmations and we were so thankful for that because we were so busy planning our wedding. Not only did they take care of just that, they also gave us a list of activities, tours, and places to see. The hotels that they recommended for us to stay at were awesome as well. We stayed at Dorsett in HK and it was perfect because we were in the middle of the city but also within walking distance of the touristy spots and shopping. They also recommended this hotel because they give you a phone that offers WiFi hotspot and it was awesome! We stayed at the Payogan Villa in Ubud, Bali. Anthony and Ray were not joking when they said this private villa is huge! We really enjoyed our stay at this resort because it was very relaxing, calm, and serene. Again, they helped us book all the tours on this leg of our honeymoon and everything went smoothly, with no hassles. When we came back from our honeymoon, they contacted us to make sure we got home safe and how our trip was. We told them that everything was amazing and thanked them for taking care of us from beginning to end. They did such a wonderful job that we recommended all of our friends to go there for their travel needs. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE AT ELITE 5 STAR TRAVEL FOR YOUR SERVICES!!! P.S. We also went back to them to book our upcoming trip to New York :) read more

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I found them on yelp before booking our Asia Trip. I first inquired with Elite Travel in July 2014. I was helped by Ray, and he's so nice.. He answered all my questions through email, and on the phone. I was ready to book after getting the quotes however, I had to cancel due to a death in my family and he was very understandable. 8 months down the road I decided to email Ray again with the same itinerary and he was able to get me better rates because of the month we were traveling. (end of March) We went to Beijing, HK, and Taiwan. Ray also helped us process our China Visa's. I think we got great prices through Elite Travel. I would use them again for international traveling. Ray has been extremely helpful and made the process very smooth, he was also very informative everytime I had questions. I had such a great experience with them that I would definitely recommend Ray! One thing I forgot to mention was that Ray is always accessible and he calls quite a few times and he also answers emails quickly. read more

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RAY MAK IS THE MAN. I read about elite 5 star on yelp & decided to call to plan my honeymoon. Ray answered the phone & I told him my fiancée & I were looking for an all inclusive package to the carribean, st lucia or bahamas, etc. We looked at a few spots and Ray suggested that if we were going to spend that much, we could go to somewhere even better, French Polynesia, for about the same $. Sensing an upsell, I was hesitant, but after some research and numerous additional phone conversations with Ray, his intent was simply to get us the best deal at the best place possible. Ray gave us countless options between the spots in st lucia we liked and then french poly (Tahiti, Mo'orea, and Bora Bora). I did TONS of research and price number crunching and every time I called Ray back, he had BETTER numbers than I could find. This guy is a number crunching NINJA between dates, flight times, hotel room rates and other details I wouldn't have thought of! We ended up booking an solid deal in Mo'orea for our 8 night 9 day honeymoon. Direct air france flight from LAX to Tahiti then a puddle jumper from PPT to Mo'orea. Then 8 nights in an overwater bungalow in pristine paradise. We were quite sure we wanted at least 6 nights at our destination. After so many different flight and date combos, Ray struck gold with a flight that was much cheaper than the 6 day stay we were going to do...allowing us to actually PAY LESS for 8 nights and flights than 6 nights with flights. Crazy. Insane. On top of all this, he had champagne waiting for us at our bungalow when we got to mo'orea AND scored us a complimentary beach front dinner with an unforgettable fire dance show. Call Ray. Look no further when booking an international trip. I know I don't have to. THANKS RAY! read more

Thanks to Elite 5 Star Travel for the arrangement and booking!! Overall an magnificent experience on this cruise ship. We loved their services,dining, and entertainment. The Norwegian staffs has great customer service skills, prompt, and did an excellent job on the ship. We loved their food selections from dining rooms, to the Garden Buffet. If this is your first time on this ship, please take advantage of the Go Kart racing, laser tag, evening entertainments, and daily shows. The inside cabin was what it was described online. Overall enough space for us, I didn't care about a window, since we were outside most of the time. Remember to do reservations online or on the touchscreen electronic boards in the ship. I would definitely recommend this cruise ship to anyone. Since it's new and the overall ship was very clean. Only thing I would like to mention is the disembarkation on the last day to Seattle was a long wait time. Unfortunately that is beyond Norwegian's control, since it was due to US Custom clearing off the ship. Bon Voyage!!! read more

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BACK FROM VIETNAM!!!! I'm soooo happy that I found Elite 5 Star Travel on yelp. They truly made life easy for us. I just gave them my budget, let them know what I wanted, and they planned and organized my entire trip. They were very honest and helpful in finding flights and packages for us. It was nice that they wouldn't recommend anything that was too pricey during the season and offered alternatives including ways to make my trip cheaper. Other sales agents always make me uncomfortable, making their buck and then turning a blind eye. But at Elite 5 Star, they really care about helping their customers. Arranging things with my crazy aunts were a handful to deal with, but Ray and Anthony nailed it!!! Oh yeah, I had no idea what a Visa or a landing Visa was since I've never been out of the country, needless to say, Elite 5 Star took care of that for us too :) If you're looking for a great place to manage your travel needs, book it with Elite 5 Star, you'll be glad you did. read more

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Elite 5 star Travel is located in Monterey Park on Atlantic in Shun Fat Market (up stairs) structure. Ray & Anthony went above & beyond to help us with our vacation. Keep in mind this is my first time leaving the country so I was nervous & had a ton of questions. They were very patient with me answered all my questions. Booking: Excellent - Most people book their vacation 6 months to a year in advance. We gave them less than 8wks notice to find us a tickets to Taiwan & Hong Kong & book a tour & hotel stay. They were able to find us tickets for a pretty good price & was able to get us a tour & find us hotels for a pretty good price (book your hotel stay with them cause they can get better rates & possible rebates as well). Communication: Excellent - they made sure to keep us updated on everything. Called to remind us a few days before our flight. Made sure our passports were good etc... They even called me a few days after I came back from my vacation to make sure everything went well. Who does that? These guys are amazing! Customer Service: Excellent - Ray & Anthony are Awesome! Talking to them is like talking to old friends. They were very professional but at the same time they were very personable & down to earth. They are on top of their game. Couldn't ask for more. Overall, I am glad I found Elite 5 star! I can go on & on about how great they are. Just call them up & rest assured that they will take good care of you for all your travel needs. read more

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Super satisfied customer! Anthony and Ray really took care of me being that it was my first time in Hawaii. Talk about VIP! Made it super easy and relaxing to travel! Thanks Elite 5 Star!!! Update 10/3/18 : I just returned from my third Hong Kong trip booked through Elite 5 Star Travel, and I must say... these guys keep getting better & better the more I use them! I can't thank you enough for always going above and beyond to take care of my family and I. Keep up the incredible service, can't wait to book my next getaway through you guys again! read more

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Called in just now to get a quote on how much it would be for getting a passport renewal. Anthony picked up the phone and helped me out. I wasn't sure if I needed to renew or apply for a new one since I only have the passport from when I was younger . He explained everything to me and was suuuuper nice on the phone. Helped so much over the phone the first thing I thought was to give them a badass yelp review . Speaking from experience, their customer service is LEGIT ! I hope to do business with them soon. If you're reading this Anthony, thanks for the help my dude ! read more

Elite 5 Star should be the only name that comes to mind when preparing to travel.. Ray and Anthony are AWESOME. Very knowledgeable guys when it comes to traveling. I approached them about taking a trip to Europe. I had been wanting to take my mom on a nice vacation and I couldn't have chosen a better place to start than Elite. I met Ray and Anthony and started asking a lot of questions. They had answers to all of my questions and gave me very useful advice. They booked my flight and accommodations in Europe, which made everything easy since we were going to a couple of countries, France and Italy. I know the outcome of my trip is not dependent on Elite, but it was definitely a plus because we had a great time. I will definitely be going to Elite 5 Star for all of my future travels. Not only did I receive great customer service, but now I consider Ray and Anthony good friends, as I spent a lot of time with them preparing for my trip read more

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This review is for Elite 5 stars which they really deserve to call Elite unlimited stars. I applied Chinese visa with their service and the service that I received was beyond excellent. Anthony and Ray are super friendly and knowledgeable. During this Covid time, my visa can't issue on time and I request to get back my passport. They helped me with every step to get back my passport and I am so happy with their excellent services. I will definitely use their services for any of my travels and visa application in the future. If you are looking for better than the best services, Anthony and Ray will be the ones you are looking for. Thanks so much Anthony and Ray. We will definitely come back for all travels and visas services to your travel agency. read more

These guys are beyond amazing, couldn't be any more accommodating. They will not only look for the cheapest price but the perfect flight for the best price. I've gone through these guys multiple times now and every time has been a great experience, I wouldn't book flights any other way! I couldn't recommend these guys more!!! read more

Just returned a trip I booked with Elite 5 star travel week ago , I must say their service and information provided to me deserves 10 star. There's so many travel agency out there, but Elite 5 star stands out because they are honest people who really want you to enjoy your trip. Ray provided me with more than 1 route to travel , trying to help me to travel smart . Made my decision so much easier ! I can't wait to book my next trip with them and I already referred my friends and family! read more

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Ray and Anthony are very helpful, resourceful and best of all, flexible. When I'm too lazy to search packages on my own, they are my to-go place. I highly recommend them for your travel plans. read more

Highly recommend Elite 5 Star Travel. My cousin recommended me to this place because he said they have great package deals and boy was he right. I just got back from my first international trip to Hong Kong and Thailand and I had the best time of my life all thanks to Anthony. Anthony was very helpful, knowledgeable and made travel easy. I gave Anthony my exact travel dates and destination, within a few days he got back to me with an amazing travel package. The hotels and activities Anthony chose for my trip were absolutely AMAZING from climbing up the Big Buddha in Hong Kong to kayaking through the caves and hidden lagoons in Phuket. He also called the hotels to check if I arrived there okay and after I got back from my trip to see if I arrived home safe which was very thoughtful of him. If you're planning to travel and looking for great pricing this is the place. read more

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Elite 5 Star really knows how to plan a vacation on a budget! Anthony helped my friend book and all-inclusive bachelorette party in Cabo, Mexico with excursion activities, and I had a blast! So I decided to reach out to him when planning my honeymoon. Anthony priced out different options for Tahiti, Bora Bora, New Zealand, and Fiji. I changed my mind a lot during the planning process and Anthony was so patient. We settled on a 10-day trip from Los Angeles, to Auckland and Queenstown in New Zealand, to Fiji, back to LA. He helped us do research on the finest lodging (which all greeted us warmly upon arrival), booked private transfers from and to the airports, and helped us confirm excursions including Hobbiton Tour, flight over and cruise through Milford Sound, and an island day trip. When one of my excursions got canceled due to bad weather, I just reached out to him via email and Anthony was able to get us our refund within the hour! I HIGHLY recommend using Elite 5 Star for vacation planning. I never felt pressured to choose certain accommodations or activities and all the recommendations made for a perfect getaway!! read more