Convinced but still wary

[MTSibal]

Hi,



I recently signed up with LL upon the recommendation of 2 travel savy friends.we recently made a trip to France -Paris and Northern Part and after spending precious dollars into Euros , i think I have decided to use LL in our next trip.



of course, questions still come up to my mind, how reliable is LL? The worst travel experiencewould be arriving at your hotel and not getting the reservartions. can we contact the hotel direct days before the trip just to reconfirm the services? predomnantly good experiences?



convinced but still wary,



MS

[bonniejoy03]

Hi MTSibal: Good post and good concern. Please do contact the hotel now to confirm reservations and all the "extras" if any are included. Confirm any over and above costs that could occur. *for example airport transfers, gratuities, etc.So far, we have never had a bad experience. I though, always stay in touch with the property to make sure I know what to expect. Have a great trip!

[MTSibal]

thanks so much. appreciate the reply. do you always use your credit card when paying LL?



Thanks

[kyshel]

MTSibal
Welcome. Don't forget to thank your friends, too! I hope you enjoy your experince as much as most of us do.
I have purchased 3 LL pkgs (bid on several which I did not win). I've done the "suite life" in Prague and been on safari in South Africa. I'm nearly ready to travel to Thailand in 6 weeks. I expect that LL pkg to be no less than excellent like the others.
When possible, I pre-ck availability with the hotel before bidding (several of my bids were for mystery locations, so that's a bit different!). The small properties might be less flexible during peak seasons or have limits on promotional packages. One property only accomodated 16 guests, so I had to follow up if there would be any last-minute changes. Another allowed me to upgrade with a fee, so I was limited to only 2 suites in the hotel.
I've used my credit card (which was registered previous to bidding) and I've also made direct payment on a cc thru LL (due to an expiration error).
I have all my correspondence from each purchase and take a written copy of pertinent booking confirmations, etc.
I hope this helps--just don't bid against me, ok?

[MTSibal]

Thanks so much Kyshel! This is the first time im using LL and it will be a Christmas trip for us to Spain ( maybe Seville or Barcelona) too early to plan as we just got back from France.



I think what I really want to sense is a good community of travel savy people who has tried Luxury Link and that it is a reliable consolidator,operator of luxury brand programmes. What prompted me to explore this is that the Euro in Europe is so strong that paying Euro direct to the hotel is like hitting your head. Might as well pre-pay everything is US dollars using consolidators like expedia or in this case, LL./



Sawadee in Thailand and I am sure, you will have a fabulous time!

[kyshel]

Regarding the Euro/Dollar imbalance, you have a great point about pre-paying. Considering the level of luxury included in some packages, it's even more of a deal. We take short trips to Europe often and I'm always shocked at the $20 EURO breakfast buffets. That's a decent dinner in the States!!! Add the exhorbitant internet charges in some hotels--OUCH!For major EU cities--2 persons, BF's + suite/lux room for $2-300ish US is tres sensible these days.
We may be heading to Asia and South America more often for our recreational travel. Either taht, or I'm going to the countryside and looking at the great artworks of the world on the computer!
"Bali Hai is calling"...tralala

[MTSibal]

thats so true! Im glad I discovered LL through my friends.. there are LL events? wonder if something is coming up in New York. New York city based here and would love to attend.

[claassenam]

Hi MTsibal - if you are looking for a community of luxury-minded travelers (looking to save a few $$$ while living the good life) you have come to the right place. I've taken several LL trips now and they have always been smooth sailing. As with any online booking, keep your paperwork and email trail. You can always confirm with the property beforehand as well. Let any of us know if you have specific questions, we are here to help!

Oh, and regarding an event in NYC there was talk of some sort of corporate event this year in the city to which VIP Luxury Link Contributors would be invited but nobody seems to know any specifics. Hopefully they'll keep us posted.

[bonniejoy03]

Hi. Yes, we always use the cc. I don't think there are any other options? Also by using the cc, it provides some form of purchase protection depending on your card.

[MTSibal]

Thanks classeman and bonniejoy for your reply. It helps .I am looking forward to doing our first LL booking in a few months!