Originally Posted by
richarddd
This:
Noble Stay ? I thought FoundersCard was disfavored on FT, but I might be misremembering. AAA cash discounts are usually published, aren't they?
I suppose hotels believe TAs, FHR, etc. steer significant business to them, otherwise incentivizing a guest to use a TA in order to get benefits (breakfast, upgrade) while the hotel pays the TA a commission seems an odd practice.
Yeah sorry, Noble Stay. They have 30%-50% bonuses for a ton of hotels and resorts like Six Senses Laamu Maldives, St. Regis Maldives, Gritti Palace, Bulgari Milano, Baur AU Lac, etc.
FoundersCard had a hate thread on FT but IME they have some amazing negotiated rates that are sometimes even at fixed prices. That makes them especially powerful for people that travel during major holidays where the prices skyrocket. They also will comp memberships for people even if you are only modestly noteworthy (ie just a few articles about you online from reputable sources = free membership).
Not sure what you mean by AAA rates being published but I have experienced some substantial discounts there. It is less frequently the best rate though.
There are other avenues for cheaper rates too including direct hotel promotions with “package rates” or programs like MegaTix in Thailand.
Travel Agents definitely drive business to hotels but the hotels need to compensate them in return. Before I naively believed that compensation came out of the hotel’s margin but I think it’s clear that the customers are the ones really paying for it. When paying the list rate, I will go through an agent. However, it is increasingly uncommon for me to pay that rate.