Meet Smarter Travel Media's Newest Idea

Contributing Editor Carl Unger believes that every trip is worth taking. He loves an extended trip to Europe as much as he enjoys exploring the towns and landscape near home. Basically, you'll find him wherever there is good food, fresh air, and plenty of stories to bring home.

Carl has been writing for SmarterTravel since 2005. His travel writing has also appeared on USA Today and the About.com Boston travel guide.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "It's not revolutionary, but a small Moleskine notebook is my one travel must-have. It's great for noting things you want to remember and it takes up hardly any space in your bag."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Japan. I'd love to take a month off and visit the cities, temples, and countryside. I'm fascinated by the country's juxtaposition of ancient traditions and modern ambitions."

Travel Motto: “Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” –Terry Pratchett

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Window."

See recent posts by Carl Unger

Smarter Travel Media has entered the private sale market with a new site called SniqueAway, a members-only travel site that offers deep discounts on upscale hotels. All the properties are four- and five-star hotels and resorts, and each has at least a four-out-of-five rating on our sister site, TripAdvisor. This means you’re getting classy rooms that have already passed the traveler test. The site is up and running now, and you can check out the first set of destinations that will be up for sale, though sales don’t begin until September 20.

So why am I telling you now? Sometime in the next two weeks, you’ll receive an email inviting you to join SniqueAway. Membership is free, and you can invite as many friends as you want. You’ll even get a $25 credit when friends you’ve invited make their first booking. You can only join if you’re invited, and this will be your invitation from Smarter Travel Media.

(Now, just to make things abundantly clear, SniqueAway is a wholly new and separate product created by SmarterTravel’s parent company, Smarter Travel Media, which is part of the TripAdvisor Media Group. Got all that?)

Personally, I think the members-only, private sale model is pretty cool. Other sites, such as Jetsetter, have already established the business model, and it works very well both for deal-hungry consumers and properties looking to unload rooms. Even more, I like the idea of adding in what the SniqueAway folks are calling the “crowdsource” aspect, meaning the hotels are pre-approved by the masses at TripAdvisor. But the proof will be in the price. I’ve already got my eye on the upcoming InterContinental Boston offer, and believe me, I’m as curious as anyone to see what sort of deal SniqueAway delivers. We’ll find out September 20.

Readers, what do you think about the members-only, private sale approach? Have you used other private-sale travel websites?

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