How it works
The long version
This is the page to read if you want to understand the mechanics rather than take my word for it. It is also the page to forward to whoever you are traveling with.
The money, plainly
You pay nothing. No fee, no retainer, no markup. You pay the hotel directly, at their own rate or better.
I am paid by the hotel, as a commission on the room rate, after you check in. That is the entire arrangement. Because I am paid on the stay rather than the booking, putting you somewhere you end up disliking is the worst possible outcome for me.
The one thing I ask is that you let me make the hotel bookings, since that is where the whole model sits. If you book direct and then ask me to fix something, I have no standing with the property.
The partner programs
Every major luxury hotel group runs an invitation only program for travel advisors. Each one comes with negotiated rates and a defined package of amenities the hotel commits to honor. Through Fora I hold membership across them.
None are available to the public, and most are out of reach for an advisor working alone. Fora is large enough to carry all of them at once, which is why a single advisor can book you into almost any luxury property and still bring the benefits along.
What you get
A free room upgrade
Applied at check in, subject to availability on the day.
Free daily breakfast
For two, every morning of the stay.
A welcome amenity
Set by the property. Often a drink, a tasting plate, or something local.
Early check in, late checkout
Where the house can accommodate it. Often the most useful one.
The package varies by property. I will tell you exactly what applies to your booking before you commit rather than after.
Everything else
What does this cost, and how do you get paid?
It costs you nothing. There is no fee, no retainer and no markup, and you pay the hotel directly at their own rate or better.
I am paid by the hotel, as a commission on the room rate, after you check in. Hotels work this way because an advisor is a sales channel that brings them guests who are a good match for the property, at rates the hotel sets. It also means my incentive lines up with yours more than you might expect: I am paid when you actually stay, so sending you somewhere you dislike is the worst outcome for me.
All I ask is that you let me book the hotels, since that is where the entire business model sits.
Where do the rates and perks actually come from?
Every major luxury hotel group runs an invitation only program for travel advisors. Membership comes with negotiated rates and a defined package of amenities that the hotel commits to honor for that advisor’s clients.
Through Fora I am a member of those programs. None of them are available to the public, and most are not available to an individual advisor working alone. Fora is large enough to hold membership across all of them, which is why one person can book you into almost any luxury property and still bring the program benefits along.
When you send me a hotel, the first thing I check is which programs cover it and which one gets you the most. That comparison is the actual work.
What perks show up in practice?
The package varies by property and by program, and I will tell you exactly what applies to your booking before you commit rather than after. The typical set is a free room upgrade at check in subject to availability, free daily breakfast, a welcome amenity, and early check in with late checkout where the house can accommodate it.
Some properties add more on top of that, and I will say so when they do. You also get a note to the general manager identifying you as a preferred client, which is the part that tends to show up in how you are treated rather than on the bill.
I have Amex Platinum. Why not just use Fine Hotels and Resorts?
Use it where it is the better deal. Sometimes it is, and I will tell you so.
The difference is coverage and comparison. FHR is one program with one property list. I can book across all of the programs above, which between them cover a much larger set of hotels, and for any given property I can work out which program produces the best combination of rate and amenities. You do not have to track any of it. And if the room you were promised is not the room you are standing in, you have someone to contact directly.
What if I find a lower rate somewhere else?
Send me a screenshot. In most cases I can take it to the hotel and have it matched, with the amenities still attached. Where a hotel will not match it, I will tell you that booking it yourself is the better move.
Do you book flights?
No. There is very little an advisor can add to air travel: no meaningful amenities to pass on, and no rate advantage. You are better served by your own points and a fare tracker.
What I will do is look at your routing before you book it and flag anything that will cost you the first day of the trip, which is a common and avoidable mistake.
Is this only for expensive hotels?
No. I will book whatever hotel you want, and there are properties in the partner programs at a wide range of price points, including city hotels that are fairly ordinary in price.
What is true is that the benefits tend to be better the higher the rate. At the top end the upgrade is a bigger jump, more properties add extras of their own, and more programs compete for the booking. At lower rates fewer properties participate and the amenity package thins out. So it is always worth asking, and I will tell you honestly when a particular booking will not gain much by going through me.
What happens if something goes wrong while I am traveling?
You contact me. A wrong room, a failed air conditioner, a restaurant that lost your reservation, a cancelled flight that costs you a night. I have a direct line to the property that you do not, and resolving those situations is a large part of what the programs are for.
How far ahead should I get in touch?
Two to four months for most trips, and earlier for peak dates, small properties, and anywhere in August. Shorter notice is often still workable, so it is worth asking either way.