Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

New site adds traveler reviews to private sale experience

Relaxnews
Monday 06 September 2010 19:00 EDT
Comments
(Smarter Travel Media)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

TripAdvisor-owned Smarter Travel Media has launched its own private sale site, following in the footsteps of Kayak and Travelocity.

SniqueAway promises to combine the exclusivity of a private sale with crowd-sourced approval courtesy of TripAdvisor, mandating that all properties featured must have earned four or five out of five stars from customer reviews.

Hotel reviews are shown alongside limited-time offers available only to members and like other such sites, sign-up is by invitation only - members who invite friends who subsequently book receive $25 (€19.60) credit towards a trip.

TripAdvisor admits that it's fairly late to the party, with American Express, Travelocity and Kayak all launching their own members-only sale sites earlier this year, but says that's no problem.

"We've watched and learned and now we're ready to party with the players who have proven the private sale model to be a winner," said Massimo De Nadai, general manager for Smarter Travel Media.

Private sales sites, with an air of exclusivity and excellent discounts for those in the know, have been gaining popularity in recent years, and the use of TripAdvisor ratings is likely to make SniqueAway a useful source for both offers and travel advice.

Earlier this year, a survey by Ypartnership suggested that flash selling- the practice of advertising available space to a select few for a limited time only - was rapidly gaining in popularity, especially with high-income households.

http://www.sniqueaway.com

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in