London | places to stay, things to do

standing guard at Buckingham Palace

Looking for a great place to stay in London? A Virtuoso travel advisor can save you money with perks like free daily breakfasts, hotel credits, and room upgrades — typically at the same flexible rate that you're seeing online — and there's no cost for you to use a travel advisor.

We can save you money at over 50 luxury hotels in London (there's some overlap here, so the numbers add up to more than 50). See them on my Google maps of our London hotels by clicking here and here.

24 hotels come with Virtuoso amenities
2 hotels come with Dorchester Diamond Club amenities
2 hotels come with Four Seasons Preferred Partner amenities
27 hotels come with Travel Leaders Select amenities
2 hotels come with Starwood Luxury Privileges amenities
3 hotels come with Doyle Collection amenities
23 hotels come with Celebrated Perks

I'm flying to London on Thursday evening to do some hotel site inspections ... but also to write about some unique experiences that a Virtuoso travel advisor can arrange for you.

1. The Churchill War Rooms — actually going into the cabinet rooms, not seeing them from behind glass like most tourists must.

2. The Changing of the Guard — seen from the Wellington Barracks where the Guard begins and ends its parade, not from the midst of the huge crowd that gathers daily in front of Buckingham Palace.

3. Downton Abbey — I'm guessing here, because the actual activity is supposed to be a surprise; visiting Highclere Castle (setting of Downton Abbey) and meeting Jim Carter (who played the butler, Carson, in the series).

copyright (c) 2016 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Four Seasons New York | make your stay better

What would be better than spending a long, decadent weekend at the Four Seasons New York? One of New York's most elegant hotels, it's located just half a block from Fifth Avenue with its world-class shopping.

Here are four ways I can make your stay even better:

1. Third Night Free. You'll get one of those nights free until April 7 (valid for certain room categories - check the FS website for your desired dates).
2. Guaranteed upgrade. A Four Seasons Preferred Partner exclusive offer, my clients will receive a guaranteed one category upgrade at the time of booking for all new reservations for travel through April 7, 2013. (Maximum upgrade is into the Park View Executive Suite).
3. Free daily breakfast for two. A full American Breakfast for two can easily cost $70 + tax. My clients enjoy a complimentary breakfast for two every day of their stay.
4. $100 Spa Credit. A massage would feel really good right now, and my clients will receive a $100 credit toward any spa service. (I recommend you reserve in advance to secure your desired time).

You can only get these benefits by making your booking through a Four Seasons Preferred Partner travel consultant. There is no added cost to you, and you pay the hotel when you check-out, same as if you made the reservation yourself. Why not step up to the best and spend your New York weekend at the Four Seasons New York?

Four Seasons New York (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2013 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Virtuoso Travel Mart 2009 | Aug. 16-20

Why would thousands of luxury travel consultants travel to Las Vegas in the middle of August? Why take part in a week of meetings, formal and informal, with reps from hundreds of luxury hotels and cruise lines? Why deal with the exhaustion and overload from four consecutive days spent filled with six hours daily of four-minute appointments (a.k.a. speed dates) with supplier representatives?

It's time for Travel Mart, the annual Virtuoso trade show. Virtuoso is the biggest name in the luxury hotel market with over 800 hotels and resorts around the world, each one offering Virtuoso clients the best rates along with complimentary amenities including free daily breakfast for two, room upgrades if available, and valuable extra perks. But Virtuoso is more than just a source of the best luxury values for upscale travelers. It's about connections with top industry reps.

Next week is an exhausting but immensely worthwhile opportunity for Virtuoso travel consultants to network with the world's top luxury travel suppliers. It will help them learn about new products, deepen their knowledge of what's available in the luxury travel universe, and form relationships with the people who can help them deliver for clients by...

• securing room upgrades
• taking care of special needs and requests
• finding space in what may seem like a totally booked hotel

So, if your travel consultant isn't immediately available next week, count yourself lucky. The week that she or he is investing at Travel Mart is all about helping you get the most from your future travels.

Virtuoso travel consultant (search here on Google)


copyright (c) 2009 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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