Ideas for reserving & saving cash at One&Solely Resorts

Friday newsletters all the time function luxurious journey contests, ideas, or information.

Right this moment: How one can ebook & lower your expenses at One&Solely Resorts?

One&Solely ranks amongst my favourite resort manufacturers on the planet. One&Solely was created in 2002 solely for the luxurious resort market by Solomon Kerzner – a South African accountant and enterprise magnate – and now options among 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 affords a singular design and ambiance which embraces the native environment, but in addition an unparalleled dedication to the best expertise on each potential degree. Luxurious lodging is complemented by impeccable service, unique wellness sanctuaries, energetic leisure and a bunch.

However with the group’s stellar fame additionally comes a heavy price ticket. Staying at a One&Solely Resort usually requires deep pockets, with entry room charges effectively above $1000 USD per night time at a number of properties. Sadly, One&Solely at the moment lacks a formalized factors loyalty program – most likely as a result of their rich visitors hold returning anyway. One&Solely additionally doesn’t have an invitation-only program, opposite to a few of its rivals (for instance, Belmond Bellini Membership and 4 Seasons Most popular Program). Nonetheless, there are some ideas & methods that may prevent cash when staying at a One&Solely Resort. On this article:

You’ll be able to share your personal methods within the feedback beneath.

1. BOOK VIA VIRTUOSO

All One&Solely Resorts are members of Virtuoso. Virtuoso is just not 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 nations and 9,000 journey advisors. So once you ebook 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 an internet reserving instrument, similar to Basic Journey, which has a superb web site and is my general 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 only finest motive to ebook a One&Solely Resort by means of a Virtuoso journey agent is that it means worth for cash as you’ll get entry to complimentary VIP perks, similar to room improve, versatile check-in and check-out instances, 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 night time.
• Usually, the Virtuoso price is equivalent to the Greatest Obtainable Price (BAR) discovered on the official One&Solely web site, which is a versatile price that may be cancelled with out penalty. For that motive, you’re leaving cash on the desk when you ebook a paid keep at the very best accessible price (BAR) by way of the One&Solely web site and never by way of Virtuoso.

It’s essential 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 suggest to test the bottom price on the One&Solely web site, after which weigh the professionals and cons earlier than deciding whether or not to ebook by way of Virtuoso (finest accessible price with free advantages) or not.

2. BOOK VIA YOUR CREDIT CARD COMPANY

While you personal an American Specific bank card, you may ebook nearly any One&Solely Resort by way of Amex Wonderful Motels & Resorts. This can give you comparable advantages as these provided by way of a Virtuoso journey agent:

• Room improve upon arrival when accessible
• Each day (continental) breakfast for 2 folks
• Assured late 4pm check-out time
• Midday check-in when accessible
• A spa, meals, and/or beverage credit score (valued at a minimal of US$ 100 USD)

Holders of a Visa Signature bank card may also 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 seek 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 night time free profit: once you ebook a 4 night time keep at a Belmond property, you get reimbursed the price of the fourth night time, minus any taxes and repair charges. The fourth night time profit is calculated based mostly on the typical nightly price of your full keep. Reservations have to be made by means of Thankyou.com or the Citi Status Concierge and you should pay in your keep along with your Citi Status Card, ThankYou factors, or a mixture of the 2.

3. BOOK VIA HOTELS.COM 

Motels.com – a part of Expedia – is one in every of my favourite resort reserving web sites, primarily for 3 causes:

• You accumulate credit in the direction of free resort nights by way of Motels.com’s Rewards program. While you ebook and keep 10 nights at eligible accommodations, you’ll get 1 night time free to redeem at one other. Motels.com works out the typical worth of all the ten nights you’ve collected and provides it again to you as a free night time. All you could do is make a free Rewards account and login into your account earlier than making any bookings.
• You’ll be able to usually apply 10% low cost coupons. Sadly, nearly the entire world’s main resort chains are excluded from the record of accommodations for which you should use a reduction coupon (though I’ve been in a position to make use of low cost coupons for reserving Belmond properties prior to now)
• Motels.com additionally has a superb Greatest Price Assure (BRG) program: when you discover a cheaper worth, Motels.com will match that price (and refund you the distinction) after you submit an on-line BRG declare. The Motels.com BRG is accessible just for actual itinerary matches, together with property, room kind, and dates of journey (as is the case with all different BRG applications). The BRG additionally consists of an equivalent cancellation coverage (which may make it more durable in your BRG declare to be authorized).

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 you could as effectively ebook the room by way of Motels.com as a substitute of the official Belmond web site in order that you’ll get a few of your a reimbursement ultimately (by investing it in the direction of free resort nights).

It’s essential to note that Expedia is at the moment rolling out a brand new loyalty program – known as One Key – which is able to change the Motels.com Rewards program. One Key launched in July 2023 in the US, with different nations to observe later in 2024.

4. BOOK VIA THE ONE&ONLY WEBSITE

Aside from the Greatest Obtainable Charges (BAR) – that are all the time finest booked by way of a Virtuoso journey agent – it is sensible to test the One&Solely web site for the presence of any affords, packages or particular offers. You’ll be able to test 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 provided:

• Single resort package deal offers require a multi-day keep at one property and often embrace a reduction on the room price and some advantages similar to airport transfers and complimentary wellness remedies.
• Multi-hotel package deal offers are provided in locations the place One&Solely manages a number of properties in shut proximity to 1 one other (e.g. ). The package deal offers often provide a reduced keep once you go to a number of accommodations throughout one itinerary along with complimentary transfers between the accommodations and few different advantages (e.g. spa remedies).

That stated, reserving instantly by way of the One&Solely web site is my least most popular methodology of reserving, and right here’s why:

• One&Solely doesn’t have a income based mostly loyalty program, so you can not earn credit with the corporate in the 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 Motels.com, the place you may make investments right into a free resort night time for each ten nights booked (which might be spent at different Belmond accommodations).
• Most resort manufacturers provide a finest price assure: when you discover a decrease qualifying price on the web, the resort will match the decrease price, and sometimes throw in an extra low cost. Sadly, One&Solely doesn’t provide a finest price assure.
• By no means ebook a versatile ‘finest accessible price’ on the One&Solely web site. As soon as once more, as defined above, you’re leaving cash on the desk when you ebook 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 may’t obtain Virtuoso advantages (similar to breakfast, free improve, and a resort credit score) by reserving instantly with the resort.

IMHO, it’s totally bizarre that One&Solely isn’t rewarding loyal shoppers who ebook instantly by way of the corporate’s official web site, however that you may rating free stays at One&Solely Resorts by reserving by way of Motels.com or get very good advantages at One&Solely Resorts (as when you would have elite standing) by reserving by means of Virtuoso or your bank card firm.

5. MY REVIEWS & YOUTUBE VIDEOS OF ONE&ONLY RESORTS

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