Secret Escapes

[Deleted User] · 20 June 2011 at 1:04PM

Has anyone ever used www.secretescapes.com?

I was wondering if anyone had any feedback if they had made a booking through them?

I get their email but I'm a bit weary the deals can look too good to be true.

Cheers

Gem

poet123 · 20 June 2011 at 4:35PM

I have checked the prices of a couple with the hotels direct and it was cheaper. With others it was a saving, if it looked OK and I had done that check I would book, using a credit card;) Also, check out the reviews, a couple of the hotels didn't get as good reviews as they looked like they would from their ads!!

Mands · 20 June 2011 at 7:39PM

Gemmidodgers wrote: »

Has anyone ever used www.secretescapes.com?

I was wondering if anyone had any feedback if they had made a booking through them?

I get their email but I'm a bit weary the deals can look too good to be true.

Cheers

Gem

Are all the emails making you weary or are you wary?

I get the emails, haven't booked with them yet. I have stayed at several of the hotels before, including Nutfield which is on offer at the moment.

Pricing up a couple of the deals I've seen discounts of up to 30% on hotels that I know are worth staying in. We have booked through other private sale/flash sale/invitation only sites and had some fantastic bargains.

You need to know, or be able to research within the booking period, what the base price for a hotel and whether there are other deals to be had. For example there was an offer on a particular type of holiday with Jetsetter this week. The prices were good, a nice discount on brochure, but they weren't fantastic so we didn't book. The same day an online agent we've book through before came out with offers for the same packages and they were fantastic prices. It's not clear whether the new offer was a result of the flash sale offer.

Mands

Leechy · 20 June 2011 at 10:18PM

A friend recommended me to the site a while back and from the emails I've been receiving they do appear to stack up. I checked a few prices and the Trip Advisor links they provided (which surprisingly provide both good and bad so a proper reality check before you book). They do not appear to be trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes. They do great write ups on the emails and do seduce you into booking but ultimately they don't expect you to believe their hype and instead provide direct links to travellers' reviews. (Am a big fan of Trip Advisor - never book anything without checking first!)

I read something about them in a magazine my wife showed me with a load of their deals. From what I could make out the prices available are because they are a membership site so they can beat the likes of Expedia and Hotels.com. The snag is that the deals are only available for a limited time so you have to make a decision within about a week before the offer ends. Seems a lot better than some flash sales though where you can't pick the dates of travel - I've been caught on a couple of Groupon purchases which have turned out to not quite be as 'available' as I'd thought.

Another friend who signed up after reading about them in the Sunday Times said that they had earnt money in their account when they joined - perhaps they do promotions every now and again - to generate more members I guess. He has a mate at work who has just booked him and his girlfriend at the Goring Hotel in London where Kate Middleton was the night before the Royal Wedding.

I've not booked anything but been wondering about a weekend away without the kids for an anniversary treat - think my wife would like the pampering. I saw one deal that had massages and dinner for two included but didn't book in time! Will be interesting to see if anyone else has any experience of using the site too. I'll report back on my trip, if I can get something booked.

[Deleted User] · 21 June 2011 at 8:21AM

Brilliant, thanks for your help Leechy!

Cozzy · 13 March 2012 at 3:16PM

You must do your homework. Secret Escapes are not always cheaper than other sites even though they claim to be. I just received an e-mail offering deals at the Rookery Hall Hotel in Cheshire. the place looked nice so checked the prices for two nights, 7th & 8th of April. Secret Escapes quoted £314. A quick check on other booking sites quoted £278.

They may well be cheaper for other dates but this offer obviously didn't work for the dates I was looking at. Like I said earlier, do your homework as it may well be cheaper elsewhere for the dates you wish to travel/stay.

apt · 13 March 2012 at 3:36PM

I've used them without problems and they are also available on cashback sites. As others have said, compare prices.

Alikay · 13 March 2012 at 3:39PM

We've just come back from a 4 day break to Gran Canaria in an apartment booked through Secret Escapes. All was fine - decent accommodation at a good price. Will probably use them again for an upcoming trip to London as there's a nice one near Tower bridge which has come up a few times, so hoping it'll come up again in April/May.

Moonlightfaery · 3 June 2012 at 9:26PM

Essentially it's like Groupon... Enticing every time but not something you really need.

Doshwaster · 5 June 2012 at 1:51PM

I'd be tempted to use Secret Escapes if the actress from the TV adverts came with the deal

ontherun_2 · 2 January 2013 at 9:49PM

Only handy if your fortunate enough to have London Gatwick as your departure airport. Forget any discounted prices on overseas offers if you live north of England, Northern Ireland or Scotland. There are selected deals which give you a choice of departure airports. However, these only include London Gatwick, Birmingham or Manchester.

Regards

Secret Escapes

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