Friday newsletters at all times function luxurious journey contests, ideas, or information.
At the moment: Tips on how to guide & get monetary savings at One&Solely Resorts?
One&Solely ranks amongst my favourite resort manufacturers on the earth. 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 earth, such because the Maldives, Mexico, Montenegro, Rwanda and Cape City. Every resort within the One&Solely assortment not solely affords a novel design and ambiance which embraces the native environment, but additionally an unparalleled dedication to the best expertise on each doable degree. Luxurious lodging is complemented by impeccable service, unique wellness sanctuaries, vigorous leisure and a number.
However with the group’s stellar repute 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 company preserve 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 well-liked Program). Nevertheless, 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 just isn’t your traditional resort reserving engine web site. It’s the business’s main, invitation-only community of the world’s finest luxurious journey advisors, spanning over 26 nations and 9,000 journey advisors. So while you guide 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 supply a web-based reserving device, resembling Basic Journey, which has a wonderful web site and is my general most well-liked Virtuoso journey company for reserving a Belmond (or some other 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 cause to guide a One&Solely Resort by way of 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 instances, each day breakfast and a resort, spa, or meals credit score (or one thing else). Whereas the precise perks differ from resort to resort, they will simply be price just a few hundred {dollars} per night time.
- Most often, the Virtuoso charge is equivalent to the Finest Obtainable Charge (BAR) discovered on the official One&Solely web site, which is a versatile charge that may be cancelled with out penalty. For that cause, you’re leaving cash on the desk for those who guide a paid keep at the very best accessible charge (BAR) by way of the One&Solely web site and never by way of Virtuoso.
It’s vital 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 at all times suggest to examine the bottom charge on the One&Solely web site, after which weigh the professionals and cons earlier than deciding whether or not to guide by way of Virtuoso (finest accessible charge with free advantages) or not.
2. BOOK VIA YOUR CREDIT CARD COMPANY
Whenever you personal an American Specific bank card, you possibly can guide nearly any One&Solely Resort by way of Amex Fantastic Resorts & Resorts. It will give you comparable advantages as these supplied by way of a Virtuoso journey agent:
- Room improve upon arrival when accessible
- Day by 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 can even profit from Virtuoso-like further perks at One&Solely Resorts after 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 supply this journey service.
Whenever you personal a Citi Status Card (USA residents solely) you may make use of the fourth night time free profit: while you guide 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 common nightly charge of your full keep. Reservations should be made by way of Thankyou.com or the Citi Status Concierge and you should pay in your keep together with your Citi Status Card, ThankYou factors, or a mix of the 2.
3. BOOK VIA HOTELS.COM
Resorts.com – a part of Expedia – is one in all my favourite resort reserving web sites, primarily for 3 causes:
- You gather credit in direction of free resort nights by way of Resorts.com’s Rewards program. Whenever you guide and keep 10 nights at eligible motels, you’ll get 1 night time free to redeem at one other. Resorts.com works out the common worth of all the ten nights you’ve collected and offers it again to you as a free night time. All you must 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 motels for which you need to use a reduction coupon (though I’ve been in a position to make use of low cost coupons for reserving Belmond properties previously)
- Resorts.com additionally has a wonderful Finest Charge Assure (BRG) program: for those who discover a cheaper worth, Resorts.com will match that charge (and refund you the distinction) after you submit an on-line BRG declare. The Resorts.com BRG is on the market just for actual itinerary matches, together with property, room kind, and dates of journey (as is the case with all different BRG packages). The BRG additionally consists of an equivalent cancellation coverage (which may make it more durable in your BRG declare to be accepted).
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 it’s possible you’ll as effectively guide the room by way of Resorts.com as a substitute of the official Belmond web site in order that you’re going to get a few of your a refund in the long run (by investing it in direction of free resort nights).
It’s vital to note that Expedia is at the moment rolling out a brand new loyalty program – referred to as One Key – which can substitute the Resorts.com Rewards program. One Key launched in July 2023 in the US, with different nations to comply with later in 2024.
4. BOOK VIA THE ONE&ONLY WEBSITE
Aside from the Finest Obtainable Charges (BAR) – that are at all times finest booked by way of a Virtuoso journey agent – it is sensible to examine the One&Solely web site for the presence of any affords, packages or particular offers. You’ll be able to examine these offers by clicking on the “supply” tab on the highest of the house web page of every One&Solely Resort. A number of sorts of offers are supplied:
- Single resort bundle offers require a multi-day keep at one property and often embody a reduction on the room charge and some advantages resembling airport transfers and complimentary wellness therapies.
- Multi-hotel bundle 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 bundle offers often supply a reduced keep while you go to a number of motels throughout one itinerary along with complimentary transfers between the motels and few different advantages (e.g. spa therapies).
That stated, reserving immediately by way of the One&Solely web site is my least most well-liked technique 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 direction of free resort nights. The one solution to make your stays at One&Solely depend for some sort of loyalty scheme is by making the bookings by way of Resorts.com, the place you possibly can make investments right into a free resort night time for each ten nights booked (which could be spent at different Belmond motels).
- Most resort manufacturers supply a finest charge assure: for those who discover a decrease qualifying charge on the web, the resort will match the decrease charge, and infrequently throw in an extra low cost. Sadly, One&Solely doesn’t supply a finest charge assure.
- By no means guide a versatile ‘finest accessible charge’ on the One&Solely web site. As soon as once more, as defined above, you’re leaving cash on the desk for those who guide 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 shoppers who guide immediately by way of the corporate’s official web site, however you could rating free stays at One&Solely Resorts by reserving by way of Resorts.com or get very good advantages at One&Solely Resorts (as for those who would have elite standing) by reserving by way of Virtuoso or your bank card firm.
5. MY REVIEWS & YOUTUBE VIDEOS OF ONE&ONLY RESORTS
*** Comply with me on Instagram, Youtube, X (Twitter) or Fb for a each day second of journey inspiration ***
