Virtuoso is the leading global network of travel advisors specializing in luxury travel, with over 20,000 advisors worldwide. Virtuoso has forged unique partnerships with over 1,700 of the world’s absolute best hotels – from luxury chains like the world-leading Aman and Capella, to some of the world’s finest boutique hotels. Virtuoso advisors leverage their personal connections at hotels and their own travel experiences to craft tailored trips for clients, offering access to a plethora of fantastic benefits as well as unique discounts not available to the public.

Through Virtuoso you’ll get access to VIP benefits like complimentary breakfast, room upgrades, unique experiences, hotel credits and much more on your next hotel stay. You also get unique access to promotional rates like third/fourth/fifth night free at select hotels that are not otherwise available to the general public.

Lyxresan Travels are proud members of Virtuoso and can through the programme we can offer you unique benefits. In this article we’ll go through everything you need to know about Virtuoso.

What is Virtuoso and what hotels participate in the programme?

Over 1700 hotels globally are part of the program – from independent luxury hotels that are true hidden gems you may not recognize by name, to some of the world’s absolute best hotel chains like Aman, Capella and Rosewood. The common denominator for all participating hotels is that they have passed Virtuoso’s strict quality controls to be part of the program. This means you can always expect a stay of the highest caliber when booking a Virtuoso hotel.

In the selection, we find, among others, the fantastic Aman, considered by many as the world’s best hotel chain. In line with Aman’s hyper-exclusive and ultra-luxurious reputation, you will never find a price lower than what is published on Aman’s own website. But by booking through us, you can book at exactly the same price as Aman themselves offer, but with additional complimentary benefits easily worth several hundred dollars.

A complete list of participating hotels is available on Virtuoso’s website.

Criteria for participation in Virtuoso

The goal is for you as a customer to always feel comfortable knowing that all 1700 hotels participating – even though they are naturally in different price ranges and offer different levels of service – maintain a very high standard no matter where you want to travel.

The full criteria list is not published – but we do know that the minimum requirements to become a Virtuoso hotel is to meet the following criteria:

• The hotel is five-star or four-star deluxe
• The hotel is located in a popular city or unique geographic location
• The hotel has consistently demonstrated unique levels of service and quality, proving over time its ability to deliver luxury experiences, attention to detail, and expertise in tailoring customer experiences and attending to individual guest needs
• The hotel offers breakfast, unique benefits, and discounts to Virtuoso guests
• The hotel has received warm recommendations from Virtuoso luxury travel advisors like us here at Lyxresan Travels
• The hotel meets other strict quality requirements that qualify it as one of the best hotels in its destination

In other words – the list of requirements is strict and there are quite a lot of hoops that a hotel needs to jump through in order to qualify as a Virtuoso hotel. Many hotels fail to qualify despite trying multiple times.

You may wonder, why do hotels want to be part of Virtuoso? Well, hotels participate in the program because they want access to luxury travel advisor’s clients. The hotels know that customers who turn to a luxury travel advisor typically spend more on their hotel experiences and are therefore considered extra valuable customers for the hotels. In return, they offer unique benefits that customers can enjoy, as well as discounts not available to the general public.

The benefits included with a Virtuoso booking

The typical benefits when booking through Virtuoso include:

The great thing about Virtuoso is that you don’t need to think about hotel status when booking through the programme – as the benefits offered are akin to having top tier status at the hotel you stay at, and you’re always guaranteed to have VIP status with the hotels.

Furthermore, hotels have the ability to offer additional benefits, such as larger credits for longer stays or confirmed room upgrades at the time of booking.

A great example of how a hotel offers unique benefits that reflect the hotel’s identity is the charming Domaine les Crayères, surrounded by several Champagne houses and boasting only 20 rooms. Here are the benefits offered:

• Full daily breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant or via in-room dining
• Upgrade upon arrival, subject to availability
• Complimentary visit and tour of either Champagne House Taittinger or Pommery, including wine tasting
• Complimentary bottle of champagne, once per stay (served in the bar, in-room, or as a gift to take home)
• Early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability

For most hotels, you can see which benefits are included by searching for the hotel’s name on Virtuoso’s website and then clicking on “Virtuoso Amenities”. We are also happy to provide additional information on the unique benefits offered by specific hotels.

Is it more expensive to book through the Virtuoso programme?

Virtuoso’s prices usually correspond to the hotel’s ‘Best Available Rate‘, which are the most flexible prices offered by the hotel with the most generous cancellation policy. In practice, this means that the hotel can offer lower prices with a stricter cancellation policy – for example, a non-refundable booking, or prices that offer fewer or no benefits at all.

That being said, it’s worth noting that many hotels offer promotional rates through Virtuoso where you have the opportunity for discounts on the nightly rate, such as third, fourth, or fifth night free, in addition to the benefits. In cases where the Virtuoso price is slightly higher than the hotel’s lowest price, it may still be worthwhile to book those rates as the benefits such as breakfast, credit, and upgrade often exceed the value of the price difference.

Example: Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel & Spa, Mallorca

If we look at three nights in July 2024, the lowest Virtuoso price is 3530 EUR including taxes and fees. This price also includes daily breakfast, $100 hotel credit, a welcome gift, upgrade upon availability, early check-in, and late check-out. The Virtuoso price allows free cancellation up to 5 days before check-in.

However, the hotel offers a lower price on its own website at 3330 EUR, which includes breakfast. The difference is that the lower price on Jumeirah’s own website is non-refundable and does not allow any changes.

This means that the Virtuoso price for these dates is a total of 200 EUR more expensive than the hotel’s lowest price. However, there are some important differences that make it worth booking the Virtuoso price despite the price difference.

The lower price on Jumeirah’s own website is non-refundable and only includes breakfast. However, the Virtuoso price allows free cancellation up to 5 days before check-in, includes breakfast, $100 USD credit (approximately 93 EUR), room upgrade, welcome gift, early check-in and late check-out, and VIP status. Additionally, you get invaluable flexibility to cancel at no cost if your plans change.

As mentioned earlier in the article, hotels often offer promotional rates, such as the fourth night free. During these dates, Jumeirah Port Soller also offers the fourth night free. If you had booked four nights through Virtuoso instead, you would have received the fourth night free, meaning the nightly price through Virtuoso would have been significantly lower than the cheapest, non-refundable price on Jumeirah’s own website. And you would have also received a plethora of valuable benefits at no extra cost.

Free Night Offers: Third/fourth/fifth night free

It’s often worth booking through the program even when there are no special offers, but the positive thing is that many hotels often offer promotional rates in addition to the benefits.

The program offers two types of discounts:

• Percentage discounts – for instance a discount of 20% for a stay exceeding 3 nights
• Free night offers – for instance the third/fourth/fifth night free

For example, one of our absolute favorite hotels in Mexico, Banyan Tree Mayakoba, offers 25% discount for stays longer than four nights, and in addition to this you’re of course provided the usual Virtuoso benefits.

For hotels offering the third, fourth, or fifth night free, you can practically get up to a 33% discount when staying at a Virtuoso hotel and additionally enjoy fantastic benefits such as breakfast, credits, upgrades, and VIP treatment:

Third night free	33% discount
Fourth night free	25% discount
Fifth night free	20% discount

Our team is happy to provide you with promotional rates at the destination you’re interested in, but you can also find a current list of promotions on Virtuoso’s website.

Earn points on Virtuoso bookings

As all Virtuoso rates go through the hotel groups’ internal systems, you earn points as usual, can earn nights towards the next status level, and you can also use your status benefits and combine them with your Virtuoso benefits.

For example, if you have Hilton Gold status and book a Virtuoso stay at one of the Hilton hotels participating in the program, you will earn points on your stay and be able to use your Hilton Gold benefits just like usual – and in addition, you will also receive Virtuoso benefits.

We pass on your membership number when we make your booking at any of the hotels belonging to the major hotel groups so that you earn points when booking through us.

A few of our favorite Virtuoso hotels

There is no end to hotels in the programme that we adore, but below are four of our absolute favorites.

Esprit Saint-Germain, Paris

This boutique hotel is designed to feel like someone’s home and is ideally located in the heart of luxurious Saint Germain des Prés. Esprit Saint Germain underwent a total renovation in 2021 with an authentic Parisian atmosphere. This is exactly what you imagine a French hotel to be – very intimate and warm, beautifully designed, with genuine loving care in each of its 28 rooms, suites, apartments, and lounges. Guests are welcomed as if they were friends in someone’s home with personalized and dedicated service, enjoying complimentary drinks anytime during their stay while sitting in the living room by the open fireplace.

Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park

After extensive renovation, The Ritz-Carlton New York has reimagined luxury in Manhattan’s Midtown, drawing inspiration from nearby Central Park. This iconic New York hotel with 253 rooms is just steps away from famous cultural attractions, and with several rooms offering iconic views of Central Park, there are few better places to explore the vibrant city. In 2019, the hotel was awarded for having one of the world’s finest hotel rooms by Forbes. With multiple delightful restaurants and bars, the legendary service will help you create unforgettable memories at The Ritz-Carlton Central Park.

Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai

Al Maha is an exclusive oasis nestled among lush palm trees and iconic sand dunes in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. At this 5-star hotel, you’ll stay in a luxurious version of a Bedouin tent, secluded and offering iconic views of the vast plains and Hajar mountains. All world-class meals are included, as well as two activities per night, including camel rides in the desert at sunset, archery, nature walks, and more. Al Maha offers one of the most unique hotel experiences you can have, and we highly recommend a stay here.

Domaines les Crayères

Thanks to the fact that each hotel room is unique, you’ll come back year after year to try them all. Enjoy artistic masterpieces on the high ceilings and sparkling crystal chandeliers. Visit the main restaurant for a gourmet experience that blends regional traditions with modern elegance. And one thing is for sure – Champagne flows freely here. The estate is surrounded by the most beautiful Champagne houses: Ruinart, Veuve Clicquot, and Taittinger. The personalized service here is world-class.

Frequently asked questions about Virtuoso

Summary

Virtuoso is the world’s largest collection of specially curated luxury hotels, currently with over 1700 hotels where you can access VIP benefits such as breakfast, upgrades, hotel credits, and other unique perks. In addition to this, you often gain access to promotional rates and offers that are not available to the general public. The strength of Virtuoso lies in the rigorous quality control that hotels undergo, ensuring that you can always count on a Virtuoso hotel to maintain high standards. Click here to get a free Virtuoso quote from our team.