Back in the day, full-service airlines in India used to sell coupon booklets that allowed fixed price travel on business class cabins, a concept they later extended to other cabins. Air India still sells those booklets, I believe. Somewhere in the last quarter of 2021, coming back after the pandemic, the Oberoi Hotels launched a similar product in the market for the Oberoi and Trident hotels brands. Let’s go over the Oberoi Select subscription programme.

Oberoi Select

Oberoi Hotels’ Oberoi Select offering is a coupon booklet programme that offers you the ability to mix and match your requirements. The programme offers you the ability to buy 20 vouchers for stays at Oberoi Hotels and Resorts in India at the cost of INR 2,50,000 (inclusive of taxes). You can then use these vouchers at different Oberoi properties basis your requirements. Oberoi Hotels claims that you will receive up to 40% savings on accommodation, including breakfast with this programme.
Here are the perks that are included for stays made with the Oberoi Select programme:

• 15% savings on food and soft beverages.
• 25% savings at The Oberoi Spa.
• Room upgrade vouchers for two nights.
• Complimentary use of the business centre for an hour per day, subject to availability.
• Up to four items of clothing are ironed with compliments.

How does it work?

Once you sign up for the programme, you have one year to use the 20 vouchers that you buy from Oberoi Hotels and Resorts. Different properties have a different number of vouchers needed and other inclusions, so you can use your vouchers as per a mix and match over time.

The number of vouchers required for stays at various participating Oberoi properties is extracted from the Oberoi website. As you would note, the city properties need one voucher for a breakfast inclusive stay on a per night basis, and the Oberoi resorts, such as the Vilas properties, require two vouchers per night. The Oberoi Vanyavilas needs four vouchers per night for an all board experience.

An essential thing to note here is that these are not base category rooms at most hotels but, in cases one down from the topmost rung (Oberoi Grand, Kolkata, for instance).

Is it worth it?

Oberoi Hotels and Resorts is promising you a room night at INR 12,500 per night inclusive of taxes for city hotels. Let us take a sample room rate for the Oberoi Hotels for 15-16 February 2022. These are member rates for the same room category offered because that is the lowest available rate on the website:

• Oberoi Bengaluru: INR 14,4000 (+18% GST) per night for a Premier Room + Breakfast for 2
• Oberoi Gurugram: INR 10,294 (+18% GST) per night for a Luxury Room + Breakfast for 2
• Oberoi Kolkata: INR 15,300 (+18% GST) per night for a Premier Room with Balcony + Breakfast for 2
• Oberoi Mumbai: INR 11,475 (+18% GST) per night for a Luxury Room + Breakfast for 2
• Oberoi Delhi: INR 21,803 (+18% GST) per night for a Luxury Room + Breakfast for 2
• Oberoi Cecil, Shimla: INR 12,398 (+18% GST) per night for a Luxury Room + Breakfast for 2

Now let’s go to the Vilas properties, for which I will use a random weekend rate in February 2022 (February 21-22, 2022):

• Oberoi Rajvilas: INR 35,910 (+18% GST) per night for a Luxury Tent + Breakfast for 2
• Oberoi Sukhvilas: INR 29,497 (+18% GST) per night for a Premier Room + Breakfast for 2
• Oberoi Wildflower Hall, Shimla: INR 26,078 (+18% GST) per night for a Premier Valley View Room + Breakfast for 2
• Oberoi Udaivilas: INR 40,613 (+18% GST) per night for a Premier Pool View Room + Breakfast for 2
• Oberoi Amarvilas: INR 33,345 (+18% GST) per night for a Premier Room with Balcony + Breakfast for 2

Terms and Conditions

There are some T&C to work with, as would be the case for any programme:

• Prior reservations need to be made by emailing a certain email address.
• Maximum 3 rooms per night can be redeemed at the time of booking, subject to availability of rooms.
• Specific blackout dates apply (although they have passed as I write this)
• The vouchers are non-transferable.
• No refund will be made if the vouchers are not used during the validity period.
• Once the vouchers are issued, a subscription to the programme cannot be cancelled or refunded.
• Guest can redeem vouchers for a stay of self and/or immediate family member.

Bottomline

In most cases, the bottom line is that the claim of Oberoi hotels to offer a 40% savings works out fine, for a rate one month out. Hotels usually get more expensive as you get closer to the date, so it looks like this is a steal deal from Oberoi Hotels and Resorts. Of course, many other programmes will also give you access to reasonable rates, such as American Express FHR our Virtuoso Advisors. Still, this overall looks like a fabulous programme with some great deep discounts, as long as you are willing to commit an upfront amount of money to the Oberoi group.

Anyone already bought the Oberoi Select Package and has more to add to this?

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