Why Work with a Travel Advisor
EXCLUSIVE PERKS AND VIP TREATMENT — INCLUDED WITH EVERY BOOKING
Image courtesy of Four Seasons George V ©Peter Vitale
Most people assume a travel advisor is a nice-to-have — useful for complicated itineraries, maybe, but not essential for a hotel booking they're perfectly capable of making themselves. What they don't have is access to the perks, upgrades, and inclusions that only come through an advisor.
Whether you book directly with a hotel or through an OTA like Expedia or Booking.com, you're a standard reservation. The rate is the rate, the room is the category you selected, and the experience is exactly what everyone else gets. There's nothing wrong with that — it's just not the whole picture.
The Perks You Can't Get On Your Own
Through my agency's membership in Virtuoso — an invitation-only network of the world's leading travel companies — I have access to preferred partnerships at over 2,000 properties worldwide. These benefits aren't available to the public, not through any booking site, and not by calling the hotel directly. The only way to access them is through an advisor who holds the partnership.
Here's what that looks like at a selection of partner properties:
Riva Lofts — Florence, Italy
Room upgrade, based on availability at check-in
Guaranteed 1pm late check-out
Complimentary glass of wine per guest
Complimentary daily parking
The Westbury — Dublin, Ireland
Room upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
Daily full breakfast for two
$100 USD food & beverage credit
Early check-in/late check-out
AlmaLusa Alfama — Lisbon, Portugal
Room upgrade, subject to availability
Guaranteed 2pm late check-out
Daily breakfast for two
Welcome amenity on arrival
Four Seasons Hotel George V — Paris, France
Room upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
Daily full breakfast for two
$100 USD food & beverage or spa credit
Early check-in/late check-out
Aman Kyoto — Kyoto, Japan
Room upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
Daily breakfast for two
$100 USD equivalent hotel credit
Early Check-In / Late Check-Out
These aren't occasional gestures — they're standard inclusions on every booking at partner properties.
More than the perks
Knowing which properties suit how you travel, which room categories are worth requesting, and how a hotel compares to its listing — that's where working with an advisor changes the experience before it even begins. And when something doesn't go to plan, you're not navigating it alone. You have someone with established relationships making calls on your behalf.
