Want to take advantage of Peninsula PenClub benefits, including a room upgrade, complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, and more? Contact Ford ([email protected]) for more details. He may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked.
Peninsula Hotels is regarded as one of the world’s best hotel groups. Peninsula has just a dozen properties around the globe, and they’re all very highly regarded, from Chicago, to London, to Istanbul, to Hong Kong.
While stays at Peninsula Hotels properties generally aren’t cheap, you can maximize your value by booking through Peninsula PenClub, a program available through select travel advisors that offers extra perks. In this post, I’d like to go over the details of the program, as it’s one that I’ve never written about.
In this post:
What is the Peninsula PenClub program?
Peninsula PenClub is a program available to select travel advisors, offering special perks for stays at all Peninsula Hotels properties worldwide. You’ll pay the same rate you would directly with Peninsula, except you’ll be able to receive additional value-add benefits.
Why would Peninsula offer extra perks for booking through a travel agent? The idea is that hotel brands spend a lot of money on marketing, and one aspect of that is giving travel agents an incentive to book their clients at a particular brand. This is truly a win-win, as the guest gets more benefits, and the hotel gets more business. The other reason is to give guests an incentive not to book through an online travel agency, as those often have much higher commissions.
You’ll find that most major luxury hotel groups have programs like this, including Accor Preferred, Belmond Bellini Club, Four Seasons Preferred Partner, Hilton for Luxury, Hyatt Privé, Mandarin Oriental Fan Club, Marriott STARS, Oetker Collection Pearl Partner, Rosewood Elite, and Shangri-La Luxury Circle.
What are the benefits of Peninsula PenClub?
For booking through an Peninsula PenClub travel advisor, you can expect to receive the following perks:
- Guaranteed room upgrade from room to room or from suite to suite, at the time of booking, with select room and suite type exclusions
- A $100 credit once per stay, which can either be used toward food & beverage or spa treatments
- Daily breakfast for up to two people
- Access to Peninsula Time, offering guaranteed check-in as early as 6AM, and check-out as late as 10PM, subject to a limited number of blackout dates
- Upgraded welcome amenities, which vary by hotel
- Access to select special rates, including promotional third or fourth night free offers at select properties over certain periods
Just to clarify, Peninsula Time is a benefit whenever booking direct or through a travel advisor, so I don’t want to suggest that this is exclusive to PenClub. However, it’s marketed as part of the overall value, and PenClub travel advisors can help with confirming that.
What are the advantages of booking through Peninsula PenClub over programs like Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts or Virtuoso?
- Peninsula PenClub reservations receive guaranteed upgrades at the time of booking, rather than just subject to availability at check-in
- Peninsula PenClub can be applied to promotional and non-refundable rates, while Virtuoso and other programs typically only apply to the flexible rate
- Peninsula PenClub often gives you access to better third or fourth night free rates, which may not be available through other programs
- Peninsula PenClub bookings are prioritized over other consortia bookings when it comes to things like further upgrades
Ultimately a travel advisor can help you compare the perks through the various programs, and help you book through whichever offers the best value. Ford and his team are happy to help with these requests, and can be reached at [email protected].
Peninsula PenClub booking FAQs
While the above hopefully covers the basics of Peninsula PenClub, let me answer some FAQs regarding the program, in no particular order.
What hotels belong to Peninsula PenClub?
Currently Peninsula Hotels has the following 12 properties, across Asia, Europe, and the United States:
- The Peninsula Bangkok
- The Peninsula Beijing
- The Peninsula Beverly Hills
- The Peninsula Chicago
- The Peninsula Hong Kong
- The Peninsula Istanbul
- The Peninsula London
- The Peninsula Manila
- The Peninsula New York
- The Peninsula Paris
- The Peninsula Shanghai
- The Peninsula Tokyo
As you can see, there are some really iconic properties belonging to Peninsula. Personally, I’m most curious to stay at the Istanbul property, as it’s still new, and I’ve heard many say it’s the city’s best hotel. It looks amazing, as it’s right on the Bosphorus.
What rates are eligible for Peninsula PenClub perks?
Peninsula PenClub perks can generally be combined with any rate bookable directly with Peninsula, including advance purchase rates, best available rates, etc. This is an advantage of PenClub over other programs, as the perks are combinable with more types of rates.
Is there a minimum stay requirement for Peninsula PenClub bookings?
No, you can take advantage of Peninsula PenClub benefits even on a one-night stay, so there’s no minimum stay required.
Can you book Peninsula PenClub rates without a travel agent?
In order to book a Peninsula PenClub reservation, you have to go through a travel advisor affiliated with the program. There is one way that travelers can book these rates directly, though it still (sort of) uses a travel advisor.
Specifically, the TravelWits portal lets you book Peninsula PenClub rates directly. You’re still booking through a specific travel advisor’s platform, but it’s great to be able to compare rates. These portals do have to be password protected, so if you’d like to use Ford Beckett Travel’s portal, you need to email [email protected] to request the password.
For example, this lets you see how you can apply PenClub benefits to a promotional, non-refundable rate…
…and it also shows you the guaranteed upgrade, like that the PenClub rate for a grand deluxe room is the same as the Virtuoso rate for a deluxe room (since PenClub lets you book a deluxe room and then receive a guaranteed upgrade to a grand deluxe room at the time of booking).
How do you pay for Peninsula PenClub reservations?
When you reserve a Peninsula PenClub booking, you’ll still pay the hotel directly, so it’s no different than if booking direct. A travel agent simply has to assist you with making the reservation, and then the hotel handles the stay.
Bottom line
PenClub is Peninsula Hotels’ program available for select travel advisors. This offers perks like a guaranteed room upgrade, complimentary breakfast, a $100 property credit, an improved welcome amenity, and more. It’s also combinable with Peninsula Time, the amazing program that lets you confirm check-in at 6AM and confirm check-out at 10PM.
While there are several programs offering perks at Peninsula Hotels, PenClub is the only one that consistently offers guaranteed upgrades, and that also lets you consistently stack the benefits with promotional and non-refundable rates (in addition to the flexible rate, of course).
Manila is such a weird outlier. Of all places...
BUT it's probably the most affordable of all the Peninsulas. I'm a poor sheepherder in my country of Mypos and the Manila Peninsula is the only Peninsula that I imagine I'll stay in.
Most of their properties are tired and badly in need of a renovation and they are 5x more expensive than they should be. They have the 24 hour reservation policy because their properties are never full and need some incentive for people to book there.
I would agree that overall they are due for remodels at many properties, but the service, food, and pen time benefits are all great. I'm happy to stay at a Peninsula when the price is right, and in some cities such as Beverly Hills, they are my preferred property.
Stayed at the one in NYC. Dated. Poor service. Moved on.
It is a bit dated, but great service and breakfast and super comfy bed. We got a good deal and would happily go back. It's not going to win the hard product of the city award, but a really solid nice hotel in the city if the price is right, which it often is.
Can this "Peninsula time" be applied to reservations made via Agoda, Hotelscom etc? Just checked and the nightly rates are easily 100+ dollars less on 3rd party platforms. So for a stay of several nights, there really is no point in paying hundreds of dollars extra to get a 100 dollar credit...
Or, a guaranteed room upgrade. Or, breakfast for two. Yep, you're no fool.
I think officially the answer is 'no' however I have done so multiple times in Beverly Hills; booked via Agoda and then emailed the property in advance to request it and have not had it denied yet. It is not available for all room types and must be requested far enough in advance. Probably it's at the property's discretion when it's through an OTA, and maybe some properties won't let you, but BH consistently has allowed it.
Chinese hotel chains like Pen, Langham, MO are the best (Raffles by extension). Hopefully they t’ll turn Steigenberger into a proper Asian chain
Disagree with respect to Mandarin Oriental. Expensive hotels but not luxury hotels -- poor service across the board. I have zero idea how its Paris location received the "Palace" designation.
Is this the club where boomers can find a pen pal?
Is Ford an advisor for them??
According to his website, yes.
The article expressly stated: "Specifically, the TravelWits portal lets you book Peninsula PenClub rates directly. You’re still booking through a specific travel advisor’s platform, but it’s great to be able to compare rates. These portals do have to be password protected, so if you’d like to use Ford Beckett Travel’s portal, you need to email [email protected] to request the password."
Accor program is not Preferred anymore, HERA is the new name.
HERA is the name of the travel agent loyalty program. It allows them to collect points on any bookings they make (https://travelpros.accor.com/en/hera-loyalty-program.html). Accor Preferred is the correct name of the program that offers guest benefits.
Gotcha!
I just checked my rate and it is ACCOR PREF HERA rate.
Where would you say Peninsula is the best or one of the best options in the city?
London, Istanbul, Shanghai, Hongkong, Beijing. Bangkok is still very good, but needs a renovation. The US ones are ok.
Yea Chinese hotels (Pen/MO/Langham, and Raffles by extension) in the US are just not that great vs their Eurasian counterparts like HK Pen or London MO. But that’s more due to American hotels being bad in general especially staff manners
Bankgkok:) Outdated, smells acid. Breakfast like usa motels. Only location
Happily stay at Beverly Hills each time I'm there and have tried a lot of the other top hotels in the area. Great service, breakfast, super comfy bed, nice pool. One of my favorite places to go. Hard product, similar to others, is not going to feel super modern necessarily, but it feels luxurious and well maintained.
Shoulda named it Pen Island… *cough*
Styled as PENISLAND
Good to see you are still around, sir. Hope the snow has been kind to you.