Today (April 21, 2017): travel tricks to get the best deal at a luxury hotel (and save money).

Today, I am reblogging one of my very first blogposts, one that I find particularly interesting since it kind of explains how I book my stays at luxury hotels (and how I am able to afford this lifestyle). Because my audience has grown significantly since I launched the blog in 2014 ( to over 100,000 readers, excluding my 60,000+ Youtube followers), I though it couldn’t hurt reposting the article since most of you won’t have read it. When booking a room at a luxury hotel, you always have to choose whether you want the cheapest rate for that room, or whether you want to enjoy extra perks and/or flexibility. I hereby present you my tips for getting the best deal at a luxury hotel and saving (lots of) money:

• 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

Think I forgot a tip? Share your own travel tricks for getting the best deal at a luxury hotel in the comments section below (so we can all learn from each other).

INSPIRATION FOR FINDING THE RIGHT HOTEL

• Be inspired by my luxury travel blog. Every week, I post top 10 travel lists and reviews of luxury hotels. You can subscribe to my newsletter (3x/week) and/or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

• The Kiwi Collection is a great website (and my prime source of inspiration), featuring a selection of the very best luxury hotels in the world.

• Read the Conde Nast Traveler and Travel&Leisure magazines, which are both published once a month (I do prefer though their printed magazines over their websites).

• Read reviews of luxury hotels on Tripadvisor. Although I don’t pay too much attention to the occasional furious rants, I always read a few reviews before booking a hotel.

• Read reviews of luxury hotels on Flyertalk (google the name of the hotel + flyertalk). I find Flyertalk a very good source of information, since they have a forum dedicated to luxury hotels where people with knowledge post their genuine reviews of luxury properties around the globe.

• Watch Youtube clips of hotels (you can find some examples on my popular Youtube channel).

TIPS FOR WHEN TO BOOK

• Do not book too late as the world’s most luxurious 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).

• If you want to save some bucks, you should travel in the shoulder season (e.g. summer months for the Caribbean, autumn months for the Maldives), but try to avoid the months with the worst weather 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 the aggregator websites Hotelscombined and Trivago. These aggregators verify hotel prices at hundreds of other sites (e.g. Booking.com, Hotels.com, Otel.com, Hotelopia.com, Expedia, Ebookers, etc…) and show where you can book the cheapest rate. Try it out for yourself:

• The member-only websites Jetsetter and Secret Escapes (which do not feature on aggregator websites) negotiate temporary, special rates with some of the world’s finest hotels, which can represent a discount of up to 60% (room only or room with breakfast).  Membership is free and without hassle (just submit your name and email address). When you sign up for the Jetsetter and Secret Escapes newsletters, you will stay updated about their temporary offers. Read here why I like Jetsetter, and here why I am a fan of Secret Escapes.

• Always compare the price that you found on an aggregator or member-only website with the one featured on the official hotel website to 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 can save you lots of money).

• If you find elsewhere a lower price than the one offered on the hotel website, you should make us of a Best 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 of discount coupons that you can find anywhere on the internet (google the website of hotel name + coupon). For example, Hotels.com is one of my preferred hotel booking websites that regularly sends out 10% discount coupons by email (albeit not valid for the big hotel chains though).

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

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

• Stay for free by using hotels points and credits that you collected in a hotel loyalty program (albeit very few of the top luxury hotel chains offer that option though).

• Stay for free or at a highly discounted rate by keeping an eye out for erroneous rates in this Flyertalk post.

TIPS FOR BOOKING A HOTEL ROOM WITH (FREE) EXTRA PERKS

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

• Check the hotel website directly 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 on the hotel website, but rather through a Virtuoso travel advisor. Not only will they create unique journeys and explorations in 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 would not be the case when you book the same rate via the hotel directly. All hotels were you can enjoy the Virtuoso extra perks are listed on Virtusos website.  If you are an Aman junkie, like me, then Virtuoso is the only way to book your stay. You can read here why I love Virtuoso so much. Most of the times, Virtuoso 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.

• Holders of an American Express premium or Visa Signature credit card can 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 of hotel loyalty programs will receive several benefits during their stay, ranging from late check-out and complimentary WiFi to suite upgrades and breakfast. Read here my reviews of the world’s best hotel loyalty programs (with pros and cons).

• Elite members of Cathay 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 and score a complimentary stay at a luxury hotel by reading my tips for getting free hotel nights.

KEY POINTS

• Inspiration: my blog + the Kiwi Collection.

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

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

• Best Rate Guarantee: match a lower rate and receive an 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 to of a (hotel) loyalty program.

• My preferred hotel booking websites: Hotels.com and Jetsetter.

*** Follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for a daily moment of travel inspiration ***

The post Travel tip: how to get the best hotel deals? appeared first on the Luxury Travel Expert.

Today (March 20, 2015): travel tip: how to book a room at a luxury hotel at the cheapest price?

When booking a room at a luxury hotel, you will have to choose whether you want the cheapest price for that room, or whether you want to enjoy extra perks and/or flexibility. We hereby present you our tips for getting the best deal at a luxury hotel and save (lots of) money:

• 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

Think we forgot a tip? Share your travel tips in the comments section below.

INSPIRATION FOR FINDING THE RIGHT HOTEL

• Be inspired by our luxury travel website & blog. We post top 10 travel lists and reviews of luxury hotels weekly. You can subscribe to our newsletter (3x/week) and/or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

• The Kiwi Collection is a great website featuring the best luxury hotels in the world.

• Read the Conde Nast Traveler and Travel&Leisure magazines.

• Read Tripadvisor reviews.

• Read Flyertalk posts (google the name of the hotel + flyertalk).

• Watch Youtube clips of hotels (you can find some examples on our Youtube Channel).

TIPS FOR WHEN TO BOOK:

• Do not book too late as 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 the aggregator websites Hotelscombined and Trivago. These aggregators verify hotel prices at hundreds of other sites (e.g. Booking.com, Hotels.com, Otel.com, Hotelopia.com, Onhotels.com, Expedia, Ebookers, etc…) and show where you can book the cheapest rate.

• The member-only websites Jetsetter and the Vacationist (which do not feature on aggregator websites) negotiate temporary, special rates with some of the world’s finest hotels, which can represent a discount of up to 60% (room only or room with breakfast).  Membership is free and without hassle (just submit your name and email address). Sign up for the Jetsetter and Vacationist newsletters, so that you stay updated about their temporary offers. Read here why we love Jetsetter so much.

• Always compare the price that you found on aggregator or member-only websites with the one featured on the official hotel website to 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 can save you lots of money).

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

• Make use of discount coupons that you can find anywhere on the internet (google the website of hotel name + coupon). For example, Hotels.com is one of our prefered hotel booking websites that regularly sends out 10% discount coupons by email (albeit not for the big hotel chains).

• Except when staying at one of the big hotel chains (Starwood, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott, Hilton), we always try to book our hotel stays through the website Hotels.com and you can read here why. In a nutshell: Hotels.com is not only very generous in matching 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 the newsletters of your preferred hotel (chains) or booking website. They often email coupons or advanced notifications when they’re having a sale.

• Stay for free by using hotels points and credits that you collected in a hotel loyalty program (albeit very few of the top luxury hotel chains offer that option).

• Stay for free or at a highly discounted rate by keeping an eye out for erroneous rates on this Flyertalk post.

TIPS FOR BOOKING A ROOM WITH (FREE) EXTRA PERKS

• Some of the world’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 trying to find a lower price on an aggregator or member-only website).

• Check the hotel website directly 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 on the hotel website, but rather through a Virtuoso travel advisor. Not only will they create unique journeys and explorations in 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 is not the case when you book the same rate via the hotel direcly. All hotels were you can enjoy the Virtuoso extra perks are listed on their website. Read here why we love Virtuoso so much.

• Holders of an American Express premium or Visa Signature credit card can 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 of hotel loyalty programs will receive several benefits during their stay, ranging from late check-out and complimentary WiFi to suite upgrades and breakfast. Click here for more info.

• Elite members of Cathay 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 and score a complimentary stay at a luxury hotel by reading our tips.

KEY POINTS

• Inspiration: this website + the Kiwi Collection.

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

• Cheapest room rate: mostly found on Hotelscombined, Trivago and/or the official hotel website.

• Best Rate Guarantee: match a lower rate and receive an 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 to of a (hotel) loyalty program.

• Our preferred hotel booking websites: Hotels.com and Jetsetter.

*** Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for a daily moment of travel inspiration ***

The post Save money: how to get the best deal at a luxury hotel? appeared first on the Luxury Travel Expert.

Wednesday newsletters always feature a luxury hotel and/or flight review.

Last month (November 2014), I enjoyed a wonderful holiday Down Under. You can read my trip reports here:

• Review: Emirates B777-200LR Business Class Brussels to Dubai
• Review: Emirates A380 Business Class Dubai to Sydney
• Review: Park Hyatt Sydney (Sydney)
• Review: Longitude 131° (Uluru)
• Review: Cicada Lodge (Katherine Gorge)
• Review: One&Only Hayman Island (Great Barrier Reef)
• Review: Emirates A380 Business Class Brisbane to Dubai
• Review: Emirates B777-300ER Business Class Dubai to Brussels

Today (December 3, 2014): Review of the Park Hyatt Sydney (Australia).

• Location: Google Maps
• Address: 7 Hickson Rd, The Rocks NSW 2000, Australia
• Hotel websit: Park Hyat Sydney
• Tip: enjoy exclusive VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso

Seated majestically on one of the world’s most beautiful harbours, Park Hyatt Sydney perfectly personifies contemporary harbourside luxury with its coveted location between the iconic Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Reminiscent of an exclusive harbourside residence, the hotel offers intimate surrounds with architecture, art and design that reflect the Australian landscape. Highlights include 155 spacious guestrooms and suites with contemporary interiors and floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open to private balconies; 24-hour butler service; and a day spa with rooftop pool and sundeck.

Park Hyatt Sydney features in my top 10 lists of the world’s most spectacular hotel rooftops, the best luxury hotels in Australia, the world’s best luxury hotels, and hotels loved by celebrities.

In this review (more info and photos below my Youtube clip and slide show):

• Pros & things I like
• Cons & things to know
• My verdict
• Tips for future guests & save money
• Best time to visit
• How to get there
• Photos

*** Follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for a daily moment of travel inspiration ***

PROS & THINGS I LIKE

• The hotel enjoys a unique and breathtaking waterfront location, with stunning views of the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, and the Downtown Sydney skyline.

• Park Hyatt’s signature minimalist design throughout the hotel (lobby, restaurants, rooms) is very tasteful.

• The 155 rooms and suites, including three rooftop suites, are all residential in style, offering contemporary luxury and harbourside living. Starting at a spacious 40 sqm, guest room interiors reflect a natural feel with rich layers of chocolate, cream and beige hues. All rooms come with luxurious furnishings & fittings, naturally textured fabrics, subtle plush carpets, designer lighting, plush beds and the latest technology.

• Floor-to-ceiling glass doors and spacious private balconies offer unrivalled harbour views from most rooms (except those facing the street and the Harbour Bridge). The most expensive rooms come with frontal views of the Opera House.

• Bathroom amenities are of excellent quality. Le Labo shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and body lotion are presented in Bergamote 22 fragrances.

• Specially commissioned paintings and artwork by prominent Australian artists are on display throughout the hotel and in the guestrooms, creating an art gallery of unique artefacts.

• High-speed wireless internet is complimentary for all guests.

• The hotel has a small albeit spectacular outdoor rooftop, exclusively for guests staying at the hotel, from where you can gaze at the breathtaking skyline views. It counts 16 sun loungers (with umbrellas) and 3 cabanas (with 6 additional sun loungers), and features a heated pool and lovely jacuzzi. The rooftop features in my top 10 list of the world’s most spectacular hotel rooftops.

• A dedicated 24-hour personal butler service is available to all guest.

• The hotel has a nice, small 24-hour gym.

• The Park Hyatt Sydney has a small but wonderful spa, featuring five private treatment rooms, a relaxation room, steam room, outdoor whirlpool and gymnasium.

• Service is impeccable, attentive and respectful of your privacy, in line with and what you would expect from one of the world’s most luxurious hotel brands.

• There are three options for dining: the Dining Room, Living Room and bar. The Dining Room Restaurant stands out and enjoys spectacular views of both the harbour and Opera House. Food is exquisite, and I would highly recommend at least one dinner here during your stay. In the morning, the Dining Room is the decor of the breakfast, which is served until 11 am; there’s a large selection from a menu ($45 AUD) in addition to a beautifully presented buffet (s35 AUD), with big glass fridge doors where you can take your fruit and cold cuts.

• Park Hyatt Sydney beats all other luxury hotels in town, given its location, view, and service, as well as its high-end and modern facilities.

CONS & THINGS TO KNOW

Park Hyatt Sydney is one of the best luxury hotels in Australia, if not the world. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at the hotel, and the overall experience was far beyond my already high expectations. There are just some (minor) issues that you need to know when considering a stay here:

• The hotel is very conveniently located for leisure travelers (who will be “wow-ed” by its stunning vistas of Sydney’s major attractions), but it is a little out-of-the-way for business travelers (unless you do not mind a 20 minute walk or short cab drive).

• The hotel enjoys the most spectacular location in Sydney and that comes with a premium price tag: room rate at the Park Hyatt Sydney is about twice the room rate that is charged at the other 5-star hotels in the city.

• Large cruise ships dock at the nearby pier during the day. While some may find this exciting to watch, others may be bothered by the fact that these cruise ships blocks a fair bit of the views towards the city.

• While still modern and fabulous, the rooms on the street side do not come with any views (and are less than desirable IMHO).

• The heated toilet seat in the bathroom was kind of awkward and not my cup of cake.

• Twin room have two single, rather narrow beds (and not queen sized beds, like is the case in most hotels in the USA). Beds are very comfy nevertheless.

• On the rooftop and outside the hotel, you hear the constant shudder of the trains and trucks crossing the bridge. But that should not put you off as this is a minor inconvenience related to the stunning location.

• The rooftop has only 22 sun loungers, so this may pose a problem when the hotel is at full capacity and a lot of hotel guests want to relax in and around the pool at the same time.

• Bathrooms are sleek and functional, but the walk-in shower (next to the tub) has a slippery floor.

• Turn down service is a little awkward: when you are not in the room, housekeeping staff will put on all lights. I am sure this is done to produce a stunning visual effect from the outside (and perhaps lure future visitors), but is not in line with an eco-friendly policy.

MY VERDICT

• Location: 9/10
• Design: 9/10
• Rooms: 9/10
• Food: 9/10
• Service: 9/10
• Overall experience: exceptional: 9/10

TIPS FOR FUTURE GUESTS & SAVE MONEY

• Save money: read my tips for getting the best deal at a luxury hotel like the Park Hyatt Sydney.

• Save money: enjoy exclusive and complimentary VIP amenities at the Park hyatt Sydney when booking via Virtuoso (eg.g. upgrade on arrival, daily continental breakfast, $100 USD spa credit, early check-in and late check-out).

• Save money: make use of Hyatt’s best rate guarantee. If you find a better rate, the Hyatt Hotel Group will match it and give you $50 toward your next stay.

• Avoid ending up in a (standard category) room on the wrong side (street) where you will not enjoy a view. Book at least a (view category) room that comes with views of the harbour or Opera House.

• Elite members of Hyatt’s loyalty program, World of Hyatt, are well treated, with – amongst other benefits – complimentary room upgrade (when available), early check-in or late check-out  (when available), and free breakfast. Click here to read my review of the World of Hyatt program (with pros & cons).

• Read my tips for preparing your trip in time.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

The best times to visit Sydney are late September to early December and late February to April. These months skirt Sydney’s high and low seasons, giving visitors comfortable temperatures and manageable tourist crowds. Because Australia sits in the Southern Hemisphere, Sydney’s warmest weather and peak tourist season occurs from late December to early February, which comes with premium hotel prices but will also give you the best beach weather (although the heat may be unbearable from time to time). Consequently, its low season is May through August.

HOW TO GET THERE

The hotel is located a 30-minute cab ride from Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD). Check the Wikipedia page of Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport for an updated list of airlines that offer direct flights to Sydney.

*** Follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for a daily moment of travel inspiration ***

The post Hotel review: Park Hyatt Sydney (Australia) appeared first on the Luxury Travel Expert.

Today (July 7th, 2014): travel tips: how to get the best deal at a luxury hotel and save money?

When booking a room at a luxury hotel, you have to choose whether you want the cheapest price for that room, or whether you want to enjoy extra perks and/or flexibility. I hereby present you my tips for getting the best deal at a luxury hotel and saving (lots of) money:

• 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

Think I forgot a tip? Share your own travel tips in the comments section below.

INSPIRATION FOR FINDING THE RIGHT HOTEL

• Be inspired by my luxury travel website & blog. Every week, I post top 10 travel lists and reviews of luxury hotels. You can subscribe to my newsletter (3x/week) and/or follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

• The Kiwi Collection is a great website featuring the best luxury hotels in the world.

• Read the Conde Nast Traveler and Travel&Leisure magazines.

• Read Tripadvisor reviews.

• Read Flyertalk posts (google the name of the hotel + flyertalk).

• Watch Youtube clips of hotels (you can find some examples on my Youtube Channel).

TIPS FOR WHEN TO BOOK

• Do not book too late as 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 the aggregator websites Hotelscombined and Trivago. These aggregators verify hotel prices at hundreds of other sites (e.g. Booking.com, Hotels.com, Otel.com, Hotelopia.com, Onhotels.com, Expedia, Ebookers, etc…) and show where you can book the cheapest rate. Try it out for yourself:

• The member-only websites Jetsetter, Secret Escapes and the Vacationist (which do not feature on aggregator websites) negotiate temporary, special rates with some of the world’s finest hotels, which can represent a discount of up to 60% (room only or room with breakfast).  Membership is free and without hassle (just submit your name and email address). Sign up for the Jetsetter, Secret Escapes and Vacationist newsletters, so that you stay updated about their temporary offers. Read here why I love Jetsetter so much, and here why I am a fan of Secret Escapes.

• Always compare the price that you found on aggregator or member-only websites with the one featured on the official hotel website to 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 can save you lots of money).

• If you find elsewhere a lower price than the one offered on the hotel website, make us of a Best 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 of discount coupons that you can find anywhere on the internet (google the website of hotel name + coupon). For example, Hotels.com is one of my prefered hotel booking websites that regularly sends out 10% discount coupons by email (albeit not valid for the big hotel chains though).

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

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

• Stay for free by using hotels points and credits that you collected in a hotel loyalty program (albeit very few of the top luxury hotel chains offer that option though).

• Stay for free or at a highly discounted rate by keeping an eye out for erroneous rates on this Flyertalk post.

TIPS FOR BOOKING A HOTEL ROOM WITH (FREE) EXTRA PERKS

• Some of the world’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 trying to find a lower price on an aggregator or member-only website as you won’t find one).

• Check the hotel website directly 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 on the hotel website, but rather through a Virtuoso travel advisor. Not only will they create unique journeys and explorations in 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 is not the case when you book the same rate via the hotel direcly. All hotels were you can enjoy the Virtuoso extra perks are listed on their website.  If you are an Aman junkie, like me, then Virtuoso is the only way to book your stay. Read here why I love Virtuoso so much. Most of the times, Virtuoso 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.

• Holders of an American Express premium or Visa Signature credit card can 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 of hotel loyalty programs will receive several benefits during their stay, ranging from late check-out and complimentary WiFi to suite upgrades and breakfast. Click here for more info.

• Elite members of Cathay 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 and score a complimentary stay at a luxury hotel by reading my tips for getting free hotel nights.

KEY POINTS

• Inspiration: this website + the Kiwi Collection.

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

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

• Best Rate Guarantee: match a lower rate and receive an 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 to of a (hotel) loyalty program.

• My preferred hotel booking websites: Hotels.com and Jetsetter.

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