Trouble-free booking (and bubbly to boot) on Tablet

August 29, 2010

THE WORLD – So let’s say you’ve found that perfect boutique hotel in your favorite destination. You can almost see the stunning city view out your window, taste the freshly made cocktails in the lounge, and feel the soft Frette linens on your skin. Except…you first have to figure out the best way to book it.

If you’re like me, you don’t just want the best rate, you also want the best “interface” should you have any questions. Calling the hotel directly could mean an expensive overseas call (or two or three), and often discounted rates are only found online. But booking through the hotel website offers no way to talk to a live human about room options and special requests, and may not yield any deals. Just the promise of low price alone might make you turn to something like Priceline or Expedia. Yet many of these discount reservation sites don’t have deals with the choicest boutique properties, and even if they do, the odds of stumbling upon the perfect rate at the perfect time seem so slim, it’s like a day at the horse races.

Don’t get a bookie–book through The Purple Passport’s new Tablet reservations buttons! Tablet is an online reservation service that’s like an aspirin (tablet, get it?) for all your booking headaches. First and foremost, the properties available on Tablet are only hand-picked boutique and luxury hotels from around the globe vetted by a discerning selection committee. And Tablet people seem to have quite a simpatico with Purple people, because many of our Purple picks can be reserved through the Tablet service (just look for the Tablet button below the picture on many hotel reviews on our site- click here for an example). Emily and I have been fans since way before The Purple Passport was a twinkle in our eyes.

Tablet also takes the guessing game out of finding the best price. Because they have close working relationships with their exclusive selection of hotels, they have access to the very best rates. They even offer the nifty “Tablet Hotels Price Guarantee,” which ensures that if you find a lower rate elsewhere for the same hotel, room type, dates, and conditions, they’ll match it. And bargain hunters will especially thrill to their “Last Minute” daily deals and “Private Sale” on select properties Tuesday through Thursday.

Above all, speaking to a live and helpful human (not an outsourced, scripted drone) is totally possible. They’ve got a dedicated, domestic customer service phone number, and their staffers are experienced travelers who dole out info on par with the best concierge services.

One of my favorite goodies on Tablet is the Tablet Plus Program. For an annual fee of USD 195, you can get free room upgrades at 350+ participating hotels, plus additional amenities upon arrival. These might include a complimentary continental breakfast for two, free Internet, late checkout, free spa treatments, or welcoming glasses of champagne. I think Tablet’s worth a toast, don’t you? I can almost taste the bubbly.

www.tablethotels.com

RL contributed to this post.