Is hotel booking site TravelPony losing its giddyup?
A few months ago, a new hotel booking site called TravelPony burst onto the scene. In an exciting flurry of deals, TravelPony quickly made a name for itself in both deal-hunting and travel-hacking circles. Over the past few months, I personally used TravelPony to book several hotel stays, saving a lot of money in the process.
While TravelPony never had a huge selection of hotels in their stable, they did have a nice variety of price points and brands – something for everyone. I liked the blend they had put together: boutique hotels like Kimptons, very upscale properties like the Four Seasons, average hotels like Hyatts, and budget brands like Best Western. The site felt well-curated, and I could usually find a good deal on a hotel that I was really happy with.
However.
The site has changed. When I logged into TravelPony yesterday afternoon to find a hotel for an upcoming stay in Seattle, I expected to see the usual mix of brands and prices, but instead I was disappointed to encounter a mere handful of choices, most of them squarely in the “budget” category. There were a few Hiltons and Hyatts, numerous Best Westerns, a Ramada, a Sleep Inn, and a few other assorted places.
Gone is the nice mix of hotels. Out of curiosity, I clicked on the featured “40% off” deal at the Roosevelt.
The 40% savings were automatically applied to the deal, which brought the total cost down to $185.
However, even with this huge discount, I was easily able to find a better deal on Kayak.
Alas, TravelPony!
Have you used TravelPony lately? Have you noticed this change as well?
Yes, I have also become rather disenchanted with Travelpony. The last great price I found on the site was for an upcoming New Orleans stay — following a transatlantic cruise. But that was found and booked several months ago. Their discount amount has changed greatly since then. 10% off is maximum for most of their hotel offerings at the moment and since you can’t stack codes, it’s almost impossible to even get that TPSAVINGS discount combined with a referral code.
I was able to stack two codes last week when I booked a hotel in Ireland, but I agree that the site doesn’t seem to be what it was just a few months ago. I saw few “wow, what a great deal” listings and more typical ones. Boo…
I’ve been religiously checking Vegas on TravelPony, but even with 45-55% off, it’s still in the ballpark of other sites, including hotels directly. I keep rooting for them though!