As a frequent traveller I’m sure you have heard of Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Impresario and Hyatt Prive etc. They are all dedicated VIP hotel booking programs which provide special channels for you to book high-end hotels with additional benefits.
However, these programs are not open to everyone – Amex FHR requires you to have an Amex Platinum or Centurion card, and for the others you must book via a qualified travel agent which is a bit of a hassle. Also such hotels aren’t usually cheap.
There is actually an alternative provided by Visa, which is much more widely accessible. The program is called Visa Luxury Hotel Collection, and you could try it out here.
You can expect the following benefits when booking via VLHC:
- Free breakfast daily
- $25 in hotel credit per stay
- Free wi-fi
- Room upgrade subject to availability
- 3pm late checkout subject to availability
They are not as good as FHR, since the credit is only $25 (v.s. $100), and late checkout is not guaranteed. VLHC also offers Best Rate Guarantee which is currently suspended – the rate usually is just the Best Flexible Rate though so I doubt you’ll need it.
First of all, as long as you have a Visa card you should be able to book, unlike Amex FHR. Although VLHC is supposed to be reserved for Visa premium cardholders, I tried my pleb Barclays debit card and it worked.
Secondly, VLHC covers many hotels that are relatively cheaper. Have a look at some hotels in London:
- The May Fair / £217
- The Stratford Hotel / £135
- Andaz London Liverpool Street / £199
- Conrad London St James / £225
You don’t typically see London FHR hotels going for under £300. You should always check all portals though as the hotel may offer significantly lower rate for booking direct (albeit without breakfast and $25 credit).
The main sweet spots are in Asia. Some Conrad / InterContinental / Hyatt hotels in China can be had for sub-£100, and if you head to Indonesia and Thailand, even under £50. These hotels are way too cheap to be placed in FHR, Impresario, LuxLife or Prive, thus booking a one-night stay with VLHC represents true value especially if you don’t have elite status with the hotel chain.
Similar to FHR, VLHC also runs complimentary-night offers. Some the current offers include:
- Shangri-la the Shard, London / Complimentary 4th night
- Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona / Complimentary 3rd night
- Park Hyatt, New York / Complimentary 3rd night
- Shangri-la, Singapore / Complimentary 3rd night
Compared to FHR, VLHC doesn’t provide as substantial benefits if you already hold elite status with the hotel chain. However, if you don’t have the elite status, have no access to FHR or are travelling in Asia, it can still provide you with some good value.
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