Tag: travel club

How to actually find real hotel discounts

by hotelsetc, posted in discounts

Finding hotel discounts is easy right? Well, it can be but largely thanks to a new law called Rate Parity, the process of doing so has changed entirely.

In the past, finding online travel discounts was a simple matter of logging on to Expedia, Orbitz or one of the many other traditional booking engines and performing a quick search. Fast and effective, these booking engines had all the best prices and a most convenient way of filtering them to find the best one. In fact, there was actually no reason to book direct with a hotel or look anywhere else as why bother when you know they have the best price guarantee?

discounts

So what has changed for finding hotel discounts?

If you perform a search on any of the traditional travel booking engines today, you will quickly see how the price of a hotel room, for example, is the same across all platforms. That is, every traditional booking engine will now display the same price and without any actual discount.

As mentioned above, the reason for this lack of value is the introduction of a new law called Rate parity which stipulates that all travel booking websites must retain the same price across all channels of distribution. As Orbitz, Hotels.com, Expedia and most other booking engines are “underneath the same umbrella corporation”, it means they can no longer advertise different rates across their many platforms and hence, no more travel or hotel discounts.

Moral of the story: Traditional booking engines are still fast and convenient but they are no longer the best value and do not offer discounts like they have done in the past.

finding discounts

Finding Hotel discounts is still easy

Although there is still an extremely easy way to find hotel discounts and more online. Exempt from the laws of Rate Parity and offering a very convenient booking engine of their own, travel membership clubs such as Hotels Etc are now the “Go to” for hotel discounts, vacation packages and much, much more.

Home to over 4 million members and with a five star reputation spanning 25 years, Hotels Etc is a travel membership club who negotiate huge discounts direct with suppliers with the intention of relaying this incredible value to their members. Ranging from 50 – 70%, these are significant discounts and with a user friendly booking engine, they are easily accessible with the click of a button.

In truth, you may not have heard about Hotels Etc until now but this is also easily explained. Hugely popular in the early 1990’s, Travel membership clubs were the best way to find hotel discounts prior to the arrival of the internet but this popularity declined with the emergence of a golden era for travel booking engines. Faced with increased competition from travel brands with highly valuable services, Hotels Etc retained a large customer base but unfortunately, failed to grow significantly there-after.

However, as with any market, the history of the travel industry has a habit of repeating itself and with the introduction of this new law called rate parity, Hotels Etc and other travel membership clubs are now enjoying a resurgence of sorts. That being said, we need not tell you anymore about the incredible offers available in this closed user group as you can just come on over and see for yourself.

Click here for a free trial with Hotels Etc and start finding hotel discounts online today.

Find huge discounts with a last minute travel club

by hotelsetc, posted in travel club

Simply put, at this moment there is no better opportunity to take advantage of discounts and special offers in the travel industry than when joining a travel club. Highly affordable and extremely convenient, a closed user group such as Westgate Travel Club is a straight forward way to search out the best hotel offers, vacations etc online and avail of them with ease.

Last minute travel club for last minute travel

Whether you need it for business or for personal savings, members of a last minute travel club can quickly search out the cheapest deals at the click of the button using the fast and easy booking engine on Hotels Etc. In many ways you might consider this booking facility as being similar to travel brands such as Expedia or Orbitz except one very important point – Hotels Etc is much, much cheaper.

Travel club

Rate Parity and the rising travel club

Once popular in the early 1990’s, the travel club was at one point the only way to find hotel and travel discounts but the online world placed a whole legion of booking engines in front of consumers shortly after this period which overshadowed the amazing value on offer from the travel club. In truth, these new booking engines were offering a similar value with just as much convenience, so there could be no argument in terms of their rise to the top.

However, recent laws have almost reversed this trend entirely as the arrival of “Rate Parity” has meant traditional booking engines such as those mentioned previously (Expedia, Orbitz) are no longer permitted to advertise discounted prices across their many different channels of distribution. In simple English, this means the price on a booking engine is the same right the way across the industry.

And then you have the re-emergence of travel clubs. Exempt from these new laws, it would seem that a last minute travel club is now the one and only way to find genuine travel discounts online.

Westgate travel club

Modern day discounts

Although a travel club will operate in a different way to traditional booking engines, the end result has always been the same in that they seek to provide consumers with the cheapest hotel rooms. Having negotiated special rates members direct with the hotels, a travel club can then pass this discount on their members without any concern for the new law called rate parity. On the other hand, traditional booking engines are restricted to offering more expensive rates, albeit with the same convenient service.

Regardless as to what way you look at this scenario, it makes little sense to continue booking your hotels or vacations on a booking engine where the only real value is convenience. After all – customers want tangible discounts and low prices to help their funds travel further.

Moral of the story: Hotels Etc is a travel club which not only offers you the convenience of an easy to use booking facility but also an affordable price you cannot find anywhere else online. As for the traditional booking engines above, you can keep using them if you wish, but it will certainly cost you.

Check out Hotels Etc for the best online hotel discounts and more.

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.

Are travel discounts a thing of the past?

by hotelsetc, posted in travel discounts

We expect to find the best travel discounts online and along with convenience, this is the reason we use booking engines as opposed to calling or booking direct with a service provider. Except, maybe you have noticed, the cost of hotel rooms and other travel related services seem to be increasingly expensive and there is a specific reason for this being the case.

las vegas discount

Travel discounts and Rate Parity

Introduced recently, a law called “Rate Parity” stipulates travel brands can only advertise one price across all channels of distribution. This effectively means a traditional booking engine simply cannot offer hotel discounts as they have done in the past. Held accountable by this new legislation, the cost of a hotel is the same on a traditional booking engine as they are on a website for the hotel in question.

The truth is out there

Take for example Kayak, one of the largest travel comparison websites in the world. If you perform a quick search for a hotel room on Kayak you will find the cost of a hotel room is the very same across all of the booking engines out there. Why? As mentioned previously, rate parity. This is the same if you check each individual booking engine and compare the price against the website of the actual hotel.

Providing this is the case, you really do need to ask yourself, what is the point of using these booking engines if they offer no genuine value anymore?

travel discounts

Travel membership: The only way to find genuine travel discounts

However, there is thankfully still a way to find the best travel discounts online and this is by searching within a “closed loop program” such as a travel membership club. Rate parity does not apply to membership clubs and for this reason, it is possible to sign up and start finding the travel discounts which were once available on the traditional booking engines.

Simple and effective, travel membership clubs also have a booking engine of their own on which you can search for the best vacation and avail of the best price.

Hotels Etc in North America

Leading the way in North America for more than 25 years, Hotels Etc is a travel membership club with a 5 star reputation and 4 million members. Essentially, this membership program negotiates the best possible rates with service providers in the travel industry and passes them on to their clients. Ranging from 50 – 80%, these are large discounts which far outweigh any decision to sign up for membership and there is also a trial option during which you can verify this value for yourself.

There really is no more to say other than if you want to find the best travel discounts online, you will need to look past the traditional booking engines and start utilizing the incredible advantages of being a member with a travel club such as Hotels Etc.

Still not sure? Come see for yourself, you can sign up for a free trial today.

Are you actually getting the best prices for hotels?

by hotelsetc, posted in Home, hotel discounts

Nothing scream louder from the rooftops than a special offer and we should know this having amassed several million members in the past 25 years of providing the largest hotel discounts you can find anywhere in the online world. You might think that sounds a little too good to be true or a slight exaggeration of some kind but given that we offer a free trial to any prospective member, you should feel assured that we encourage you to come find out for yourself.

But why have you not heard of Hotels Etc until now?

Good question. Hotelsetc.com was first established in the mid 1990’s when, believe it or not, there was no such thing as a booking engine and travel clubs were the only real option for anyone looking for discounts on hotels or any other travel related services. Back then there was no real internet presence of course and so competition in every region was mostly confined to travel agents or hotlines but nevertheless, Hotels Etc was still established as a market leader and the number one place to find hotel discounts in particular.

hotel discounts

So what changed recently?

The online world changed everything of course but there is also a new law which has change things further again. Over the past 10 years any company or individual was enabled to advertise hotel rooms on a website in return for a commission from the hotel itself which in turn brought about the birth of Expedia, Orbitz and all the other major brands. Except until recently, there were a million other booking engines offering the best hotel discounts and inevitably, the initial lack of presence online for us (Hotels Etc) combined with mass saturation in this particular market would allow the big brands to take over. You may have noticed the words “Until recently” in italics above? You see, unknown to most consumers, a major shift in regulations has resulted in a in stark change with regard to online bookings in the travel industry which directly relate to pricing. The law of “rate parity” has effectively meant that these websites can no longer offer discounts to customers like they once did and thankfully for us, travel clubs were exempt from this new law.

In case that’s not clear enough, travel clubs are now the only way you can find genuine discounts online.

Come see why millions of customers have stayed with us for 25 years

We are only scratching the surface here of course because our service extends far beyond hotel rooms and when you add this to our customer service or incredible search engine, you will be a lot closer to understanding why millions of our customers are still with us today. Free trail or jump straight in, the choice is yours but either way, welcome to Hotels Etc.

hotels etc

You can get signed up right away by clicking here and starting uncovering all the amazing hotel discounts we offer our members.