Get more from luxury hotel stays with Amex FHR, Virtuoso and other preferred travel agent programs

[AFF Editor]

The Simple Trick To Get More From Luxury Hotel Stays is an article written by the AFF editorial team:

The Simple Trick To Get More From Luxury Hotel Stays

By booking with Fine Hotels + Resorts or using a travel agent with Virtuoso access, you can get free perks like breakfast, credits and late check-out at luxury hotels.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.

 

[RooFlyer]

Useful article. Just a note that Virtuoso is also really good for specific cruises as well. Usually a straight up €200 on board credit, at least.

 

[drron]

Useful article. Just a note that Virtuoso is also really good for specific cruises as well. Usually a straight up €200 on board credit, at least.

That must be on Ponant. On Silversea it is $US150 which now is only 144 EUR.

 

[WilsonM]

Useful article. Just a note that Virtuoso is also really good for specific cruises as well. Usually a straight up €200 on board credit, at least.

Yep - obviously didn't cover everything in the article, but Virtuoso is useful for a lot of things including cruises and tours

 

[PlatyG]

“Plus, by booking with Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts (FHR), or many of the other programs below, you can still earn points and take advantage of your elite status with the hotel’s own loyalty program. For example, if you book an Accor hotel through Fine Hotels + Resorts, you can still earn ALL points and use your Accor status benefits – in addition to the extra Fine Hotels + Resorts perks.”

I booked via Amex for an Accor hotel (Mantra) and was told when I checked in that as Amex had used Expedia for the booking the usual ALL benefits didn’t apply. Maybe because it is not on the Fine list and the double dipping is restricted to there?

Otherwise I agree with your article, Amex and Virtuoso are very good.

 

[drron]

I have received full recognition of elite benefits using Virtuoso in IHG and Marriott hotels. In IC hotels when using Virtuoso I usually get what I expected with Diamond and an extra upgrade for Virtuoso.

 

[WilsonM]

Maybe because it is not on the Fine list and the double dipping is restricted to there?

As far as I'm aware, this is why

 

[Holiday.with.Ken]

There is more hotel chains than what's listed can be booked via a travel advisor.

Rosewood Elite, Couture by Langham, Mandarin Oriental Fan Club, Peninsula PenClub, Pan Pacific Reserve and more.

Beside the perks, you will receive your hotel loyalty points and no booking fees.

Accor HERA does not have minimum 2 nights stay. You can book 1 night to receive all the perks.
Many Accor HERA rates have stay 3/4 nights and get the 4th/5th nights free.

 

[Hunter4vr]

I booked a stay through Amex FHR at Raffles, the booking is showing in my Accor app and status benefits have been recognised (drink vouchers and all), however it is saying that I will not earn any status points for this stay.

I thought bookings through Amex FHR, especially if you select to pay at the hotel are eligible for point earn?

 

[FF98]

This is not a sponsored post nor am I affiliated in any way. But a data point/recommendation for travellers looking to maximise value. I am currently looking at some hotels in Europe via Virtuoso and came across this TA (Yvonne) based in the USA. Celebrated Travel Main

I like to plan my own trips and I have a good idea what hotels I want to stay in. I found Yvonne's website via Reddit and the main advantage for a planner like myself is you can view the Virtuoso/partner hotel rates on her website and book yourself. I found a couple of local Travel Agencies in Australia that you have to specifically ask for the hotel and dates for them to provide you the rates, which is a bit of a hassle. And they eventually either had slightly higher room rates, or they charge a fee for booking a hotel.

She has been very helpful in requesting confirmed upgrades for me. So I am just a happy client sharing her small business. Cheers!

 

[Notyourbag]

This is not a sponsored post nor am I affiliated in any way. But a data point/recommendation for travellers looking to maximise value. I am currently looking at some hotels in Europe via Virtuoso and came across this TA (Yvonne) based in the USA. Celebrated Travel Main

I like to plan my own trips and I have a good idea what hotels I want to stay in. I found Yvonne's website via Reddit and the main advantage for a planner like myself is you can view the Virtuoso/partner hotel rates on her website and book yourself. I found a couple of local Travel Agencies in Australia that you have to specifically ask for the hotel and dates for them to provide you the rates, which is a bit of a hassle. And they eventually either had slightly higher room rates, or they charge a fee for booking a hotel.

She has been very helpful in requesting confirmed upgrades for me. So I am just a happy client sharing her small business. Cheers!

Great find on the booking engine! It’s definitely a win for those who want to see rates without sending an email. However, as an Aussie-based advisor, I think it’s worth highlighting a few 'local' factors that often get overlooked when booking through a US-based entity:

The 'Hidden' 3% Surcharge: Most US booking engines charge in USD. Even with the best frequent flyer credit card, most Aussie banks will hit you with a 2.99% – 3.5% foreign transaction fee. By the time you do the math, that 'cheaper' US rate often ends up costing more than a local quote in AUD.

Consumer Protection: When you book with an Australian agency, you are covered by Australian Consumer Law. If a hotel goes bust or there’s a major billing dispute, having a local ABN-holding business to advocate for you is a massive safety net that you lose once the transaction moves offshore.

The Time Zone Advantage: If you’re checking into a hotel in Sydney and there’s an issue with your Virtuoso amenities, a US agent is likely asleep. A local Aussie agent is likely online making us much faster at fixing on-the-ground hiccups.

The 'Self-Service' Trap: While DIY engines are convenient, they sometimes miss the 'non-public' Virtuoso offers (like 4th night free or specific perks and benefits other advisors can add ) that require a manual override or a direct relationship with the Hotel's Sales Director.

I totally get the frustration with fee charging agents, but many of us here in Oz offer the same Virtuoso/Preferred Partner rates with zero booking fees for simple hotel stays. We might not all have the fancy search engines yet, but we usually make up for it in FX savings and being in your corner (and time zone) when things go sideways!

 

[I love to travel]

But if you pay at the hotel doesn't that remove Fx out of the equation?

 

[Holiday.with.Ken]

This is not a sponsored post nor am I affiliated in any way. But a data point/recommendation for travellers looking to maximise value. I am currently looking at some hotels in Europe via Virtuoso and came across this TA (Yvonne) based in the USA. Celebrated Travel Main

I like to plan my own trips and I have a good idea what hotels I want to stay in. I found Yvonne's website via Reddit and the main advantage for a planner like myself is you can view the Virtuoso/partner hotel rates on her website and book yourself. I found a couple of local Travel Agencies in Australia that you have to specifically ask for the hotel and dates for them to provide you the rates, which is a bit of a hassle. And they eventually either had slightly higher room rates, or they charge a fee for booking a hotel.

She has been very helpful in requesting confirmed upgrades for me. So I am just a happy client sharing her small business. Cheers!

The room rates should be exactly the same that's given to "Yvonne" or the Australia based advisors. The rates are set by the hotels to all partners under the same program, whether it's Virtuoso, Accor HERA, Marriott STARS etc.

Were they oversea hotels you asked and did Australia Virtuoso advisors quoted in local currency or converted for you in AUD?

Hotel rates are dynamic like airlines so rates do fluctuated so is exchange rates.