Welcome to our booking platform!

Is your booking platform a tested, secure way to book hotels?

Yes! Our booking platform uses the Global Distribution System (GDS), the gold standard for making bookings in our industry since the 1960s and the system almost all major commercial and leisure travel agents still use today. GDS provides real-time access to inventory and pricing for hotels, cars, flights and more, as published by the actual providers. Bookings made on it go directly into the corresponding providers' reservation systems, not to a third party booking site. While GDS has set the standard for travel related bookings by professionals for decades, two things about our platform are new:

1. The fact that we can share our access with our clients. Until recently, GDS was only visible to / usable by licensed travel industry professionals through platforms like Sabre and Amadeus.

2. Our platform's interface, designed by TravelWits, has been modified to include photos and hotel guest-relevant language, and edited to include only the essential rate codes and make it easier to navigate. The full, professional version of GDS that travel agents see when we use the system for hotel, flight, and car bookings would be impossible for a non-travel professional to utilize, so TravelWits has translated it to make it consumer-friendly.

Is your booking platform comparable to an "OTA" like Expedia or Priceline?

No. Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) do not book rooms directly with hotels, or flights directly with airlines. They act as intermediaries, selling space that they contract either in bulk or through partners. When you pay an OTA for a hotel room, you're paying the OTA, not the hotel. When you reserve space with an OTA, you're reserving space out of their bulk reservation, not directly with the hotel (or airline). In contrast, when you book with us, you are paying the hotel directly and booking space directly with the hotel, just with the convenience of using our platform to be able to compare prices and get our VIP benefits.

Why would I use Kiki's Travel Service's TravelWits booking platform instead of other hotel booking platforms or booking directly on hotel websites?

Our booking platform is uniquely designed so our clients can benefit from our prestigious loyalty program memberships and Virtuoso® partnerships*. If you already have elite status with a specific brand of hotel, the rates and benefits you get from that brand should match ours, but few travelers have elite status across multiple hotel brands. Our booking platform gives you access to loyalty program rates and benefits across a wide spectrum of luxury hotel brands - including Four Seasons, Belmond, Peninsula and many more - so you can choose the best hotel for your needs for each stay, without sacrificing VIP treatment.

Our booking platform also gives you access to Virtuoso® benefits and amenities, which are only available to those booking with travel agents who are affiliated with Virtuoso® partner agencies - like us! You can also access Virtuoso® rates via our co-branded Virtuoso® site, but our booking platform allows you to compare Virtuoso® rates and benefits to those of our partner hotels' loyalty programs in a single location. Examples of Virtuoso® hotel brands where we get VIP benefits include Aman Resorts and Auberge Resorts.

Benefits related to loyalty programs and Virtuoso® vary by hotel and rate, but typically include breakfast, a food and beverage credit, priority status for upgrades and early check-in and more.

Can I book any hotel using the Kiki's Travel Service booking platform? Or only your partner hotels?

You can search and book hotels either way - limiting yourself to our preferred partners or looking at all available hotels. Note that our preferred partner hotels are highly rated and regularly vetted (by Virtuoso® and the network of travel agents and clients who book through our host agency Travel Experts, Inc.). We cannot make broad claims regarding the quality or appropriateness of non-partner hotels that are published on GDS. You would have to research the quality and appropriateness of such hotels yourself, although you are always welcome to ask us about a specific hotel. We do recommend and work with plenty of hotels that are not preferred partners.

TO SEE PARTNER HOTELS WITH VIRTUOSO® AND/OR LOYALTY PROGRAM BENEFITS:

• Leave the search selections as they are when you first enter the platform and your results will only include partner hotels. If you click the button "Show Available Properties Only", you'll see a drop-down with the search options. The only box that should be un-clicked is "Show Best Available Rates (non-preferred)".

TO SEE ALL HOTELS IN THE GDS SYSTEM, INCLUDING NON-PARTNER HOTELS:

• Click the button "Show Available Properties Only" and you'll see a drop-down with the search options. Click "Show Best Available Rates (non-preferred)", which is un-clicked by default. All the boxes will be clicked. You don't need to un-click any boxes.

Why would I book through your booking platform instead of reaching out to you directly for help choosing a hotel? Can I still work with a real person to get help when choosing my destination and hotel?

The online booking platform lets our clients research and reserve hotel rooms independently, quickly, and privately, without reaching out to our team. However, we are always happy to research and recommend hotels. You can also use the booking platform to research hotel options on your own, then once you've made a decision, you can contact us and we can complete the booking for you.

If you book using our booking platform, we will assume that you DO NOT want help with anything related to the booking unless you tell us otherwise. If you DO want assistance with your booking after it's made, just forward the booking confirmation to us at info@kikistravelservice.com and let us know what kind of assistance you would like. Examples include arranging transfers, making restaurant or spa reservations, or notifying the hotel about arrival or departure times.

How do I know which amenities and benefits are included in the rate?

Amenities and benefits are detailed in the rate description area. They are not identical for all hotels or for all rates at a given hotel. Here's how to find them:

• Enter your destination and dates into the search fields and click the "Search" button.

• Once you get the results, click on the "Select Room" button that corresponds to the hotel you want and you'll see a list of available room categories.

• Click the "View (#) rates" button next to your preferred room category and you'll see which preferred rates are available.

• Click the drop down "View Full Description" within a given rate to see more details.

If you still have any questions about exactly what is included in a specific rate, please contact us and we're happy to help.

If there are multiple rates for the hotel and room I want, how do I choose?

Beyond comparing prices, inclusions, and cancellation policies, we recommend prioritizing the hotel's own loyalty program rate, if it's available. Next below that would be a Virtuoso® rate, then the Travel Experts rate. If you see a different promotional rate on the hotel's website and you'd like to know if you can get that rate combined with Virtuoso® or other amenities, reach out to us and we'll see what we can do.

What are the terms and conditions of the booking I make with your hotel booking platform?

Since all bookings made on our platform are made directly with the hotels, the terms and conditions for your stay, and the amenities, are set by the hotel itself at the time of booking. Be sure to review these details, especially cancellation policies, before making a booking. NOTE THAT WE CANNOT OVERRIDE A HOTEL'S CANCELLATION POLICY SO IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE RULES RELATED TO CANCELLATION BEFORE YOU BOOK.

How do your rates compare to what I can get via American Express Travel and my AMEX Platinum card?

We are happy to book AMEX Fine Hotels & Resorts for you and we get all their benefits. We do find, however, that the range of rates and benefits offered through our booking platform often match or exceed what is offered by AMEX. In addition, HOTELS PRIORITIZE THEIR OWN LOYALTY PROGRAM MEMBERS, and that's what you are when you book through Kiki's Travel Service. So if the rates are similar, we recommend booking the hotel's own loyalty program rate, if one is available.

AMEX Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection include hotels that are NOT included in Virtuoso® or the loyalty programs described above. In those cases, it may make the most sense to use their rates and we are happy to book for you. Please send us your request here.

Is there a fee to use the booking tool?

No, our booking tool is completely free for our registered clients.

Do I need a password to be able to make a hotel booking on your site? Can I share your password with family and friends?

You do need a password and it's super easy to get one. Click here and register, then we'll send you your password and you'll be on your way! Please DO NOT share your password with family and friends, but DO send them our way and tell them how easy it is to register for themselves. Once you've logged in using your password on a particular device, that device should remember your password and you won't need to log in again.

What are the limitations of your booking platform?

Currently, the platform only allows you to one room per transaction. If you need to book multiple rooms, you will need to make a separate reservation for each one. If you would like to book multiple rooms and you'd like them to be adjacent or connecting, we recommend contacting our team to make this request.

I’ve received my booking confirmation email. Am I all set?

Yes! Once you receive a confirmation email from TravelWits, your reservation is complete and the hotel will have your booking details. We will only communicate with you about your booking if you reach out to us for assistance. If we don't hear from you, we'll assume that you would like to manage all the details of your stay yourself. FOR ANY REQUESTS RELATED TO YOUR BOOKING, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO REACH OUT TO US, PLEASE REACH OUT DIRECTLY TO THE HOTEL. DO NOT REPLY TO THE TRAVELWITS HOTEL BOOKING CONFIRMATION EMAIL WITH REQUESTS BECAUSE NO ONE WILL RECEIVE THEM.

What if I need to cancel my hotel stay?

Once your booking is confirmed, you’ll receive a confirmation email. To cancel, click “View Trip” at the bottom of your confirmation email. This will open your booking details. In the upper right, you'll see a summary of your booking. Under the "Status" line, you can click the "Cancel" link and it will show you your cancellation options. If you cancel the booking, you will immediately receive an email confirming that, including a cancellation reference #. If you don't receive that email, please try again or contact us for assistance, since you may not have finished the cancellation process and you could be penalized if you don't proceed with your hotel stay.

Frequently Asked Questions

*Partnerships originate from our status as an independent affiliate of Travel Experts, Inc., a Forbes Travel Guide endorsed agency and Virtuoso® member.