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TRAVELER BE VERY AWARE

TRAVELER BE VERY AWARE! My family and I planned a very extensive trip to Italy. We were recommended to KKTW by a "friend". The trip was 10 days long with several excursions and tours being planned, as well as hotels, transfers etc. While the planning process was helpful unless you want to be ripped off beyond belief, I would not advise using them. At the start of planning, all excursions were presented to us with a price quote for us to approve. The company names or vendors were never disclosed. (Probably so you couldn't do your own research as to how much these tours were). While on the vacation, we inquired with many of the tour guides and vendors for the exact pricing of what we were doing (since it had seemed what we paid for very high for what we actually got). We came to find out that we were being charged THREE TO FOUR TIMES the amount of what the tour actually was. Not for one tour, for almost all of them. Highly disappointed and will never refer them to anyone we know!

Date of experience : March 10, 2024

Don't waste your money with this…

Don't waste your money with this company. It's a money grab that will bait in aspiring artists, but it doesn't actually offer any valuable courses. Not only that. They will charge your bank card over $100, and not allow you a refund. Even if you cancel your subscription, they will charge you and ignore your attempts to have your money returned. Be careful not to get scammed like I did. It's a gamble not worth taking.

Date of experience : December 22, 2023

Travel Agents need to make it known…

Travel Agents need to make it known that Virtuoso is an intermediary group used to book flights. This makes it impossible for clients to deal directly with the airlines, which is criminal. We are in a situation where we are waiting on a refund from British Airways for cancelled pandemic travel and are at the mercy of Virtuoso to get our money back. Months have passed with no resolution and I see no advocacy being done by this very un-Virtuous company. Our hands are tied.

Date of experience : February 23, 2022

Unprofessional and Unresponsive

I contacted Virtuoso for help planning my upcoming honeymoon to Australia. Sounded like it would be a good fit; Cassandra Bookholder, was an Aussie native and I was super excited to plan this with her help and expertise. Except she ghosted me. Never heard another word. We didn’t have any personal conflicts or disagreements on anything so it came as a surprise to me. I concluded that she was just incredibly unprofessional and dare I say lazy?. Go somewhere that employs people that care to respond.

Date of experience : August 11, 2022

The Virtuoso Life Team's Dream Trips

The Virtuoso Life Team's Dream Trips - maybe for you all as part time agents - but for the guy spending 100k it’s a full on lazy rip off - stay away from the Polynesia team - email me for names

Date of experience : June 30, 2021

I was severely underwhelmed

I was severely underwhelmed. All the advisor seemed to want was her $500 fee. She was supposed to be an expert for this particular vacation but she gave me wrong information multiple times, not maliciously, more over confident and under-educated about the country. If I hadn't done my homework beforehand I would have been talked into an over-priced, underserved experience.

Date of experience : June 01, 2023

Out of respect for all parties…

Out of respect for all parties involved, I can’t go into details about my experience, but it was awful. I would never Booking.com with virtuoso again.

Date of experience : March 24, 2021

Failure of Virtuoso affiliated agent

Virtuoso affiliated agent failed to notify of flight update. He was appropriately notified by Virtuoso of the update. I found Virtuoso Air very helpful in documentation of his failure. Awaiting a partial refund from Air Canada but not holding my breath.

Date of experience : June 02, 2023

Love Virtuoso for Solo Travel

I found Virtuoso when I waited until the last minute to book a trip to London for some theater tickets we had bought to see Benedict Cumberbatch in Hamlet. We were leaving in less than a month and had two weeks to spend with no plans at all. I searched for a travel agency and found Virtuoso which basically caters to clients looking for 5-star service, private tours, and fancy hotels. So I was synced with an agent who specialized in London and Paris and she planned everything out for us to include trips to Bath, Stonehenge, Paris and private drivers and tours. We had a great time. I have since found an agent who I book ALL of my travel through now when I booked a later solo trip to Bali for two weeks. She has since booked trips to Japan, Hawaii, all over California, and a three-week European Christmas market vacation through Germany, Budapest, Prague, Amsterdam, and Vienna. I'm a fan - this is a good company with agents who can really elevate your travel. It's more pricey - but absolutely worth it to have someone who will be there 24/7 if you have an issue to rebook your flights, find you another hotel, or change your plans around if something needs to change last minute. These are experts on locations who make suggestions for things to see and do you may not know about. Usually the itinerary will include an app with suggestions and information about what to see, where to go, where to stay and what to eat while in each city. I love it! I'm a fan for life. My agent is awesome and she is able to get me deals and perks I wouldn't get without her, like free breakfasts and spa credits at fancy hotels.

Date of experience : January 06, 2020

Suzy Xiu is a poor excuse for a Virtuoso agent.

Having used a Virtuoso agent in 2001 for an Alaskan adventure, I was extremely pleased with the attention to detail, perks and overall guidance along the planning stages. Fast forward to 2020; I hired Suzy Xiu, a Virtuoso agent to plan my Italian honeymoon. Although she was excellent in providing vendors for excursions, and hotel/resort accommodations, when Covid hit she distanced herself and did nothing to assist in us getting our $50k in deposits back. Many vendors stated a 30% nonrefundable deposit. Luckily American Express got me every dime back. Then we regrouped and I booked a Regent cruise from Barcelona to Istanbul. I even turned over the cruise credit to Suzy as I understand travel has been hard and I wanted to help her out financially. Suzy recommended that at the end of our cruise we should fly to Bodrum Turkey and stay at the Bodrum Mandarin Oriental due to their stay two and get the third night free program. So we booked for a total of nine nights. Now remember that this is our honeymoon trip. I specifically stated that we wanted a sea view room. She elected to book us into a garden view room and assured us that since she was a Virtuoso agent, the Mandarin Oriental would certainly upgrade our room to a sea view. Three days before our departure, Suzy informs me that the resort is fully booked and we are stuck with a garden view room. So I ask Suzy, exactly what benefits have I received from you and Virtuoso for this trip that you have undoubtedly done very little other than charge me a $200 "fee" to have the "benefit" of working with you and Virtuoso. I received a $300 shipboard credit and I now find that other cruise passengers are receiving up to $5k in rebates from their travel agent. Suzy's response was that she is sorry that I don't see her value and therefore she will no longer be assisting us. I was shocked that an agent that is supposed to be working to ensure a honeymoon is perfect, is so inept at customer service. I contacted Regent to inquire about removing Suzy from getting credit for our cruise but alas, it was too late. I assume a $50k cruise has a nice commission. I sure wish she would have earned it. But the pen is mightier than the sword, and I have gone on every travel blog to spread the word of her poor attitude and unacceptable service. A shame she chose to act like such a petulant child. She could have represented us for our 3-week Dubai to Singapore cruise in November.

Date of experience : April 27, 2022

David Melkonian did an outstanding job…

David Melkonian did an outstanding job booking our Bora Bora trip

Date of experience : September 15, 2022

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How To Book Luxury Virtuoso Hotels Online – Get Free Upgrades & Perks at Luxury Properties

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Table of Contents

What you need to know about virtuoso, how to book virtuoso travel online, tips to remember when booking virtuoso travel online, final thoughts.

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If you’re a deal-seeker and you’re always trying to get extra benefits for your travel, particularly at luxury hotels, then you’ve probably come across Virtuoso at some point.

And while you might think you need to have some special connections to access a Virtuoso travel advisor, it’s actually super easy to make Virtuoso bookings online!

In this guide, we’ll walk you through what you need to know to make Virtuoso bookings completely online!

What Is Virtuoso?

Virtuoso is the world’s largest luxury travel consortium . Basically, Virtuoso connects thousands of travel agencies worldwide and offers a set of exclusive benefits to each member agency.

In turn, anybody who makes Virtuoso bookings through these member agencies or travel advisors enjoys value-added benefits that might not be available anywhere else.

In doing so, these member agents can more easily convert potential travelers by offering benefits without any additional costs.

Virtuoso Travel Benefits

When you book Virtuoso hotel stays through a travel advisor or a member agency, you will almost always receive the following benefits:

• Daily breakfast for 2 guests per room
• Room upgrade (subject to availability)
• Early check-in (subject to availability)
• Late checkout (subject to availability)
• A special amenity like a $100 property credit or a 60-minute massage

Virtuoso Rates

Normally, if you booked a room rate with breakfast and these benefits directly at a hotel, you’ll see a massive mark-up compared to the best available rate.

What makes Virtuoso exceptional is the fact that for the most part, you’ll pay the same price as the best available flexible rate when booking directly with the hotel.

This excludes rates like corporate rates, non-refundable/advance purchase rates, promotional rates, and more.

Virtuoso often gets compared to Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts , but in most situations, Virtuoso rates are cheaper than Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts rates. There are a few exceptions, but in this section, we’ll walk you through a handful of example rates.

For example, let’s take a booking at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua in Maui, Hawaii. If we perform the same search on Virtuoso and Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts, you might see a discrepancy.

Virtuoso is showing $2,133 per night as the cheapest available rate, while Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts is showing $2,245 per night for the stay.

And if you pivot your search to the Maldives, you might find an even larger rate parity.

The Gili Lankanfushi in the Maldives would price out at $1,299 per night, while Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts would charge $1,624 per night.

However, there are a few rare instances in which Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts ends up being cheaper than Virtuoso rates.

If you look at the example booking at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island below, the Virtuoso rate is quoted at $931 per night, while the Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts rate is $791 per night.

The reason why this can happen is that American Express maintains a list of special offers that include benefits like a complimentary sixth night (as shown in the Conrad Maldives example).

Because these special offers are exclusive to Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts bookings, Virtuoso wouldn’t have access to this same offer.

Be careful, though — just because Amex has a special offer at a property doesn’t mean it’ll always end up being cheaper .

For example, the Taj Exotica Resort & Spa in the Maldives is showing as cheaper at Virtuoso ($1,025 per night) even though Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts is showing a complimentary fourth-night free benefit ($1,133 per night).

Bottom Line: You can enjoy Virtuoso benefits with the best available flexible rate. This is often significantly cheaper than Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts. In general, Virtuoso matches or beats Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts except in some select situations where Amex has a special offer such as a complimentary night free on a multi-night stay.

Fees To Use Virtuoso

There are usually no fees to book Virtuoso rates. As long as you book the same rate as the best flexible rate offered when booking directly with the hotel, you can enjoy Virtuoso benefits.

In some cases, travel advisors may charge an extra fee, but this is not a requirement across the board.

Travel advisors receive a small commission for these bookings, which is why they can usually assist for free.

Virtuoso Hotels and Properties

So which properties fall into the Virtuoso umbrella? The good news is that almost all luxury hotels are partnered with Virtuoso. This includes:

• Aman Resorts
• Conrad Hotels & Resorts
• Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts
• Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts
• Mandarin Oriental
• Rosewood Hotels & Resorts
• The Peninsula Hotels
• The Ritz-Carlton
• Rocco Forte Hotels
• Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts
• St. Regis Hotels & Resorts
• Viceroy Hotels & Resorts
• Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts

And much more!

Remember, Virtuoso’s portfolio also includes smaller boutique hotels around the world. You can also view the full hotel catalog .

Earning Points on Virtuoso Bookings

When you book Virtuoso rates, it’s as if you’re booking directly with the property, so all your bookings will still be considered as eligible rates to earn points, elite nights, and even elite status benefits .

For example, if you use the Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card to book a Virtuoso stay, you’ll receive 2x Ultimate Rewards points per dollar.

Similarly, if book a stay at The Ritz-Carlton using a Marriott Bonvoy credit card like the Marriott Bonvoy Business ® American Express ® Card , you’ll get 6x Marriott points per dollar on your spending.

Generally, most people think that Virtuoso rates are booked with an advisor over the phone or via email. And while it’s true that many bookings are done this way, the reality is that you can make this even simpler by booking online through Virtuoso.com .

You can search for hotel rates completely online without designating an advisor at all. However, to actually book your stay, you’ll need to first choose your Virtuoso travel advisor – we recommend Leigh Rowan , a member of the UP team and one of the best in the business.

To find an advisor, you can visit the advisor catalog . You’ll see a window that looks like this, and all you have to do is click  Find an Advisor , where you can select specialties based on destination, interest, language, and more.

You can also perform a search before entering the advisor’s information, but the important thing to remember is that you can’t book the stay until you create an account (or log into your account if you already have one) and then select your travel advisor.

You’ll be assigned a default Virtuoso advisor. If you already have a Virtuoso advisor, you can click the button that says  Look up your Virtuoso advisor.

Enter your travel advisor’s name, and after the advisor’s image and name show up, you can click Continue Booking .

Here’s Leigh Rowan’s Virtuoso profile from our team below:

Before your stay is booked, you can also view the exact amenities you would get at that particular property: 

Then, you will need to select the hotel rate you’re booking before getting redirected to the booking page.

When you’re there, enter your travel information, payment information, and any special requests.

After that, you’re ready to go!

Remember To Enter Your Loyalty Program Number

When you’re making your Virtuoso booking, don’t forget to enter your hotel loyalty program number, if applicable. Sometimes, the hotel chain doesn’t have a loyalty program, as is the case with Four Seasons.

The box will be titled Hotel Chain Loyalty Program Number and will look like this:

Once you enter your details, you can get the points credited to the proper account and enjoy the proper elite status benefits, as well.

How To Book Multiple Rooms

When it comes to booking multiple rooms, these will need to be done 1 at a time. You can still book multiple rooms at the same time, but you’ll need to do this offline with your travel advisor via email or phone.

Prefer 1-1 Service? If you have special requirements or would simply prefer to connect with a travel agent directly — Leigh Rowan, a member of our UP team, can help get you complimentary upgrades, daily breakfast for two, hotel credits, and more (for no extra cost). Contact Leigh for a fast reply at [email protected]  for that extra level of service.

You Can’t Cancel Your Bookings Via Virtuoso

Any bookings made via Virtuoso can’t be canceled online. That’s not a big deal because you can call the hotel or reach out to your Virtuoso travel advisor to cancel your booking.

Remember, canceling bookings is not instantaneous unless you go directly to the hotel, so keep that in mind if reaching out to your travel advisor to cancel a reservation.

You Can’t Book Same-Day Travel

As you might have seen during the booking process, Virtuoso rates can’t be booked for same-day reservations.

If you need to arrange same-day travel, you’ll need to utilize a different platform, such as Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts.

Virtuoso is one of the world’s best luxury travel networks — making bookings through Virtuoso often results in lots of added value in the form of elite-like perks.

One of the biggest myths out there is that you need to get on the phone or send an email to get the booking process started — you don’t!

You can book Virtuoso stays online, thanks to a seamless booking portal. Just be sure to create an online account and choose a travel advisor before trying to finalize your booking.

For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business ® American Express ® Card, click here .

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does virtuoso travel cost.

Virtuoso doesn’t usually cost anything extra. When you book with a Virtuoso travel advisor, the advisor will earn a small commission. That’s why these bookings can be done at no additional cost. The cheapest eligible Virtuoso rate is usually the best available flexible rate.

Is Virtuoso free?

Virtuoso is usually free to travelers, but it depends on your exact travel agent. You can almost always enjoy these perks for no additional cost to you.

What is Virtuoso Travel Network?

The Virtuoso travel network is a group of travel advisors and agencies that help clients book luxury hotels, cruises, tours, and more. By going through Virtuoso, you can enjoy extra benefits like free breakfast and room upgrades.

What are Virtuoso amenities?

Virtuoso amenities usually include:

• Free breakfast for 2 daily
• Room upgrades, subject to availability
• Early check-in, subject to availability
• Late checkout, subject to availability
• A Virtuoso property amenity, like a spa or shopping credit

Who owns Virtuoso Travel?

Virtuoso was founded by Jesse Upchurch, but it is now helmed by his son, Matthew Upchurch.

Is Virtuoso a consortia?

Virtuoso is a travel consortium. Almost all of the world’s luxury hotel brands are included in Virtuoso’s consortium, as well as many of the boutique ultra-luxe properties. There are nearly 2,000 properties that fall under the Virtuoso umbrella around the world.

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Get complimentary VIP perks at luxury hotels with Virtuoso

Friday  newsletters  always feature luxury travel  contests ,  tips , or news .

Today: Save money at luxury hotels with Virtuoso

As you can read in my  tips for getting the best deal at a luxury hotel , I mainly use two websites for booking my stays at hotels (without breaking my wallet):

• When I stay at a property of one of the big hotel chains, I often make the booking directly on the  hotel website  to collect points towards a free hotel night in a  hotel loyalty program  and to take advantage of a  best rate guarantee (not only will the hotel match the lower price you find somewhere else, but often throw in an additional 10 to 25% discount on top of that). This is especially the case when I stay at a hotel managed by Marriott or Hyatt , which both have an outstanding hotel loyalty program, but not so much for properties of  Hilton  and  InterContinental , which have far less rewarding and interesting loyalty programs.
• Hotels.com  – part of Expedia – is my preferred hotel booking website when staying at a non-chain property, mainly because of its very efficient  best rate guarantee  program (Hotels.com matches the price you find somewhere else), excellent customer support, and simple but rewarding loyalty program (you get one night free for every 10 nights you book with them). You can read  here  why I like  Hotels.com  and how it can save you (lots of) money when booking luxury hotels.

However, besides the two booking methods mentioned above, I often make use of a third booking medium,  Virtuoso , which can be extremely rewarding when staying at the world’s best hotels, not so much in terms of saving money on the room rate, but rather in terms of complimentary VIP perks that you will receive at the property itself (e.g. room upgrades, dinner credits, spa treatments, early check-in, late check-out, gifts, etc …). I hereby explain you why I love Virtuoso so much, and why you should consider it as well when booking your next holiday at one of the world’s most exclusive properties:

WHY I LIKE VIRTUOSO SO MUCH

• Virtuoso is not your classic hotel booking engine website. It’s the  industry’s leading network of luxury travel advisors , spanning over 26 countries and 9,000 travel advisors. So when you book your holiday with Virtuoso, most of the time, you will be in touch with a Virtuoso travel agent and not make the booking online yourself. There are some Virtuoso travel agencies though that offer an online booking tool, such as  Classic Travel , which has an excellent website and which is my overall preferred Virtuoso travel agency.

• These days, the internet makes it very easy to research and book your own travel. So why would one still choose to work with a travel advisor? I agree you don’t have to, especially when you are a seasoned travel. However, IMHO, the Virtuoso travel advisors – who are carefully selected individuals – are the exception: they will help you create unique journeys and explorations in every corner of the globe, and  arrange experiences that make a trip truly extraordinary .
• Daily breakfast
• Room upgrade (when available)
• Early check-in (when available)
• Late check-out (when available)
• A welcome amenity
• A credit of around $100 USD that can be spent towards dining, wellness, or activities
• Virtuoso networks with the  world’s most luxurious hotels & resorts , most of them belonging to the portfolio of the  world’s most exclusive hotel brands . This includes some of my favorite hotel brands such as Soneva, Four Seasons, Rosewood, Mandarin Oriental, Six Senses and Banyan Tree to name a few. All hotels were you can enjoy the Virtuoso extra perks are listed on the  Virtuoso website .
• The advantage of booking through Virtuoso is particularly evident when staying at an  Aman , widely considered to be the world’s top hotel chain. In line with Aman’s hyper-exclusive and ultra-luxurious reputation, you will never find a lower rate than the one published on the official  Aman  website. But booking through a Virtuoso travel agent rather than on the Aman website itself will get you some complimentary extra perks (easily worth hundreds of dollars). So if you are an Aman junkie, like me, then Virtuoso is the way to go.
• In most cases, the Virtuoso rate is identical to the Best Available Rate (BAR) found on the official hotel website, which is a  flexible rate that can be cancelled without penalty . For that reason, you’re leaving money on the table if you book a paid stay at the best available rate (BAR) via the official hotel website and not via Virtuoso.
• In case the luxury hotel is managed by a hotel brand that offers a loyalty program (e.g. St Regis, Ritz-Carlton, Walfdorf Astoria, Park Hyatt, Andaz, InterContinental, etc …), you will earn hotel points and stay credits in that program when you book via Virtuoso. For these hotel brands, it’s almost always a much better deal when booking via Virtuoso as compared to booking the same rate directly on the hotel website.

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT VIRTUOSO

• Most of the times, hotel bookings are not made online, but through a Virtuoso travel agent. There are exceptions though, such as the website of  Classic Travel  which offers an online booking tool.
• Virtuoso does not offer the cheapest room rates in the industry nor does it match a lower price found somewhere else. In most cases, the Virtuoso rate will best the best available (and refundable) room rate that you can also find on the hotel website itself, but it does come with all the extra Virtuoso perks (which means a lot of savings in the end).
• Holders of an  American Express premium  or  Visa Signature  credit card can often benefit from similar VIP perks when they make the booking via their credit card travel office and/or pay with their credit card. Contact your local credit card company to find out whether this service is offered.
• Virtuoso does not  have a loyalty program. But as explained above, bookings via Virtuoso will earn hotel points and stay credits within your preferred hotel loyalty program.

REVIEWS OF HOTELS THAT I BOOKED VIA VIRTUOSO

Over the past years, I have booked several hotels via Virtuoso, including one of  my favorite resorts in the world : Soneva Kiri in Thailand. You can read my trip reports here:

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Just booked a hotel in Dublin and saved nearly 25% off several different websites including the hotels! It was my first booking with Virtuoso but will not be my last!

Excellent summary of information about the advantages and perks using Virtuoso, and your comments about some of the major hotel loyalty programs. Thanks very much!

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Very disappointing response from local agent regarding Belmond Mount Nelson. Cape Town. Not positive for you.

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Elevating your travel

The Greatest Hotel Trick Doesn’t Require A Credit Card Or A Membership

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People are always looking for an angle to get not only the best price on hotels, but also the most reward from stays themselves. For many, it can be as simple as access to free wifi, but if you can have more, why wouldn’t you?

Many people join clubs, book rooms they won’t even stay in to earn elite status and all sorts of other crazy things to make perks real, but for many hotels, the best trick to “having it all” doesn’t involve anything other than an email address, or phone number.

Preferred Travel Agents

Remember paper airline tickets, and physical hotel vouchers, or actually walking into a travel agency office to see people frantically talking into those Gordon Gecko phones? Yeah, those days are pretty much over, but travel agent are far from.

Hotels around the world, particularly on the luxury end, really value travel agents and the amount of guest they can steer into their properties. In exchange, or as a little bit of encouragement, travel agents who are part of “preferred partner” programs like Virtuoso, can add on extra perks to each booking, for guests who book through them.

In most cases, you don’t need a membership, there’s no fees, and you don’t need some special credit card at all! You just need to know an agent, or find one, and with many agents eager for business to get things going again, you won’t find a shortage of options.

There must be a catch, right? Sometimes, it depends on the booking.

Sometimes an online travel agency, or direct offer from the hotel website is going to come out cheaper than the price an agent can quote. It happens, but it’s also worth considering whether the perks the agent has attached with their booking outweigh the price difference.

Also, the city matters. Places where hospitality is a big thing tend to have the best deals, like Las Vegas, Dubai, Orlando, Hong Kong, Miami and that style of destination. More business centric areas tend to be less rewarding.

But that’s all chat, this simple trick only really begins to opens eyes with real examples, so why not put the money where the mouth is, right? Let’s take Las Vegas.

The five star Delano MGM Las Vegas has a “Delano King Suite”, with 725 square feet of space, floor to ceiling windows and a seating area for $126.40 per night, with all taxes and fees included. That’s pretty much the same price you’d find on an online travel agency with no perks added or included.

But, if you book via a “Preferred Agent”, the benefits are almost laughably amazing right now. Even on a $126 one night stay, here’s what’s included with a Virtuoso rate…

• $100USD Food & Beverage Credit
• (2) $30USD Breakfast Credits
• Upgrade (from your already amazing suite)
• Early Check In
• Late Check Out
• $5 Wifi Credit

Yes, you’re effectively paying $126 to get $160 plus in benefits back, even on a one night stay. And that’s really where some of the magic is. Shorter stays tend to offer amazing benefits, just like longer stays.

If staying longer matters, these preferred agents also regularly have access to private offers we can’t always just pull up on our own, such as third night free. It’s always a good look to comparison shop between direct booking and your favorite online travel agency too, but in instances such as this, benefits from a Virtuoso or other preferred travel agent are impossible to beat.

So, the obvious question. Where do I find a good agent with access to this stuff? There are thousands upon thousands, and any agents are welcome to leave their details and anything worth knowing in the comments.

If you have the Amex Platinum Card, which has a bonus of up to 225,000 points right now if you don’t, you can also find similar benefits through the Fine Hotels & Resorts program , which you can search online. Chase has an option as well, with Chase Luxury Hotels , offering its own set of booking benefits, as do most Mastercard’s .

If you’re not on the credit card game, and prefer to enjoy these “preferred agent” perks via a respected agent, our friends Adam Corin of Travel Counsellors, and Michael Trager of TravelZork are both top quality, each with their own booking specializations. These are just two of many, and with travel in a slowdown, any agent will appreciate the buzz.

And again, if you’re an agent, drop your details below!

Gilbert Ott

Gilbert Ott is an ever curious traveler and one of the world's leading travel experts. His adventures take him all over the globe, often spanning over 200,000 miles a year and his travel exploits are regularly... More by Gilbert Ott

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I’m sold on Virtuoso. Booked a London hotel for 2 nights next July (pending vaccine availability) and will have room upgrade if available, afternoon tea, breakfast plus other benefits. Good article and my experience mirrors your assertions.

How do i find, join or use Virtuoso agent….never heard of any of this Gilbert. Now you have me interested!

The two people linked in the post are capable of helping, as are any people who leave their details in here. It’s not something you can book yourself, but they can get quotes and book for you!

[email protected] Virtuoso luxury travel advisor Travel Edge is a preferred partner

Thanks Gilbert for highlighting the benefits of booking via Virtuoso. Debbie Brumby and Michael Smith are Virtuoso Advisors in the UK https://www.virtuoso.com/advisors/16133454/debbie-brumby#.X7d4i2X7SUk https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/michsmit28363/travel

Thanks Michael!

Great info! Im noting all the Virtuosa info. For when travel gets back to normal again. Thanks much!!

Great article, Gilbert! Thank you for highlighting the value add of working with an experienced Virtuoso luxury travel advisor.

https://www.virtuoso.com/advisors/16052865/christy-miller?search=%22Christy%20Miller%22&mode=Gts

[email protected]

Great insight on maximizing your stay without having a points card. I’ll go a step further and say even if you have a points card (I have AMEX Platinum) the perks I get through Virtuoso are above and beyond. I’ve been upgraded more often, received more credits and amenities, and have had an easier time managing check in/out and hotel services with my Virtuoso agent than with AMEX. AMEX was, and still is, great, and the right Virtuoso agent is even better. My agent is Kristen Sandvig, with Lionhound Travel. She splits time between Houston and Paris and responds to me within 24 hours (faster if I’m traveling). [email protected]

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