Times have been tough for hotels lately. Their occupancy has been way down. And when their occupancy rates are low, all their other revenue streams – food and beverages, spa services, etc. – suffer too.
Most luxury hotels have big mortgages or management fees that are due every month. So they have to fill their rooms. And sometimes, the only way to do it is to really slash their prices.
So where can you find these great deals and save a bundle at a five-star hotel? Here are three travel websites that specialize in selling luxury travel at a discount.
An online luxury travel auction website.
Luxury Link auctions off travel packages to the highest bidder. You need to register to bid, and unlike at eBay, the auction doesn’t end at a specific time if people are still bidding. This is a nice feature because no one can come in and outbid you at the last second. Discounts are up to 65% off and all their properties have been vetted by their staff.
Luxury Link
Many of their packages include several nights in a suite or superior room, plus extras like massages, dinner one night, or a sightseeing activity or excursion.
In addition to hotels and resorts, Luxury Link also has deals on cruises and tours. And they also have packages you can buy at a pre-determined discounted price.
Read all the fine print carefully, because your bid is binding, and sometimes the packages are only available for certain nights of the week. Check before you bid to make sure your dates are available.
We’ve used Luxury Link several times and have always been very pleased with the accommodations and the value for money.
An invitation-only travel website.
Some of the most successful web businesses the past couple of years have been invitation-only shopping sites. Now Gilt Groupe, one of the pioneers in discount high fashion, has launched Jetsetter.com.
Jetsetter
Although the site is billed as invitation only, we put ourselves on the waiting list and received an invitation two days later. So don’t despair if you don’t know any members.
The way Jetsetter works is that they send you an email of travel sales each day. So far, the discounts seem to be around 50% off the rack rate. And an availability calendar lets you check your dates there and then.
Sales usually last two days or until the inventory sells out. If you can’t make a decision on the spot, you can place a hold on a room for 72 for 10% of the purchase price. It’s applied to the price if you travel, or credited to your account if you don’t.
We haven’t used Jetsetter yet, but they were offering rooms at Le Meurice in Paris for $295 less than their web site.
A travel website that analyzes the saving for you.
Dealbase
Dealbase combs the web for travel deals and then analyzes and quantifies them for you. They compare the offered price to other available rates – including the average 30-day price on hotels.com – and then show you how much you’ll really save.
We used it to compare Honolulu hotels and ended up booking our hotel through it. Right now, the number of places it covers is limited, but they are expanding into other markets.
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I love Jetsetter.com you do need an invite, but don’t worry about the waitlist, I’ve got some free invites to give away right here:
http://www.jetsetter.com/invite/today
Thank you so much for including http://www.luxurylink.com as a resource to find luxury hotel deals. We are always adding new properties and auctions to our system, but if you have any recommendations of new destinations, please let us know.