I know who you are - you are the savvy traveler who wants to "beat" the system. You consider yourself a connoisseur of the best hotels in the world and you spend your precious leisure time reading Travel + Leisure rankings and narrowing down your curated list of coveted hotels. Maybe you're a loyalist, a self-proclaimed Aman junkie or Four Seasons fan.

You're in the right place.

There are endless benefits to booking a Virtuoso rate with free amenities and luckily, in this post I'm going to show you an even easier way to access free hotel room upgrades, free champagne, and free resort credit. This could equal hundreds in savings for you!

But first, what is Virtuoso?

Virtuoso is a consortium of invite only travel agencies, tour operators, hotels, cruises, and tourism boards across the world. The network is expansive - nearly 1,800 and 20,000 advisors! Of course, not agencies are created the same and while every advisor promises they can deliver on Virtuoso upgrades, they're not all guaranteed.

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Truth be told, I was tired of overpromising and not always delivering so I switched to Brownell Travel to make sure my clients would always be at the top of the list. Brownell only accepts 2% of applicants into their mentorship program so this means that Brownell clients go to the top of the list for the upgrades and special VIP treatment.

Think of it this way - imagine you're a hotelier and you have 20,000 Virtuoso agents e-mailing you for special requests. How do you decide who gets what, especially when some agents only have a business as a hobby. Brownell is a highly respected name in the industry - it's been around for 100 years! Hoteliers know that when they have a request from a Brownell agent, it means that the agent has thoroughly vetted the client, created a detailed proposal for their trip, and that the client is more likely to be a repeat based on the personalized attention to detail. The upgrades are more likely to happen!

I've seen great success with this - just check out these real reviews:

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"We had an amazing vacation in Bali. Marisa got us upgraded to a private pool villa at the Ritz Carlton Mandapa, one of the most exclusive and luxurious resorts in the world. The itinerary was full of fun and exciting trips into town and into the surrounding rainforests and mountains. It was a trip of a lifetime!"

"Marisa was fantastic from start to finish. My partner and I were traveling to a new city for a friend's wedding. We selected a great Virtuoso pre-paid rate at the city's premier hotel. Later on closer to the time, I found I had made a mistake with dates. Marisa took this in her stride and was able to negotiate with the venue to adjust the pre-paid rate. A huge perk from working with a real person and agency, to leverage their skills and relationships. The stay was great and the complimentary room upgrade was a huge perk and well worth it!"

"Simply put, your assistance with the Amankila and the Mandapa was invaluable. The upgrades and recognition from each property were a direct result of your hard work and diligence. We thank you from the heart!"

Whether it's a quick weekend stay or a multi-week multi-country itinerary, the relationships I've built with hotels is the real magic that allows you to have an amazing getaway with VIP service.

Now that we've cleared up what Virtuoso is and why you should be booking Virtuoso rates, let's move on to the most important piece of this post - how you can actually book a Virtuoso hotel with free amenities without ever having to email or call me.

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Here's the VIP shortcut you need to know about:

STEP 1: Visit the Online Booking Portal.

STEP 2: Enter your destination, dates, and number of travelers to compare hotels and amenities.

STEP 3: Select Marisa DeSalvio when you book

Things to Know:

• Not all hotels are participating. If you find a hotel you want to book but it is not available online, simply email me with your request, and I will take care of it!
• This is a new tool. We haven’t experienced many bugs or glitches, but we are still working with Virtuoso to make sure it runs smoothly. If you have any questions or feedback, don’t hesitate to reach out to your advisor!
• Don’t forget about Preferred Partner Programs! You can get even better value at Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Belmond, Dorchester Collection, Mandarin Oriental, and other hotels when you book through me instead of the portal.
• Think simple bookings. A quick weekend away or business trip where you only need a hotel room is the time to use this booking engine. When you want a full itinerary, need multiple hotels, connecting rooms, or anything more detailed, it is best to contact me first.

Once you've booked your Virtuoso hotel, I will follow up with you and the hotel to make sure your stay is personalized and special. While we can't guarantee an upgrade, the odds are good and we've got a whole team advocating for you.

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I'd love to hear from you! How easy does this tool make it to book a stay? Would you use it for your upcoming trip? E-mail marisa@desalviotravel.com to get started!

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