You may have already heard of JetSetter, launched about a year ago, or Vacationist.com, Voyageprive.com, Bonyoyou.com, and Ruelala.com. Now there's SniqueAway, a new first-come, first-served invitation-only travel site that offers discounted travel experiences to its members. SniqueAway's claim to fame is that all the hotels it offers have the TripAdvisor.com seal of approval. Specifically, all hotels featured on SniqueAway have earned a minimum four-star rating classification and a minimum four out of five TripAdvisor review rating.
"SniqueAway represents another promising extension of the TripAdvisor Media Group. The accompanying TripAdvisor reviews will provide an extra element of confidence to SniqueAway members as they book their travel deals," says Steve Kaufer, the founder and CEO of TripAdvisor.
If you're wondering if these private-sale sites really offer good deals on hotels and other travel experiences, the answer is a definite yes. Whenever I've tested prices compared to other sources, such as the hotel's web site or third-party sites, the savings were significant. The only major caveat: your purchase is non-changeable, and non-refundable.
Want to give SniqueAway a try? Here's an invite.