Virtuoso 年会 · Las Vegas
At Bellagio, Talking About Trips Still to Come
The Physical Work of Being an Advisor
At Bellagio, travel advisors get their exercise too. Every August, several hundred numbered tables fill the ballroom. Schedule in hand, we move from appointment to appointment, starting at nine in the morning with a single half-hour coffee break. Any thought of treating this as a holiday disappears when I look at the schedule.
Across those tables sit people representing hotels, estates, private islands and on-the-ground specialists. Table 53A is Half Moon in Jamaica. A place you have been browsing online now has someone sitting opposite you. You can ask another question. And then the question their answer raises.
That is the pleasure of these meetings. Why does a place suit a honeymoon? How would a family stay there? What have the photographs left out? The conversations continue over dinners and at private bar parties, some still going at one in the morning. The trips have yet to begin. The curiosity is already keeping late hours.
Something Else for the Wish List
An Italian partner said they could arrange a private opening of the Sistine Chapel after closing, with just your party inside. That can change the wish list for an Italian trip. If you could visit after the doors closed, how would you spend that time?
This is part of the point of sitting down together. You begin with somewhere to stay and discover another way to spend the trip. Virtuoso brings both sides into the same room. An idea now has someone you can ask about it.
Other questions are smaller and just as useful. At some island suites, the ocean is visible only from a corner of the balcony. If a hotel is renovating this year, does it still suit the trip? Does the pet policy accept two small dogs? Dogs but not cats? Getting those details clear makes it easier to add the things you want.
The Homework Becomes Useful Back Home
Back home, materials, quotes and personal mobile numbers arrive in my inbox. A few dozen numbers remain, ready to call. Two months later, the stack of brochures goes into a box.
The brochures have done their job: they make you want to go. The next questions need finer answers. How close is an island suite to the beach? Is the view obstructed? Does the location work with children? Rooms described as “ocean view” begin to separate. There is a reason to book one over another.
This is where I like to spend the conversation. Discounts are easy to compare. Room positions and the practicalities of staying there take some explaining. What has changed this year? Which arrangements can be made ahead of arrival? The homework becomes useful when those answers inform an actual itinerary.
As for how many people I know, the contact list can keep count. The relationship matters when there is someone to answer a question and a hotel contact to receive your room type, view or celebration requests before booking. Otherwise, it is simply another name in my phone.
Choose How You Want to Stay
Honeymoons, anniversaries, island holidays with children and extended-family trips deserve this attention. Especially when the hotel is a central part of the journey. Wanting to stay somewhere is a beginning. Deciding how you want to spend your time there makes the choice more useful.
If the outlook matters, start with the appropriate room category. With children, clarify the location and layout. The budget has a purpose, and the list gets shorter. Removing a beautifully photographed option that has little to do with your wishes can be a satisfying part of booking.
For a cheap rate you can book immediately, a comparison site is faster. An advisor makes sense when another round of browsing still leaves you undecided. Put the money toward the stay you actually want.
Put the Details in Your Email
When you write to me, include the hotel, the view and anything you are celebrating. Explain which room conditions would affect the trip. If you have yet to choose a hotel, the directory of hotels with Virtuoso benefits is a place to start.
Before booking, I contact the hotel and pass along your room type, view and celebration requests. I also request and follow up on upgrades. They remain subject to availability. Peak season cannot produce extra suites on demand, and a private Sistine Chapel opening needs an individual discussion.
Be specific about what you want. Establish which requirements call for booking the right room category and which requests await the hotel’s reply. Then book.
Tell me the hotel or the arrangement you have in mind. The directory of hotels with Virtuoso benefits is here:
Hotels with Virtuoso benefitsPhotographs taken on site.
Jay Yan · FlyBest
In the FlyBest hotel directory, with Virtuoso amenities and live rates: Las Vegas
Questions travellers ask
What do travel advisors do at the Virtuoso meetings at Bellagio in Las Vegas?
Every August, several hundred numbered tables fill the ballroom at Bellagio, and advisors move from appointment to appointment from nine in the morning with a single half-hour coffee break. Across those tables sit people representing hotels, estates, private islands and on-the-ground specialists.
What small details should I ask about when choosing an island hotel?
At some island suites, the ocean is visible only from a corner of the balcony. Other details worth clarifying are whether a hotel that is renovating still suits the trip and whether the pet policy accepts two small dogs, or dogs but not cats. Getting those details clear makes it easier to add the things you want.
What does Jay do before booking a hotel, and are upgrades guaranteed?
Before booking, Jay contacts the hotel and passes along the traveller’s room type, view and celebration requests, and also requests and follows up on upgrades. Upgrades remain subject to availability, peak season cannot produce extra suites on demand, and a private Sistine Chapel opening needs an individual discussion.
When is an advisor worth using for a hotel booking, and when is a comparison site faster?
Honeymoons, anniversaries, island holidays with children and extended-family trips deserve detailed questions about the room and the stay, especially when the hotel is a central part of the journey. For a cheap rate that can be booked immediately, a comparison site is faster, while an advisor makes sense when another round of browsing still leaves the traveller undecided. If the outlook matters, start with the appropriate room category, and with children clarify the location and layout.
What should I include when I write to a travel advisor about a hotel?
The email should include the hotel, the view and anything being celebrated, along with which room conditions would affect the trip. A traveller who has yet to choose a hotel can start with the directory of hotels with Virtuoso benefits.
