Twenty-five hundred dollars for a standard room, no room service and daily housekeeping on request, but not guaranteed. The good news for luxury travelers is the world is opening up. Five-star hotels and resorts are ready to receive well-heeled guests. However, top travel advisors suggest those of you who want to get back out there need a fat wallet, moderated expectations, and the help of professionals to guide you through what could be the norm for the foreseeable future. Forget dreams of flawless service and deciding where to dine on the spur of the moment.  Welcome to the new reality of luxury travel.

And yes, you read that correctly. The same hotel room on Miami Beach that in 2019 sold for $500 per night is now going for $2,500 - without room service and daily housekeeping. Despite sky-high rates and fewer amenities, luxury properties are selling out, say the travel advisors.  

Stacy Small, the CEO of Maui-based Elite Travel International, recently wrote in her blog, “What's not fun is when some of these hotels act like they don't need the business because they are so busy right now. I do believe that when the world opens up, starting later this year and into 2022, the ultra-high rates many are charging will level out or come back down closer to pre-covid levels.”

That’s not a sure thing. Jack Ezon, the managing partner of New York-based EmbarkBeyond, predicts next year will be similar. Speaking from Mykonos, where he is planning a celebration trip for 50 clients next month, he expects demand to outstrip supply for at least the next 18 months. “2022 will have three or four years of groups piled together, from 2020, 2021 and next year – weddings, family events – all the people who earned incentive trips in 2019 and last year. It’s hard to find group space in 2022.”

Small, a former journalist, turned advisor, reports one client paying $4,000 per night on an all-inclusive rate was told upon arrival, dinners and activities were already booked up. “Another client showed up and the room locations we'd guaranteed were all of a sudden switched last minute, without any of us being notified. Again, not earth-shattering or unfixable, but stressful at a high price tag,” she writes.

A different type of luxury experience

It goes to a crucial point. Get ready for a different type of luxury travel experience. And most of all, make sure you have a travel agent with know-how and strong enough relationships to fix problems if they occur.

Agents with inside knowledge are more valuable than ever. Jack Bloch, the owner of New York-based JB’s World Travel Consultants, says you won’t find information about room service or daily housekeeping on hotel websites. While some variations are based on geography, in places like Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles, it differs block to block. He arranged room service from a hotel that wasn’t offering it by speaking to the manager in advance, and orchestrating it for his clients as a special service provided by the hotel’s restaurant. In other cases, Holtz says hotels just can’t hire enough housekeeping staff. A good advisor can give you the heads up before you book.

Ezon says you can no longer show up and expect to decide what you want to do. Some hotels have limits on how many people can be in the gym at one time. “That’s part of what we do now. We ask clients about what they want to do minute-by-minute. Then we call the hotel and make sure it happens. Yes, in some cases, that means booking a time slot at the gym.”

The planning extends to securing both lunch and dinner reservations before you go, as well as chairs at the pool. Social distancing requirements mean fewer spots. Advisors say the arrangements they are making aren’t necessarily available if you booked the hotel directly. That’s because, despite your plutonium card status, earned by staying across that group’s thousands of properties, advisors have clout with that particular hotel based on regularly booking clients there. In many cases, they have the general manager’s mobile number on their cellphone.

Plan B

So, how should you figure it out? Michael Holtz, CEO of New York-based SmartFlyer, says, “Two years ago, if somebody wanted to go to Italy, they went to Italy. Now you need a backup plan.” That means more work. At the same time, your advisor is scripting an itinerary for the Amalfi Coast; they are looking into availability at dude ranches in Wyoming, just in case. “Plan B is Plan A 1.1. You need one,” says Ezon.

If you decide to go, make sure to pack your patience. Ezon and Holtz say some luxury hotels at full occupancy are at half-staff, struggling to hire back workers laid-off during the pandemic. “I know one manager (from a hotel), who is now a supervisor at an Amazon warehouse,” Holtz says. While the travel industry remains attractive because of its discounts and other perks for employees, training new hires takes time.  “The world has changed. It’s just different. It’s not going back to where it was. People need to adjust,” says Holtz. Still, with the proper attitude, he says, clients are enjoying their trips.

Finding value

In terms of finding value, a spokesperson for Virtuoso, a network of agencies specializing in luxury travel, says capacity is “a significant factor, particularly on the airline side.” She continues, “The airlines have retired hundreds of aging planes out of their fleet and won’t be able to fully replace them for several years. Over 40 carriers went out of business as well, mostly regional, but still impactful.”

Besides having the relationships to make sure you are well looked after, advisors say they can help you figure out where the good deals exist. For example, Ezon recently booked a client for a long weekend at a five-star resort in Italy’s Lake District. The one-bedroom suite was $200 less per night than a similar property in Turks & Caicos. What’s more, the international business class flatbed suites across the Atlantic were half the price of the domestic first-class seating for the shorter flights to Providenciales.

Booking airport meet and greet services is now a must, say both Block and Ezon. “If you don’t, you can end up spending hours standing in a snaking line,” says Bloch. Ezon made a 40-minute connection in Athens by using a VIP service.

Not all hotels are charging astronomical rates, advisors say. European hotels want to attract Americans because they spend more once they get there. To do so, they are keeping a lid on room prices.

Despite the obstacles, a perk of traveling this summer is top tourist attractions are less likely to be crowded. “Without the huge cruise ships, this could be the best year to go to Venice,” says Ezon. Bloch points to Athens and Croatia, where many of the attractions are outdoors.

Still, come with the expectations of a different experience. Places like Greece, where outdoor living during the summer is a way of life, are likely to be more normal. Yet, Ezon says don’t expect the wild club scene normally found in places like Ibiza. “It’s just not happening, or as of right now, it doesn’t look like it will happen,” he says.

Most of all, book your trip knowing it may not be what you expected. “Everything changes day-by-day,” says Holtz. “A good travel advisor is keeping on top of it for you.”

In terms of whether or not you should go, Bloch says, “Personally, I wouldn’t rush my clients unless they feel totally comfortable. It’s not going to be the smooth luxury experience you think about. If they’ve been traveling all their lives, if they don’t travel this year, it’s not the end of the world. They have homes in Aspen and the Hamptons.”