Hello and welcome to our first newsletter of the new year. Wow 2022, we can’t even believe we are here! What a crazy 2 years it has been, especially for the travel industry! At the end of 2021, people were ready to travel once again for the holiday season but we were then faced with the new Omicron variant. But all of these challenges have helped us realize the importance of the power of connections! Since we have now been in this industry for well over a decade (yikes!), we have built relationships that benefit our clients. In some instances, we were able to work with our travel partners to help get refunds or change the travel dates for clients that were not comfortable traveling at this time.
Relationships are such an important part of being a successful travel advisor. If you want to just book a trip, you can of course look to the internet, but you won’t get the same experience and level of service that you get when booking with us. We are also able to add additional value to your trips, value you would not get when booking on your own. Here are 5 exclusive programs that we are a part of that get our clients additional amenities and VIP status:
1) Virtuoso
Virtuoso is the leading global network of agencies specializing in luxury and experiential travel. They partner with over 1,800 of the world’s best companies such as hotels, cruise lines, tour operators, and more. Hotels within the Virtuoso network can be independent, boutique or name brand hotels, so it's a wide variety of styles, budgets and locations.
Benefits typically include:
- Complimentary daily breakfast for 2
- One time resort credit
- Early check-in/ late check-out (if available)
- Potential room upgrades
Some properties also add additional perks such as airport transfers and spa credits. Ocean Cruises and River cruises both add special amenities to Virtuoso travelers such as complimentary shore excursions or on-board credits. Guided tours offer special rates or bonus amenities as well.
DIY Tip:
If you are someone that likes to book on your own but still get the benefits of our added amenities, use our independent link:
2) Hyatt Prive
Hyatt Privé is an invitation-only exclusive program that Hyatt has developed with select luxury travel agencies to offer travelers additional perks. There are over 200 participating properties around the world including the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort, Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, Thompson Nashville, Hyatt Regency Scottsdale, Andaz Maui, Park Hyatt St. Kitts and Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach.
Benefits typically include: - Complimentary daily breakfast for 2 - One time resort credit - Early check-in/ late check-out (if available) - Potential room upgrades (confirmed within 24 hours of booking) - Guaranteed connecting rooms
This is an amazing program that will add tons of value to your trip!
3) Belmond Bellini This is an invitation-only club that includes less than 100 agencies worldwide. This program offers benefits at hotels, safaris, trains and river cruises. Participating hotels include Cap Juluca (Anguilla), La Semana (St. Maarten), Charleston Place (South Carolina) and Belmond Maroma (Mexico) Benefits typically include: - Complimentary daily breakfast for 2 - One time resort credit - Early check-in/ late check-out (if available) - Potential room upgrades - Gift vouchers for future Belmond stays when you spend over a certain dollar amount
4) Accor Preferred Program As part of this program, our clients are eligible to receive value added benefits and VIP status at Accor resorts worldwide. Participating hotels include the SLS South Beach (Florida), Fairmont Orchid (Hawaii), SLS Baha Mar (Bahamas), Sofitel London (United Kingdom), Fairmont Scottsdale Princess (Arizona) and Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris (France). Benefits typically include: - Complimentary daily breakfast for 2 - One time resort credit - Early check-in/ late check-out (if available) - Potential room upgrades
5) Marriott STARS and Luminous These ultra-exclusive programs are designed to present the highest level of service, experience and amenities to our clients. The STARS program includes the Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, The Luxury Collection and EDITION properties. The Luminous program includes the JW Marriott, W Hotels and Autograph Collection. Benefits typically include: - Complimentary daily breakfast for 2 - Welcome Amenity - One time resort credit - Early check-in/ late check-out (if available) - Priority for complimentary room upgrades Some of our favorite participating properties include The EDITION Miami Beach, JW Marriott Marco Island, JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort, St. Regis Bal Harbour and Moana Surfrider Waikiki Beach.
As you can see there are many options to choose from. We know that planning travel can be overwhelming but we are here to make that process easier for you. Happy New Year and here's to more traveling in 2022 and beyond!
