Originally Posted by
coraktp
I looked at the deals offered to see if the savings would make up for the $395 membership fee and the first hotel I checked was The Charles Hotel in Munich Germany. The Andrew Harper 'deal' was 2 nights in a junior suite with free breakfast, free wifi, some food credits and early check-in late check out privileges for $1178 based on double occupancy - which usually means the listed price is per person so you'll be paying double for two people, but I hope this is not the case here, because -
You can rent the same junior suite with all the same perks for $594/night for 2 people including VAT. So even if I'm wrong about the price being for one person, the 'deal' only saves you $10. I kept checking out the deals on the Harper site and they weren't. The prices were the same, a tiny bit smaller or even higher than what you can get going direct to the provider.
And also that Charles Hotel junior suite - cheap looking. The amenities and decor make Holiday Inns and Motel 6 look luxurious. Really unimpressive. If I spend nearly $600/night for a hotel room I expect WAY more.
So personally I think you should save your money. I know I will be.
I just looked up a weekend in August for a junior suite at The Charles. Price 612 euro per night. Total cost is 1224 euro or $1424. The Harper deal of $1178 with included breakfast, 85 euro credit, and upgrade possibility is a nice deal. The savings almost pays for the $395 membership in and of itself.
I believe your assessment is mistaken for that August weekend, assuming you value the Hideaway Report or expect to take advantage of more Harper deals. If you don't, then the membership may not be worth it to you.
I often look through the Harper deals and auctions to see if any might suit us.
We are happy to pay for the Hideaway Report because it provides useful information and a perspective I value for some boutique properties not often evaluated as often as the bigger luxury chain hotels. I also find the evaluations to often be very aligned with my own. The fact that we also gain access to FHR type offerings and auctions/travel deals just makes it sweeter.