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News for the Hospitality Executive |
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with the Launch of Vacationist New Website Provides Limited-Time Invitation-Only Offers at Top Hotel Properties |
 LAS VEGAS, NV (April 28, 2010) – Travel + Leisure, the world’s
leading travel magazine brand, and Luxury Link, the leader in online
luxury
travel, announced the launch of Vacationist (www.vacationist.com), an
invitation-only, private-sale travel website for luxury travelers, at
the
American Express Publishing Luxury Summit at the Mandarin Oriental, Las
Vegas. The site will present a number of exclusive
hotel and resort offerings each week and will launch its first sales
with a mix
of exotic and urban destinations, including Turtle
Island in Fiji,
The Surrey in New York City, and The James Hotel
in Chicago. Vacationist offers exclusive luxury hotel and resort rooms available for purchase to its members at 25 to 40 percent off for limited periods of time. Each property featured on Vacationist, which will be hosted and powered by Luxury Link, will have insider tips and expert reporting by the editors of Travel + Leisure who are dedicated to helping readers access the best travel experiences. Invitees to Vacationist will initially be limited to Travel + Leisure customers and Luxury Link members. Mark Stanich, Chief Marketing Officer and President, Digital Media, American Express Publishing, said: “Our loyal customer relationships are critically important to us, and we have worked relentlessly to deliver new products that serve their evolving needs. Vacationist is no exception – as our first significant e-commerce venture, it will provide the extraordinary experience and value our customers seek, with the aesthetic and sensibility they have come to expect from Travel + Leisure. Luxury Link is absolutely the perfect partner for us, as we strive to create this best-in-class product for savvy, sophisticated, and passionate travelers. Importantly, Vacationist is also a way for us to support our hotel and resort partners in the travel industry by delivering a smart, effective, tactical solution.” “We are excited to partner with American Express Publishing and Travel + Leisure because their brand, their content, and their marketing strengths complement our strengths in working closely with hoteliers around the world to bring great value to discerning travelers. We share a passion for creating new services that meet the needs of our consumers and hotel clients, which is just what Vacationist does,” states Drew Marich, CEO of Luxury Link, LLC. With the launch of Vacationist, Travel + Leisure and Luxury Link begin their partnership with a clear understanding of consumer travel trends to deliver what customers want. According to a recent study by Ypartnership/Harrison Group, almost three out of ten (27%) active travelers took at least one “last minute” leisure trip last year and one out of seven (14%) purchased a travel service as a result of receiving an unexpected email from a travel service supplier. In addition to the high quality of the selected hotels, the featured room rates on Vacationist will be the lowest available at the time of the offer. About American Express Publishing Corporation: American Express Publishing Corporation is an authoritative content company primed to deliver lifestyle expertise that informs choices, enriches perspective and empowers affluent and accomplished people -- and the businesses that serve them -- to make decisions and lead extraordinary lives. A wholly owned subsidiary of American Express Company, American Express Publishing brands include Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, Departures, and Executive Travel. The company also produces a variety of travel, cooking, wine, time management, and financial books and products, digital content, luxury-marketing events and custom print and digital programs for clients. About Travel + Leisure: With an eye for the authentic, the innovative, and the irresistible, Travel + Leisure (www.travelandleisure.com) fuses expert reporting on culture, food, style, and design with stunning photography, transporting readers to the places—and the travel experiences—that matter now. T+L, the monthly title from American Express Publishing and the long-standing authority in its field, has the largest audience of any travel magazine and is an indispensable guide for global nomads. About Luxury Link Luxury Link is the parent company of LuxuryLink.com and Family Getaway.com. Established in 1997, LuxuryLink.com is the leader in online luxury travel and designed for travelers seeking inspiration and exceptional values at the world’s finest hotels and resorts. LuxuryLink.com features the best luxury hotel deals on the Web with savings of up to 65% off. Renowned by its peers, LuxuryLink.com has been lauded by venerable names in travel including Travel + Leisure as a “Top Travel Website” (2009, 2008). In 2010, Luxury Link launched FamilyGetaway.com, the destination website for families seeking the best places to stay at exceptional values to create lifelong travel memories. For more information, visit www.LuxuryLink.com or www.FamilyGetaway.com, on Twitter www.twitter.com/luxurylink and Facebook www.facebook.com/LuxuryLink. |
| Contact: Liz Marsh Travel + Leisure 212 382 5684 [email protected] Karen Gee Mcauley Luxury Link 310.395.5050 [email protected] |
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