virtuoso travel reviews reddit

Suggested companies

Playvirtuoso, practical doors ltd, kensington tours.

Virtuoso   Reviews

In the Travel & Vacation category

Visit this website

Company activity See all

Write a review

Reviews 2.1.

Most relevant

TRAVELER BE VERY AWARE

TRAVELER BE VERY AWARE! My family and I planned a very extensive trip to Italy. We were recommended to KKTW by a "friend". The trip was 10 days long with several excursions and tours being planned, as well as hotels, transfers etc. While the planning process was helpful unless you want to be ripped off beyond belief, I would not advise using them. At the start of planning, all excursions were presented to us with a price quote for us to approve. The company names or vendors were never disclosed. (Probably so you couldn't do your own research as to how much these tours were). While on the vacation, we inquired with many of the tour guides and vendors for the exact pricing of what we were doing (since it had seemed what we paid for very high for what we actually got). We came to find out that we were being charged THREE TO FOUR TIMES the amount of what the tour actually was. Not for one tour, for almost all of them. Highly disappointed and will never refer them to anyone we know!

Date of experience : March 10, 2024

Don't waste your money with this…

Don't waste your money with this company. It's a money grab that will bait in aspiring artists, but it doesn't actually offer any valuable courses. Not only that. They will charge your bank card over $100, and not allow you a refund. Even if you cancel your subscription, they will charge you and ignore your attempts to have your money returned. Be careful not to get scammed like I did. It's a gamble not worth taking.

Date of experience : December 22, 2023

Travel Agents need to make it known…

Travel Agents need to make it known that Virtuoso is an intermediary group used to book flights. This makes it impossible for clients to deal directly with the airlines, which is criminal. We are in a situation where we are waiting on a refund from British Airways for cancelled pandemic travel and are at the mercy of Virtuoso to get our money back. Months have passed with no resolution and I see no advocacy being done by this very un-Virtuous company. Our hands are tied.

Date of experience : February 23, 2022

Unprofessional and Unresponsive

I contacted Virtuoso for help planning my upcoming honeymoon to Australia. Sounded like it would be a good fit; Cassandra Bookholder, was an Aussie native and I was super excited to plan this with her help and expertise. Except she ghosted me. Never heard another word. We didn’t have any personal conflicts or disagreements on anything so it came as a surprise to me. I concluded that she was just incredibly unprofessional and dare I say lazy?. Go somewhere that employs people that care to respond.

Date of experience : August 11, 2022

The Virtuoso Life Team's Dream Trips

The Virtuoso Life Team's Dream Trips - maybe for you all as part time agents - but for the guy spending 100k it’s a full on lazy rip off - stay away from the Polynesia team - email me for names

Date of experience : June 30, 2021

I was severely underwhelmed

I was severely underwhelmed. All the advisor seemed to want was her $500 fee. She was supposed to be an expert for this particular vacation but she gave me wrong information multiple times, not maliciously, more over confident and under-educated about the country. If I hadn't done my homework beforehand I would have been talked into an over-priced, underserved experience.

Date of experience : June 01, 2023

Out of respect for all parties…

Out of respect for all parties involved, I can’t go into details about my experience, but it was awful. I would never Booking.com with virtuoso again.

Date of experience : March 24, 2021

Failure of Virtuoso affiliated agent

Virtuoso affiliated agent failed to notify of flight update. He was appropriately notified by Virtuoso of the update. I found Virtuoso Air very helpful in documentation of his failure. Awaiting a partial refund from Air Canada but not holding my breath.

Date of experience : June 02, 2023

Love Virtuoso for Solo Travel

I found Virtuoso when I waited until the last minute to book a trip to London for some theater tickets we had bought to see Benedict Cumberbatch in Hamlet. We were leaving in less than a month and had two weeks to spend with no plans at all. I searched for a travel agency and found Virtuoso which basically caters to clients looking for 5-star service, private tours, and fancy hotels. So I was synced with an agent who specialized in London and Paris and she planned everything out for us to include trips to Bath, Stonehenge, Paris and private drivers and tours. We had a great time. I have since found an agent who I book ALL of my travel through now when I booked a later solo trip to Bali for two weeks. She has since booked trips to Japan, Hawaii, all over California, and a three-week European Christmas market vacation through Germany, Budapest, Prague, Amsterdam, and Vienna. I'm a fan - this is a good company with agents who can really elevate your travel. It's more pricey - but absolutely worth it to have someone who will be there 24/7 if you have an issue to rebook your flights, find you another hotel, or change your plans around if something needs to change last minute. These are experts on locations who make suggestions for things to see and do you may not know about. Usually the itinerary will include an app with suggestions and information about what to see, where to go, where to stay and what to eat while in each city. I love it! I'm a fan for life. My agent is awesome and she is able to get me deals and perks I wouldn't get without her, like free breakfasts and spa credits at fancy hotels.

Date of experience : January 06, 2020

Suzy Xiu is a poor excuse for a Virtuoso agent.

Having used a Virtuoso agent in 2001 for an Alaskan adventure, I was extremely pleased with the attention to detail, perks and overall guidance along the planning stages. Fast forward to 2020; I hired Suzy Xiu, a Virtuoso agent to plan my Italian honeymoon. Although she was excellent in providing vendors for excursions, and hotel/resort accommodations, when Covid hit she distanced herself and did nothing to assist in us getting our $50k in deposits back. Many vendors stated a 30% nonrefundable deposit. Luckily American Express got me every dime back. Then we regrouped and I booked a Regent cruise from Barcelona to Istanbul. I even turned over the cruise credit to Suzy as I understand travel has been hard and I wanted to help her out financially. Suzy recommended that at the end of our cruise we should fly to Bodrum Turkey and stay at the Bodrum Mandarin Oriental due to their stay two and get the third night free program. So we booked for a total of nine nights. Now remember that this is our honeymoon trip. I specifically stated that we wanted a sea view room. She elected to book us into a garden view room and assured us that since she was a Virtuoso agent, the Mandarin Oriental would certainly upgrade our room to a sea view. Three days before our departure, Suzy informs me that the resort is fully booked and we are stuck with a garden view room. So I ask Suzy, exactly what benefits have I received from you and Virtuoso for this trip that you have undoubtedly done very little other than charge me a $200 "fee" to have the "benefit" of working with you and Virtuoso. I received a $300 shipboard credit and I now find that other cruise passengers are receiving up to $5k in rebates from their travel agent. Suzy's response was that she is sorry that I don't see her value and therefore she will no longer be assisting us. I was shocked that an agent that is supposed to be working to ensure a honeymoon is perfect, is so inept at customer service. I contacted Regent to inquire about removing Suzy from getting credit for our cruise but alas, it was too late. I assume a $50k cruise has a nice commission. I sure wish she would have earned it. But the pen is mightier than the sword, and I have gone on every travel blog to spread the word of her poor attitude and unacceptable service. A shame she chose to act like such a petulant child. She could have represented us for our 3-week Dubai to Singapore cruise in November.

Date of experience : April 27, 2022

David Melkonian did an outstanding job…

David Melkonian did an outstanding job booking our Bora Bora trip

Date of experience : September 15, 2022

Is this your company?

Claim your profile to access Trustpilot’s free business tools and connect with customers.

Advertiser Disclosure

Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market. See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our credit card rating methodology .

How To Book Luxury Virtuoso Hotels Online – Get Free Upgrades & Perks at Luxury Properties

Senior Content Contributor

486 Published Articles

Countries Visited: 24 U.S. States Visited: 22

Keri Stooksbury

Editor-in-Chief

32 Published Articles 3106 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 45 U.S. States Visited: 28

Director of Operations & Compliance

1 Published Article 1171 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 10 U.S. States Visited: 20

What Is Virtuoso?

Virtuoso travel benefits, virtuoso rates, fees to use virtuoso, virtuoso hotels and properties, earning points on virtuoso bookings, how to book virtuoso travel online, remember to enter your loyalty program number, how to book multiple rooms, you can’t cancel your bookings via virtuoso, you can’t book same-day travel, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

If you’re a deal-seeker and you’re always trying to get extra benefits for your travel, particularly at luxury hotels, then you’ve probably come across Virtuoso at some point.

And while you might think you need to have some special connections to access a Virtuoso travel advisor, it’s actually super easy to make Virtuoso bookings online!

In this guide, we’ll walk you through what you need to know to make Virtuoso bookings completely online!

What You Need To Know About Virtuoso

Virtuoso is the world’s largest luxury travel consortium . Basically, Virtuoso connects thousands of travel agencies worldwide and offers a set of exclusive benefits to each member agency.

In turn, anybody who makes Virtuoso bookings through these member agencies or travel advisors enjoys value-added benefits that might not be available anywhere else.

In doing so, these member agents can more easily convert potential travelers by offering benefits without any additional costs.

When you book Virtuoso hotel stays through a travel advisor or a member agency, you will almost always receive the following benefits:

• Daily breakfast for 2 guests per room
• Room upgrade (subject to availability)
• Early check-in (subject to availability)
• Late checkout (subject to availability)
• A special amenity like a $100 property credit or a 60-minute massage

Normally, if you booked a room rate with breakfast and these benefits directly at a hotel, you’ll see a massive mark-up compared to the best available rate.

What makes Virtuoso exceptional is the fact that for the most part, you’ll pay the same price as the best available flexible rate when booking directly with the hotel.

This excludes rates like corporate rates, non-refundable/advance purchase rates, promotional rates, and more.

Virtuoso often gets compared to Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts , but in most situations, Virtuoso rates are cheaper than Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts rates. There are a few exceptions, but in this section, we’ll walk you through a handful of example rates.

For example, let’s take a booking at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua in Maui, Hawaii. If we perform the same search on Virtuoso and Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts, you might see a discrepancy.

Virtuoso is showing $2,133 per night as the cheapest available rate, while Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts is showing $2,245 per night for the stay.

And if you pivot your search to the Maldives, you might find an even larger rate parity.

The Gili Lankanfushi in the Maldives would price out at $1,299 per night, while Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts would charge $1,624 per night.

However, there are a few rare instances in which Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts ends up being cheaper than Virtuoso rates.

If you look at the example booking at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island below, the Virtuoso rate is quoted at $931 per night, while the Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts rate is $791 per night.

The reason why this can happen is that American Express maintains a list of special offers that include benefits like a complimentary sixth night (as shown in the Conrad Maldives example).

Because these special offers are exclusive to Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts bookings, Virtuoso wouldn’t have access to this same offer.

Be careful, though — just because Amex has a special offer at a property doesn’t mean it’ll always end up being cheaper .

For example, the Taj Exotica Resort & Spa in the Maldives is showing as cheaper at Virtuoso ($1,025 per night) even though Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts is showing a complimentary fourth-night free benefit ($1,133 per night).

Bottom Line: You can enjoy Virtuoso benefits with the best available flexible rate. This is often significantly cheaper than Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts. In general, Virtuoso matches or beats Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts except in some select situations where Amex has a special offer such as a complimentary night free on a multi-night stay.

There are usually no fees to book Virtuoso rates. As long as you book the same rate as the best flexible rate offered when booking directly with the hotel, you can enjoy Virtuoso benefits.

In some cases, travel advisors may charge an extra fee, but this is not a requirement across the board.

Travel advisors receive a small commission for these bookings, which is why they can usually assist for free.

So which properties fall into the Virtuoso umbrella? The good news is that almost all luxury hotels are partnered with Virtuoso. This includes:

• Aman Resorts
• Conrad Hotels & Resorts
• Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts
• Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts
• Mandarin Oriental
• Rosewood Hotels & Resorts
• The Peninsula Hotels
• The Ritz-Carlton
• Rocco Forte Hotels
• Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts
• St. Regis Hotels & Resorts
• Viceroy Hotels & Resorts
• Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts

And much more!

Remember, Virtuoso’s portfolio also includes smaller boutique hotels around the world. You can also view the full hotel catalog .

When you book Virtuoso rates, it’s as if you’re booking directly with the property, so all your bookings will still be considered as eligible rates to earn points, elite nights, and even elite status benefits .

For example, if you use the Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card to book a Virtuoso stay, you’ll receive 2x Ultimate Rewards points per dollar.

Similarly, if book a stay at The Ritz-Carlton using a Marriott Bonvoy credit card like the Marriott Bonvoy Business ® American Express ® Card , you’ll get 6x Marriott points per dollar on your spending.

Generally, most people think that Virtuoso rates are booked with an advisor over the phone or via email. And while it’s true that many bookings are done this way, the reality is that you can make this even simpler by booking online through Virtuoso.com .

You can search for hotel rates completely online without designating an advisor at all. However, to actually book your stay, you’ll need to first choose your Virtuoso travel advisor – we recommend Leigh Rowan , a member of the UP team and one of the best in the business.

To find an advisor, you can visit the advisor catalog . You’ll see a window that looks like this, and all you have to do is click  Find an Advisor , where you can select specialties based on destination, interest, language, and more.

You can also perform a search before entering the advisor’s information, but the important thing to remember is that you can’t book the stay until you create an account (or log into your account if you already have one) and then select your travel advisor.

You’ll be assigned a default Virtuoso advisor. If you already have a Virtuoso advisor, you can click the button that says  Look up your Virtuoso advisor.

Enter your travel advisor’s name, and after the advisor’s image and name show up, you can click Continue Booking .

Here’s Leigh Rowan’s Virtuoso profile from our team below:

Before your stay is booked, you can also view the exact amenities you would get at that particular property: 

Then, you will need to select the hotel rate you’re booking before getting redirected to the booking page.

When you’re there, enter your travel information, payment information, and any special requests.

After that, you’re ready to go!

Tips To Remember When Booking Virtuoso Travel Online

When you’re making your Virtuoso booking, don’t forget to enter your hotel loyalty program number, if applicable. Sometimes, the hotel chain doesn’t have a loyalty program, as is the case with Four Seasons.

The box will be titled Hotel Chain Loyalty Program Number and will look like this:

Once you enter your details, you can get the points credited to the proper account and enjoy the proper elite status benefits, as well.

When it comes to booking multiple rooms, these will need to be done 1 at a time. You can still book multiple rooms at the same time, but you’ll need to do this offline with your travel advisor via email or phone.

Prefer 1-1 Service? If you have special requirements or would simply prefer to connect with a travel agent directly — Leigh Rowan, a member of our UP team, can help get you complimentary upgrades, daily breakfast for two, hotel credits, and more (for no extra cost). Contact Leigh for a fast reply at [email protected]  for that extra level of service.

Any bookings made via Virtuoso can’t be canceled online. That’s not a big deal because you can call the hotel or reach out to your Virtuoso travel advisor to cancel your booking.

Remember, canceling bookings is not instantaneous unless you go directly to the hotel, so keep that in mind if reaching out to your travel advisor to cancel a reservation.

As you might have seen during the booking process, Virtuoso rates can’t be booked for same-day reservations.

If you need to arrange same-day travel, you’ll need to utilize a different platform, such as Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts.

Virtuoso is one of the world’s best luxury travel networks — making bookings through Virtuoso often results in lots of added value in the form of elite-like perks.

One of the biggest myths out there is that you need to get on the phone or send an email to get the booking process started — you don’t!

You can book Virtuoso stays online, thanks to a seamless booking portal. Just be sure to create an online account and choose a travel advisor before trying to finalize your booking.

For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business ® American Express ® Card, click here .

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does virtuoso travel cost.

Virtuoso doesn’t usually cost anything extra. When you book with a Virtuoso travel advisor, the advisor will earn a small commission. That’s why these bookings can be done at no additional cost. The cheapest eligible Virtuoso rate is usually the best available flexible rate.

Is Virtuoso free?

Virtuoso is usually free to travelers, but it depends on your exact travel agent. You can almost always enjoy these perks for no additional cost to you.

What is Virtuoso Travel Network?

The Virtuoso travel network is a group of travel advisors and agencies that help clients book luxury hotels, cruises, tours, and more. By going through Virtuoso, you can enjoy extra benefits like free breakfast and room upgrades.

What are Virtuoso amenities?

Virtuoso amenities usually include:

• Free breakfast for 2 daily
• Room upgrades, subject to availability
• Early check-in, subject to availability
• Late checkout, subject to availability
• A Virtuoso property amenity, like a spa or shopping credit

Who owns Virtuoso Travel?

Virtuoso was founded by Jesse Upchurch, but it is now helmed by his son, Matthew Upchurch.

Is Virtuoso a consortia?

Virtuoso is a travel consortium. Almost all of the world’s luxury hotel brands are included in Virtuoso’s consortium, as well as many of the boutique ultra-luxe properties. There are nearly 2,000 properties that fall under the Virtuoso umbrella around the world.

Was this page helpful?

About Stephen Au

Stephen is an established voice in the credit card space, with over 70 to his name. His work has been in publications like The Washington Post, and his Au Points and Awards Consulting Services is used by hundreds of clients.

INSIDERS ONLY: UP PULSE ™

Get the latest travel tips, crucial news, flight & hotel deal alerts...

Plus — expert strategies to maximize your points & miles by joining our (free) newsletter.

We respect your privacy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA. Google's privacy policy and terms of service apply.

Related Posts

UP's Bonus Valuation

This bonus value is an estimated valuation calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.

• [ April 17, 2024 ] Review: Etihad First Class Lounge at Abu Dhabi International Airport Flight reviews
• [ April 15, 2024 ] Top 10 most beautiful National Parks in the USA Top 10 lists
• [ April 12, 2024 ] Ultra-luxe Soneva Secret Maldives is now open Travel news
• [ April 10, 2024 ] Review: Ambiente Sedona, a Landscape Hotel (Arizona, USA) Hotels reviews
• [ April 8, 2024 ] Top 10 best luxury hotels in the American Southwest Top 10 lists

Get complimentary VIP perks at luxury hotels with Virtuoso

Friday  newsletters  always feature luxury travel  contests ,  tips , or news .

Today: Save money at luxury hotels with Virtuoso

As you can read in my  tips for getting the best deal at a luxury hotel , I mainly use two websites for booking my stays at hotels (without breaking my wallet):

• When I stay at a property of one of the big hotel chains, I often make the booking directly on the  hotel website  to collect points towards a free hotel night in a  hotel loyalty program  and to take advantage of a  best rate guarantee (not only will the hotel match the lower price you find somewhere else, but often throw in an additional 10 to 25% discount on top of that). This is especially the case when I stay at a hotel managed by Marriott or Hyatt , which both have an outstanding hotel loyalty program, but not so much for properties of  Hilton  and  InterContinental , which have far less rewarding and interesting loyalty programs.
• Hotels.com  – part of Expedia – is my preferred hotel booking website when staying at a non-chain property, mainly because of its very efficient  best rate guarantee  program (Hotels.com matches the price you find somewhere else), excellent customer support, and simple but rewarding loyalty program (you get one night free for every 10 nights you book with them). You can read  here  why I like  Hotels.com  and how it can save you (lots of) money when booking luxury hotels.

However, besides the two booking methods mentioned above, I often make use of a third booking medium,  Virtuoso , which can be extremely rewarding when staying at the world’s best hotels, not so much in terms of saving money on the room rate, but rather in terms of complimentary VIP perks that you will receive at the property itself (e.g. room upgrades, dinner credits, spa treatments, early check-in, late check-out, gifts, etc …). I hereby explain you why I love Virtuoso so much, and why you should consider it as well when booking your next holiday at one of the world’s most exclusive properties:

WHY I LIKE VIRTUOSO SO MUCH

• Virtuoso is not your classic hotel booking engine website. It’s the  industry’s leading network of luxury travel advisors , spanning over 26 countries and 9,000 travel advisors. So when you book your holiday with Virtuoso, most of the time, you will be in touch with a Virtuoso travel agent and not make the booking online yourself. There are some Virtuoso travel agencies though that offer an online booking tool, such as  Classic Travel , which has an excellent website and which is my overall preferred Virtuoso travel agency.

• These days, the internet makes it very easy to research and book your own travel. So why would one still choose to work with a travel advisor? I agree you don’t have to, especially when you are a seasoned travel. However, IMHO, the Virtuoso travel advisors – who are carefully selected individuals – are the exception: they will help you create unique journeys and explorations in every corner of the globe, and  arrange experiences that make a trip truly extraordinary .
• Daily breakfast
• Room upgrade (when available)
• Early check-in (when available)
• Late check-out (when available)
• A welcome amenity
• A credit of around $100 USD that can be spent towards dining, wellness, or activities
• Virtuoso networks with the  world’s most luxurious hotels & resorts , most of them belonging to the portfolio of the  world’s most exclusive hotel brands . This includes some of my favorite hotel brands such as Soneva, Four Seasons, Rosewood, Mandarin Oriental, Six Senses and Banyan Tree to name a few. All hotels were you can enjoy the Virtuoso extra perks are listed on the  Virtuoso website .
• The advantage of booking through Virtuoso is particularly evident when staying at an  Aman , widely considered to be the world’s top hotel chain. In line with Aman’s hyper-exclusive and ultra-luxurious reputation, you will never find a lower rate than the one published on the official  Aman  website. But booking through a Virtuoso travel agent rather than on the Aman website itself will get you some complimentary extra perks (easily worth hundreds of dollars). So if you are an Aman junkie, like me, then Virtuoso is the way to go.
• In most cases, the Virtuoso rate is identical to the Best Available Rate (BAR) found on the official hotel website, which is a  flexible rate that can be cancelled without penalty . For that reason, you’re leaving money on the table if you book a paid stay at the best available rate (BAR) via the official hotel website and not via Virtuoso.
• In case the luxury hotel is managed by a hotel brand that offers a loyalty program (e.g. St Regis, Ritz-Carlton, Walfdorf Astoria, Park Hyatt, Andaz, InterContinental, etc …), you will earn hotel points and stay credits in that program when you book via Virtuoso. For these hotel brands, it’s almost always a much better deal when booking via Virtuoso as compared to booking the same rate directly on the hotel website.

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT VIRTUOSO

• Most of the times, hotel bookings are not made online, but through a Virtuoso travel agent. There are exceptions though, such as the website of  Classic Travel  which offers an online booking tool.
• Virtuoso does not offer the cheapest room rates in the industry nor does it match a lower price found somewhere else. In most cases, the Virtuoso rate will best the best available (and refundable) room rate that you can also find on the hotel website itself, but it does come with all the extra Virtuoso perks (which means a lot of savings in the end).
• Holders of an  American Express premium  or  Visa Signature  credit card can often benefit from similar VIP perks when they make the booking via their credit card travel office and/or pay with their credit card. Contact your local credit card company to find out whether this service is offered.
• Virtuoso does not  have a loyalty program. But as explained above, bookings via Virtuoso will earn hotel points and stay credits within your preferred hotel loyalty program.

REVIEWS OF HOTELS THAT I BOOKED VIA VIRTUOSO

Over the past years, I have booked several hotels via Virtuoso, including one of  my favorite resorts in the world : Soneva Kiri in Thailand. You can read my trip reports here:

*** Follow me on  Instagram ,  YouTube ,  Twitter  or  Facebook  for a daily moment of travel inspiration ***

Share this:

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Related Articles

Top 10: most fabulous Aman resorts in the world

Monday newsletters always feature top 10 travel lists to inspire […]

Top 10 most stunningly beautiful hotels in Santorini

Monday newsletters always feature top 10 travel lists to inspire […]

Travel tip: how to book Ritz-Carlton hotels at the cheapest rate?

Friday newsletters always feature luxury travel contests, tips, series, or news […]

Just booked a hotel in Dublin and saved nearly 25% off several different websites including the hotels! It was my first booking with Virtuoso but will not be my last!

Excellent summary of information about the advantages and perks using Virtuoso, and your comments about some of the major hotel loyalty programs. Thanks very much!

Is Luxury Travel Agency your business?

Very disappointing response from local agent regarding Belmond Mount Nelson. Cape Town. Not positive for you.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

© The Luxury Travel Expert 2024

Discover more from the Luxury Travel Expert

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Meet the New Travel Agents (a.k.a. Travel Networks)

How do these networks stack up against each other, and what does it cost to take advantage of their perks?

By Shivani Vora

Why would travelers ever plan a vacation on their own when their money will go a lot further with the help of a travel agent? At a time when booking trips online seems to be the norm, it’s a message that several travel networks, each with their own group of travel agents, are increasingly pushing.

With more than 16,000 agents globally, Virtuoso is one of the largest networks. That scale can benefit the traveler: Book a trip with a Virtuoso agent, said Albert Herrera, the company’s senior vice president of global product partnerships, and you will get hotel perks such as free breakfast, room upgrades and spa treatments; these extras are worth up to $450 a property. “If you’re staying at three hotels on one trip, you’re looking at more than $1,300 of amenities that you’re not paying for,” he said.

Signature Travel Network has more than 7,000 agents. Ignacio Maza, the company’s executive vice president, said that the network’s agents can get clients benefits valued at up to $500 at hotels; on cruises, more than $1,000.

Smaller networks also offer amenities for their clients: Andrew Harper Travel , for example, began in the 1970s as a hotel review company but expanded around 15 years ago to offer travel planning services; currently, the company has around 20 agents.

How do these networks stack up against each other, and what does it cost travelers, if anything, to take advantage of their perks? Here is a breakdown of some of the top networks.

Signature Travel Network

HOW TO FIND AN AGENT signaturetravelnetwork.com

NUMBER OF AFFILIATED HOTELS More than 1,030, both large chains and boutique properties; the collection includes four- and five-star hotels.

THE COST Signature doesn’t charge a membership fee to use its agents, but some charge fees of up to several hundred dollars.

CRUISES? Yes, 30 lines. Benefits vary by sailing, but could include onboard credits, prepaid gratuities and shore excursions. Also, on a select 200 a year, travelers get a private guide and driver for a day at selected ports — a perk valued at up to $900, according to Mr. Maza.

HOTEL PERKS Up to $500 of amenities at hotels, including daily breakfast for two, an extra amenity such as a $100 dining credit, room upgrades and early check-in and checkout, when available. Some properties, like the Ritz Paris , offer additional benefits including round-trip airport transfers.

HOW TO FIND AN AGENT virtuoso.com/advisors

NUMBER OF AFFILIATED HOTELS More than 1,250 luxury hotels, both large chains and boutique properties; 900 of those can be booked through virtuoso.com .

THE COST Virtuoso doesn’t charge a membership fee to use its agents, but some charge trip-planning fees; depending on the complexity of the trip, fees can range from $50 to several hundred dollars.

CRUISES? Yes, 31 lines, with more than 500 select sailings a year. Travelers get an $800 credit to use one of three ways: onboard, for a private car and driver at a port of their choice, or for a tailor-made excursion.

HOTEL PERKS Up to $450 of amenities at hotels, including daily breakfast for two, room upgrades (either guaranteed at the time of booking or on a space available basis) and early check-in and late checkout, when available. All affiliated hotels also offer extras for their Virtuoso guests which vary by property. Examples include a six-course dinner at Casa Gangotena in Quito, Ecuador and a horse-drawn carriage tour with a stay at Alpaga Megève in Megève, France.

Ensemble Travel Group

HOW TO FIND AN AGENT ensembletravel.com

NUMBER OF AFFILIATED HOTELS Around 700, both large chains and boutique properties; the collection includes four- and five-star hotels.

THE COST Ensemble doesn’t charge a membership fee to use agents, but some charge trip-planning fees.

CRUISES? Yes, 26 lines. On more than 1,500 select cruises a year, travelers receive various benefits such as room upgrades, onboard credits and shore excursions.

HOTEL PERKS Benefits vary by property, but could include room upgrades, daily breakfast, spa treatments, and food and wine welcome baskets. The Raffles Makati in the Philippines, for example, offers daily breakfast, afternoon tea, evening cocktails and 50-minute massages for two.

American Express Travel

HOW TO FIND AN AGENT AmexTravel.com

NUMBER OF AFFILIATED HOTELS More than 1,000 affiliated luxury properties.

THE COST Several network benefits are exclusively for American Express Platinum and Centurion cardholders — the annual fee for a Platinum card is $550. (The company doesn’t reveal the cost of the Centurion card.) In addition, some agents charge small trip-planning fees.

CRUISES? Yes, 15 lines. On sailings of five nights or more, travelers receive an onboard credit of between $100 to $300.

HOTEL PERKS The average value of benefits travelers receive at each hotel is $550, according to Tom Stein, the vice president of American Express Travel. These include a space-available room upgrade, daily breakfast for two, noon check-in, when available, and a guaranteed 4 p.m. checkout, as well as an additional amenity that varies by property — examples include a spa treatment, a meal or a bottle of wine.

Andrew Harper Travel

HOW TO FIND AN AGENT andrewharper.com

NUMBER OF AFFILIATED HOTELS 500. The majority are 40 rooms or less.

THE COST $395 a year. In addition, advisers charge a $250 “commitment” fee which is applied to the cost of the trip once travelers book.

CRUISES? Yes, around a dozen lines. Travelers receive $100 onboard credit on every sailing.

HOTEL PERKS Benefits include daily breakfast, room upgrades upon availability or at the time of booking and an additional amenity valued at $100 that varies by property — examples include a dining credit or a cooking class.

An earlier version of this article, using information provided by a company publicist, misstated the name of a travel network. It is American Express Travel, not Fine Hotels & Resorts.

A picture caption with an earlier version of this article misidentified a building in Quito, Ecuador. It is the San Francisco Cathedral, not the Casa Gangotena hotel.

How we handle corrections

• Skip to main content
• Skip to header right navigation
• Skip to site footer

milepro | travel like a pro!

travel smarter....travel like a pro!

Inspirato Review (2024): The Pros & Cons of Inspirato Pass

A detailed look at my experience as an Inspirato Pass Member

Inspirato Pass Review: What is Inspirato?

Inspirato homes and residences, villa eos at long bay beach club: inspirato turks & caicos review, inspirato kiawah island, sc residence: terrapin home review, the boathouses at canoe place: inspirato hamptons review, inspirato hotels & resorts, inspirato property search tool, 1. inspirato club membership, 2. inspirato pass membership, 3. inspirato select, how much does inspirato cost, inspirato bonus trips, experiences, tickets to events, beyond travel, other benefits of inspirato pass membership, customer service, planning & concierge team, the pros & cons of inspirato pass, conclusion: is inspirato pass worth it, inspirato club vs. pass: key differences you need to know, inspirato pet policy: can you bring pets to inspirato homes, the inspirato cancellation policy – what you need to know.

I joined Inspirato as a “Pass Member” in January 2022 and have been very happy with the decision. So much so that I renewed for another 12 months in January 2023 and plan to renew again in 2024.

I get a lot of questions from friends and family about why we joined and if we like the program, so I thought I would write up an “Inspirato Pass Review” article to help answer that question.

This article will provide an in-depth review of the Inspirato Pass program and focus on my experience as a Pass member. I’ll cover the most important topics like the cost of the program, the types of properties, the availability of the properties, and how the subscription model works.

I’ll also address some of the less-known aspects of Pass including bonus trips, events, and experiences.

If you make it all the way through this article, you’ll have a solid understanding of how Inspirato Pass works and if you think it would be a good program for you. Enjoy!

Let’s start with a basic understanding of what Inspirato is. Inspirato LLC (NASDAQ: ISPO) is a luxury vacation company that provides access to a portfolio of five-star vacation properties (homes, condos, and hotels) and experiences, delivered through a monthly subscription model.

The Inspirato portfolio of properties includes luxury vacation homes, accommodations at five-star hotels and resorts, and custom travel experiences.

In addition to providing access to these properties, Inspirato’s subscription model includes five-star personalized service, including pre-trip planning, onsite concierge, and daily housekeeping with every trip. All of these are included in the cost of your monthly subscription with no hidden fees !

Inspirato Destinations & Real Estate

The Inspirato portfolio consists of over 500+ residences in 95+ destinations which are then classified into “beach”, “mountain”, “lifestyle” or “metropolitan” locations.

The properties include luxury vacation homes that are maintained and managed by the Inspirato team as well as hotel rooms, suites, and resort residences contracted with their five-star luxury hotel partners.

The largest portion of the portfolio is in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean with a growing presence in Europe.

Options are currently very limited in Asia, Australia, and Africa, so if your goal is to travel extensively in those locations, Inspirato might not be the best option for you.

The vast majority of the properties available via Inspirato are luxury single family homes and resort residences. These include expansive estates in aspirational destinations as well as 2-4 bedroom villas and residences situated within luxury resorts.

Here are some reviews of the luxury homes I have stayed in as an Inspirato Pass Member:

• Turks and Caicos – Villa Eos
• Kiawah Island – Terrapin
• The Hamptons – Boathouses at Canoe Place

Each of these homes exceeded my expectations in terms of both quality and design. I would not hesitate to stay at each of them again.

In addition to luxury homes, Inspirato offers access to a large list of exclusive 5-star hotels and resorts. These hotels can be booked via your Inspirato Pass membership or through a paid Virtuoso booking.

Inspirato Collection Hotels & Resorts

You will be able to book a hotel stay with your Pass membership if a hotel is part of Inspirato’s Hotel Collection. This is a group of well over 200 luxury hotels that Inspirato has partnered with, giving you access to some of the most exclusive hotels and destinations in the world.

Properties in the “Inspirato Collection Hotels” include amazing properties with five-star brands such as Rosewood, One & Only, Park Hyatt , Ritz Carlton, Montage , Como , and St. Regis, as well as a collection of independent and boutique hotels.

The hotels offer both traditional hotel rooms and 2-4 bedroom residences. I have stayed at both with my Pass membership. Here are some reviews of the resort properties I have stayed at with my Pass members:

• Montage Palmetto Bluff: 2 bedroom Guest House
• Conrad Fort Lauderdale: 2 bedroom Condo
• Faena Miami Beach: Traditional Hotel Room (Partial Ocean View)
• Aqualina Resort & Residences: Ocean Front Hotel Room
• The Boca Raton: 2 Bedroom Bungalow

Hotels Outside of the Inspirato Collection

If you’re looking for a luxury hotel that has not partnered with Inspirato, you can book it through Inspirato’s partnership with Virtuoso .

In this situation, Inspirato is essentially your travel agent, helping you book a room that includes bonuses like a room upgrade (if available), breakfast for two, early check-in / late check-out, and possibly some resort and dining credits.

You can use your “Pass Subscription” to book trips at properties in the Inspirato Collection Hotels. If a luxury property is not part of the collection, your Inspirato care team can help you book through Virtuoso, which will be a paid booking, outside of the membership.

Another great feature of the Inspirato program is the search tool and the fact that you don’t need to be a member to access the tool and see what type of properties are available to you.

When using the search tool, just enter your desired geography and dates. The tool will then deliver a list of locations available at that time. You can then use the filter to refine location types such as beach, mountain, or metropolitan locations.

You can also add another filter if you only want to spend a certain number of Pass Days on a given trip or want a home with a minimum number of rooms.

If you want to get the best value for your Pass days, be flexible with your search. The more open you are to different locations and dates, the more value you will get from your Pass.

Inspirato Membership Options

Here’s a summary of the three membership options available through Inspirato:

The Club membership is Inspirato’s base membership.

Inspirato Club members enjoy access to the full Inspirato Collection of exclusive homes, hotels, resorts, and experiences by paying nightly rates when they travel. They also receive first-class, personalized service from a team of hospitality experts – from pre-trip planning to an on-site concierge.

This membership essentially gives you access to the portfolio of properties, as well as the Care Team and Destination Planners. It’s generally used by people that want to “test drive” the program.

To learn more about the Club program read our Inspirato Club vs. Pass article.

In 2019, Inspirato introduced Inspirato Pass and promoted it as the world’s first luxury travel subscription. As an Inspirato Pass member, you pay a monthly subscription that gives you access to their complete portfolio of properties for $2,550 per month, including nightly rates, taxes, fees, and housekeeping.

The $2,550 monthly price for Inspirato Pass consists of $2,200 for the Pass portion and preferred pricing of $350 (versus list pricing of $650/month) for all the benefits of an Inspirato Club subscription.

The benefits include flexibility to book outside the Pass Trip List, dedicated service on every trip, member events, Bespoke travel, and more.

Inspirato Pass Days

Every time you book a trip as a Pass Member, you consume a number of “Pass Days”, which will vary by property, season, duration of stay, etc. Pass Days are the currency you have as a member to book an Inspirato property.

A subscription to Pass is $2,550 per month. So, the value of a Pass Day is the monthly cost divided by 30, making one Pass Day equal to approximately $85.

Inspirato Select is the newest evolution of the Inspirato membership offering (introduced in June 2022). Select is a new subscription offering designed for both personal and business use that can be shared with others.

One of the most valuable features of Inspirato Select is that Inspirato Select Trips are 100% transferable and may be shared with others at no additional cost.

This gives subscribers the flexibility to use their subscription in a wide variety of ways: You can use Select Trips for yourself or gift them to family, friends, or even business colleagues. You can either purchase Select as a stand-alone membership or add it to an existing club or pass membership.

The three membership options are priced as follows:

• Inspirato Pass Membership: $2,550 enrollment fee + $2,550 monthly subscription payment
• Inspirato Club Membership: $650 enrollment fee + $650 monthly subscription payment
• Inspirato Select Membership: $2,000 enrollment fee + $24,000 annual fee

The prices for Pass and Club are for month-to-month plans. If you’re interested in prepaying for 6 or 12 months, Inspirato typically will offer additional incentives including waived enrollment fees and other perks.

Memberships can be canceled at any time with 30 days’ written notice (the enrollment fees are non-refundable).

If you're interested in joining Inspirato, use my referral link to learn more about Inspirato membership packages & make sure you are getting the latest (and best) promotion.

As an active Pass subscriber, you have the ability to purchase a Pass Bonus Trip at any time. Here is how Bonus Trips work:

• Any trip that is available on the Pass Trip List for check-in within the next 30 days may be booked as a Pass Bonus Trip for $3,000. Any trip that is available for check-in within the next 31 – 60 days may be booked as a Pass Bonus Trip for $6,000. 
• Cancellations within three business days of booking are 100% refundable. Cancellations  more  than 14 days prior to check-in are 50% refundable in travel credits. Cancellations 0 to 14 days prior to check-in are non-refundable. 

These work well if your Pass is in use and you would like to take a vacation over the next 30 days. Depending on what is available, you might be able to get great value out of these!

Cruises, Experiences & Sporting Events

In addition to booking homes and hotels, you can also use your pass days for Cruises, Experiences, Events, and Shopping. However, these will not give you the best value for your Pass days.

Experiences are primarily Tours booked with luxury tour companies like Classic Journeys , andBeyond (Safaris & Luxury Tours in Asia, Africa & South America), and Duvine (Bike Tours). You can also book unique trips like Alaska Fishing tours and Dude Ranch Vacations.

All of these tour groups and adventures look amazing and very well done, I am just not sure that this would be the best use of your Pass Days and membership, as you can book these on your own with the travel companies.

Inspirato has three partners for Ocean and River Cruises. Silversea and Seabourn are the main Ocean cruise partners and Amadeus and Uniworld are the river cruise partners.

The cruise partners are not unique to Inspirato. You could book the same trip direct with them if you would like.

Inspirato offers access to a huge variety of sporting events and concerts across the country. Unlike the Cruises and Experiences, these are events that you may not otherwise have access to, so while these tickets might not be a great “value” they might get you into an event you may not otherwise be able to get into.

They also may come with perks you might have had if you just bought a ticket on the open market, such as access to a suite with complimentary food and beverage.

Here are some things to know:

• If you’re paying with Days of Pass: Your Pass will be in use as you earn your ticket purchase. You are able to cancel these tickets at any time while you’re earning your tickets. Once earned, these tickets are non-refundable.
• If you’re paying with a credit card: Please let us know within 24 hours if you decline these tickets. Tickets will be charged within 24 hours, distributed four days before the event, and are non-refundable once charged.
• View FAQs for the new Inspirato Tickets program.

The “ Beyond Travel ” items are typically the worst value for your Pass Days. It’s like using Amex Membership Rewards points to buy something on Amazon or Chase Ultimate Rewards points to buy an Apple laptop.

While you “can” use Pass days for these items, I would highly recommend not doing so. Why would you join a luxury travel subscription to buy a coffee maker or cookware? It just doesn’t make sense.

Jaunt and Jaunt 52

Through the Inspirato Club program, you’ll have access to two programs called Jaunt 52 and Jaunt Now. Jaunt trips are significantly discounted trips that are released to members every Wednesday morning via email.

Jaunt Now offers member-only trips to the portfolio that are available in the next 60 days.

You can’t use your Pass days for Jaunt trips. They are discounted rates to be paid for in cash or credit, available to Inspirato Club members.

Jaunt 52 offers discounts on more than 100 pre-selected trips available each week from the Inspirato Collection. They are member-only vacations that book on a first-come, first-served basis and are scheduled up to one year out.

My experience with the customer service teams at Inspirato has been great. This includes everyone from the initial salesperson I bought my subscription through to the Midwest Care team I’m assigned to and work with on a regular basis.

I’m based in Michigan, so I have been assigned to the “Pass Great Lakes Team”. My understanding is that the teams are divided up by region and further segmented by “Pass Members” and “Club Members”.

Each member has a dedicated support team, with their own direct phone line, email address, and after-hours line. The booking tool Inspirato offers is very intuitive, so you can often book trips without contacting your team, but if for some reason you do need them, they are easy to get in touch with for help.

In addition to your dedicated Inspirato Care Team, they also have Destination Planners that help you craft each trip itinerary. These planners are local to the destination and know all the insider tips and top recommendations.

Your Destination Planner will send you a list of recommendations for activities and dining 1-2 months in advance of your trip. Once you decide what you want to do, they’ll make your dinner reservations, arrange your excursions, provide transportation, buy groceries, and more.

Here is my view on the pros and cons of the Inspirato Pass program:

• Access to amazing five-star homes and resorts (with homes that are only available to members)
• Great service and pre-trip planning assistance via the Inspirato Care Team and local Destination Planners
• Housekeeping is included in the monthly subscription fee, at no additional charge
• Opportunity for significant outsized value if you manage the subscription properly
• The monthly subscription model allows you to spread your costs out evenly over the year
• Great value can be found with luxury home rentals (this includes resort residences)
• With homes, you can bring along friends and family members at no additional charge
• Pass membership can be canceled at any time, with 30 days’ notice
• Cancellation policy (with individual stays not with the membership itself)
• Short-term booking can be challenging
• Designed for those with flexible travel schedules that are open to a variety of destinations. If you cannot be flexible, this is not a great option for you
• You can’t book another trip while your pass days are in use (unless you book a paid club/jaunt trip or buy a bonus trip or second pass)
• Luxury hotels and experiences do not offer great value for your Pass days
• Pets are not allowed at Inspirato homes.
• The majority of the homes are in the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean. There are not many options if you want to travel outside this area. Europe is growing but is still fairly limited. There are no homes in South America, Africa, Asia, or Australia.

You could argue that Inspirato is good for anyone who wants to luxury travel experience bundled into a monthly subscription, and that is absolutely true. But I look at it a little differently.

I would rather know what type of traveler can get the most value from an Inspirato subscription. When you look at it this way, it primarily appeals to the traveler that wants 5-star luxury vacations but also has the ability to be very flexible .

The way to get the most value out of your Inspirato subscription is to have flexibility regarding where you go and when you go.

For example, if you are the type of traveler that wants to go to a warm/beach location in the winter, with flexibility on the dates, and are open to any island in the Caribbean as well as Latin American locations (Mexico, Costa Rica, etc.), then this could be an amazing program for you. My Care team refers to this as “casting a wide net” to get the most options and value from your subscription.

However, a traveler that is tied to their children’s school vacation schedules and only has a couple of specific destinations in mind, will not be able to get “outsized value” from an Inspirato membership, although they will still be able to have access to amazing properties at a good value.

In the fall, my kids will both be in college, I work remotely most of the time, and have the freedom to go just about anywhere. I can even go somewhere without taking a vacation and just work remotely in a sunny warm location to get out of the dreary Michigan winters.

Consequently, I have the potential to be the Inspirato “poster child” member. Time will tell if my wife and I are actually able to pull this off and really maximize our membership, but I am optimistic it will work out and very excited to continue to take advantage of all Inspirato has to offer!

Inspirato Member Referral

If you would like to join Inspirato and gain access to their amazing luxury vacation homes via a monthly subscription model, please use my referral link below to connect with an Inspirato representative who will hook you up with the latest promotion!

More Inspirato Membership Content

If you liked this, here is some more Inspirato content for you to check out!

Tim is a business road warrior and avid leisure traveler who has flown over two million miles in the air and spent well over a thousand nights in hotels. He enjoys sharing tips, tricks, and hacks to help readers get the most out of their travel experience and learn how to “travel like a pro”!

Reader Interactions

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of new posts by email.

Discover more from milepro | travel like a pro!

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Virtuoso Verified Traveler

Thousands of verified reviews, what do virtuoso travelers think of their experiences, exclusive, authentic insights, weekly travel inspiration.

• Reviews TV REVIEWS   v1.11 HEADPHONES REVIEWS   v1.7 MONITOR REVIEWS   v2.0 SOUNDBAR REVIEWS   v1.3 MOUSE REVIEWS   v1.5 KEYBOARD REVIEWS   v1.3.1 PRINTER REVIEWS   v1.2 VACUUM REVIEWS   v1.3 PROJECTOR REVIEWS   v0.8 TOASTER REVIEWS   v1.0 BLENDER REVIEWS   v1.0 KEYBOARD SWITCH REVIEWS   v1.0 SPEAKER REVIEWS   v0.8 CAMERA REVIEWS   v0.12.1 LAPTOP REVIEWS   v0.8.2
• In Progress
• Newsletters
• VIRTUOSO PRO

Corsair VIRTUOSO PRO Headphones Review

The Corsair VIRTUOSO PRO are wired, open-back gaming headphones designed with streamers and gamers in mind. They're the first headphones from this manufacturer to feature 50mm graphene drivers, which the manufacturer advertises as lightweight and capable of producing a deep, immersive sound. They have a unique design whereby the flexible boom mic is attached directly to the cable rather than the headphones. That said, the cable is detachable, and another cable lacking a mic is provided for those who prefer a more casual look.

Our Verdict

The Corsair VIRTUOSO PRO are great for neutral sound. While they lack the low-end boom and rumble common in closed-back headphones, their excellent mid accuracy ensures vocals and lead instruments sound natural and present. Their open-back design also means that they have an open and immersive passive soundstage that makes audio sound like it's coming from speakers around your head.

• Immersive passive soundstage.
• Comfortable fit.
• Poor noise isolation performance.

The Corsair VIRTUOSO PRO are poor for commuting and travel use. They're not designed with portability in mind, so their cumbersome, wired design isn't well-suited to journeys. While they have a comfortable fit, their open-back design provides very little isolation against ambient noise, and they'll also leak a lot of audio, which can be annoying for other people when you're using them in a public place.

• Sturdy build quality.
• Bulky, not very portable design.
• Leak a lot of audio.

The Corsair VIRTUOSO PRO are poor for sports and fitness. They're gaming headphones that aren't intended for this purpose. Their wired design means it's very easy to snag the cable while in motion and damage the headphones by getting sweat or dust in their grilles. They're bulky and can easily fall off your head during moderate exercise.

The Corsair VIRTUOSO PRO are sub-par for office use. Due to their open-back design, they struggle to isolate you against background noise, like office chatter, and others around you will hear what you're listening to, even at a moderate listening volume. They're comfortable enough for long days at the office, and their excellent mic recording quality is well-suited to conference calls.

• Great mic recording quality.

The Corsair VIRTUOSO PRO are wired headphones that you can't use wirelessly.

The Corsair VIRTUOSO PRO are good for wired gaming. They offer a low-latency performance via their wired connection, and they're comfortable enough to be worn for marathon gaming sessions. Their excellent mid-range accuracy brings out all the nuance in in-game dialogue and their wide, immersive soundstage helps make it sound like gameplay is coming from all around you rather than just in front of you. They also come with two cables, one with a mic and one without, to fit all your gaming needs. However, their underemphasized bass response means low-frequency sounds, like explosions, can be slightly underwhelming.

The Corsair VIRTUOSO PRO are okay for phone calls. The flexible boom mic has great recording quality, so your voice sounds clear and easily understandable. The mic is also very good at separating your voice from background noise, even in noisier environments. However, their open-back design means they struggle to block out any background noise, so you'll have a hard time hearing what's said on the other end.

• 8.1 Neutral Sound
• 4.1 Commute/Travel
• 5.4 Sports/Fitness
• 5.5 Wireless Gaming
• 7.6 Wired Gaming
• 6.7 Phone Calls
• Updated Nov 23, 2023: Review published.
• Updated Nov 15, 2023: Early access published.
• Updated Nov 10, 2023: Our testers have started testing this product.
• Updated Oct 23, 2023: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
• Updated Oct 10, 2023: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

The Corsair VIRTUOSO PRO are available in two color variants: 'Carbon' and 'White'. You can see the label here . We tested the 'Carbon' variant, but we expect other variants to perform similarly. If you encounter another variant, please let us know in the forums, and we'll update our review.

Compared To Other Headphones

The Corsair VIRTUOSO PRO are the first pair of wired, open-back gaming headphones that the manufacturer has produced. The VIRTUOSO PRO are unique within Corsair's gaming headset lineup in that they feature a mic attached to a detachable cable instead of the non-detachable mic on the Corsair HS60 . They're comparable in design to the  Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X , but the Corsair are lighter and have a more immersive soundstage. The Drop + Sennheiser are more comfortable and offer a more neutral sound profile.

Check out our recommendations for the  best gaming headphones , the  best headsets for PS5 , and the  best headsets for Xbox Series X|S .

The Corsair VIRTUOSO PRO and the Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X  have similar strengths, and your choice will depend on personal preference. Both are open-back, wired headphones designed with gaming use in mind. The Corsair have a more immersive, wider-sounding soundstage, but the Drop + Sennheiser are more comfortable and have a better mic recording quality. Both feature non-detachable boom mics, but the Corsair's mic is attached to a cable, which can easily be swapped out for a mic-less one for a more casual look.

The Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO aren't designed specifically for gaming like the Corsair VIRTUOSO PRO are, but they're still a good choice for wired gaming. They're comfortable and more sturdily built than the Corsair and offer a more accurate bass response. However, if you need a microphone to communicate with your teammates, you'll want to opt for the Corsair and their high-quality microphone. That said, if you prefer the sound profile of the Beyerdynamic but need to use a mic, you can always pick up a standalone microphone to pair it with.

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro are better overall wired gaming headphones than the Corsair VIRTUOSO PRO. Thanks to their GameDAC, you can plug them in and access a host of sound customization options, including channel mixing and graphic EQ. They also have better controls, and their excellent bass accuracy adds intensity to bassy sounds like explosions. That said, the open-back nature of the Corsair creates a more immersive soundstage that enables you to more easily locate footsteps within the stereo field. It's also much easier to achieve a consistent sound across multiple gaming sessions, as you don't need a perfect seal to ensure accurate bass delivery.

The Corsair VIRTUOSO PRO and the Sennheiser Game One Gaming Headset are both wired, open-back gaming headsets. As a result, they have similar strengths and weaknesses: they both struggle to reproduce low-bass frequencies and won't block out any ambient noise, but they also offer a comfortable fit and a superior soundstage performance to closed-back headsets. While the Sennheiser have a better quality microphone, the Corsair have a more immersive soundstage and come with a sturdy carrying case if you need to transport them.

Test Results

The Corsair VIRTUOSO PRO stand out from the rest of the Corsair lineup due to their open-back, wired design. They come in two color schemes; 'Carbon', which have a black frame and chrome accents, and 'White', which feature a white frame and chrome accents. The headband and earpads are made of memory foam and covered in a soft, plush cloth that gives them a premium look. The flexible boom mic is attached to the cable rather than the headphones. The L/R cables have different housings, so the mic will always be on your left side. They also come with a standard, mic-less 1/8" TRS cable if you prefer a more casual look.

These headphones have a comfortable fit that's well suited to longer gaming sessions. The memory foam headband and ear pads have a soft, cloth padding that feels pleasant on the skin. However, they fit tightly on the head, which can be a little uncomfortable if you wear glasses as the arms can press into the side of your head. The ear cup depth is also quite shallow, so your ears can brush up against the foam.

These headphones have a poor, very limited control scheme. There's a single switch on the cable that you can slide to mute and unmute the mic. However, there's no feedback to indicate when you're muted or unmuted.

Like most gaming headphones, they aren't designed with portability in mind. While the earcups can rotate to lie flat, they're bulky and won't easily fit in a bag or a coat pocket. However, their cable can be detached and stored separately, which helps you transport them without worrying about tangling the cable. They also have a good quality case that helps protect them while in transit.

These headphones come with a good quality hard case that can help protect them from falls or from getting crushed in your bag. They're molded to fit the headphones and feature a handy pouch for cable storage.

These headphones have a great build quality. They're made of a mixture of sturdy plastic, metal, and cloth that feels high quality. That said, their open-back design means that you must be cautious and keep the grilles away from water and dust, as these can easily penetrate the enclosure and damage the headphones.

Like most gaming headphones, the Corsair VIRTUOSO PRO are only reasonably stable. They lack the flexible ski-band headband design of the Corsair HS80 MAX WIRELESS and are likelier to slide around and fall off your head during moderate to intense head movements. Sharp tilts of the head and sudden movements will require you to re-adjust their fit.

• Corsair VIRTUOSO PRO headphones
• 1/8" TRS to split 1/8" TS cable (76")
• 1/8" TRRS to split 1/8" TS cable with boom microphone (76")
• Y-splitter cable (7")

The Corsair VIRTUOSO PRO have a warm sound profile, somewhat similar to the Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X . Due to their open-back design, they can't reproduce the kind of low, rumbly sub-bass that brings life to explosions, but the over-emphasized high-bass helps bring out footstep sounds. The relatively neutral mid-range adds detail to both in-game dialogue and the voices of your teammates. However, a dip in the low and mid-treble causes instruments and sibilants to lose clarity. Unfortunately, they aren't compatible with Corsair's iCUE software, which provides customization features for many of the manufacturer's other gaming headsets.

These headphones have great frequency response consistency. Due to their open-back design, they don't need a perfect seal to reproduce bass accurately and are consistent in their treble delivery, even if you have thick hair or glasses. As a result, it's relatively easy to achieve a consistent sound across multiple gaming sessions.

These headphones have decent bass accuracy. The low bass is under-emphasized, meaning low-frequency sound effects, like explosions, will lack rumble and excitement. While the boosted mid and high-bass helps to bring out footsteps, this can also cause mixes to sound a little muddy.

The mid-range accuracy is excellent. The response is very flat across the entire range, with only a slight dip in the high-mid. As a result, in-game dialogue sounds detailed and present, but there's a slight loss of clarity in the upper harmonics of instruments. In games like The Last of Us Part 2, the guttural noises made by enemies like bloaters sound vivid and visceral, adding to the overall sense of dread.

The Corsair VIRTUOSO PRO's treble response is decent. There's a significant dip in the low treble that veils vocals and lead instruments. The mid-treble is uneven, partially dulling lower-frequency sibilants and making higher-frequency sibilants, like cymbals, sound airy and bright.

These headphones have decent peaks/dips performance and follow their sound profile well in certain regions. A wide peak in the mid and high-bass adds warmth and punch to audio, bringing out the sound of footsteps while also muddying the overall mix somewhat. Some unevenness in the low-treble reduces the presence of vocals and lead instruments, followed by a sharp peak between the mid-treble that makes higher-pitched sibilants sound piercing.

The imaging performance is outstanding. Imaging performance tends to vary between units, but a good imaging performance generally indicates a manufacturer's quality control and ergonomics. Other Corsair headphones we've tested have typically had solid imaging performance, so, unsurprisingly, our unit's group delay falls below the audibility threshold, and the L/R drivers are well-matched in amplitude and frequency response. There's a slight mismatch in phase response in the mids, but this isn't noticeable in real-life audio content. Overall, this results in accurate localization of objects (voices, instruments, video game effects) within the stereo field.

Thanks to these headphones' open-back design, the passive soundstage performance is great. This results in an open, wide-sounding stereo soundstage that allows you to accurately locate in-game audio cues within the stereo field, like footsteps.

The weighted harmonic distortion performance is great. There's a small peak in treble range at regular listening levels, but this can be hard to hear in real-life content, even with higher frequency sounds that are likely to be distorted, like the clink of metal on metal. Generally, all frequencies fall within good limits, resulting in clean audio reproduction.

These are the settings used to test these headphones. Our results are only valid when using them in this configuration.

The isolation performance is poor. Their open-back design offers almost no isolation against lower-frequency noises, like the rumble of a bus passing outside your window. They do a slightly better job of reducing higher-frequency noises, like the whir of PC fans, but these sounds will still be audible while you're gaming.

As with other open-back gaming headphones, they have poor leakage performance. Leakage is particularly audible in upper-mid and treble ranges and sounds thin. If you're gaming with other people in the room, they'll hear higher-frequency sounds like gunshots and teammate's voices, especially at higher volumes.

These headphones come with one 1/8" TRS cable and a 1/8" TRRS cable with a non-detachable boom mic. You can swap these out depending on your need to use the mic.

The flexible boom mic has impressive recording quality. Your voice sounds clear and full-bodied, and your teammates won't have problems understanding you.

The mic's noise handling performance is good. It does a great job of separating your voice from moderately noisy environments, so you'll be understandable even if your PC's fan is working hard to keep up with your gaming. Your vocal clarity will be preserved even with louder sounds, like a bus passing outside the window.

These headphones don't have any compatible software for added customization.

The Corsair VIRTUOSO PRO come with two cables: a 1/8" TRS cable and a 1/8" TRRS cable, which has a flexible boom mic attached. If you use the cable with the attached mic, it's worth noting that the L/R connector jacks are slightly different, so the mic will always be on your left side. There's also a Y-splitter cable provided that allows you to split the mic and headphone signals for use with PCs that don't feature a combo jack. Latency via the audio jack is negligible, so you'll have no issues with audio lagging behind your visuals.

These headphones have full audio and mic compatibility on PCs when using the 1/8" TRRS cable with the mic attached. You can also use the included 1/8" TRS cable if you don't need microphone support or if you're using a standalone mic.

These headphones have full audio and mic compatibility with PlayStation family consoles when using the 1/8" TRRS cable with the mic attached. You can also swap it out for the 1/8" TRS cable provided if you don't need microphone support or prefer a standalone mic.

The Corsair VIRTUOSO PRO have full audio and mic compatibility with Xbox family consoles when using the 1/8" TRRS cable with the mic attached. You can also use the included 1/8" TRS cable for audio only if you don't need microphone support or prefer a standalone mic.