One of the things we love most about what we do is matching our clients tastes' with the greatest hotels in the world.  And with our preferred status with these industry leading hotel brands it means our clients are instant VIP's with upgrades and special perks that you only get working with an elite partner.  So, not only do we have the best rates, but more importantly you get an exceptional experience over and above what you would booking direct or with a credit card. (See the special programs I'm affiliated with below, and let me know if you’d like to discuss a specific hotel stay. )

This week, I answered a question a 20,000+ strong women's professional networking group about my ability to get early check in for clients. In case you wondered about that, I thought I'd share my response:

Early check-in is a perk that luxury travel advisors can request/ negotiate with their best hotel partners/ preferred suppliers. Granting those perks will depend on leveraging relationships between travel advisor and hotel, as well as advisor and client. 

Occupancy at hotel is a factor, as are hotel resources for room turnover, and your frequency of stay, the volume of business your advisor does with hotel and its brand family, and your advisor’s host agency’s preferred partner relationship. With all those provisos, the only way to guarantee early check in is to pay for the night prior. But if your advisor is well-connected in industry, and you’re staying in luxury hotels, your odds of gaining are significantly increased. 

I am a Virtuoso luxury advisor, Four Seasons preferred partner, and member of preferred hotel programs like Belmond Bellini, Rosewood Elite, Accor Luxury Step and Fairmont Famous Agent, Leading Hotels, etc., etc. While I rarely book hotel only reservations for clients (I specialize in river and expedition cruises, customized trips to Australia and Africa), I have ways to leverage my relationships to benefit my clients - you may be able to self-book luxury properties through my specific Virtuoso hotel booking engine, and I can VIP you with my partners; or I can pull on even stronger relationships if I work with hotels directly with their own brand’s proprietary luxury hotel program. 

And if you're wondering, here are some blog posts about why you should book with an advisor, rather than book by yourself, see here:

Here is some info for you about how to self-book luxury properties through my specific Virtuoso hotel booking engine. You can now browse and book hotels online https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/sheilagallanthalloran/travel/luxury-hotels  at your convenience – and what’s more, you’ll still receive all the usual benefits you get when I book your travel - including preferred rates, and exclusive amenities.  And once you make a booking, the information comes directly to me so I can follow up with you! It’s perfect for last minute getaways, weekend breaks, or other short trips!  As long as you don't need me to provide any additional services or assistance, you can self-book hotels, and I will waive normal booking and management fees. (If you need additional assistance after the booking, normal fees will apply.)

I can pull on even stronger relationships if you'd like my assistance to work with hotels directly with their own brand’s proprietary luxury hotel program. A strong example of that is any Four Seasons hotel bookings, as I am a Four Seasons preferred partner. So, bookings for Four Seasons directly, rather than you self-booking through the Virtuoso.com booking engine link (above) will bestow additional benefits that I can leverage as a preferred Four Seasons partner. So, let me know if you want to book a Four Seasons - or any of the hotels below, and I can get some extra benefits and "love" for you.