TravelPony gave me almost 50% off a Four Seasons hotel!
I just got another hot tip from my brilliant, frugal friend today (I think he might be writing vicariously through my blog). This time, he clued me in to TravelPony, which is a hotel booking site. Sounds kind of ho-hum, until you actually try it.
It’s really more like, “va-va-voom!”
The folks at TravelPony are trying a new concept – blending the power of social media with the love of the deal. Instead of spending big bucks on marketing, the site relies on their customers to spread the word.
To get a TravelPony Hotel Deal (in many cases a 40-70% discount), you need to log in, then they ask that you make a post or share a tweet about TravelPony during the checkout process. (And I love that they encourage fun, silly messages such as “Yo, I just saved 40% at the Four Seasons! Look over there! Is that a @TravelPony?”)
So far, TravelPony is in 56 US cities, plus Amsterdam, Banff, Barcelona, Cancun, London, Madrid, Naples, Paris, Playa Del Carmen, Rio de Janeiro, and San Juan.
They don’t have hundreds of hotels in each city, but they had a interesting selection in the cities I searched, including a good mix of mid-priced to high-end hotels (and really, who needs hundreds of choices?).
The reason they are able to offer such significant discounts is that it’s a members-only site. Legally, they can’t show you the amazing deals if you don’t log in.
I decided to take a ride on the Pony, and browsed for a deal in Miami the weekend of May 9-11. I love Miami and want to go back. I found an insane rate at the Four Seasons Miami! $233/night + $31 in taxes/fees, for a total of $528.
Travelocity, Venere, Expedia, Booking.com, Hotels.com, getaroom, and ReserveTravel all came in at $379/night +48 in taxes/fees, for a total cost of $854.
The Four Seasons site featured the same price as the other discount sites.
So TravelPony rode in with a savings of $326! Almost 40%!
You can also use my referral link for $35 off your first booking here. If you used this coupon, the savings would increase to $351, which is 41%.
And of course you wouldn’t dream of not going through TopCashBack for another 10% off, would you? Because this would increase the savings to $400, or 47%!
Yeehaw and giddyup!
My two wishes for the site are that it would feature a selection of hotels in more cities, plus it would allow bookings more than six months out.
Aside from those two kinda minor things, TravelPony has provided some pretty good wish fulfillment in my life! I love getting such a big discount on a hotel without spending hours tracking it down. And I love the concept of social marketing – if something is good, why not share it?
Take a look and share what you think!
Do you know if you will earn points/miles with the hotel that you end up booking with? Also, if you have to cancel, is it a full refund? Their terms and conditions seem to state a “nominal fee”, but not sure how much that is.
Ryan – I think that this site is similar to other third-party booking sites in that you will not earn points/miles for your booking.
According to the Terms on the site, “Hotel cancellation policies vary per reservation and will be disclosed during the booking process and prior to your approval of the reservation. The applicable cancellation policies will be printed on your reservation voucher.”
Hope that helps!
Nice post (no pun intended). Thanks.
J. – Ha ha! Punny 😉
Do they save you only on high end hotels? What about cheaper ones?
al613 – They’ve got a good mix of hotels. When I looked, many of them were pricing out fairly cheaply (around $40-$50 a night).
Thanks so much! I got an awesome deal!!
Loved your post. If I can get a deal then I am extremely please.
Looking forward to more tips from you.
been dying to stay at a four seasons for the first time. i looked at different dates/months and citiies even countries I can’t find a four seasons option any ideas?
thanks!
anita – We stayed at the Four Seasons in Las Vegas. Don’t quote me on this, but I think I also saw the Four Seasons in Miami featured on TravelPony. You could always email them to ask – they’re very nice!
How do you get Topcashback and Travelpony on 1 booking? Please can you elaborate? Thanks.
Rolla – Apparently TravelPony no longer partners with TopCashBack. You can still use your new user bonus of $35 and stack that with the current 10% discount code from TravelPony (PONYPOINTS10). Good luck! Hope you find something great.