Expedia Secret & Mystery Deal Hotels Revealed

There was a time when holidays meant travelling a few cities or counties away. The price of travelling countries away was prohibitive and reserved for the ultra riche. Today, with competitive airline, ship and rail ticket pricing, travelling around the globe is in easy reach for many holidayers. The mode of travel is only half the equation however; lodging is of course the next consideration for travellers. Even with discounts and promotions that are advertised by certain hotels or hotel groups, it is difficult to capture the best pricing for a quality stay, all in one search.

Thankfully, with websites like Expedia.co.uk, it is now easier than ever to search for hotel stays at the best pricing possible. Expedia allows visitors to search for hotels based on pricing or rating. Best of all, Expedia offers the Expedia Secret Saver Hotels feature. With this feature, visitors can search the wide inventory of Expedia’s hotel partners, in a particular city, that offer savings on pricing for as much as 50% below the normally advertised retail rate.

How does Secret Saver hotels work?

To perform a search, a searcher chooses the hotel option, a city, landmark or airport, the check-in and check-out dates, the number of rooms and the number of visitors. There are additional options available such as the hotel rating, which can assist in narrowing down the search. Once choosing all the desired variables, the searcher would then click on ‘Search For Hotels’.

Expedia Secret Saver Hotels

On the next screen, the searcher is presented with a list of possible hotels, many of which are named, but there is an option to choose the Secret Saver Hotels.

When this option or link is chosen, the searcher is then presented with a list of hotels based in certain neighbourhoods in or around the city, landmark or airport defined in the search variables. The name of the hotel is not shown, but the price for the entire stay is listed, the area where the hotel is located, and the rating of the hotel.

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The search can be filtered by choosing the star rating on the left hand side of the page, and the location of the hotel or hotels can also be filtered here. Searchers also have the option of sorting the results by the best value, the price or the star rating by choosing one of the tabs at the top of the results page. There is also the option, via a link under each hotel listing, of viewing the area surrounding the hotel. Searchers can choose this link and see the general area, zoom in, see a satellite view, and get the ideal understanding of where the hotel is located. The listings will also display the various amenities offered by each hotel, which may attract or detract from a listing when considering the price and rating as well.

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Up until this point, the searcher is unaware of the hotel’s name or specific location, which can be both a positive and a negative. For many travellers, the name or chain of the hotel is not important; as long as the hotel is in the desired area, it is clean, safe, and provides certain amenities, he or she is happy enough. For other travellers, especially those who collect reward points or who prefer the hospitality offered by a certain hotel or hotel chain, the option of choosing a hotel blind is not as desirable. Once the hotel is booked, however, then the searcher will learn the name of the hotel.

Having a hotel partner’s name hidden allows for hotels to offer better pricing options while keeping their regular retail pricing structure secure. This pricing option is beneficial not only for the traveller, who can often book a 5 star hotel for the same retail price as a 3 star hotel, but also for the hotel. As creatures of habit, it may be that a traveller will stick to the familiar while travelling, relying on a brand name or reputation. Most of the time, this is a safe option, but not all hotels within a brand are the same, and sometimes it is beneficial to step outside of the usual and try something new. Expedia’s Secret Saver function allows for just that by attracting travellers to new hotels based on star rating and discounted pricing. The hotel that was believed to be completely outside of a traveller’s budget, became a plausible destination, and possibly gained a new return customer.

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It should be noted by the traveller that once he or she has booked a hotel, the booking is final and cannot be changed, refunded, exchanged, cancelled or transferred to another guest. The type of room will be determined by the hotel at the time of check-in and all stays are booked for non-smoking rooms. Lastly, Expedia Secret Saver bookings are not eligible for hotel rewards or points .  These stipulations might be a detraction for some traveller’s, but for others, the benefits of booking a quality hotel, in the desired vicinity, at a discounted price, is quite attractive. As Expedia is a well established company in the travel industry, travellers can be assured that destinations are thoroughly screened before ever becoming an Expedia participating partner.

The next time you consider booking travel, consider the Secret Saver option on the Expedia.co.uk website and enjoy the surprise and adventure of your

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