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As travel costs continue to rise across the aviation and hospitality sectors, saving money on vacation is more important than ever. Comparison sites like Expedia or Kayak are great tools, but it may be time to try a new one, social media. After all, nearly everyone has some form of social media these days, so it only makes sense to utilize it when looking at travel options. Using Instagram, travelers can regularly save 30-50% on hotel bookings, with occasional discounts of up to 75%.
What’s The Secret?
The secret is one simple direct message to the @Hotel Instagram account. Travelers can send @Hotel a message with the word “hotel” in it, and they will almost instantly receive a reply from a bot asking for their email address. Once given, an email will be sent with a unique link from tripscout, the company behind this unique booking technique. The email asks that you don’t share the link, instead asking that users recommend sending a direct message to the @Hotel account.
Does This Really Work?
Regular savings of 30-50% off sounds too good to be true, and usually, when it sounds too good to be true, it is. And if it is true, what sort of properties would be offering these kinds of deals? Are they even properties worth staying in? A few sample properties were researched and compared to booking.com’s current rates to answer these questions. Surprisingly, there genuinely are some incredible deals to be had!
The Test: July 27th – July 29th, One Room, Two Adults
The Results:
4-Star Paris Hotel: Novotel Marne-la-Vallée Noisy-le-Grand
With tripscout: $147.40
Without tripscout: $329.00
5-Star Paris Hotel: Hôtel Alfred Sommier
With tripscout: $582.16
Without tripscout: $1,265.00
The numbers speak for themselves; some serious deals are lurking on the other side of one direct message on Instagram. Even better, the properties are ones that travelers actually want to stay in. A five-star hotel in Paris for $683 off? Yes, please!
So It Works, But How?
According to tripscout, they can offer these highly discounted rates because of the private nature of the deals. Remember that email that asked you not to share the link provided? Do your fellow travelers a favor and take that to heart. By using private direct messages and links, tripscout can continue offering heavy discounts on beautiful properties worldwide. Publicly, hotels and travel companies typically display one price, or comparable prices, across platforms. Privately, it’s a whole different story.
Hotels gain online presence by signing contracts with major online agencies, such as booking.com, prohibiting them from offering lower rates on competitors’ websites. The minimum nightly rate is often higher than it truly needs to be in order to cover the costs of commissions to the agencies. That’s where Instagram comes in.
By offering discounted rates through private links, hotels can make sure to fill all their rooms without breaking their contracts. After all, a room that stays empty because it costs $632 a night isn’t helping the hotel make any money. By privately offering that same room at $291 a night, they can make sure to fill all their rooms while still advertising their higher rate for those who aren’t in the know.
Trip Research
Still, when researching for an upcoming trip, travelers should continue to utilize multiple platforms when hunting for the lowest price. Just because some incredible examples were found above doesn’t mean that this Instagram trick is going to get you the best deal 100% of the time. The service is still relatively new, having just launched on June 2nd, 2022, so there may still be some bumps in the road for @Hotel and tripscout. For now, however, this simple Instagram trick seems to be a promising way to save some serious cash when looking for a place to stay during your next vacation.
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Disclaimer: Current travel rules and restrictions can change without notice. The decision to travel is ultimately your responsibility. Contact your consulate and/or local authorities to confirm your nationality’s entry and/or any changes to travel requirements before traveling. Travel Off Path does not endorse traveling against government advisories
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