In the continuing aftermath of his acrimonious departure from power, ex-President Donald Trump has lost a major business partnership for his hotels. Virtuoso, described by The Washington Post as a “global network of luxury travel agencies,” now “no longer considers Trump Hotels a preferred partner,” the publication adds. Thus, Trump-branded hotels no longer appear on Virtuoso’s website, and travel advisers associated with the company can no longer book special benefits for guests that were only accessible through Virtuoso as part of its preferred partnership program.
Virtuoso declined to cite a reason for the split, but other affiliates of Trump’s business have severed ties in the wake of the January rioting at the Capitol, where the then-president’s supporters tried to forcibly — and violently — stop the formal certification of Joe Biden’s presidential election victory. Virtuoso spokeswoman Misty Belles commented as follows:
‘Trump Hotels are no longer part of the Virtuoso network. 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.’
Past benefits that Virtuoso provided to prospective travelers eyeing a Trump property included “a room upgrade; daily full breakfast for two; $100 spa credit; welcome amenity; early check-in and late checkout,” as summarized by the Post. These perks were available in connection to a stay at Trump’s D.C. hotel, which was recently the subject of a handful of news reports outlining its slumping business. Now that Trump is no longer in power, political interests seem less inclined to use the D.C. hotel to garner favor with him. Since Trump never financially disconnected from his business, patronizing his hotels meant financially supporting him.
Henry Harteveldt, who works as a travel industry analyst at Atmosphere Research Group, told the Post the following discussing the Virtuoso/ Trump split:
‘It’s a big deal because Virtuoso is very well-respected in the industry. It serves a very elite base of customers and its actions are often studied by others. With Virtuoso doing this, some travel agencies that may have been debating whether or not to do it could decide well, if Virtuoso has done this, we too will end our professional relationship with the Trump hotels.’
At present, Trump is apparently exploring the launch of his own social media platform, which could, theoretically, provide him with a financial boost through means like advertising.
