The Set by Invitation: hotels, VIP benefits & how to book
In 30 seconds: The Set by Invitation is the invitation-only travel-advisor program of The Set Collection - independent icons such as Hotel Café Royal in London, The Siam in Bangkok, The Upper House in Hong Kong and Round Hill in Jamaica. Booked through an authorized advisor such as Stars Desk, a stay adds a USD 100 hotel credit (USD 200 on stays of 4+ nights or suite bookings), daily breakfast for two, highest-priority upgrade, early check-in and late check-out, a VIP welcome amenity and automatic VIP status - at the same rate as booking direct, with no fee. Exact benefits vary by hotel; the full per-hotel grid is below.
Twelve singular hotels, one benefit program - and the only public page that shows you exactly what each hotel gives, before you commit.
Request Your Set by Invitation Stay →
What is The Set Collection - and what is Set by Invitation?
The Set Collection is a small alliance of independently run luxury hotels - city landmarks and one-of-a-kind hideaways rather than a chain. The Set by Invitation is its travel-advisor program: participating hotels extend a defined VIP benefit set to guests booked by invited advisors such as Stars Desk, at the same rate published by the hotel.
Clearing up the name: The Set Collection is a luxury hotel alliance - not to be confused with retail "collection sets". And two famous former members are gone: Hôtel Lutetia in Paris and Conservatorium in Amsterdam now operate under Mandarin Oriental and are no longer part of The Set Collection. If those are your target, we book them with Mandarin Oriental Fan Club benefits instead.
Standard Set by Invitation benefits
- USD 100 credit per stay - rising to USD 200 on stays of 4 nights or longer, or on suite bookings
- Daily breakfast for two per bedroom
- Highest-priority upgrade to the next room category at check-in, subject to availability
- Highest-priority early check-in and late check-out
- VIP welcome amenity
- Automatic VIP status - your requests carry highest priority with hotel management, front desk and guest services throughout the stay
This is the standard frame - each hotel tunes it. Two all-inclusive hideaways swap the credit for other privileges, and several hotels add extras nobody advertises. The grid below is the actual per-hotel picture.
Set by Invitation benefits by hotel: the full grid
No public source lists what each Set Collection hotel actually gives. This grid reflects the current program terms Stars Desk books under:
| Hotel | Location | Credit | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel Café Royal | London, UK | USD 100 F&B + USD 100 spa | Two separate credits per stay - the richest city package in the program |
| The Siam | Bangkok, Thailand | USD 100 (+USD 100 on 10+ nights) | Butler service, complimentary minibar, welcome drink at the pier, private boat shuttle to Sathorn pier; Pool Villas add an afternoon treat |
| The Upper House | Hong Kong | USD 100 (USD 200 for Upper Suite & Penthouse) | House credit; breakfast at Salisterra; top suites excluded from the upgrade path |
| The Middle House | Shanghai, China | USD 100 (USD 200 for Studio 90 & Residences) | Credit usable in Café Gray Deluxe, in-room dining or 90-minute spa treatments; some room types excluded from upgrades |
| The Temple House | Chengdu, China | USD 100 restaurant & bar (USD 200 on 4+ nights or suites) | Breakfast at The Temple Café; suites earn the higher credit |
| Mamilla Hotel | Jerusalem | USD 100 | Standard set with automatic VIP status |
| The David Citadel | Jerusalem | USD 100 | Standard set with automatic VIP status |
| Round Hill Hotel and Villas | Montego Bay, Jamaica | USD 100 spa credit | Credit directed to the spa; breakfast for two per bedroom in the restaurant |
| Deos Mykonos | Mykonos, Greece | USD 100 (USD 200 on 4+ nights or suites) | Complimentary round-trip private airport transfers - rare at any Mykonos hotel |
| Shinta Mani Angkor | Siem Reap, Cambodia | USD 100 F&B (Suites & Pool Villas; USD 200 on 4+ nights for Pool Villas) | Guaranteed early check-in and late check-out - not just priority |
| Shinta Mani Wild | Cardamom Mountains, Cambodia | No credit - fully inclusive | All meals, activities and spa already in the rate; adds upgrade priority (Wild Tent to Waterfall Tent), an included activity choice, 10% boutique discount |
| Nay Palad Hideaway | Siargao, Philippines | No credit - fully inclusive | Fully inclusive island hideaway; adds upgrade and timing priority, VIP amenity and boutique privileges |
All upgrades and timing benefits are subject to availability at check-in. The Set Collection alliance also lists The Chedi hotels (Katara, Muscat, Al Bait Sharjah, Hegra) and Andronis Concept Santorini; Set by Invitation benefit availability at those properties is confirmed case by case - ask your advisor.
Featured Set Collection stays
Hotel Café Royal
Regent Street, London
The grand café of Piccadilly reborn as one of London's finest hotels. Set by Invitation doubles the value: USD 100 toward dining plus USD 100 toward the Akasha spa, on top of daily breakfast for two.
The Upper House
Pacific Place, Hong Kong
André Fu's serene tower above Pacific Place. Breakfast at Salisterra, a house credit that reaches USD 200 on top suites, and VIP recognition from a team that already treats every guest like one.
Round Hill Hotel and Villas
Montego Bay, Jamaica
The Ralph Lauren-designed Jamaican classic. Your USD 100 spa credit meets oceanfront treatments; breakfast for two is served in the restaurant each morning.
The Siam
Riverside, Bangkok
Art-filled riverside compound with butler service for every suite and villa. Arrive by the hotel's private boat, spend the credit on dinner by the pool - and on 10-night stays the credit doubles.
Is Set by Invitation worth it?
- Four-night city stays. At Café Royal or the House Collective hotels, a 4-night booking triggers the USD 200 credit tier on top of ~USD 400 worth of breakfasts for two - against an identical direct rate.
- Suite and villa trips. Suites earn the USD 200 credit from night one, and at hotels like The Siam the butler, minibar and transfer extras compound the difference.
- Trips where recognition matters. Automatic VIP status means your requests - the quiet room, the late flight, the anniversary table - carry highest priority with management, front desk and guest services from day one.
Because these are independent hotels, the alternative is usually booking direct with nothing added. Same rate, no fee, benefits on top - the comparison is not close.
How to book a Set by Invitation rate
- Send your request. Submit the request form with your hotel, dates and party size.
- Receive your quote. Stars Desk replies within one business day with the rate and your hotel's exact benefit set from the grid above.
- Confirm & pay. Approve the booking; we send a secure payment link - any credit card accepted.
- Arrive with status. Your reservation is flagged Set by Invitation - VIP status active before you land.
There is no consumer login for the program - thesetcollection.com's booking portal is for accredited advisors. Comparing programs? See Hyatt Privé, Mandarin Oriental Fan Club and the full preferred-partner portfolio.
Verified reviews & credentials
Stars Desk holds a 5.0/5 rating from 133 verified traveler reviews on Travel Leaders and an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. We book The Set by Invitation as an Independent Affiliate of Ovation Network, a Virtuoso member agency - all credentials on our affiliations page.
An advisor's honest take
- The collection is tiny and eclectic - that is its charm and its catch. Twelve hotels from Regent Street to the Cardamom jungle. If your itinerary does not pass through one of them, no program magic applies - we will tell you and suggest the right alternative.
- Two hotels give no credit, for a good reason. Shinta Mani Wild and Nay Palad are fully inclusive - there is nothing left to credit. Their Set by Invitation value is the upgrade priority and privileges, not dollars.
- "Highest priority" is real, but availability still rules. The upgrade and timing benefits outrank other channels' requests - they do not conjure rooms that are sold out. On peak dates we secure what matters most to you first.
The Set by Invitation frequently asked questions
What is The Set Collection?
The Set Collection is a small alliance of independently run luxury hotels - including Hotel Café Royal in London, The Siam in Bangkok, The Upper House in Hong Kong, Mamilla and The David Citadel in Jerusalem, Round Hill in Jamaica and the Shinta Mani properties in Cambodia. It is a hotel alliance, not a chain: each member is individually owned and operated.
What is The Set by Invitation?
The Set by Invitation is the collection's invitation-only travel-advisor program. Guests booked by an invited advisor such as Stars Desk receive a hotel credit, daily breakfast for two, highest-priority upgrade and timing benefits, a VIP welcome amenity and automatic VIP status - at the same rate as booking the hotel direct, with no advisor fee.
Which hotels participate in Set by Invitation?
Twelve hotels currently carry confirmed benefit grids: Hotel Café Royal (London), The Siam (Bangkok), The Upper House (Hong Kong), The Middle House (Shanghai), The Temple House (Chengdu), Mamilla Hotel and The David Citadel (Jerusalem), Round Hill Hotel and Villas (Jamaica), Deos Mykonos, Shinta Mani Angkor, Shinta Mani Wild (Cambodia) and Nay Palad Hideaway (Philippines). The alliance also lists The Chedi hotels and Andronis Concept Santorini; benefits there are confirmed case by case.
How much is the Set by Invitation hotel credit?
USD 100 per stay as standard, rising to USD 200 on stays of four nights or longer or on suite bookings. Some hotels direct it - Round Hill's is a spa credit, Café Royal gives two credits (USD 100 dining plus USD 100 spa), and The Siam adds a further USD 100 on stays of ten nights or more. The two fully inclusive hideaways give no credit because everything is already in the rate.
What does "automatic VIP status" actually mean?
Your profile is flagged VIP for the entire stay: requests to hotel management, the front desk and guest services teams carry highest priority - room location, timing, restaurant tables, special arrangements. It is treatment normally reserved for repeat guests, applied from your first visit.
Are Hotel Lutetia and Conservatorium part of The Set Collection?
Not anymore. Both now operate under Mandarin Oriental - Hôtel Lutetia in Paris and Conservatorium in Amsterdam left The Set Collection with that change. Stars Desk books both with Mandarin Oriental Fan Club benefits instead, which serve the same purpose: added value on top of the standard rate.
Do the benefits differ at all-inclusive Set hotels?
Yes. Shinta Mani Wild and Nay Palad Hideaway are fully inclusive - meals, activities and spa are already in the rate - so there is no credit to give. Set by Invitation there adds priority upgrades (at Shinta Mani Wild, Wild Tent to Waterfall Tent), guaranteed or priority timing, VIP amenities, boutique privileges and, at Shinta Mani Wild, an included activity choice.
Is there a fee to book Set by Invitation rates?
No. The rate matches the hotel's published rate and Stars Desk does not charge a booking fee - the program benefits are funded by the hotels as part of their relationship with invited advisors.
Can I book Set by Invitation rates online myself?
No. The booking portal at thesetcollection.com is a travel-advisor login, not a consumer site. The benefits attach only to reservations issued by an invited advisor - send Stars Desk your dates and the rest happens for you.
Do Set by Invitation benefits combine with the hotels' own offers?
Frequently, yes - the benefits ride on top of the hotel's standard flexible rate, and many seasonal offers remain combinable. Each hotel decides; your advisor checks what applies for your dates and quotes the strongest combination.
How do I book a Set by Invitation rate?
Send Stars Desk your hotel, dates and party size through the request form. We reply within one business day with the rate and your hotel's exact benefit set, then send a secure payment link - any credit card accepted. The reservation is made directly with the hotel, flagged with your VIP status.
Request your Set by Invitation stay
Complete this form and Stars Desk will reply within one business day with the rate and the full benefit set for your hotel.