Tips for booking the best deal at a luxury hotel (2024)

Friday newslettersalways feature luxury travel contests,tips,series, ornews.

Today: Tips for getting the best deal at a luxury hotel

When the coronavirus first hit, travelers were canceling their trips left and right. Today, the travel industry is showing encouraging signs of bouncing back from COVID-19. So, it might be a good time to re-blog one of my very first articles, one that I find particularly interesting since it explains my strategy for booking stays at luxury hotels (and how I am able to afford this lifestyle).

Because my audience has grown significantly since I launched the blog a couple of year ago (to over 100,000 blog subscribers and over 800,000+ YouTube followers), I though it couldn’t hurt reposting this article since most of you won’t have read it. When booking a room at a hotel, you will have to choose whether you want the cheapest price for that room, or whether you want to pay more for enjoying extra perks and/or flexibility. Here are my tips for saving money and getting the best deal at a luxury hotel.

Think Iforgot one? Share your own travel tips in thecomments sectionor take mypollbelow.

• Inspiration for finding the right hotel
• Tips for when to book
• Tips for booking a room at the cheapest rate
• Tips for booking a room with (complimentary) extra perks
• Tips for staying for free at luxury hotels
• Key points

INSPIRATION FOR FINDING THE RIGHT HOTEL

• Be inspired by myluxury travel blog. Every week, I posttop 10 travel listsandreviews of luxury hotels. You can subscribe to my newsletter (3x/week) and follow me on Facebook,TwitterandInstagram. Each Saturday, I also publish a full tour of a luxury hotel on my popularYouTube channel.

• VisitKiwi Collection, a great websitefeaturing the finestluxury hotels in the world.

• Read travel magazines, such as theConde Nast TravelerandTravel&Leisure.

• ReadTripadvisorreviews.

• ReadFlyertalkreviews (google the name of the hotel + flyertalk).

• Watch YouTube videos of hotels (you can find some examples on my YouTube Channel).

TIPS FOR WHEN TO BOOK:

• Do not book too lateas the top luxury hotels will often sell out months in advance. Do not count on a last-minute deal (which are not offered by most top hotels anyway).

• When you want to save some bucks,travel in the shoulder season(e.g. summer months for the Caribbean, autumn months for the Maldives), but try to avoid the worst months weather-wise as you may find yourself very disappointed despite the fact that you saved a lot of money!

TIPS FOR BOOKING A ROOM AT THE LOWEST PRICE

• Most of the time, the lowest room rate can be found on theaggregator websitesTrivagoandHotelscombined. These aggregators verify hotel prices at hundreds of other hotel booking sites (e.g.Expedia,Booking.com,Hotels.com,Otel.com,Hotelopia.com, Ebookers, etc…) and show where you can book the cheapest rate.Try it out for yourself here:

• Always compare the price that you found on aggregator or member-only websites with the one featured on theofficialhotel websiteto make sure that it is the best price indeed. Do not forget to click the “special offers” section that is present on most hotel websites (and which an save you lots of money).

• If you find elsewhere a lower price than the one offered on the hotel website, make us of aBest Rate Guarantee. Not only will the lower room rate be matched, you will often receive an additional discount as well (of up to 25%)!

• Make use ofdiscount couponsthat you can find anywhere on the internet (google the website of hotel name + coupon). For example,Hotels.comis one of myprefered hotel bookingwebsites that regularly sends out 10% discount coupons by email (albeit not for the big hotel chains though).

• Except when staying at one of the big hotel chains (Marriott, Hyatt, IHG, Hilton), I always try to book my hotel stays through the website Hotels.comand you can readherewhy. In a nutshell:Hotels.comis not only very generous inmatching the best price that you may have found on another websites, but you also collect credits towards free hotel stays and they have always have discount coupons on offer.

• Sign-up for thenewslettersof your preferred hotel (chains) or booking website. They often email coupons or advanced notifications when they’re having a sale.

• Stay for freeby using hotels points and credits that you collected in ahotel loyalty program(albeit very few of the top luxury hotel chains offer that option though).Clickherefor more info.

• Stay for free or at a highly discounted rate by keeping an eye out forerroneous rateson thisFlyertalk post.

TIPS FOR BOOKING A ROOM WITH (FREE) EXTRA PERKS

• Some of theworld’s most exclusive hotel brands(e.g.Aman resorts) will only display the best rates on their official hotel website (so do not waste your time tryingto find a lower price on an aggregator or member-only website as you won’t find one).

• Check thehotel websitedirectly for packages that include extra perks like spa credits, breakfast, or complimentary nights.

• Absurdly, when booking a room at a top luxury hotel, it is sometimes advised not to book it directly onthe hotel website, but rather through aVirtuosotravel advisor. Not only will they create unique journeys and explorationsin every corner of the globe, but more importantly, you will also get free access to special amenities and receive complimentary perks (e.g. upgrades, dinners, etc …) which isnot the casewhen you book the same rate via the hotel directly.All hotels were you can enjoy the Virtuoso extra perks are listed on theirwebsite. If you are an Aman junkie, like me, then Virtuoso is the only way to book your stay. Readherewhy Ilove Virtuoso so much. My preferred Virtuoso travel agency isClassic Travel, not only because of their excellent service, but also because they have an online booking tool.

• Holders of anAmerican Express premiumorVisa Signaturecredit cardcan also benefit from extra 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 they offer this travel service.

• Elite members ofhotel loyalty programswill receive severalbenefits during their stay, ranging from late check-out and complimentary WiFi to suite upgrades and breakfast. Clickherefor more info.

• Elite members ofCathay Pacific‘s frequent flyer program (Marco Polo Club) are entitled to special benefits (e.g. early check in, late check out, room upgrade, complimentary breakfast) with partners such as Hilton, Hyatt, Fairmont, Marriott, Langham, Mandarin Oriental, Shangri-La, Swissotel, Peninsula, Swire and Ritz-Carlton. While some of these deals only apply to hotels or rentals in the Asia-Pacific region, others do not; the Mandarin Oriental benefit is applicable worldwide, for example.

TIPS FOR STAYING FOR FREE AT A LUXURY HOTEL

You can always try your luck to score a complimentary stay at a luxury hotel by reading mytipsfor getting free hotel nights.

KEY POINTS

• Inspiration: this website + theKiwi Collection.

• When money is an issue: book outside the high season.

• Cheapest room rate: mostly found onHotelscombined,Trivago, and/or the official hotel website. Always check all 3 of them.

• Best Rate Guarantee: match a lower rate andreceivean additional discount.

• Free extra perks: book a package on the hotel website, through a Virtuoso travel agent, or via your credit card travel office.

• Complimentary stay: subscribe toof a (hotel) loyalty program.

• Mypreferred hotel booking websites:Hotels.com,JetsetterandClassic Travel.

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