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As we speak: Easy methods to e book & get monetary savings at One&Solely Resorts?
One&Solely ranks amongst my favourite resort manufacturers on the planet. One&Solely was created in 2002 completely for the posh resort market by Solomon Kerzner – a South African accountant and enterprise magnate – and now options a number of the highest-rated resorts in essentially the most idyllic spots on the planet, such because the Maldives, Mexico, Montenegro, Rwanda and Cape City. Every resort within the One&Solely assortment not solely gives a novel design and ambiance which embraces the native environment, but additionally an unparalleled dedication to the best expertise on each doable stage. Luxurious lodging is complemented by impeccable service, unique wellness sanctuaries, energetic leisure and a number.
However with the group’s stellar repute additionally comes a heavy price ticket. Staying at a One&Solely Resort typically requires deep pockets, with entry room charges effectively above $1000 USD per evening at a number of properties. Sadly, One&Solely at present lacks a formalized factors loyalty program – most likely as a result of their rich visitors preserve returning anyway. One&Solely additionally doesn’t have an invitation-only program, opposite to a few of its opponents (for instance, Belmond Bellini Membership and 4 Seasons Most popular Program). Nonetheless, there are some suggestions & methods that may prevent cash when staying at a One&Solely Resort. On this article:
You possibly can share your personal methods within the feedback under.
1. BOOK VIA VIRTUOSO
All One&Solely Resorts are members of Virtuoso. Virtuoso isn’t your basic resort reserving engine web site. It’s the trade’s main, invitation-only community of the world’s finest luxurious journey advisors, spanning over 26 international locations and 9,000 journey advisors. So while you e book a Belmond resort by way of Virtuoso, more often than not, you’ll be in contact with a Virtuoso journey agent who will make the reserving for you. There are some Virtuoso journey businesses although that provide a web based reserving software, resembling Traditional Journey, which has a superb web site and is my total most popular Virtuoso journey company for reserving a Belmond (or another luxurious) resort.
Reserving a One&Solely Resort by way of Virtuoso as a substitute of by way of the official One&Solely web site has the next advantages:
- The one finest purpose to e book a One&Solely Resort by a Virtuoso journey agent is that it means worth for cash as you’ll get entry to complimentary VIP perks, resembling room improve, versatile check-in and check-out occasions, every day breakfast and a resort, spa, or meals credit score (or one thing else). Whereas the precise perks differ from resort to resort, they’ll simply be value just a few hundred {dollars} per evening.
- Most often, the Virtuoso charge is an identical to the Greatest Out there Charge (BAR) discovered on the official One&Solely web site, which is a versatile charge that may be cancelled with out penalty. For that purpose, you’re leaving cash on the desk in the event you e book a paid keep at the most effective obtainable charge (BAR) by way of the One&Solely web site and never by way of Virtuoso.
It’s necessary to emphasise that early reserving low cost charges, particular promotional packages, company charges, group charges, and different discounted charges don’t qualify for Virtuoso advantages. Due to this fact, I all the time advocate to verify the bottom charge on the One&Solely web site, after which weigh the professionals and cons earlier than deciding whether or not to e book by way of Virtuoso (finest obtainable charge with free advantages) or not.
2. BOOK VIA YOUR CREDIT CARD COMPANY
While you personal an American Specific bank card, you possibly can e book virtually any One&Solely Resort by way of Amex Effective Inns & Resorts. This can give you comparable advantages as these supplied by way of a Virtuoso journey agent:
- Room improve upon arrival when obtainable
- Day by day (continental) breakfast for 2 folks
- Assured late 4pm check-out time
- Midday check-in when obtainable
- A spa, meals, and/or beverage credit score (valued at a minimal of US$ 100 USD)
Holders of a Visa Signature bank card may profit from Virtuoso-like additional perks at One&Solely Resorts once they make the reserving by way of their bank card journey workplace and/or pay with their bank card. Contact your native VISA bank card firm to search out out whether or not they provide this journey service.
While you personal a Citi Status Card (USA residents solely) you may make use of the fourth evening free profit: while you e book a 4 evening keep at a Belmond property, you get reimbursed the price of the fourth evening, minus any taxes and repair charges. The fourth evening profit is calculated primarily based on the typical nightly charge of your full keep. Reservations should be made by Thankyou.com or the Citi Status Concierge and you have to pay in your keep along with your Citi Status Card, ThankYou factors, or a mix of the 2.
3. BOOK VIA HOTELS.COM
Inns.com – a part of Expedia – is one in every of my favourite resort reserving web sites, primarily for 3 causes:
- You accumulate credit in direction of free resort nights by way of Inns.com’s Rewards program. While you e book and keep 10 nights at eligible accommodations, you’ll get 1 evening free to redeem at one other. Inns.com works out the typical worth of all the ten nights you’ve collected and offers it again to you as a free evening. All you could do is make a free Rewards account and login into your account earlier than making any bookings.
- You possibly can typically apply 10% low cost coupons. Sadly, virtually all the world’s main resort chains are excluded from the record of accommodations for which you should use a reduction coupon (though I’ve been ready to make use of low cost coupons for reserving Belmond properties previously)
- Inns.com additionally has a superb Greatest Charge Assure (BRG) program: in the event you discover a cheaper value, Inns.com will match that charge (and refund you the distinction) after you submit an on-line BRG declare. The Inns.com BRG is offered just for actual itinerary matches, together with property, room sort, and dates of journey (as is the case with all different BRG packages). The BRG additionally contains an an identical cancellation coverage (which may make it more durable in your BRG declare to be permitted).
These three benefits work very effectively when reserving a keep at a One&Solely Resort. As talked about above, One&Solely doesn’t have a loyalty program, so chances are you’ll as effectively e book the room by way of Inns.com as a substitute of the official Belmond web site in order that you’ll get a few of your a reimbursement in the long run (by investing it in direction of free resort nights).
It’s necessary to note that Expedia is at present rolling out a brand new loyalty program – known as One Key – which is able to exchange the Inns.com Rewards program. One Key launched in July 2023 in the US, with different international locations to observe later in 2024.
4. BOOK VIA THE ONE&ONLY WEBSITE
Apart from the Greatest Out there Charges (BAR) – that are all the time finest booked by way of a Virtuoso journey agent – it is sensible to verify the One&Solely web site for the presence of any gives, packages or particular offers. You possibly can verify these offers by clicking on the “provide” tab on the highest of the house web page of every One&Solely Resort. A number of sorts of offers are supplied:
- Single resort package deal offers require a multi-day keep at one property and normally embrace a reduction on the room charge and some advantages resembling airport transfers and complimentary wellness therapies.
- Multi-hotel package deal offers are supplied in locations the place One&Solely manages a number of properties in shut proximity to at least one one other (e.g. ). The package deal offers normally provide a reduced keep while you go to a number of accommodations throughout one itinerary along with complimentary transfers between the accommodations and few different advantages (e.g. spa therapies).
That mentioned, reserving immediately by way of the One&Solely web site is my least most popular technique of reserving, and right here’s why:
- One&Solely doesn’t have a income primarily based loyalty program, so you can’t earn credit with the corporate in direction of free resort nights. The one method to make your stays at One&Solely depend for some form of loyalty scheme is by making the bookings by way of Inns.com, the place you possibly can make investments right into a free resort evening for each ten nights booked (which will be spent at different Belmond accommodations).
- Most resort manufacturers provide a finest charge assure: in the event you discover a decrease qualifying charge on the web, the resort will match the decrease charge, and sometimes throw in a further low cost. Sadly, One&Solely doesn’t provide a finest charge assure.
- By no means e book a versatile ‘finest obtainable charge’ on the One&Solely web site. As soon as once more, as defined above, you’re leaving cash on the desk in the event you e book a paid keep at a One&Solely Resort by way of the resort web site and never by way of Virtuoso, as a result of you possibly can’t obtain Virtuoso advantages (resembling breakfast, free improve, and a resort credit score) by reserving immediately with the resort.
IMHO, it’s totally bizarre that One&Solely isn’t rewarding loyal customers who e book immediately by way of the corporate’s official web site, however that you would be able to rating free stays at One&Solely Resorts by reserving by way of Inns.com or get very good advantages at One&Solely Resorts (as in the event you would have elite standing) by reserving by Virtuoso or your bank card firm.
5. MY REVIEWS & YOUTUBE VIDEOS OF ONE&ONLY RESORTS
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