Unlocking Hotel Perks: How We Get You Treated Like a VIP

For years, I’ve held Marriott Titanium and Hilton Diamond status. Like many frequent travelers, I appreciated the early check-in when available, the late checkout guarantee, and the occasional lounge access. But let’s be honest—those “breakfast perks” are often hit or miss. In the U.S., some properties now only offer a small continental option off the menu, and lounges can range from a true club with full meals and cocktails to little more than a workspace with bottled water.

Whenever I could, I leaned on the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) program—a network available only to Platinum and Centurion cardholders. It reliably delivered strong perks and upgrades and, in many cases, it even outperformed the benefits I was getting from my Marriott Titanium or Hilton Diamond status. The trade-off, though, was cost: FHR rates almost always came in higher than the hotel’s own Best Available Rate (BAR), and because the bookings were technically considered third-party, I often missed out on earning loyalty points and elite-qualifying nights. For years, I thought that was just the price of accessing those extra benefits.

Once I stepped into the world of luxury travel advising, I learned that wasn’t the full story. There are other programs that deliver the same kind of VIP treatment—and in many cases, even richer perks—without requiring a premium rate, membership fee, or credit card annual fee. That discovery completely changed the way I travel and how I now book for clients.

As I dug deeper, I realized what most travelers never hear: nearly every major hotel brand has its own in-house preferred partner program. These programs are designed to reward agencies that deliver significant business by letting them offer their clients top-tier perks at no extra cost.

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The Value Chain Is Simple

• The hotel includes perks at no extra cost because they know advisor-booked clients typically spend more on dining, spa, and on-property experiences. These preferred programs aren’t offered to every travel advisor—they’re reserved for agencies that consistently drive significant volume to the brand. It’s the hotel’s way of rewarding and encouraging those agencies to keep directing clients their way.
• The agency gains a powerful differentiator by being able to extend these elevated perks, while also maintaining access to the program by continuing to produce at scale.
• The client enjoys a VIP stay—receiving upgrades, credits, and recognition without paying more (unless an agency chooses to add its own service fee).

It’s a true win-win-win: hotels attract higher-value guests, agencies gain access to exclusive perks, and clients are treated like VIPs. Well—almost. For most agencies, there’s a catch: they have to send the majority of their bookings to a single brand in order to maintain their place in these preferred programs. That often means clients are steered toward one chain, whether or not it’s the perfect fit.

Here’s where we stand out: because our agency does over $500 million in annual commissionable sales, we’ve qualified for every major brand’s in-house program, we are also recognized by the top consortium Virtuosos, and maintain our own Fora Reserve program. That scale and recognition means we don’t have to play favorites or push you toward a single brand—we can simply match you with the property that’s the best fit for your trip, while still unlocking the highest level of recognition and perks available.

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The Hierarchy of Hotel Perks

When it comes to hotels, not all perks are created equal. Many tiers may promise things like a room upgrade or early check-in, but in the end those are finite resources and hotel management has to decide who gets them. For example, you may hold Hilton Diamond status, but that can actually place you below certain credit card bookings, consortia bookings, or in-house preferred partner bookings when upgrades are allocated.

So while no program can guarantee you’ll be “first in line,” the hierarchy below reflects how hotels typically prioritize requests—and by booking through us, we can put you in the strongest possible position:

1. Fora Reserve (top-producer agency recognition)
2. In-house brand programs (Marriott STARS, Hyatt Privé, Hilton for Luxury, etc.)
3. Consortia (Virtuoso, Signature, Traveller Made, etc.)
4. Membership programs (Amex FHR and other Luxury credit card programs, Tablet Plus, Mr & Mrs Smith, iPrefer, etc.)
5. Hotel loyalty status tiers (Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, etc.)

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1. Fora Reserve – Our Top Tier

At the very top of the hotel perks hierarchy is Fora Reserve, our own private portfolio of partner hotels. Because Fora is a top-producing agency with many global brands and independent properties, our clients recAt the very top of the hotel perks hierarchy is Fora Reserve, our own private portfolio of partner hotels. Because Fora is a top-producing agency with many global brands and independent properties, our clients receive an extraordinary level of recognition and benefits. In fact, at hotels where we have especially strong relationships, your reservation is often flagged as traveling with a Fora advisor, which puts you at the front of the line for upgrades, VIP treatment, and special touches—even if they are not a Fora Reserve partner.

What you can typically expect with Fora Reserve:

• Daily breakfast for two
• $100+ property credit per stay (dining, spa, or resort credit)
• Priority for room upgrades on arrival (subject to availability)
• Early check-in / late check-out (when available)
• Personalized welcome amenities and GM-level recognition

Because we already have access to nearly every major hotel group’s in-house preferred program and top-tier consortium benefits, Fora Reserve becomes an extra layer on top of it all. It ensures our clients are recognized as some of the hotel’s most valued guests, while still paying the Best Available Rate (or member rate, when applicable)—with no extra cost or service fee.

With Fora Reserve, you don’t have to worry about chasing status or memberships. You simply get the highest level of VIP treatment available, every time you book through us.

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2. Brand-Owned Luxury Programs – Always a Win

These are each brand’s own preferred-partner programs. When we book through them, you pay the BeThese are each brand’s own preferred-partner programs. When we book through them, you pay the Best Available Rate (BAR) (or member rates in some cases, like Hilton) and unlock rich benefits such as:

• Daily breakfast for two
• $100+ property credit (often F&B or spa)
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Early check-in / late check-out (when available)
• Room upgrade on arrival (when available)
• VIP touches like a welcome amenity and GM recognition
• At select flagships: dedicated on-property VIP support

Because our agency qualifies across every major group, we can extend these perks at no extra cost—second only to Fora Reserve in priority and recognition. Our access includes:

The Big Five (Mega Brands)

• Marriott International — Marriott STARS & Marriott Luminous (Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, EDITION, select MGM under STARS; JW, W, Autograph, select Marriott, select MGM and others under Luminous)
• Hyatt — Hyatt Privé (Park Hyatt, Andaz, Alila, Thompson, and more)
• Hilton — Hilton for Luxury (formerly Impresario; Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, LXR, Signia, NoMad); often applies to the member rates – Hilton Honors – as well.
• IHG — Luxury & Lifestyle (a.k.a. IHG Destined) (Six Senses, Regent, InterContinental, Kimpton, Vignette)
• Accor — HERA (formerly STEP) (Sofitel, Fairmont, Raffles, Orient Express, Ennismore lifestyle brands)

Luxury Groups & Independents

• Four Seasons — Four Seasons Preferred
• Rosewood — Rosewood Elite
• Mandarin Oriental — Mandarin Oriental Fan Club
• Dorchester Collection — Dorchester Diamond Club
• Oetker Collection — Oetker Pearl Partner
• Belmond — Bellini Club by Belmond
• Jumeirah — Jumeirah Passport to Luxury
• Shangri-La — Shangri-La The Luxury Circle
• The Peninsula — Peninsula PenClub
• Langham — COUTURE by Langham (Often applies to member rates – Brilliant by Langham as well)
• Viceroy — has The Guild, but is a member of Fora Reserve
• Meliá – MeliaPro Bravos
• Palace Resorts – Palace Pro Agents
• Anantara – Anantara Journeys
• Rocco Forte – Rocco Forte Knights
• Relais & Châteaux – Relais & Châteaux Preferred
• Noble House – Noble House VIP Select
• Small Luxury Hotels — withIN by SLH
• Leading Hotels of the World — Leading Hotels (LHW)
• Preferred Hotels & Resorts — Preferred Platinum Partner

These programs sit just below Fora Reserve in the hierarchy and consistently outrank standard loyalty tiers when it comes to priority for room upgrades and early check-in/late check-out. The reason is simple: they’re the hotel groups’ own flagship channels for recognizing top agency clients.

For example, Marriott STARS goes beyond the usual perks by providing access to an on-property Ambassador team dedicated to VIP guests. Normally, that level of recognition is only unlocked by reaching Ambassador Elite status on your own—which requires 100+ nights and $23,000 in annual qualifying spend. When you book through a Marriott Preferred Partner agency like ours, you gain that same treatment automatically, without needing to chase those thresholds.

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3. Consortia with Perks – Wide Reaching, Great Perks

On top of brand programs, we also belong to the world’s most powerful travel consortia. These networks negOn top of brand programs, we also belong to the world’s most powerful travel consortia. These networks negotiate perks across portfolios of luxury and independent hotels while also validating advisors, hotels, and even non-hotel vendors like tour operators. In the industry, Virtuoso is considered the gold standard—the most recognized and respected name in luxury travel.

Key distinction: consortia perks generally sit above hotel loyalty status tiers, but below in-house programs when it comes to upgrades and VIP treatment. The real advantage is flexibility: because we’re credentialed in both consortia and brand programs, we can choose the option that best aligns with your goals.

Example:

• At The Roosevelt, the Hilton for Luxury program offers a breakfast credit of $30 per person per day, plus Diamond-level recognition during the stay (double points and higher upgrade priority).
• The same property also participates in Virtuoso, which offers a more generous breakfast credit of $45 per person per day—but without the added status recognition or points bonus.

Depending on the length of stay and your overall goals, one program may deliver more value than the other. This is where our expertise matters—we don’t just apply perks automatically; we strategically select the program that maximizes your experience.

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4. Membership & Credit Card Programs — Curated, But Limited

Membership programs are consumer-facing and fee-based, offering lighter perks like upgrades, early/late check-out, welcome amenities, or small credits. They fall under the larger umbrella of online travel agencies (OTAs)—think Expedia or Booking.com—but with a more curated, selective approach.

The trade-off is that because they’re third-party bookings, hotels often won’t award loyalty points or elite credits. This is where programs like Amex FHR, Capital One Premier Collection, Citi Prestige Luxury Collection, Visa Luxury Hotel Collection, and the Mastercard Luxury Hotels & Resorts Collection fall. They offer nice extras, but they’re tied to card memberships and annual fees, and they don’t carry the same recognition as advisor-driven channels.

One standout here is Tablet Plus, part of the Michelin Guide. Normally, Tablet Plus requires an annual membership fee—but we’re able to book it for our clients and maintain the membership on your behalf at no cost. We love this program not just for the perks, but because it’s one of my favorite research tools for uncovering boutique, design-forward stays that don’t always appear in larger networks.

That said, if a Tablet Plus property also participates in one of our in-house or consortium programs (like STARS, Virtuoso, or Fora Reserve), we’ll book through those instead, since they usually deliver stronger perks, richer credits, and higher upgrade priority.

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5) Hotel Loyalty Programs — The Baseline

Hotel loyalty programs vary widely by brand—some are strong, some underwhelming. On paper, they promise valuable perks like upgrades, lounge access, or bonus points. But in practice, they’re often overshadowed by the higher-priority programs above.

Many top-tier statuses can also be reached through credit card shortcuts rather than actual nights stayed. For example, the Hilton Aspire Card (annual fee: $550) automatically grants Diamond status. While loyalty can be rewarding for frequent travelers, it’s rarely the most reliable way to unlock perks compared to advisor or consortium channels.

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Why This Matters for You

Here’s the beauty: you don’t need to be an elite loyalty member or carry a high-fee credit card to be treated like a VIP. By booking through us, you gain access to the highest recognition channels at nearly any hotel—whether it’s a Ritz-Carlton, a Rosewood, or a boutique gem in Paris. And because we belong to virtually every major preferred program, our reach is far greater than what you could achieve by chasing status with a single chain or paying for a membership platform.

You’ll still earn your points and elite nights with the hotel’s loyalty program, but you’ll also enjoy perks usually reserved for top-tier elites or premium-card holders.

Personally, I’m still Hilton Diamond and Marriott Titanium, but I no longer chase status. These programs let me choose the property that best fits my trip—without giving up the perks. As one example, Hilton’s luxury partner program even extends double points (normally a Diamond-only perk) to bookings made through us.

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Final Thought

With $500M+ in annual hotel sales, we’ve earned preferred access across every major brand, consortium, and membership program. That means we don’t need to steer you toward one particular chain—we focus on the property that’s the best fit for your trip, while still unlocking VIP treatment and recognition at the highest level.

If you’d like me to check what perks you qualify for on your next trip, just send me your travel dates and destination. Chances are, we can make your stay better, easier, and more rewarding—without paying extra for it.ks you qualify for on your next trip, just send me your travel dates and destination. Chances are, we can make your stay better, easier, and more rewarding—without paying extra for it.

Disclaimer: Perks that are subject to availability—such as upgrades and early/late check-in—are ultimately at the discretion of hotel management. While we can’t guarantee outcomes, our access across every major program ensures you’re always competing near the top of the list. We’ll always make it clear which perks are guaranteed and which depend on availability.