FREE Year of Club 1 Hotels Membership, Plus Enter Day 11 of the 12 Days of Giveaways

a group of houses on a beach with palm trees and Bora Bora in the background
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In their own words, Club 1 Hotels is a “an exclusive luxury hotel club offering members wholesale rates to global 4 and 5-star hotels and resorts”.

Club 1 Hotels says you can save up to 70% and they have a Best Rate Guarantee, where if you find a better rate for the same hotel and room type they’ll beat the rate by:

• $10 per night guaranteed savings at 3-star hotels up to $100
• $20 per night guaranteed savings at 4-star hotels up to $100
• $25 per night guaranteed savings at 5-star hotels up to $100

(Note that reservations within 10 days of arrival are excluded from the best rate guarantee).

I’m generally pretty skeptical of travel “clubs”, as the “unpublished” rates offered are just about the same as what I’d find by myself when doing searches online.

Monthly membership for Club 1 Hotels is typically $19, but InsideFlyer wrote last week about a special and exclusive offer. Rather than paying for a year of membership, for a limited time it is absolutely … FREE!

This is worth a look, since there is no cost for a full year. With plenty of time to compare hotel rates and activity offerings to other websites you can determine whether or not it is worth paying for a membership once the free year is up.

I’ll even note that you don’t have to provide them with a credit card to get the free year, and the membership does not auto-renew. Club 1 Hotels believes they have a great product, and just really, really want you to try them out.

Here is the blurb on their website showing that the membership is free, and that it won’t auto-renew.

a blue and black website with black text

Here’s what is included with the one-year membership:

• 1-Year Club 1 Hotels Membership
• $25 off your first booking of $250 or more
• Guaranteed savings on every booking made outside of 10 days.
• 100% risk free trial: You may cancel and we will refund your entire subscription fee within 30 days from date of purchase if you have not booked a hotel and or car rental.
• 1-year membership does not auto-renew or auto-bill

You can also spring for their $695 lifetime membership, which gives you additional benefits.

a blue and white website with black text

Here is what is included:

• Lifetime Club 1 Hotels Membership
• 25,000 airline miles from our airline partner of your choice
• $200 off your first booking of $2000 or more
• 1-Year access to over 1,400 airport lounges at over 500 cities in 130 countries ($99 retail value) OR 1-Year global single travel protection from Global Travel Plus (retail value $175)
• $30 credit for international luggage shipping, perfect for skis or golf clubs
• Guaranteed savings on every booking made outside of 10 days of arrival.
• 100% risk free trial: You may cancel and we will refund your entire subscription fee within 30 days from date of purchase if you have not booked a hotel and or car rental.

Without having had any previous experience with Club 1 Hotels, I decided to join at the free level, and here is how the registration process went –

After clicking the big “Join Now” button, I was taken to a page that confirmed I was signing up for a free year of membership.

a white text on a white background

Down at the bottom there was a place to enter my first and last name, and my email address. Easy peasy.

Page 2 asked me for a bit more information than I would have preferred to provide, but I dutifully completed the form.

a screenshot of a login form

Once I had completed the form, registration confirmation was immediate, and I received an email as well.

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Here’s a link to the free year membership signup page, where you can also choose to purchase the lifetime membership if that interests you.

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Club 1 Hotels is also running a sweepstakes for new members. To enter, all you have to do is complete the Club 1 Hotels membership registration (for either the free year of membership or the lifetime membership).

On February 1, 2018 two winners will be selected, and each will receive a $250 e-Gift Card which can be used for future Club 1 Hotels bookings. Winners will be notified by email.

I haven’t tried out Club 1 Hotels membership before, but am looking forward to comparing some of their hotel prices to that of non-wholesale websites. What really interests me about Club 1 Hotels, however, is that they will soon be rolling out a brand-new feature – online wholesale pricing searches for cruises.

a cruise ship in the water

Their website indicates that the new site feature was supposed to be available by December 7, but according to a representative from Club 1 Hotels, their IT team is a bit (understandably) behind. Their target date for the online feature is January 15, 2018.

All of the major cruise lines are listed, with the potential for some good savings. Typically I go to Cruise Compete or Vacations To Go for my discount cruise pricing searches, but I look forward to easily being able to do wholesale searches online with Club 1 Hotels rather than requesting quotes.

a group of logos of cruise ships

Because of the hotel searches and the ability to search online for wholesale cruises, the offer for a free year of membership was worth it for me to try it out.

Speaking of freebies, today is Day 11 of the Magic of Miles 12 Days of Giveaways.

a group of boxes wrapped in plastic

To enter today’s contest for a chance at travel related goodies like airline pajamas or 25 use GoGo Internet passes, let me know in the comments below if you have or will try out Club 1 Hotels, or simply that you’d like to be today’s contest prize winner.

a gift box with a tag

If you’re just joining now at Day 11 of the Magic of Miles 12 Days of Giveaways, click here to read full contest details.

Today’s Magic of Miles contest ends at 9pm PST tonight. Good luck!

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40 Comments

  1. I signed up for Club 1 some time ago – I don’t remember when, but I get their emails. I haven’t used them yet, and not sure I will.

  2. Club 1 membership sounds too complicated in my already complex life. However, hoping to win a go go pass to simplify my life.

  3. I do not have Club 1 membership, but might be willing to consider a free year since a credit card would not be required.

  4. When you compare prices, can you also take Waylo into account? Thanks a lot.

    Waylo is the first Hotel Price Prediction app. Waylo allows you to book hotels today at the lowest hotel price of the future, predicted by our AI. The average discount (compared to Expedia) is 17%.

  5. Club 1 sounds interesting but like David above, I usually find my own deals by calling the hotel or using my travel agent who gets Virtuoso deals or AMEX deals. Maybe you could give some real examples of discounts. Not sure if they get the same amenities as Virtuoso or AMEX Plat. Hope to win the contest, too!

  6. I have registered with Club1 but have never used them yet. Not sure why I am hesitant. I guess I prefer to book directly with the hotel.

  7. I do, however, plan to dip my toe in the water with my Club1 membership by booking one night in Oslo on an upcoming vacation run.

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