I thought I'd continue to share some info about the preferred hotel programs that I belong to, as part of Lush Life's relationship with Vision and Direct Travel.
You are aware already that I am a member of the Virtuoso luxury consortium worldwide, which allows me to book hotels (and cruises, and tours, and customized holidays, etc) for clients worldwide and work with feet-on-the-ground experts. But, I am also a member of a couple of dozen preferred hotel programs. And, that means when I'm booking a
holiday for you, and customizing a trip that includes a hotel stay, I can slice and dice the benefits, ensuring I book the hotel for you that maximizes the perks.
Most times, that means that I book a hotel for you through the hotel proprietary program - for example, Four Seasons I book through the exclusive Four Seasons Preferred Partner Program.
Today, I'll share a little about the Accor Step program.
Based on the volume of sales I have in partnership with Vision and Direct Travel, my host agency and I have access to specific perks at premium and luxury hotels that are part of the Accor family. The Accor special program is called Accor Step, and here's a quick overview of what it's all about.
The Accor Step program is an exclusive, invitation-only network of high-end travel advisors from around the world. Thanks to my status as Accor Step, as my client, you will enjoy special value-added benefits at all premium and luxury Accor hotels and resorts worldwide.
When I book an Accor premium or luxury hotel for you (like a Raffles, a Fairmont, or a Sofitel), I can leverage my relationships (in terms of volume of sales) as well as personal connections (I have relationships with the sales directors at most of the hotels), so I can use those relationships to benefit you when you travel.
As an example, we can take advantage of the offers below, which include the Accor Step standardized amenities:
-
$50 or $100 USD credit to be spent on property; defined by each hotel
-
Daily complimentary breakfast for two people
-
Room upgrade at time of booking or check-in; defined by property upon availability
-
Early check-in, late check-out subject to availability
-
Complimentary Wi-Fi
Of course, it's not just the booking of the hotel stay. I then follow up with my specific representative at the hotel to ensure your reservation is tagged as my VIP client, and I leverage the preferred partner status to raise the priority of you getting perks like upgrades, etc. Just this morning, I was emailing my reps at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, the
Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, and the Fairmont Vancouver to let them know about some clients arriving shortly, and to ask their oversight and ensure a great welcome is extended to the client on my behalf.
Let me know if you'd like to discuss a specific hotel stay.
For specific articles about why you should book with an advisor, rather than book by yourself, see here:
Why Wouldn't You Do It Yourself
Booking a Cruise Yourself vs With Advisor
Booking Hawaii Yourself vs Through Advisor
Booking Rocky Mountaineer Yourself vs With Advisor
Hotel Programs
