An invitation-only program connecting Expedia Group’s loyalty members with highly rated properties offering exceptional guest experiences
VIP Access
Best for:
Top rated properties
Used for:
Capturing incremental bookings and targeting high-value travelers
Benefit:
Greater financial return on your guest experience and increased visibility
Overview
Join Expedia Group’s exclusive benefits program that connects our top-performing properties to our best guests, without the need to spend money on marketing or reduce your rates.
Already a Partner?
Note: Visit property details, amenities, and photos to request access to the VIP Access program.
Benefits
The VIP Access program showcases properties that offer excellent guest experiences. In exchange for giving Expedia Group’s most frequent travelers special recognition and an exclusive perk, partners enjoy these great benefits.
- Increased visibility: Stand out to travelers with higher search ranking and an exclusive VIP Access badge that lets travelers know you provide exceptional service.
- Marketing reach: Benefit from Expedia Group-funded marketing campaigns and incentives for travelers who book VIP Access hotels — at no cost to you.
- Expedia Group support: Get access to a dedicated support team, as well as resources and tools designed to help you exceed guest expectations.
- Free to join: Join this program at no extra cost. Gain access to a world of frequent travelers without impacting your average daily rate.
Already a Partner?
Note: Visit property details, amenities, and photos to request access to the VIP Access program.
The VIP Access badge is proven to drive property preference for more than two thirds of Expedia Rewards and Hotels.com, Rewards loyalty program members.
Expedia Rewards and Hotels.com loyalty program member research, 2019
Expedia Rewards travelers have 1.3x greater booking value than the average traveler.
Expedia Group, 2018
Eligibility and commitment
VIP Access is an exclusive, invitation-only benefits program for properties that consistently deliver high- quality service to guests.
- Eligibility: VIP Access participants have star ratings, post-stay reviews, and Content Scores that reflect consistent delivery of a high-quality service.
- Your commitment: There are no fees to join, and you won’t be asked to discount your rates or increase compensation. You do, however, commit to providing VIP and Premium VIP guests with special recognition at check-in, free Wi-Fi, and an exclusive property perk, such as a free breakfast, waived parking fees, or spa credits.
For our top-tier travelers (Premium VIP guests), we ask that you also provide extras such as room upgrades, early check-in, and late checkout when available.
“The VIP Access program is good for revenue. Top and bottom line, you make more money. As an independent property, being part of the VIP Access program was a no-brainer for our ownership.”
Mindy C.
Director of Revenue
Sorrento Hotel, USA
FAQs
Absolutely! They’re designed to be used together and as standalone tools. For example, you might be a VIP Access property running a package promotion to attract travelers who plan ahead, while at the same time leveraging a same-day deal to offset last-minute cancellations.
You can go slow at the beginning, with $0.25 cost per click and a daily budget that feels comfortable, and learn what works for you. Our Media Solutions team is happy to help; you can ask a question or, if you’re ready, sign up for an account.
No, although before you begin, you should review our promotion guidelines. Then feel free to participate in any of our campaigns or promotions – and remember, you can always design your own.
Strategies for using Accelerator vary depending on business need. Some partners are very precise, adding an Accelerator only when they need to fill rooms. Others run an Accelerator for a longer period, paired with a promotion targeting a specific audience, e.g., travelers who book early. It’s easy to test, learn, and adjust until you find an approach that works best for you.
Our easy-to-use platform, Partner Central, will be the primary location for managing reservations, loading inventory, changing rates, and keeping your listing up to date. Many partners opt to use a connectivity provider to link our systems and automatically perform daily tasks. They log in to Partner Central to leverage our more advanced tools including competitive set analysis, real-time market pricing, and other marketing programs. If you have any problems, our local teams are ready to help.
Yes. Expedia Group partners have access to a suite of tools and data insights that help you develop and execute a profitable revenue management strategy. We're constantly innovating and publishing best-practice guidance to support your success.
An online travel agency (OTA) is a key part of your distribution strategy. If your goal is to reach more travelers and attract those who will be happiest at your property, an OTA can help.
At Expedia Group the breadth of our travel supply attracts travelers who are researching, planning, and booking travel. They often plan far in advance, stay longer at your property, and spend more. In addition to helping you fill your rooms, we provide tools and market insights to help you provide outstanding guest experiences and grow your business.
We're one of the world’s leading travel marketplaces, with an extensive brand portfolio that includes both globally recognized and locally relevant travel brands, including Expedia, Hotels.com, Orbitz, Travelocity, and more. Learn more in our About Us section.
No. To keep your workload to a minimum, we automatically email the guest to confirm the reservation.
You can easily cancel a reservation on behalf of a guest in Partner Central. If a cancellation fee applies, you can charge the linked Expedia Virtual Card on the cancellation date.
Yes. The Messages tool in Partner Central allows communication with guests before they arrive and we're happy to include check-in instructions with your property listing.
As an Expedia Group partner, you choose how you want to accept guest payments. Options include leveraging our secure payment processing to have travelers pay online when they book and charging an Expedia Group issued virtual credit card for payment at checkout. You can also have guests pay you directly at check-out and compensate Expedia Group.
To appeal to the broadest number of travelers, you can choose to offer both options and let the guests decide what's best for them.
It isn't a problem if your property doesn't accept credit cards. We'll make sure your listing communicates how you accept payment (cash, check, credit card, etc.) so travelers are prepared when they arrive. We'll confirm with you in a call to welcome you to the Expedia Group family.
In addition to providing an easy-to-use and secure experience for travelers to book your rooms, Expedia Group invests heavily in advertising, digital marketing, and social media promotion to attract consumers from around the world to your market and individual property.
We're constantly mining our data for insights and emerging travel trends so we can both innovate and develop the best set of free and robust tools that enable you to grow your business. We also operate traveler and partner support centers to help solve the sticky logistical issues that inevitably arise when people set out to explore the world.
