Local luxury hotel booking app HoteLux (available on both Android and Apple app stores) has recently launched in Singapore, giving guests the ability to book stays which include complimentary perks such as US$100 dining/spa credit and free room upgrades etc while simultaneously enjoying points under the hotel’s loyalty programme (e.g. Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, World of Hyatt etc) as well as HoteLux’s own reward point programme which allows you to redeem room vouchers using HoteLux points at any of the participating hotels listed.
The HoteLux Price rate – typically the equivalent of the Best Available Rate or Flexible Rate for the chosen day of stay – gives you access to benefits such as US$100 dining/spa credit, daily breakfast, welcome amenity, room upgrades as well as early check-in and late check-out. (Do make sure you select the rate with the Hotelux Price icon on the app, because all other existing rates available under the hotel’s direct channels are also listed, and these do not come with the above-mentioned benefits.) In addition, some hotels offer additional hotel-specific privileges such as a 3rd night free (e.g. JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach, Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, InterContinental Singapore) or additional credit if you stay a minimum number of nights (e.g. W Singapore offers an additional US$100 credit if you stay at least 2 nights, while The St. Regis Singapore and The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore offer an additional US$200 credit if you stay at least 3 nights).
Of course, luxury travel advisor rates are nothing new, and there are various luxury travel agent programmes (e.g. Marriott STARS & Luminous, Hyatt Privé, Shangri-la The Luxury Circle) and services available elsewhere which can net you the same privileges, but this might be the first time a mobile app gives you such one-stop convenient access to these exclusive rates and information about what benefits you get to enjoy at the specific property. In addition, stays booked under the HoteLux app are only payable upon check-in – your credit card details are only used by HoteLux to guarantee your reservation.
If you link your hotel loyalty programme information to your reservation, the reservation will automatically appear on the relevant hotel app as well, and you are able to earn the relevant usual reward points under that programme as well as be eligible for any prevailing bonus points promotion that may be running (such as the ongoing Hilton Honors Points Unlimited promotion and the upcoming Marriott Bonvoy global 2021 Q1 promotion).
New HoteLux users can enjoy up to two free bookings using the app, with subsequent bookings requiring a HoteLux Elite membership which is currently priced at S$99/year. Every stay booked under a HoteLux rate by HoteLux Elite members will accrue HoteLux points which can be used to redeem room vouchers under a 10 HoteLux Points = S$1 exchange rate.
Presently, the following local properties are participating in the HoteLux programme:
Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore
Raffles Hotel Singapore
The St. Regis Singapore
JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach
The Westin Singapore
Conrad Centennial Singapore
Four Seasons Hotel Singapore
InterContinental Singapore
Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa, Singapore
W Singapore
Capella Singapore
Mandarin Oriental Singapore
The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore
Andaz Singapore
The Fullerton Hotel Singapore
The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore
The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore
Grand Hyatt Singapore
Personally, I have used luxury travel advisor rates in the past for some of my stays (including the phenomenal Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou) and must say that the additional privileges really offer a more in-depth luxury experience at the property as compared to that of a regular stay. Working with travel agents does involve quite a bit of email back and forths and they will usually have to submit your requests and enquiries to the property which means it takes a few days before you ultimately hear back and can finalise your booking. Therefore, the concept of a mobile app which allows you to confirm your booking immediately is pretty nifty, and I can’t wait to test it out.
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