Category: vacation

Are Closed user groups the only way to find travel discounts?

by hotelsetc, posted in vacation

Are you familiar with closed user groups within the travel industry and how they help consumers find the best online discounts possible? These groups originated in the telecom industry and referred to a simple platform which allowed paying subscribers the opportunity to make free calls within the group. Essentially, the very same tactic can still be found within that industry through a service in which telecom operators offer free calls to members on the same network.

Closed User Groups within the Travel Industry

Closed User Groups in the travel industry were the only way to find online travel discounts prior to the internet. Hotels Etc and a number of other travel membership clubs were inundated with applications and requests at the time from consumers who want to pay less for their travel needs. In a similar fashion to the above mentioned telecom companies, Hotels Etc offered their subscribing members the opportunity to avail of huge discounts within a closed user group. Hotels Etc negotiated the discount – their members saved money.

Closed User groups

But why are these travel membership clubs suddenly so important?

Travel clubs have always been important but the arrival of the online world and search booking engines in particular meant it was easy for consumers to find the best travel deals without them. But history does repeat itself in every market and with the introduction of a new law called rate parity, we are now seeing the re-emergence of travel membership clubs.

You see, the law of rate parity now restricts traditional booking engines from offering genuine discounts or value to their customers. Stipulating that every booking engine, whether this is Orbitz, Expedia or anything similar, must display the same cost across all channels of distribution which effectively means they cannot advertise the heavily discounted prices we have seen in the past.

Hotels Etc and the ease of booking

Hugely popular in the early 1990’s, finding discounts with a travel club is really a straight forward process. Having negotiated the best discounts direct with the supplier, travel clubs then offer these heavily discounted vacations or travel services to their members in return for a small subscription. And the best part of this system? Closed user groups are exempt from the laws of rate parity and they are not restricted in any way from passing these discounts on to their customers.

vacation

As mentioned, these travel clubs are re-emerging and in contrast to the very beginning of online booking, they now offer all of the perks (and more) of a traditional booking engine. Fast and straight forward, accessing the best online discounts with a travel club could not be easier.

Morale of the story: For many years, travel booking engines led the charge in terms of finding the best prices for hotels and vacations in particular but recent laws have restricted these traditional booking engines from providing any real value. If you want genuine value, travel club membership is now the only real option to find the best online discounts.

Packing for a Caribbean Vacation

by hotelsetc, posted in vacation, vacations

You’ve booked the flights, you’ve got a place to stay (thanks to those sweet hotel discounts you found online), and now all that stands in front of you and laying on the beach on your soon-to-be-fabulous Caribbean vacation is the dreaded thing we all try to put off as long as possible — packing. But, don’t worry too much about it, getting everything together and shoved into those old bags you still haven’t replaced won’t be nearly as hard as you might think. So take a breath, close your eyes, imagine yourself snorkeling with all kinds of different magical-looking fish, and let’s do this.

Packing for a Caribbean Vacation

Old bags with CAMERA

No Passport Needed

There are some interesting things you need to know about getting into the Caribbean as far as passports and visas go. First off, if you’re American and a full-fledged U.S. citizen, you don’t need to have a passport if you’re flying into Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands, which includes the trifecta of St. John, St. Thomas, and St. Croix — the others require you to have more than basic U.S. IDs (driver’s license, etc.). If you’re hopping on a cruise, you can actually visit more of the islands without a passport, but be sure to double-check where you’re going before assuming you’re all good.

Caribbean Weather

Another important thing to thing to do before you start packing is familiarizing yourself with the weather happening for wherever and whenever you’re traveling in the Caribbean. There’s not a lot of major differences between the temperatures from one to the other and the average temperatures are around 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit most days, but depending on the month you’re traveling you might have more or less rain, which is a good to know. Brief showers happen nearly every day on most of the islands, too but not enough to pack any legit rain gear.

Vacation discount

Packing Light

It’s easier said than done, but thanks to the consistently hot climate, the Caribbean is a place where less is more. In fact, many people who are traveling for a week or less easily get away with packing a couple of carry-ons, wearing a light jacket, and keeping it simple. Depending on your needs (I know, shoes)  and length of stay you could easily get away with not checking any bags, which would also save you a lot of hassle and potential delays if you’re flying.

Your Itinerary Determines Your Needs

Are you planning on doing some hiking? You’ll need some active clothes and a pair of good rubber-soled shoes that can give you the support you need. Are you just going to lounge on the beach all day and drink cocktails? You can probably get away with packing not much more than a couple of swimsuit options, flip-flops, and one or two pairs of shorts or dresses to wear when you’re not listening to the waves. There’s no one perfect list for this since each trip is unique, but think through what you’ll be spending your time doing and pack accordingly.

Toiletries

Your toiletry needs will pretty much be the same, but you might want to throw in some extra sunscreen, lip balm, or aloe/lotion depending on your plans to get out into the wild or your skin tone. It’s going to be hot and sunny most of the time, so ease into it and remember, you can always get more sun the next day, but it’s hard to deal with a really bad sunburn.

Gadgets

Last, but definitely not least, don’t forget to pack in your cameras, selfie-sticks, GoPros, Kindles, or any other electronics that you feel like you can’t live without. You’ll probably want to keep the phone off as much as possible, but it’s your Caribbean vacation, not mine, so you can do whatever you want.

Is Punta Cana worthy of the award for Top Caribbean Destination?

by hotelsetc, posted in vacation

Punta Cana was recently named the top Caribbean destination in Trip Advisor’s “Travelers choice awards”. This award was based on a number of factors but ultimately, it relied on visitor reviews of the period of one year. But how did this happen and why is Punta Cana supposedly the best destination in the Caribbean for a vacation?

Is Punta Cana worthy of the award for Top Caribbean Destination?

Caribbean

Located in the very east of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana finds itself on white powder sands right next to a pristine ocean. Stretching for more than a hundred miles along the coast, the resort is hugely popular and has enough options to cater toward every budget, big and small. Whether you want a luxury hotel, a quiet guesthouse or a villa complete with infinity pool, you can find it here next to a plethora of attractions.

I guess there must also be a reason why so many people decide to get married here or choose it as a honeymoon destination? And yes there is, for it is here you will find many spa treatment center, enjoyable adventure activities, incredible restaurants and lively nightlife to top it all off. Indeed, Punta Cana is a Caribbean destination which does not seem to be lacking in any area and even the convenience of taking a trip here is inviting.

Situated a short twenty minute from the airport, the resorts require minimal travel time and with more than thirty countries flying to the region, it is always easy to get there in the first place. As mentioned above, another highlight of the resort is the food and it is common for each hotel to have its very own world class restaurant. If you decide to go all inclusive, this will obviously mean there are no excuses for sampling everything on offer but if you wish for a little more variety, it also means you can stop into any of the other resorts for something different.

Sunset

Options in Punta Cana

And then there are the resorts themselves; Dreams, Barcelo, Now, Iberostar, Excellence and more, there are so many accommodation choices and when you take advantage of hotel discounts, there is always amazing value to coincide. In fact, where else can you find rates this affordable in the Caribbean for luxury hotels? No wonder it was voted the best Caribbean destination in the awards for Trip Advisor.

That said, the decision is yours but as always we highly recommend checking out our hotel discounts to make sure you are getting the best price and to save you from needlessly spending more than you should be on your up coming vacation.

You can activate your free trial on Hotels Etc by clicking here and star finding out just how much you can save for a vacation in Punta Cana.

Las Vegas or Orlando? The best Vacation special offer in 2016

by hotelsetc, posted in vacation

As if anyone needs another reason to take a Las Vegas vacation or visit the sunny home of Disney and co. Except for arguments sake, let’s just say you are having a hard time getting some money together, that you are unsure of where to go exactly or hesitant about using up some precious vacation leave; Hotels Etc. are here with the best vacation special offer in 2016 to rid you of any procrastination and help you decide on just taking that vacation regardless of what else is going on.

Yes, the king of hotel discount North America has just announced the most incredible special offers which will take their loyal travel club members on a once in a lifetime adventure for just $199. Lasting 4 days and offering every single bit of value that any other trip to Vegas or Orlando promises, these 4 day packages can be extended to 7 days for $100 extra or be taken just as they come. You want to know the best thing about it? There’s no catch, you simply sign up with your contact details here and start looking forward to an incredible break from the norm.

Orlando

These much sought after travel hubs need no introduction either, whether you take the kids with you or just want to get away for a few days with a partner, there are so many attractions and things to do in Orlando and Las Vegas. In fact, it’s almost always the case that you need to choose which attractions to miss out on when time is short but then, as mentioned above, you can always avail of a few days extra to enjoy the amenities.

We wrote earlier this week about the special vacation offer for Mexico and as you can see, the same great value applies to more than just the sunny destination down south. In this sense, what more reasons do you need not to go on vacation? With costs at rock bottom and incredible destinations all included in the packages, there really is no need to wait around any longer wondering if you deserve a break from work or what many of us know as civilization.

In case you might be wondering, the process is also as simple as could be and all we require to start getting your dream vacation booked is some contact details. With that said, you should jump over to the special offer page now to take a closer look at these great deals and make sure you are not imagining the prices we listed above.

One last thing people, we are proud to be helping millions of members from all over North America for the past 20 years and we have no plans to stop providing the best hotel discounts and more anytime soon, so get signed up, feel at home and start looking forward to finding even more of the best online travel deals in the future.

Get your dream vacation now!

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Vacation with a savings – Hotels Etc.

by hotelsetc, posted in Hotels Etc Travel Club Blog, travel club, vacation, vacation club, vacations

Planning your summer vacation can be very time consuming when searching for the best vacation savings. This is why travel clubs are making a strong comeback.

Source: Vacation with a savings – Hotels Etc.