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Deciding which hotel to stay in may be anexciting task for once-a-year vacation-ers, but for seasoned travellers, check-ing out where to check in is a bore.
But a travel trend has emerged cater-ing to well-heeled jetsetters who want to knowabout good deals on high-standard hotels that arenot part of the chain gang.
Not for this bunch, hours spent trawling throughtravel websites such as Kayak, Expedia and TripAd-visor to find the right hotel at the best rate.
Instead, such top-end trippers need only click ontheir favourite of any number of members-onlyhotel collection and booking websites that havesprung up.
These sites serve as a marketing channel for inde-pendent and luxurious hotels to reach the targetclientele – affluent and discerning travellers whowant the small but personalised boutique hotel expe-rience. However, while they have deep pockets, likeeveryone else, they like a bargain, so discounts are amust. Oh, and throw in some perks, please – compli-mentary champagne and spa services, for a start.
Life! found more than 10 such websites, includ-ing names such as boutique hotel guidebook collec-tion Mr & Mrs Smith, online travel agencies Tabletand Kiwi Collection, architecturally unique hotelcollection Design Hotels and luxury hotel group TheLeading Hotels OfThe World (see storyon facing page).
These sites in-volve either free orpaid or invitation-only memberships.Paid membership isfrom US$30 (S$36)to US$1,200 a year.
In return, thetime-pressed high-fliers get access to awebsite that servesas a filter for thethousands of hotelsin the market bycurating hotels andvacation experiencesthat suit their travelstyle.
And they offerplenty of perks –such as guaranteedbest rates, flash salesof almost 50 per centoff, complimentaryroom upgrades,champagne, breakfast, spa services and a latecheck-out.
One such website fan is the director of a pilatesstudio, Ms Sandra Lim. The 29-year-old, who lovesto travel to unique locations and stay in boutique ho-tels, leaves all the research and paperwork to Jetset-ter, a members-only hotel and vacation bookingwebsite that has selected and organised informationon more than 320 luxury and boutique hotels, andwhich combines this with unpaid editorial and userreviews.
The two-year-old New York-based online travelsite, part of Gilt Groupe, an invitation-only retailsite, also offers weekly flash sales of up to 50 percent off on Jetsetter-reviewed hotels and vacationsthat may not be part of its permanent hotel collec-
tion. There are 20 to 30 vacations on sale eachweek. Hotels on the site include five-star beachresort Six Senses Con Dao in Vietnam, boutiqueresort Alila Villas Soori in Bali and the chic The Pe-ninsula New York.
The hotels are selected by Jetsetter’s curatorsand reviewed by more than 230 Jetsetter freelancetravel writers based around the world.
Ms Lim, who has booked three hotels through Jet-setter since she became a member two years ago,says: “For mass-market websites such as Expedia, Ihave to sieve through the countless reviews to findout which are the best hotels and cross-check withreviews on TripAdvisor. But with Jetsetter, I knowthat the hotels are unique and of a good standardbecause of the honest and detailed reviews.”
She read about Jetsetter in the travel section ofThe New York Times and found a friend who is amember to invite her to become a Jetsetter member.
She estimates that she saved US$80 to US$570on her hotel stays from booking through Jetsetter,compared to other hotel booking websites and evenhotels themselves.
More than savings and convenience, Jetsetteralso provides her ideas for her next vacation.
“Jetsetter shows me hotels and vacations that Inever knew existed and would not have consideredif not for the price, tempting pictures and in-depth
write- ups,” shesays.
She has sincebecome a memberof similar websitessuch as luxe hotelwebsite Luxury Linkand its spin- offVacationist, a mem-bers- only luxuryand boutique hotelflash sales websitewhich combinesreviews by theeditors of travelmagazine Travel +Leisure.
The head of pro-gramme (marketing)at UniSIM School ofBusiness, Mr AllanChia, says thesewebsites are popu-lar because of thenature of a hotel asa product.
“Unlike buying aproduct that you
can feel, touch and evaluate before a purchase, theconsumer needs to book a hotel room even beforeexperiencing it,” he says. “Because there are somany hotels on the market, one needs to compareand evaluate. These websites provide the customerwith more visual and factual information than anyother traditional medium.”
For hoteliers, they provide branding and distribu-tion support in exchange for a commission or annu-al fee, and help to reach out to the right market.
For Mr Loh Lik Peng, owner of Singapore bou-tique hotels Wanderlust, New Majestic Hotel andHotel 1929, the profile of the users of these sites is aperfect fit – adventurous travellers in their late 20sto 50s.
Continued on facing page
Luxury and boutique hotel websitesoffer members stays at special prices– at the click of a mouse
Ms Sandra Lim and her husband Soo Yong Chua in theAlila Villas Soori paddy fields in Bali. The trip was bookedvia Jetsetter. PHOTO: COURTESY OF SANDRA LIM
Luxestaysforless
Members of hotel-booking websites can enjoy perks such as complimentary room upgrade and concierge services for such luxury hotels as the RitzParis (above), one of the hotels under The Leading Hotels Of The World. PHOTO: THE LEADING HOTELS OF THE WORLDhuang huifen
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THE STRAITS TIMES TUESDAY, JULY 19 2011 PAGE C2
Jetsetter (www.jetsetter.com)What: A travel website that focuses on threebusiness models – a weekly flash sale of up to50 per cent off on 20 to 30 vacations reviewedby Jetsetter’s 230 travel writers; a collection ofmore than 320 hotels that you can book anytime; and travel planning. For US$200(S$243), one of the travel writers will plan apersonal itinerary and Jetsetter will book thetrip for you. Half of it will be refunded for thetrip.When it was set up: 2009Type of hotels and vacations: Beachresorts, city hotels, safari lodges, cruise andtrain journeys with brand names such asOberoi Hotels and Resorts, Capella Singapore(right) and Orient-Express. Vacations rangefrom rafting in Patagonia to cycling tours inVietnam.Membership: Free, but by-invitation only.Readers of The Straits Times can join by goingto www.jetsetter.com/straitsBenefits: The low price. For example, the14-suite Gold Suites Santorini, in the quiettown of Imerovigli, was recently on offer forUS$519 a night for travel next month com-pared to US$835 a night on the hotel’s website.
Design Hotels(www.designhotels.com)What: More than 200 hotels withdesign concepts based onneighbourhood integration,sustainability and personalisation.Ideal for the architecture buff whoappreciates a hotel with unique,quirky interior design andarchitecture. Besides oh-so-tempting pictures, see detaileddescriptions about hotel designsplus interviews with hoteliers abouttheir concept and travel philosophy– see the “Made by Originals” tab.When it was set up: 1993Type of hotels: Includes the37-room Hotel Sezz Saint-Tropez,designed by renowned Frenchdesigner Christophe Pillet, a studentof the famed Philippe Starck. Othereclectic hotels include the 25HoursHotel Tailored by Levi’s (aboveright) in Frankfurt, whichincorporates designs of theAmerican jeans brand in its 76 guestrooms. Naturally, they are furnishedin hues of blue. Fashionistas willlove the inclusion of the 43-roomContinentale hotel (above) inFlorence, a hotel under theSalvatore Ferragamo brand of small
hotel chain.Membership: Join the DesignHotels club for free.Benefits: Up to 50 per cent offrates, best rates guaranteed – if not,they will match the lower rate;complimentary breakfast, welcomegifts, early check-in and latecheck-out, and 24/7 reservationand customer service support. Theyalso have regular deals such as thecurrent Summer Specials promotionon rooms in more than 70 memberhotels. If you book a stay from nowtill Sept 4, enjoy either acomplimentary room upgrade,additional night or at least 10 percent off rates. Visit www.designhotels.com/summer specials fordetails.
Kiwi Collection(www.kiwicollection.com)What: For business and luxurytravellers, Kiwi Collection is whatForbes Magazine describes as theMichelin Guide-equivalent of luxuryhotels. The Vancouver-based onlinetravel agency curates more than2,300 hotels in 132 countries. Eachis rated based on 10 categories,ranging from service to architectureand design to attention to detail, byone of its 10 hotel review experts.When it was set up: 2003Type of hotels: From hip hotels topalaces, ryokans, tented safaricamps and inns. The smallest hotel,
The Lodge at Tikana in NewZealand’s Southland, has only oneroom, and the largest, Wynn AndEncore in Las Vegas, more than7,000 rooms. It also snagged thechi-chi Hotel Costes (above) in theupscale shopping district in Paris, a82-room boutique hotel that haschosen not to be on other websites.Membership: FreeBenefits: Those who book throughKiwi enjoy the Kiwi Advantage, aset of benefits offered by 1,004participating hotel members whichinclude complimentary upgrades,early check-in, late check-out, spaor food and beverage credits or abottle of champagne on arrival.
Tablet Hotels(www.tablethotels.com)What: An online hotel booking agencywith close to 2,000 hotels in more than100 countries. It works as a rewardssystem where users get cash rebatesand invitation to its weekly privateflash sales at up to 50 per cent off.
There is also a paid membershipprogramme where members get extraperks such as complimentary upgradeand advance access to the private sale.The hotels’ performance is evaluatedbased on users’ reviews and a feedbacksurvey after their stay. Those that donot meet the standard are removed.
When it was set up:2000Type of hotels: Hiphotels in the UnitedStates such as ChateauMarmont in Los Angeles,and boutique hotels inEngland, such as the42-room Number Sixteen(left), named the LondonHotel of the Year by theGood Hotel Guide.Membership: When youbook or pay US$195 foran annual membershipBenefits: Those whobook through Tablet getaccess to its private sale.Also, they earn $10 cashrewards for every reser-vation which can be usedfor future bookings or tobuy Tablet Plus, theannual paid benefitsprogramme. Tablet Plusmembers enjoy perkssuch as a 5 per cent
discount and advance access to privatesales. They also enjoy privileges atmore than 350 hotels such ascomplimentary upgrade, plus threeextra perks which vary from freebreakfast, spa vouchers and airporttransfers to late check-outs. Go towww.tablethotels.com/plus for details.
From previous page
New Majestic and Wanderlust aremembers of Design Hotels and Mr & MrsSmith. About 30 to 35 per cent of book-ings come from them while the rest arefrom the hotels’ website, online travelagencies, corporate guests and travelagencies.
Most of the hotels which join thesehotel collection groups are small, inde-pendent hotels such as the 31-room Estab-lishment Hotel in Sydney, which leverageon the websites’ global distribution chan-nels.
Mr Owen Jones, general manager ofEstablishment, a member of Mr & MrsSmith, says: “We are a standalone proper-ty with no affiliate properties elsewhere,so these websites help us generate newrevenue from new markets such as theUnited Kingdom and North America thatwe do not actively advertise in.”
To build brand loyalty and rewardmembers of these websites for stayingwith them, hotels offer perks such as com-plimentary room upgrade, champagne onarrival, breakfast, Wi-Fi and late check-out.
Mr John McGrath, 62, a managingdirector of a metals company and a Singa-pore permanent resident, felt very pam-pered by the perks he and his wifereceived on a 10-day luxury cruise byOrion Expedition Cruises last July. He
booked through Elite Resorts of Asia Pa-cific, a new Singapore-based website thatcurates a collection of luxury resorts inAsia. Users simply have to register onlineto be part of Elite.
“Because of my Elite connection, I waswelcomed with a bottle of chilled cham-pagne on the desk of our room. There waseven a card acknowledged by Mr MarkGreedy, chief executive officer of Elite, towelcome us. I also had more cabin choic-es at the same rate. So for my next vaca-tion, I will book via Elite, too,” he says.He paid about A$11,000 (S$14,277) a per-son.
No wonder, then, that the course man-ager of Temasek Polytechnic’s hospitalityand tourism management programme,Ms Goh-Choi Hoi San, predicts thesewebsites will experience strong growth inAsia’s emerging tourism market.
“There is a growing number of Asian,savvy travellers who prefer the do-it-yourself approach with a lean towards lux-ury when planning a vacation. Many ofthe hotels they prefer are represented bythese hotel membership websites,” shesays.
These websites also see Asia as a signif-icant market.
Tablet, an online travel agency with2,000 luxury and boutique hotels in itsworldwide collection and which has morethan a million users, says Singapore is its
fifth largest source of traffic to its web-site and Facebook page. Tablet started in2000 and is based in New York.
Others such as Design Hotels, which isheadquartered in Berlin with offices inthe United States, London, Spain and Aus-tralia, set up office in Singapore in 2006to generate more travel volume and workwith new member hotels in the region.
Mr Simon Westcott, managing direc-tor of the Asia-Pacific arm of Mr and MrsSmith, says membership figures in Singa-pore have tripled from last year.
Elite, set up in late 2009 by Singaporepermanent resident Greedy, the formervice-president of the Asia-Pacific arm ofluxury hotel group The Leading Hotels OfThe World, is focused only on luxury re-sorts in Asia-Pacific, including private is-land resorts, spas, train, cruises, ryokansand beach retreats. It already has about80,000 users and 61 resort members.
For seasoned business travellers suchas Mrs Lee Suet Fern, senior director oflaw firm Stamford Law Corporation,these websites are a boon.
Mrs Lee, who has been booking hotelsfor her trips through Kiwi Collection, aVancouver-based online travel agencywith more than 2,300 hotels in 132 coun-tries, loves the carefully edited choices ofhotels, which include the 187-room HotelLe Bristol in Paris, rated one of the 500world’s best hotels by Travel + Leisurethis year.
“For a jaded traveller who travels eve-ry month for work, it is nice to returnafter a long day of meetings to a hotel ofhigh quality and that possesses a certaincharacter, often with a unique and con-temporary vibe,” she says.
“Kiwi, with its seductive pictures andcarefully curated collection, gives meout-of-the-box suggestions to hotels innew cities that I travel to. So I have noreason to use other websites to book myhotels anymore.”
Mr & Mrs Smith(www.mrandmrssmith.com)What: The online version of the seductiveguidebook for couples to plan theirrendezvous. With detailed write-ups andreviews, right down to the specific roomnumber that provides the best view andamenities, this website is popular withdiscerning boutique hotel hunters.When it was set up: The companystarted in 2003 as a guidebook publisherand launched its website in 2005.Type of hotels: More than 800 boutiquehotels and holiday homes ranging frombeach getaways, spa retreats, ski lodges,safari lodges to bed and breakfasts.Notable ones include the EstablishmentHotel (right), a 31-room hotel in the heartof Sydney whose guests have includedAmerican rapper Kanye West.Membership: It is free to book throughthe website, but members get more perks.Membership costs from US$30 to US$600a year.
Benefits: Blacksmith members enjoycomplimentary gifts, such as a bottle ofchampagne on arrival, monthly offers suchas two nights for the price of one, and earn2 per cent rebate on their booking that canbe used for future bookings with Smithhotels.
Silversmith membership, which costsUS$250 a year, gives members all ofBlacksmith’s benefits plus 4 per centrebate on bookings for future use, accessto a Last Minute Club which alertsmembers to deals of up to 70 per cent offon cancelled rooms, and 50 per cent offselected hotels that just joined the Smithcollection if you book within the first weekof launch.
Goldsmith members, who pay US$600 ayear, enjoy Silversmith benefits, plusautomatic room upgrades, conciergeservices, free access to airport lounges and5 per cent rebate on hotel stays. Go towww.mrandmrssmith.com/members fordetails.
PHOTOS: DESIGN HOTELS
PHOTO: ESTABLISHMENT HOTEL
CHI-CHI STAYS
PHOTO: JETSETTER
PHOTO: FIRMDALE HOTELS
Net a swanky stay
Five-star beach resort Six Senses Con Dao in Vietnam is one of the hotels on theJetsetter website. PHOTO: JETSETTER
Mr John McGrath and his wife Geraldinesailed in style on board OrionExpedition Cruises. PHOTO: COURTESYOF GERALDINE MCGRATH
PHOTO: KIWI COLLECTION
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THE STRAITS TIMES TUESDAY, JULY 19 2011 PAGE C3
