• Luxury travel booking site Virtuoso has removed all Trump-branded hotels from its exclusive listings.

• The site has removed the lists of the ten properties operated by the Trump organization.

• Hotels under the Trump banner, including his property in Washington DC, are in financial difficulty.

• Visit the Insider homepage for more stories.

Luxury travel booking site Virtuoso has removed all Trump-branded hotels from its exclusive lists.

The site quietly this week removed lists of the 10 properties operated by the Trump organization from its elite services, by invitation only.

According to an article by Zenger news, hotels, including the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC, were listed on the website until March 9 – but have been removed.

“As of March 8, 2021, Trump Hotels is no longer part of the Virtuoso network,” Misty Ewing Belles, general manager of global public relations at the travel agency, told Zenger News.

Belles did not explain why the decision was made, but clarified that the site “takes into account many variables when considering participation in the existing and new network.”

“Out of respect for all parties involved, and as a general policy, we do not share comments regarding our non-renewal and exit decisions,” Belles added.

Virtuoso promotes itself as an “invitation-only organization through which member travel counselors have privileged access to exclusive amenities, travel deals and rare experiences you can’t get on your own,” connecting hotels and hotel companies to customers.

Trump hotels are in financial trouble. The Trump Organization has been trying to sell its hotel in Washington for months, according to a CNBC report, but the deals failed.

Trump International was once a popular tourist attraction for supporters of the former president. More recently he undergoes careful scrutiny when he hiked prices on March 3-4, dates when QAnon’s conspiracy theorists believed Trump would be reinstalled as president.

The story continues

Henry Harteveldt, travel industry analyst at Atmosphere Research Group, said the Washington Post that if people interested in staying in hotels could make reservations through other channels, Virtuoso ending its relationship with the Trump brand removed the ability to enjoy special privileges.

“It’s a big deal because Virtuoso is very well respected in the industry,” Harteveldt told the Post.

“He serves a very elitist customer base and his actions are often studied by others. With Virtuoso doing this, some travel companies that may have debated whether to do so could decide, well, if Virtuoso did so, we will also end our professional relationship with Trump hotels, ”he added.

Virtuoso is not the first organization to cut ties with the Trump brand. The New York Times reported that the Professional Golfers Association, along with several large banks and financial institutions, will no longer deal with the Trump Organization.

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