By No Vacation Required, on December 19, 2016

6 reasons to book an Expedia +VIP Access hotel in 2017

Rewards programs just aren’t what they used to be. Frequent travelers are seeing the benefits of being a loyal customer disappear as travel brands strip away—or just make unachievable—the perks that used to be hallmarks of loyalty programs. That is why the Expedia+ program is so refreshing; it’s not one of those super-exclusive, “who travels enough to actually earn that level?” programs. No, it’s open to everyone, free to join, and the benefits start right away. Isn’t that refreshing?

One of the best benefits of being an Expedia+ member is the ability to amplify your benefits by booking a +VIP Access hotel. Did you catch that? More benefits is one of the best benefits of the Expedia+ program. Let’s break it down! Here are six ways that booking a +VIP Access hotel means more benefits. To make it even clearer, we’ll use our own experience booking a room at the adorable Hôtel Fabric in Paris, France.

Vetted Hotels – For a hotel to even be considered for a spot in the list of +VIP Access hotels, it must consistently receive outstanding guest reviews, earn top ratings in the region, and deliver on Expedia’s stringent standard of service. This means that you can do less research and trust that the +VIP Access hotel is among the best of the best in the area.

We did our research when deciding where to stay in Paris, (it’s our job, after all), but we didn’t really need to. All of our VIP+ Access hotel experiences have been exceptional. Hôtel Fabric was no exception. We found to be as charming, classy, and chic as we could have possibly hoped for.

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Huge Portfolio – All the perks in the world would mean nothing if the list of +VIP Hotels was anemic and homogenous—a problem we’ve noticed with several hotel rewards programs of late. You know the drill… You have points you can use as long as you want to stay at the hotel brand’s small list of fourth tier locations.

That is not a problem with +VIP Access. With 2,000+ hand-picked hotels in top tier locations, you are almost certain to find an option that is just perfect for you. Also, you’ll often be able to choose from big name brands that you are familiar with or, like we did in Paris with Hôtel Fabric, opt for a charming boutique hotel.

Double points – Expedia+ points are worth twice as much when they’re used to book a +VIP Access hotel. That means that the points you earn go twice as far, just because you chose to book a +VIP Access hotel.

In our case, the points we were planning to use to book our hotel in Paris amounted to about $100 in savings. Because we opted for the Hôtel Fabric, a +VIP Access hotel, our points were worth twice as much, which translated into about $200 worth of savings.

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Special Amenities – For Expedia+ members with silver or gold status (both of which are totally attainable, unlike a lot of loyalty programs), there are even more benefits. Some of the goodies we’ve received (since we are Expedia+ Gold) are free parking, spa credits, complimentary food and drink, priority check-in, and special toiletries.

When we arrived early at the Hôtel Fabric, we were able to check in right away. That may not always be available, but it is much more likely when you are an Expedia+ member booking a +VIP Access hotel.

Viewfinder Tip: Expedia+ Members get exclusive prices and special deals on +VIP Access hotels.

Room Upgrades – +VIP Access hotels offer Expedia+ gold members priority when room upgrades are available. So, in addition to all the other perks and goodies, including the money you saved by simply choosing a +VIP Access hotel, you might get bumped up to a better room.

Based on our research, all the room options at Hôtel Fabric were great, so we would have been perfectly fine getting the entry level room we paid for. However, because we are Expedia+ gold and Hôtel Fabric is a +VIP Access hotel, we were treated to a nice room upgrade—a really lovely king room overlooking the charming streets of Paris’s Oberkampf neighborhood.

Bonus Points – When you book a +VIP Access hotel as an Expedia+ silver or gold member, you get an automatic 250 bonus Expedia+ points. And since Expedia+ points are worth twice as much when you book a +VIP Access hotel, well, you do the math!

Have you stayed at an Expedia +VIP Access hotel? Tell us about it!