.
Some travelers swear by reserving hotels last minute. But while that may work fine with budget hotels, it pays to book a luxury hotel early. Why? Here are four reasons to book luxury hotels as early as possible:
1. There May Be No Availability if You Wait
We've had clients who are disappointed that they missed out on their preferred resort or hotel for winter holidays, spring break, summer, or even a non-holiday period because they waited too long to book. The hotel may not be entirely sold out on every single day, but because those dates have such high demand, guests who don't already hold a confirmed reservation will have to book starting before or after the high demand period. Also see: Festive Season 2025: Top 20 Available Resorts
.
2. Rates May Go Up
There's a misconception that hotel rooms will become cheaper if you wait, since many luxury hotels aren't operating at full capacity. But that's not always the case; I've seen rates at some hotels increase 50% over the course of a few months. Just today, a client asked about adding an additional night at a European luxury hotel for a 2026 stay, and in just 6 weeks, the rate we booked at has gone up by 27%. Hotels often adjust rates as occupancy increases or decreases, and for busier periods such as spring break, summer, and holidays, rates can easily increase as you get closer in.
But even if that's true, it doesn't hurt to reserve now and then, if rates do go down, simply call and ask for your rate to be adjusted. Just don't book a non-refundable rate, make sure you book a flexible rate.
Think of it in terms of option value: by reserving a flexible rate well in advance, you have an option for a hotel room or suite at a price. That long time horizon can only benefit you, since if rates go up, you're protected, and if rates go down, you can adjust your rate to the prevailing rate (or book a higher category than you originally booked, for a similar investment).
.
3. Book Early for Confirmed Upgrade at Time of Booking
Most upgrades are based on availability at time of check-in, but there are some luxury hotels that confirm an upgrade at time of booking, and certain preferred partner programs such as Hyatt Prive and Shangri-La Luxury Circle also confirm some upgrades at time of booking. For example, I've confirmed upgrades for clients such as a $1445 per night suite to a $2195 per night suite, a savings of $750 per night. In these cases, you'll only be able to confirm an upgrade in advance if there's still availability of the category above the one that you book.
There are also some Four Seasons Preferred Partner exclusive upgrades at time of booking that change throughout the year; several are mentioned in the post above on luxury hotels that confirm an upgrade at time of booking, and TravelSort Clients can check with us whether the Four Seasons hotel they're considering has a confirmed upgrade offer.
.
4. Top Priority for Room and Suite Preferences
Most hotels won't guarantee a specific room or suite in advance (although a few, such as the Park Hotel Vitznau in Switzerland do, as the rooms and suites are so unique). That said, hotels, particularly when we reserve them for clients through a preferred partner program, do take into account guest preferences, and typically guests who book earlier receive priority in terms of their specific room or suite preferences, such as a particular room layout, better view, or higher floor.
Have you ever wished you reserved a hotel earlier?
Recommended Posts
Most Unique Virtuoso Hotel Perks, 2025
Top 17 Japan Luxury Hotel Offers 2025
Top 12 Italy Luxury Hotel Offers 2025
Top Spain and Portugal Luxury Hotel Offers 2025
If you enjoyed this, join 200,000+ readers: follow TravelSort on Twitter or like us on Facebook to be alerted to new posts.
Subscribe to TravelSort on YouTube for travel inspiration.
Become a TravelSort Client and Book 5-Star Hotels with Virtuoso or Four Seasons Preferred Partner Benefits