A luxury travel booking agency quietly dropped all Trump Hotels and resorts listings from its elite ‘invitation only’ services earlier this month, it has been revealed.
Virtuoso Travel, a Texas-based agency specializing in luxury and experiential vacations, dropped all of former President Donald Trump’s hotels that were considered partners, Zenger News revealed.
The agency had considered six of Trump’s 10 hotels partners in its Virtuoso network, which provides travelers with perks VIP treatment and special access, Washington Post reported. It was not immediately clear which six hotels were previously listed by the company, which has since removed them from the website.
Virtuoso previously promoted its ties with the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. ahead of its opening in 2016, according to a press release at the time, saying it would join the ‘esteemed landmarks of our nation’.
Apart from the D.C. hotel, Trump has six other hotels in North America: Albemarle Estate In Charlottesville, Virginia; Trump International Hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Waikiki, Hawaii; National Doral In Miami; and Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago and New York City.
Trump also has the Macleod House & Lodge in Scotland; the Trump Turnberry, also in Scotland; and Trump International Golf Links & Hotel in Ireland.
Trump International Hotel and Tower at Columbus Circle in Manhattan is pictured last May
A general view of The Trump International Hotel is seen March 4, 2021, in Washington as Capitol Police were on high alert over QAnon conspiracy theories
Donald Trump and Eric Trump are pictured opening Albemarle Estate at Trump Winery in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2015
Former President Donald Trump was pictured in his golf attire before hitting the links on Sunday
Former President Donald Trump was seen giving a group of people a tour of the resort on Tuesday while talking at length
‘Trump Hotels are no longer part of the Virtuoso network,’ Virtuoso spokeswoman Misty Belles said in a statement obtained by the outlets.
‘We consider many variables when reviewing both existing and new network participation. Out of respect for all involved parties, and as a general policy, we do not share comments regarding our non-renewal and exit decisions.’
DailyMail.com has reached out to the Trump Organization for comment.
Virtuoso previously promoted its ties with the soon-to-open Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. in April 2016, according to a press release at the time.
A view of the home page of Virtuoso Travel is seen after the company dropped Trump hotels from its listings
A general view of Trump Turnberry is seen last June in Turnberry, Scotland as the resort planned an expansion
A view of the MacLeod House & Lodge is seen in Aberdeen, Scotland – one of Trump’s three hotels internationally
Trump’s name is seen displayed with hedges at the Trump International golf resort where he stayed during in a 2019 visit to Doonbeg, Ireland
The hotel opened in Washington’s historic Old Post Office on Pennsylvania Avenue in September 2016
The converted landmark building was ‘restored far beyond its initial grandeur’ and includes The Spa by Ivanka Trump.
The company said that guests who booked their stay through one of its 20,000 luxury travel advisers would get ‘exclusive benefits’ including a room upgrade, daily full breakfast for two and $100 spa credit, among other perks.
However, the D.C. hotel has struggled financially since opening and attempts to sell the property have been delayed a number of times, Forbes reported.
The hotel also received backlash after it reportedly raised prices earlier this month when QAnon conspiracy theorists believed Trump would be reinstalled in the White House during an inauguration on March 4, Zenger News noted.
A man walks by Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago, Illinois, on Sunday
Tropical flowers and front entrance sign of Trump International Hotel Waikiki Beach, a Five Star luxury hotel & residences owned by Donald Trump
Palm trees and front exterior entrance of Trump International Hotel Waikiki Beach
A sign for Trump National Doral Resort in Miami, Florida is seen t the entrance to the golf resort
Trump International Hotel Las Vegas is seen pictured on August 16, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada
Forbes reported that Trump hotel management and licensing business is down $24 million since 2019 and his golf resorts are down another $120 million.
Trump’s business could further take a hit after leaving Virtuoso, which is one of the most prestigious network affiliations for luxury hotels.
Chekitan Dev, a professor at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, told the Washington Post that Virtuoso is ‘one of the largest, best known, and influential third-party channels of distribution, especially for luxury hotels.’
‘Getting fired by Virtuoso is a very big deal because the hotels or hotel brands lose exposure to a vast network of agents who are very skilled at booking business for their most discriminating and high-net worth customers who are typically also frequent travelers,’ Dev said.
Forbes noted that two hotels with former Trump ties remain in Virtuoso’s network.
Trump licensed his name for the David Rockwell-designed Trump SoHo, a 391-room condo-hotel in New York City, that dropped its affiliation with him in 2017 and re-branded as The Dominick.
The 65-story St. Regis Toronto, part of the Marriott portfolio, was formerly branded as Trump International Hotel and Tower Toronto under a licensing deal.
However, his name was stripped when lawsuits from investors bankrupted the hotel’s developer, Forbes reported.
