Private Sale Site Shows Up Fashionably Late to the Party

BOSTON, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Smarter Travel Media, a TripAdvisor® Media Group company, launches SniqueAway™.  For the first time private sale meets crowd-sourcing approval on a brand new members-only site where each offer is endorsed by the people.  All hotels featured on SniqueAway have earned a minimum four-star rating* and a four or five out of five review rating on TripAdvisor. Hotel reviews are shown alongside limited-time offers available only to SniqueAway members, providing a quick view into how other travelers view the hotel and making it easy to book rooms before they sell out.  To build membership, SniqueAway will also rely on the wisdom of the crowd to spread the news, since to be a member you must be invited by another member.  Information on alluring SniqueAway deals at deep discounts can be found at www.SniqueAway.com and www.SniqueAway.com/press.

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"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.

Take it from some of the best journalists in the business: The private sale space is getting even hotter:

"Luxury hotels have long aimed for an image of exclusivity -- setting prices beyond the reach of most travelers." (Michelle Higgins, The New York Times)  "If you're new to the private-sale game, the way it works is that you have to become a member (it's free) to view a website's sales. Once you're in the club, a world of hotel discounts awaits." (Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times' Daily Travel & Deals Blog)  "They may be the ultimate tool for travelers who want to enjoy luxe for less." (David Armstrong, TheStreet.com)  "For starters, they aim for an image of exclusivity, with 'invitation only' setups and a strategy of preventing their wares from showing up in search-engine results. And they amplify those elements of bargain-focused shopping that some people find fun and exciting." (Rob Walker, The New York Times Magazine)

"A few years ago Delta Airlines offered surprise getaway fares; every week about midweek the airline would publish a list of destinations and absurdly low prices." (Jonathan Ramsey, Luxist.com)  "Over the past year or two, at least a half-dozen sites have been launched that bring the designer sample sale concept online." (Carolyn Bigda, David Futrelle, Amanda Gengler, Ismat Sarah Mangla, and George Mannes, Money Magazine)  "Visits to a custom category of 17 websites offering Online Flash Sales increased 235% year-over-year for the week ending April 24, 2010." (Heather Dougherty, Hitwise Weblog)

"The Password is membership." (Michelle Higgins, The New York Times)  "While numerous sites swear numerous oaths about being the finest in sybaritic escapes, as is always the case in these matters, only a few have a worthy insider's eye on luxury destinations. What's more, some of them offer insider deals so you can do more with your time away – or maybe do less and feel better about it." (Jonathan Ramsey, Luxist.com)  "The urgency and limited quantities are supposed to stoke desire, and it's working.  Welcome to the sport of private online flash sale shopping." (Booth Moore, Los Angeles Times)  "But hurry -- inventory is limited so check upcoming destinations and pick your preferred days before the sale begins." (Ann Hynek, FOXBusiness.com)

"Hotels like the private sales, which because of the membership requirement, generally don't appear in online searches or aggregator sites. This helps maintain the idea of a velvet rope around the deals." (Michelle Higgins, The New York Times)  

"Everybody loves a deal, and the emergence of several deal-centric luxury travel websites suggests that affluent people -- or those who just like to travel that way -- are no exception." (Sally Horchow, Los Angeles Times' More for your Money)  "Customers like belonging to an exclusive group, and when offered a special deal via a limited-time event, the experience becomes even more exclusive and exciting. The events only run for a limited time and each event has limited inventory, so it is first-come, first-serve." (Adam Michelson, Optaros, in Ecommerce Times)  "Online private sales is a growing business model that is rapidly becoming a staple of online shopping. (They) are quickly gaining millions of users each and attracting significant amounts of venture funding." (Leena Rao, TechCrunch.com)

"It's official! Travel 'sample sales' are now a thing." (JetSetCD, Jaunted.com)  "Looking for a hot deal on a hip hotel or luxury resort? What are you waiting for -- an invitation?" (Rob Lovitt, MSNBC.com)

* exceptions apply for smaller properties without a star rating.

SniqueAway is a free, members-only private sale site, providing exclusive access to deals on top hotels at deep discounts.  SniqueAway is part of Smarter Travel Media LLC, a TripAdvisor Media Group Company. SniqueAway and the SniqueAway logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Smarter Travel Media LLC in the U.S. and/or other countries. TripAdvisor is either a registered trademark or trademark of TripAdvisor, LLC in the U.S. and/or other countries.  Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners.

© 2010 SniqueAway.  All rights reserved.

SOURCE sniqueaway.com