How we work.
How We're Paid
For the majority of our hotel, resort, cruise, and vacation bookings, Gilt Spur Concierge is compensated directly by our travel partners through their standard advisor program. In those situations, clients typically do not pay a separate booking fee — the rate is the same as booking direct, and the planning, preferred amenities, and ongoing concierge support are included.
Our priority is to design exceptional journeys and build long-term relationships with the people we serve. Our compensation model is structured so that doing great work for you is the same thing as doing great work for us.
Custom Research & Planning Fees
We believe in transparent pricing and never charge hidden fees. Simple bookings are typically complimentary; when a request calls for deeper research or custom design, any applicable fee is discussed and approved before work begins.
Simple Hotel, Resort & Cruise Bookings
When you already know your destination, your travel dates, and your preferred hotel, resort, or cruise, we'll typically handle the booking with no additional planning fee.
Our travel partners compensate us directly, so personalized service, expert guidance, and preferred-partner amenities are included on most bookings.
Custom Research & Planning
For travelers seeking personalized recommendations rather than a specific property, a Custom Research & Planning Fee may apply. Examples include destination recommendations, comparing multiple resorts or hotels, flexible-date research, customized itineraries, multi-destination trips, honeymoons, anniversaries, and family vacations requiring extensive research.
Fees start at $50 depending on the complexity of the request and are always discussed and approved before any work begins.
Horse Show Concierge
Horse Show Concierge services are quoted separately. Each event is unique, and pricing reflects the level of coordination involved — major world shows, congresses, futurities, multi-exhibitor travel, trainer coordination, entry management, hotel and stall reservations, travel logistics, and custom itineraries.
Rather than publishing fixed pricing, we provide a personalized quote before any work begins so the scope and investment are clear from the start.
Our goal is to build long-term relationships, not one-time transactions. Whatever the scope, you will always know the investment, the timing, and what to expect from us before we begin.
Booking Turnaround
We aim to acknowledge every new request promptly and to set clear expectations on turnaround from the start.
- Hotel and resort quotes are often available within a short window once we have your travel details.
- More complex itineraries — multi-destination travel, group coordination, custom experiences — require additional research and supplier conversations.
- Horse show coordination follows the deadlines published by each show office, with internal milestones communicated in advance.
Whatever the scope, you will always receive a clear sense of timing so you know exactly when to expect a proposal, a confirmation, or an update.
Loyalty Programs
We are happy to book reservations using your hotel loyalty memberships whenever eligibility allows. Wherever the supplier permits, clients continue earning qualifying loyalty benefits — nights, stays, status credits, and the recognition that comes with them.
We encourage clients to share loyalty numbers during the planning process so we can attach them to each reservation from the start.
Points & Award Travel
In many cases we can book reservations that allow you to earn loyalty points on paid stays. Award-night redemptions and points-based bookings, however, can limit our ability to add preferred-partner amenities or apply certain concierge benefits — every brand handles these scenarios differently.
When you are weighing a points redemption against a paid booking, we'll walk through the trade-offs together so you can choose the path that best fits the trip.
Existing Reservations
In certain circumstances we may be able to assist with reservations that were booked elsewhere, including layering on preferred-partner amenities or supporting changes during travel. Whether a takeover or enhancement is possible depends on the supplier, the rate type, and how the original reservation was made.
Before assuming a booking can or cannot be improved, reach out to us. A short conversation is usually all it takes to know what's possible.