Most recently, my husband and I travelled to Miami and we booked our hotel through a travel agent. Surprisingly, a lot of people were surprised by that!
But before I go into my reasons for preferring the use of a travel agent, let me make a couple of things clear about myself and how I like travel.
Flights
I typically book flights on my own. There are multiple airlines out there – not to mention sites that find the best deal for you or point-cards – so most of the time you’ll likely find the best deal yourself. This doesn’t include all-inclusive packages where flights are part of the deal.
Airbnb
I do not book Airbnb. Ya, I know this is the trendy thing to do and you can save a lot of money… yada, yada, yada. But my idea of vacation is being taken care of, including meals, having my bed made, and towels refreshed so a DIY vacation is a non-starter for me.
Off the Beaten Path
I do enjoy finding mom-and-pop spots, which oftentimes are off an agent’s radar. But when it comes to big-brand hotels, I go agent all the way.
There’s a common myth that travel agents will cost you – the traveller – more and this is certainly not the case. Agents tend to get commission directly from the hotel or airline they book you with. Some may charge an initial fee for helping create an itinerary but will disclose that upfront or refund it when you book (and tbh, that seems fair since they’re putting in time and effort to help you). That said, here are some of the amazing benefits you get from using an agent:
THE BEST DEAL
Remember, it’s not how much you pay going in the door, it’s how much you pay going out. On our last trip, our agent got us the same room-rate as I could have gotten online. BUT, her rate included breakfast, early/late check-in, resort credit and a room upgrade. Hello? No brainer. Travel Agents have relationships with the hotels they work with and are much more likely to be able to get you some perks.
NOT JUST A NUMBER
When we checked into our hotel, our room – which had already been upgraded when we booked – was upgraded again. That’s because we weren’t just a credit card number to the hotel, we were part of a customer community our travel agent had already established. We had the warmest welcome!
CUSTOMER SERVICE
It was super nice to have a real person to talk to. Our travel agent made sure to answer all our questions, follow up with additional details, and check on us when we got back. I went into this trip knowing that we had someone to turn to if anything went wrong. That kind of security is priceless. She also made sure we had insurance sorted out, which I often forget about!
TIME-SAVER
I could have spent weeks checking and re-checking online deals but I knew I didn’t have to. Our travel agent did all the legwork for us and consistently followed up with details about our booking and the offers available to us.
We had a fabulous time in Miami and our hotel was perfect! Here are some pictures of our stay at W South Beach.
I would like to thank Meghan at Tully Luxury Travel for helping us plan the perfect weekend getaway! It wouldn’t have been the same without your earnest interest in meeting our needs and expectations!!
**Note: This post was in NO WAY sponsored or paid for. Opinions are my own, based on personal experience and honest review.
Do you have any vacations planned? If you’re interested in Miami, shoot me any questions you have below. And if you are planning a trip, check out these adorable white dresses that are perfect for any type of vacation.
Bon Voyage!
xo,
Mary
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