Originally Posted by
belsize77
I am interested to see what people thought the optimum time to book luxury hotels in advance was. I have a short trip booked to Hong Kong and Tokyo in December. When looking on the sites of most of the main luxury brands in these locations I notice that their promotions do not run this far in advance. I have had similar issues before in the US and South Africa when I have booked flights 6 or 9 months before travel. Is there a standard timetable that the main brands put out their rates or promotions on or should I just book now on FHR or Virtuoso rates to get a decent deal.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Personally, my travel--particularly leisure travel on the higher-end--tends to come relatively last minute. This means that even if there are deals and promotions available through various agents, I'm often unable to book them as I have a 24-48 hour window (sometimes less) to arrange accommodation. In this case, I typically place a call to a hotel manager, explain that I'd like to come in, ask somewhat bluntly about their occupancy, and get a sense of what's available. I've rarely had a problem securing a meaningful upgrade as well as a courtesy inclusion such as a bottle of champagne and other small but kind complimentary gestures. It never hurts to ask, particularly when a hotel is not completely booked up. I've also found that, if I've booked a hotel previously via Amex, they are happy to extend those benefits (and others) if I then continue to book directly through a manager.
Otherwise, I'll book through American Express Platinum directly, whose promotions tend to open up (very generally) no more than three to four months in advance. This echoes what you've found.
In your case, it wouldn't hurt to call the hotel, explain that you'd like to firm up your bookings very far in advance, and let them know either a promotional consideration you think is appropriate or a particular upgrade you'd enjoy, and see if they'll work with you.