The hotel perk shortcut hiding in plain sight
Reading Time: 2 minAs a self-proclaimed travel connoisseur with decades of experience leveraging points and miles to save money and elevate my experience, I default to DIY when planning trips. But in the early stages of planning potential options for a 20-year wedding anniversary trip, I stumbled upon one of the greatest travel hacks I’d overlooked to date: travel advisors.
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Shop our editors' picksA shortcut to elite-style perks
I discovered that many travel advisors do not charge for their services, especially if it’s a simple trip where you handle the extras like rental cars or transfers. They earn commission for each booking, but amazingly, the rates they’re able to secure generally match the flexible rate you’d see if booking direct.
Plus, when you book participating luxury properties through them, most travel advisors can secure a standard suite of benefits: a resort credit (typically $100 per stay), free breakfast for two adults, room upgrades when available, and early check-in and late checkout where available.
As I moved along in my planning, I settled on a luxury resort within the Marriott portfolio. Unfortunately, I’ve never been a “Marriott guy.” I’ve spent the bulk of my hotel nights at properties within the IHG and Hilton portfolios. Thus, I have no elite status at Marriott and have not picked up a co-branded credit card. That’s where the travel advisor comes in.
By booking the anniversary stay through the travel advisor, I was able to secure the list of perks I shared above on my stay, even without Marriott elite status. I see this as a major shortcut to enjoying perks that are typically reserved for a hotel’s elite members, without actually having that status up front.
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The card perk that covered six hotel nights in EuropeYou’ll still earn points on the way
The real cherry on top was that I’ll still earn Marriott points for the stay, getting me closer to a free night on a future trip.
If you’re interested in using my same travel advisor, reach out to Lindsay Bowling at Fora Travel and tell her Darren at Points Path sent you.
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