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As we speak: How one can e book & lower your expenses at Belmond Motels?
Belmond ranks amongst my favourite lodge manufacturers on the earth. The corporate manages an ultraluxe assortment of iconic motels, trains and river cruises in 24 nations, bringing collectively among the world’s most sensational journeys and locations. With Belmond, you possibly can keep in timeless motels in Venice, Rio and St. Petersburg, embrace the spirit of journey at Machu Picchu or Angkor Wat, glide alongside the rails by the Swiss Alps, soar throughout the Andes, or discover the mystifying rivers of Myanmar. The Belmond story started in 1976, when the corporate obtained the keys to the legendary Belmond Resort Cipriani in Venice. A 12 months later, they started amassing the carriages for the Venice Simplon-Orient-Specific, which launched in 1982 to whisk intrepid vacationers to La Serenissima in model. Since then, Belmond has grown to a fastidiously curated assortment of journey adventures, every with a wealthy story to inform.
However with the group’s stellar popularity additionally comes a heavy price ticket. Staying at a Belmond property usually requires deep pockets, with entry room charges effectively above $1000 USD per night time at a number of properties. Sadly, Belmond at present lacks a formalized factors loyalty program – in all probability as a result of their rich company preserve returning anyway – though they handle an invitation-only program known as “Belmond Bellini Membership” which gives unique charges and perks to the purchasers of the world’s prime journey brokers (extra on that under). Nonetheless, there are some ideas & tips that may prevent a couple of dollars on prices when staying at one of many model’s properties. I hereby share the perfect methods for reserving a room (and even suite) at a Belmond Resort .
On this article:
You possibly can share your individual tips within the feedback under.
1. BOOK VIA BELMOND BELLINI CLUB
Belmond has established an invitation-only program – known as Belmond Bellini Membership – for prime producing journey brokers, so as to foster a relationship with these agent and to extend gross sales. The Bellini Membership is called after the well-known cocktail from Harry’s Bar at Belmond’s Resort Cipriani. Belmond Bellini Membership gives purchasers of those journey brokers complimentary facilities and VIP standing at Belmond motels, trains and river cruises worldwide. These advantages are a bit just like the perks provided by Virtuoso, though Belmond Bellini Membership covers extra properties than these provided by Virtuoso, and for some properties, the Belmond Billini Membership perks are extra rewarding than the Virtuoso perks.
Whenever you e book a Belmond lodge by a journey agent that’s member of the unique Belmond Bellini Membership, you’re going to get the next advantages:
- Complimentary improve upon arrival at time of check-in, primarily based on availability
- Buffet or full breakfast for two, every day
- Absolutely versatile lodge or resort credit score as much as $200 USD per keep
- $500 USD reward voucher for future journey when buying an expertise of $5,000 USD
- VIP Recognition by property administration and workers
- Particular in-room welcome amenity
- High-of-the-waitlist precedence for prime demand properties and experiences
- Complimentary Web
Journey brokers which can be members of Belmond Bellini Membership take pleasure in a degree of contact and repair when working with Belmond that’s not accessible to different businesses or by reserving direct. As a Bellini member, these journey brokers work with Belmond’s VIP desk for any particular requests, concierge companies, and waitlist clearance. Moreover, they’ve entry to particular promotions and charges not out there to most people. My most well-liked Belmond Bellini Membership journey company is Basic Journey, which additionally permits vacationers to e book the Bellini Membership charges on-line.
2. BOOK VIA VIRTUOSO
A number of Belmond properties are members of Virtuoso. Virtuoso isn’t your traditional lodge reserving engine web site. It’s the business’s main, invitation-only community of the world’s greatest luxurious journey advisors, spanning over 26 nations and 9,000 journey advisors. So once you e book a Belmond lodge by way of Virtuoso, more often than not, you can 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 software, comparable to Basic Journey, which has a superb web site and is my total most well-liked Virtuoso journey company for reserving a Belmond (or every other luxurious) lodge.
Reserving a Belmond lodge by way of Virtuoso as an alternative of by way of the Belmond web site has the next advantages:
- The one greatest cause to e book a Belmond lodge by a Virtuoso journey agent is that it means worth for cash as you’ll get entry to complimentary VIP perks, comparable 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 lodge to lodge, they will simply be price just a few hundred {dollars} per night time.
- Most often, the Virtuoso charge is an identical to the Finest Obtainable Fee (BAR) discovered on the official Belmond web site, which is a versatile charge that may be cancelled with out penalty. For that cause, you’re leaving cash on the desk when you e book a paid keep at the perfect out there charge (BAR) by way of the Belmond 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. Subsequently, I at all times suggest to test the bottom charge on the Belmond web site, after which weigh the professionals and cons earlier than deciding whether or not to e book by way of Virtuoso (greatest out there charge with free advantages) or not.
Additionally, though Virtuoso and the Belmond Bellini Membership program appear to be an identical (and are sometimes provided by the identical journey brokers), they don’t seem to be:
- Virtuoso charges solely apply to a choice of Belmond Motels, whereas the Belmond Bellini Membership program is relevant in any respect Belmond properties.
- Virtuoso advantages can solely be utilized to Virtuoso charges (which is an identical to the Finest Obtainable Fee, as defined above), whereas the Belmond Bellini Membership program is relevant to all charges discovered on the Belmond web site (together with discounted and/or early chook charges).
- The upgrades for rooms booked by the Belmond Bellini Membership program are prioritized forward of upgrades for lodge stays booked by way of Virtuoso.
3. BOOK VIA YOUR CREDIT CARD COMPANY
Whenever you personal an American Specific bank card, you possibly can e book virtually any Belmond lodge by way of Amex Nice Motels & Resorts. It will give you related advantages as these provided by way of a Virtuoso journey agent:
- Room improve upon arrival when out there
- Every day (continental) breakfast for 2 folks
- Assured late 4pm check-out time
- Midday check-in when out there
- 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 most Belmond motels & 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 supply this journey service.
Whenever you personal a Citi Status Card (USA residents solely) you can also make use of the fourth night time free profit: once you e book 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 primarily based on the common nightly charge of your full keep. Reservations should be made by Thankyou.com or the Citi Status Concierge and you will need to pay on your keep together with your Citi Status Card, ThankYou factors, or a mix of the 2.
4. BOOK VIA HOTELS.COM
Motels.com – a part of Expedia – is one in every of my favourite lodge reserving web sites, primarily for 3 causes:
- You accumulate credit in direction of free lodge nights by way of Motels.com’s Rewards program. Whenever you e book and keep 10 nights at eligible motels, you’ll get 1 night time free to redeem at one other. Motels.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 might want to do is make a free Rewards account and login into your account earlier than making any bookings.
- You possibly can usually apply 10% low cost coupons. Sadly, virtually all the world’s main lodge chains are excluded from the checklist of motels for which you need to use a reduction coupon (though I’ve been ready to make use of low cost coupons for reserving Belmond properties previously)
- Motels.com additionally has a superb Finest Fee Assure (BRG) program: when you discover a cheaper value, Motels.com will match that charge (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 sort, and dates of journey (as is the case with all different BRG applications). The BRG additionally contains an an identical cancellation coverage (which might make it more durable on your BRG declare to be accredited).
These three benefits work very effectively when reserving a keep at a Belmond lodge. As talked about above, Belmond doesn’t have a loyalty program, so you could as effectively e book the room by way of Motels.com as an alternative of the official Belmond web site in order that you’re going to get a few of your a reimbursement ultimately (by investing it in direction of free lodge nights).
It’s essential to note that Expedia is at present rolling out a brand new loyalty program – known as One Key – which can change the Motels.com Rewards program. One Key launched in July 2023 in the USA, with different nations to observe later in 2024.
5. BOOK VIA THE BELMOND WEBSITE
Aside from the Finest Obtainable Charges (BAR) – that are at all times greatest booked by way of a Virtuoso journey agent – it is sensible to test the Belmond web site for the presence of any gives, packages or particular offers. You possibly can test these offers by clicking on the “supply” tab on the highest of the house web page of every Belmond lodge. A number of forms of offers are provided:
- Single lodge bundle offers require a multi-day keep at one property and normally embrace a reduction on the room charge and some advantages comparable to airport transfers and complimentary wellness remedies.
- Multi-hotel bundle offers are provided in locations the place Belmond manages a number of properties in shut proximity to 1 one other (e.g. Italy, Peru). The bundle offers normally supply a reduced keep once you go to a number of motels throughout one itinerary along with complimentary transfers between the motels and few different advantages (e.g. spa remedies).
That stated, reserving instantly by way of the Belmond web site is my least most well-liked technique of reserving, and right here’s why:
- The Belmond Bellini Membership program is relevant to all charges discovered on the Belmond web site (together with single and multi lodge bundle offers).
- Belmond doesn’t have a income primarily based loyalty program, so you can’t earn credit with the corporate in direction of free lodge nights. The one option to make your stays at Belmond motels rely for some sort of loyalty scheme is by making the bookings by way of Motels.com, the place you possibly can make investments right into a free lodge night time for each ten nights booked (which might be spent at different Belmond motels).
- Most lodge manufacturers supply a greatest charge assure: when you discover a decrease qualifying charge on the web, the lodge will match the decrease charge, and infrequently throw in a further low cost. Sadly, Belmond doesn’t supply a greatest charge assure (as they declare that they provide the bottom out there charges anyway).
- By no means e book a versatile ‘greatest out there charge’ on the Belmond web site. As soon as once more, as defined above, you’re leaving cash on the desk when you e book a paid keep at a Belmond lodge that may be a Virtuoso member by way of the lodge web site and never by way of Virtuoso, as a result of you possibly can’t obtain Virtuoso advantages (comparable to breakfast, free improve, and a resort credit score) by reserving instantly with the lodge.
IMHO, it’s completely bizarre that Belmond isn’t rewarding loyal shoppers who e book instantly by way of the corporate’s official web site, however you could rating free stays at Belmond motels by reserving by way of Motels.com or get very good advantages at Belmond properties (as when you would have elite standing) by reserving by Virtuoso or your bank card firm.
6. MY REVIEWS & YOUTUBE VIDEOS OF BELMOND HOTELS
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