Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Answers about checking a hotel rate, preferred-partner bookings and benefits, and how CheckMyHotelRate works.
Checking your rate
No. CheckMyHotelRate doesn't charge a service, planning or booking fee. You can have a rate checked for free, and there's no fee from us if you decide to book. Some travel advisors do charge separate fees, but we don't. We may receive a commission from the hotel or travel partner, but that doesn't create a separate fee from CheckMyHotelRate.
No. Sometimes your existing rate really is the best option. If it is, we’ll tell you. In other cases we may find a lower rate, better conditions, extra benefits, or a combination of those things.
The easiest option is to send us a screenshot showing the hotel, travel dates, room type and rate. You can also enter the details manually. If something such as breakfast or flexible cancellation is important to you, let us know.
We aim to reply within 24 hours. In many cases it will be sooner.
Yes. The hotels shown on our site are only part of what we can check. Search for your hotel or send us the details and we’ll see what is available.
No. There is no obligation. We’ll show you what we found and you decide what works best for you.
Preferred-partner programs
Many luxury hotel groups have special programs for selected travel advisors. Depending on the hotel and rate, these can include benefits such as breakfast, hotel credit, room upgrades, early check in or late check out. See Preferred Partner Rates Explained for the full picture.
Hyatt Privé is Hyatt's own preferred-partner program, booked through an accredited travel advisor. It typically adds daily breakfast, a property credit and priority (not guaranteed) upgrade consideration to an eligible Hyatt rate. See What Is Hyatt Privé? for the full breakdown.
STARS and Luminous are two separate Marriott preferred-partner programs covering different sets of Marriott brands. The clearest difference is the hotel credit: standard at every STARS hotel, but only an optional extra at some Luminous hotels. See Marriott STARS vs Luminous for the full brand and benefit picture.
No. Preferred partner is a general term for these advisor-booked benefit programs. Each hotel group runs its own version under its own name, such as Hyatt Privé or Marriott STARS, and none of them is the same as the hotel's public loyalty program, though your loyalty account usually still applies.
Rates, perks & upgrades
Most preferred-partner rates add some combination of daily breakfast, a hotel credit, Wi-Fi and priority consideration for a room upgrade or early/late checkout. Exactly which ones apply depends on the program and the hotel. See Preferred Partner Rates Explained for the details.
No. Across the programs we've checked, a room upgrade is described as priority consideration, not a confirmed upgrade, and it's subject to availability at check-in. Some hotels don't offer an upgrade benefit at all.
Usually, yes, when the benefit applies to the rate you're on. It's typically a standard part of the program at eligible hotels, though it's worth confirming for the specific rate before you book.
Not automatically. Sometimes the rate is lower, sometimes it's about the same with extra benefits added, and sometimes a separate public or member rate beats it on price. See Are Preferred Partner Rates Cheaper? for how to compare properly.
Yes. Even within the same program, participation and the exact benefits offered can differ from hotel to hotel, and some perks depend on the room category you book. We'll flag anything relevant when we check your rate.
Booking & payment
Advisors are typically paid by the hotel through a commission, the same way a hotel budgets for any other marketing or distribution cost. That's part of why the rate itself doesn't usually carry a markup.
The hotel does. Your reservation and payment go directly through the hotel's own system, the same as any other booking.
Yes. You're a guest of the hotel either way. The advisor helps arrange the eligible rate and benefits, but the hotel operates your stay.
Refundability depends on the specific rate you book, not on whether it's a preferred-partner rate. Many of these rates are built around flexible terms, but always check the cancellation and prepayment terms on the actual booking, and you can cancel or change it the same way you would any other reservation with matching terms.
Points, status & loyalty
With many advisor and preferred partner rates you can still earn hotel points and receive your usual elite status benefits. This can vary by rate and hotel, so we'll flag it if there is anything you should know. See Do Travel Advisor Bookings Earn Points and Elite Nights? for the full program-by-program picture.
Comparing your options
A real travel advisor checks your rate, not an automated system. We compare what's actually available to us against what you found and tell you honestly what we see.
It might mean a lower total price, the same price with more included, or a more flexible rate for close to the same money. Sometimes the rate you already found is genuinely the better option, and we'll tell you that too. See Are Preferred Partner Rates Cheaper? for more on how to weigh it.
About CheckMyHotelRate
Already found a hotel and a rate you like? Send it to us and we’ll check the hotel rates available to us as travel advisors. This can include preferred partner rates with extra benefits such as breakfast, hotel credit or a possible room upgrade. We’ll let you know what we find, usually within 24 hours.
We can check eligible advisor rates across a range of preferred-partner programs, including Hyatt Privé, Marriott STARS and Luminous, Hilton for Luxury and others. See Preferred Partner Programs Compared for how they differ.
Already found a hotel rate?
Send it to Check My Rate and we’ll check it against eligible advisor options. No fee to check, no obligation to book.