Handpicked hotels that go the extra mile
Stay somewhere that makes you feel special the second you check in. Enjoy exceptional service and in-stay perks at these next-level addresses
Expedia’s handpicked VIP Access hotels are those special places that travelers love. They’re the stays that consistently get rave reviews, where staff go the extra mile. Select VIP Access hotels also offer Silver, Gold and Platinum One Key members in-stay perks—from spa credit to discounts on meals, to a welcome bottle of wine—giving even more reason to book a stay. Join now to enjoy our pick of the perks.
Perks listed above are examples, please check before booking.
A movie-buff magnet
The Londoner, London, U.K.
In the thrumming epicenter of London‘s West End, on film-premiere-central Leicester Square, The Londoner is a brilliant base to tap into some of the city’s most exciting cultural addresses. Theatreland and Chinatown are on its doorstep, and the recently reopened National Portrait Gallery is just around the corner, but the hotel has its own starry line-up too, with a soothing subterranean spa and rooftop izakaya lounge. This spring, add to that a VIP Access perk of 20% off food and drink, to be used once per stay—perhaps at gin-focused Joshua’s Tavern or French Mediterranean restaurant Whitcomb’s.
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A bolthole with bankable style
Hotel Per La, Los Angeles, CA
In the 1920s, Giannini Place in Downtown Los Angeles served as the grand HQ of the Bank of Italy, all Doric columns, ornate ceilings and marble floors. Today, Hotel Per La takes that architectural drama and adds a little Italian dolce vita to the interiors—as well as more than 4,000 works of art across its walls. Sure, the soaring, plant-filled lobby is jaw-droppingly beautiful, but the real head-turner is the rooftop, where you can spend your VIP Access perk of $10 in food and beverage credit (excluding alcohol) at poolside Bar Clara, overlooking the glittering L.A. skyline.
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A stay with city smarts
Pestana Park Avenue, New York, NY
This well-heeled bolthole from much-loved Portuguese hotel group Pestana is right in the very heart of New York: three blocks from Grand Central Station and a short walk up Fifth Avenue from the Empire State Building. Inside, the decor is in chic monochrome, with subtle Portuguese nods, such as blankets printed with the country’s famous blue and white tiles; rooms on the upper floors come with a small balcony to take in the sky-scraping views. The VIP Access perk, of $31 beverage credit per room, can be spent at the grab-and-go bar in the lobby. There’s no restaurant, but you’re within striking distance of everything here, from fine dining to dirty burgers.
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A glamorous grande dame
Hotel Lancaster, Paris, France
The guestbook at Hotel Lancaster reads like a who’s who of Hollywood’s heyday: Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Greta Garbo, Clark Gable. The suite where Marlene Dietrich stayed on the fourth floor is now named after her, the baby grand piano that she left behind ready to tinkle a tune. There’s still an old-school grace to the hotel: Guest rooms are decorated with antiques and oil paintings, the private top-floor spa looks out to the Eiffel Tower, and its discreet location is just back from the Champs-Élysées. Paris in the springtime is always a good idea—plus One Key members get free breakfasts for two during their stay, and free valet parking.
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A design-lover’s dream
Hotel K5, Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo’s Wall Street, aka the Nihonbashi Kabutochō district, might seem a curious place to find a super-cool design hotel. But K5’s owners saw the potential in the former 1920s bank that was set to be demolished, drafting in a Swedish architecture firm to give it a Japanese-meets-Scandi makeover. The 20 rooms are minimalist havens with raw concrete walls, tatami mat-inspired rugs and sweeping indigo-dyed circular curtains around the beds. Back downstairs, K5 turns into a buzzy neighborhood hangout, where you can spend your VIP Access perk of ¥2,200 food and beverage credit (excluding alcohol) at cult restaurant Caveman, Switch Coffee, or tea-themed bar Ao.
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A wellness wonder
ette hotel, Orlando, FL
Amid the high-octane thrills of Orlando’s theme parks, the ette hotel is a surprisingly serene secret. Opened in 2022, wellness is the name of the game here, with signature suites complete with in-room Peloton bikes and Technogym weight benches, neutral tones throughout, plus a no-alcohol policy—the mocktail menus are next level, but there’s also no corkage if you want to BYOB. VIP Access perks include one free full breakfast each day, as well as a $25 spa credit per room, which could be put towards a glow-giving Natura Bissé oxygen facial, or even a sound-healing massage, which uses vibrational singing bowls to align your chakras and promote inner peace.
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A playful stay—with a twist
Paradox Hotel, Vancouver, Canada
This glamorous Vancouver hotel is set in a twisting tower that was one of the last designed by Canada’s late, great architect Arthur Erickson. His skyscraper corkscrews 45 degrees from top to bottom, and the inside of the hotel is just as eye-catching with a giant golden gorilla sat at the base of the sweeping staircase, a pool that transforms into the nightclub dance floor every Friday and Saturday, and destination Cantonese restaurant Mott 32—don’t miss the black truffle, Ibérico pork and soft-quail-egg siu mai. VIP Access perks here include a free bottle of wine, as well as 20% off spa services at the Xylia Natural Spa.
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A surfer’s paradise
Prince Waikiki, Honolulu, HI
Just a short walk from the surfers catching those world-famous breaks at Waikiki Beach, the Prince Waikiki hotel looks out to the Pacific Ocean through bobbing masts at much quieter Ala Wai Harbor. The huge guest rooms here all have knockout ocean views through floor-to-ceiling windows that open to let in the soft sea breeze. Downstairs, the infinity pool is the place to dive in for a sunset swim, before taking advantage of 20% off food and drink for One Key members, to use once per stay, at 100 Sails restaurant (poke bowls; seared ahi tuna) or Katsumidori Sushi Tokyo.
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A Vegas jackpot
The Palazzo at The Venetia, Las Vegas, NV
Las Vegas may be a city of high-rolling hotels, but The Palazzo at The Venetian raises the stakes with the largest standard suites on the Strip, a spa from wellness pioneers Canyon Ranch and acres of Italian marble. A hotel-within-a-hotel, guests also get all the benefits of The Venetian’s amenities—whether that’s a gondola ride on the replica Grand Canal or partying at the Balinese-inspired TAO Beach Dayclub. Book a VIP Access stay to receive $25 food and beverage credit to spend at the globe-trotting array of restaurants and bars, maybe on a Monte Carlos cocktail at buzzy Electra, or breakfast doughnuts at chef Thomas Keller’s beautiful Bouchon bistro.
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A kitsch color-pop star
Mama Shelter Roma, Rome, Italy
Mama Shelter is known for its funky, supremely affordable hotels in cities around the globe. Its Rome outpost is just northwest of the Vatican, and while you’d never know it from the plain-looking exterior, inside is a color-pop fizz of a hotel with print-clash decor, a kitschy pizzeria, and a pool tiled in gelato shades. The photo booths, vintage arcade games and pinball machines only add to the sense of fun. One Key members: Grab your €25 beverage credit (per room) and head straight to the Winter Garden restaurant for a star sign-themed cocktail.
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All food and drink offers cover alcoholic beverages, unless otherwise stated
Fiona Kerr
Writer
Fiona Kerr is a food-loving travel journalist and former features director at Condé Nast Traveller. Her writing has appeared in The Guardian, The Telegraph, Elle Decoration and the The New York Times. When she gets to a new country, her first stop is usually the local supermarket.
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