Booking a hotel through a travel advisor who is partnered with that property can unlock perks like room upgrades, daily breakfast, resort or spa credits, early check-in, late checkout, and welcome amenities that are simply not available when booking direct or through third-party sites like Expedia or Booking.com. These perks cost you nothing extra.
This is the thing I tell people that they genuinely do not believe until it happens to them.
When you book a hotel through a travel advisor who has a partnership with that property, you get access to perks that do not exist anywhere else. Not through the hotel’s own website. Not through Expedia. Not through any app. They are only available through the advisor channel, and they cost you nothing extra to receive.
I know that sounds like marketing. Let me give you some real examples.
What Actually Happened to a Real Client
I recently planned a multi-stop Europe trip for a client. At one of her hotel stays, I reached out ahead of arrival to let the property know she was coming and to make a couple of requests. Extra pillows. A note that this was a special trip.
She arrived to find a handwritten welcome note, some candy, the extra pillows I had mentioned, spa credit, early check-in, and late checkout. None of that was on her invoice. None of it required negotiating at the front desk. It was just there because of how the booking was made.
At another property on the same trip, she was upgraded to a suite roughly the size of an apartment. Same thing: no extra charge, no request required. Just a standard perk of the partnership.
She has not booked a hotel any other way since.
What Perks Are We Actually Talking About
It varies by property and partnership, but the most common ones include room upgrades when available at check-in, daily breakfast for two, resort or spa credits (usually $50 to $100), early check-in and late checkout when the hotel can accommodate it, and a welcome amenity like a bottle of wine or a small gift. Some properties also offer things like complimentary transfers or room category upgrades at booking rather than just at check-in.
The one that surprises people most is the upgrade. People assume upgrades only happen if you sweet-talk the front desk or get lucky. Through a partnered booking, upgrades are a standard part of what the property offers to advisor-booked guests. It is not luck. It is the relationship.
Does This Work for Every Hotel?
No, and I want to be honest about that. These perks apply to properties where I have a partnership or preferred status through my host agency. That covers a very wide range of hotels across a lot of destinations, but it is not every property everywhere.
Part of my job when I am recommending hotels is knowing which ones are going to give you the best experience through my booking channel versus which ones are just solid properties full stop. When perks are available, I will tell you. When they are not, I will tell you that too.
What You Lose When You Book Direct
Nothing feels worse than finding out after the fact. I talk to people regularly who booked a hotel on their own, had a fine stay, and then find out that if they had booked through me they would have had breakfast included, a credit to spend at the spa, and a nicer room. Same price. Better experience. Just a different booking path.
Expedia and Booking.com are convenient. They are also the reason you end up in the worst room in the hotel with no upgrade path and no one to call if something goes wrong. The hotel prioritizes guests who booked direct or through preferred partners. A third-party booking puts you at the back of that line. An advisor booking puts you at the front of it.
If you have a trip coming up and you are about to book a hotel, reach out first. It takes five minutes and the upside is real.
Cheers to the suite upgrade you did not know you were getting.
Room Upgrade FAQ
Can a travel advisor really get you hotel upgrades?
Yes. Travel advisors who are partnered with specific hotel properties can request room upgrades, credits, early check-in, late checkout, and welcome amenities on your behalf. These perks are part of the preferred partnership agreement and are not available when booking direct or through third-party booking sites.
Does it cost extra to get hotel perks through a travel advisor?
No. The perks available through a travel advisor partnership cost you nothing extra. The hotel offers them as part of the relationship with the advisor’s agency. You pay the same room rate you would booking direct, and the perks come with it.
Why can’t I get these perks booking direct?
Hotels offer preferred perks through advisor partnerships because advisors bring them consistent, qualified bookings. It is a business relationship, not a promotional offer open to the public. Booking direct or through Expedia places you outside that relationship entirely.
Which hotels offer perks through travel advisors?
It depends on the advisor’s agency affiliations and preferred supplier partnerships. At Wanders and Wink, the properties where perks apply span a wide range of destinations and price points. Part of the hotel recommendation process is knowing which properties are partnered and what they offer through the advisor channel.
What is the most common hotel perk available through a travel advisor?
Room upgrades are the most common and the most surprising to first-time clients. Daily breakfast for two and property credits (spa, resort, or food and beverage) are also very common. Early check-in and late checkout are frequently available at partnered properties when the hotel can accommodate them.
Becca Marsh is a certified travel advisor affiliated with Fora Travel and the voice behind Wanders & Wink, based in Grants Pass, Oregon. A lifelong traveler who has explored every U.S. state and dozens of countries from the street food stalls of Vietnam to the Michelin-starred restaurants of Paris, she specializes in food-forward family travel that actually delivers on the fantasy. She takes her own family on at least six trips a year (research, she calls it…) and brings that firsthand experience to every itinerary she builds for her clients. She believes great travel is accessible to everyone and will always tell you exactly where to go and what to order.
