V-Flyer

Is there any advantage of booking a hotel via VS rather than VH (or vice versa)?

Have my eye on a couple of hotels and the prices are the same on both so assuming I use my VS Amex do I get more miles from one or tother?

Simple answer is no. Do you have any FVC status as this can make a difference as to what you may receive at the "other end " (so to speak)?
DL

The Virgin Atlantic webpage says you get 3 miles for every £1 you spend on a hotel. You should get at least 2 miles per £ by using your VA Amex card on top of that.

Can't see anything regarding VH other than the Amex thing.

Depends on what you're spending as well. Sometimes you get 1000 miles a night if you book through a certain link on the VA site or through the shop which could yield far more than if you book on VH. There might be promos on that give you far more miles as well.

I suppose the main advantage of VH is that you can put a deposit down (or is that for flight + hotel only?) and pay the rest later rather than paying upfront.

Aren't you better going through likes of Expedia or others, getting x miles/£ through online shopping + your Amex miles.
I've given up looking at VS hotel prices, as never seem to offer the best deal.
Case of weighing up x miles against £x saving, we always base it on "how much would it cost to buy those miles?"

I only looked at VS and VH just to say I had looked and was expecting the worst but surprisingly, given previous comments on here, they were cheaper than expedia for the same hotels and room.

Even taking into account the cashback VS are still cheaper than expedia.

Will hit the websites again tonight !

Don't some online bookings also then prevent you using a hotel loyalty card (not sure if VH/VA do that), but tahts a definite loss of milage from most hotels if so.

For some places, using VA/VH does have an advantage in you won't get charged "resort fees" in Vegas for example I believe. That can make it considerably cheaper than using a online booking.

There is another option. Shop around for lowest prices (use the Jump Station). Pay with AmEx to earn miles on that bit, then use the money you saved to buy the equivalent miles. At £30 for the first 1000 miles, then £15 for each subsequent 1000 miles, you could do very nicely if the hotel difference is a big one.

Personally I usually book via the hotel website, if it has a lowest price guarantee (gaining miles from amex + hotel loyalty program).... otherwise Expedia if after specific location (if considerably cheaper - if its $20 or more per night difference - then indeed buying miles is an option). Some expedia bookings have let me use loyalty programs, but its not guaranteed....

If I'm not bothers about location - priceline is also useful if you use it right... but no reward card use for sure with this.

VA/VH for me at least have been no good on any booking - but mileage may vary in some other destinations. Noting that VA/VH is VERY useful if you expect hotel prices to increase or exchange rate from uk to us to drop - as it is generally a fixed price once booked in pounds.

Thanks for all the advice !

Don't you get a discount at VH if you're a FC member?

slinky09 wrote:Don't you get a discount at VH if you're a FC member?

the VS website says 10% for a limited time.
LINK HERE

CHill710 wrote:

slinky09 wrote:Don't you get a discount at VH if you're a FC member?

the VS website says 10% for a limited time.
LINK HERE

If you scroll a bit further down though it mentions it's not applicable to accom. only bookings:

All bookings must be made directly on the phone with Virgin Holidays or with Hip Hotels and exclude insurance, accommodation only bookings, car hire, excursion and attraction only tickets

OK tis done after much searching, agonising, checking on various hotel and other websites and trip advisor reviews I made by choice for my trip to Boston in November.

Decided to book the Radison (2nd choice but £60 cheaper than The Lenox as my 1st plus has a pool) and started booking on the VS site @ £ 522 (and getting the triple miles bonus + VS Amex spend double miles). BUT after selecting the hotel I get thrown to the Octopustravel website (though VS branded) so no bonus miles as this is not the virginatlantictravelplus website - the one it says you need to use to get the bonus miles.

BUT the price has mysteriously increased to £ 550 ! As this 1/2 the saving from my 1st choice I abort this booking and start again.

I choose 'The Lenox' (£ 582) and this keeps me on the 'right website' no change in price but 2% credit card charge (grrrrr) but at least there is option to put in my FC number to get the tripple miles etc. This all goes through smoothly though the confirmation says double miles (but calculated including the cc charges). I will follow this up with VS later and have taken screen dumps of where it says triple miles.

NOW THE LESS THAN SATISFACTORY PARTS

1. If I hadn't noticed the change during the Radison booking to the Octopus site I would have lost my bonus miles - as not booked via the proper website.

2. The increase in price plus the fact it is less than clear it has increased.

3. On the VS hotel search for Boston the Lenox is listed twice - as 'Lenox Hotel' and 'THE Lenox'. There is a difference in price from 'Lenox' (£810) to 'THE Lenox' (£582) for the seamingly same room !

4. The link for 'Lenox' goes to octopus but THE Lenox stays within VS

5. There are two hotels with dual listings - the ones without 'The' go to octopus the one with 'The' stays withing VS.

I think this is sharp practice and I will be pointing this out to VS

Anyway am happy with my hotel and the price I paid for it - much cheaper (£150+) than the other travel sites

tontybear wrote:OK tis done after much searching, agonising, checking on various hotel and other websites and trip advisor reviews I made by choice for my trip to Boston in November.

Decided to book the Radison (2nd choice but £60 cheaper than The Lenox as my 1st plus has a pool) and started booking on the VS site @ £ 522 (and getting the triple miles bonus + VS Amex spend double miles). BUT after selecting the hotel I get thrown to the Octopustravel website (though VS branded) so no bonus miles as this is not the virginatlantictravelplus website - the one it says you need to use to get the bonus miles.

BUT the price has mysteriously increased to £ 550 ! As this 1/2 the saving from my 1st choice I abort this booking and start again.

I choose 'The Lenox' (£ 582) and this keeps me on the 'right website' no change in price but 2% credit card charge (grrrrr) but at least there is option to put in my FC number to get the tripple miles etc. This all goes through smoothly though the confirmation says double miles (but calculated including the cc charges). I will follow this up with VS later and have taken screen dumps of where it says triple miles.

NOW THE LESS THAN SATISFACTORY PARTS

1. If I hadn't noticed the change during the Radison booking to the Octopus site I would have lost my bonus miles - as not booked via the proper website.

2. The increase in price plus the fact it is less than clear it has increased.

3. On the VS hotel search for Boston the Lenox is listed twice - as 'Lenox Hotel' and 'THE Lenox'. There is a difference in price from 'Lenox' (£810) to 'THE Lenox' (£582) for the seamingly same room !

4. The link for 'Lenox' goes to octopus but THE Lenox stays within VS

5. There are two hotels with dual listings - the ones without 'The' go to octopus the one with 'The' stays withing VS.

I think this is sharp practice and I will be pointing this out to VS

Anyway am happy with my hotel and the price I paid for it - much cheaper (£150+) than the other travel sites

This highlights the difficulties in booking with third party sites and why I book either directly with the hotel's own website or with some other site like Expedia when the hotel I want isn't a miles earning one

I'd be very reluctant to book anything via VH - because of their appalling customer service when something goes erong, or even when trying to get a query resolved.My recent experience of them was trying to get a reply about a car booking query - an experience beyond atrocious.

TB: I'd love to hear how VS explains the dual listings. v(

Jacki wrote:TB: I'd love to hear how VS explains the dual listings. v(

So would I ! A stiff letter will be winging its way later this week !

But I have worked out the 'code'.

Hotels with a star rating get sent to the octopus travel website (but pages branded as Virgin Atlantic) but the ones rated by 'ticks' stay on 'virgintravelplus'.

In my experience, booking a hotel through VS is better.

I travel on my own quite a bit and VS do not appear to charge a single room supplement. A good example of this was a few weeks ago, I had a quote for 7 nights in the Palazzo hotel in Las Vegas, the difference between the quotes from VH and VS was £480 which was the single room supplement.

Funny things is that VH administer the booking!

Needless to say I booked via VS only to find today that they have charged me twice!! :0 Did call them and they admitted it was their error, but will still take 2 weeks to get the refund n(