Black Friday travel sales are here and deals are plentiful

With inflation continuing to spike, more travelers are expected to go on a bargain hunt this year. The industry is responding by offering deals across the travel landscape, from hotels to cruises and tours.

“Despite inflation and higher prices, we continue to see a strong preference for travel experiences,” said Brett Keller, CEO of the online travel agency. Pricelinewhich will be holding one of its biggest sales this month, including 30 percent off select hotel stays and up to 50 percent off rental cars.

When demand is strong, travel companies can usually keep prices high, but by offering seasonal sales they can hedge against changes in the future.

“There is a benefit for hoteliers in securing bookings with a longer lead time so they can understand demand more accurately,” said Christine Guadenzi, the hotel’s director of sales and marketing. Coppola family hideoutsa collection of small hotels that also encompass the coast Turtle Inn in Belize, which offers a 20 percent discount on room rates booked from November 24 to December 15 (discounted rates start at $335 per night, compared to the usual price tag of $419).

Some of these deals may end up under Christmas trees as the holidays are increasingly positioned as gifts.

“It’s still a pamper-yourself vibe, but that may change this year as we’ve seen a greater push for experiences over material gifts,” said Julie Ramhold, a consumer analyst at DealNews.com, a website that tracks sales. She expects more promotions that highlight friends’ and family outings.

There may be more deals, but the usual caveats apply: the best bargains tend to be on off-season trips and midweek rates (unless it’s a popular business travel destination, like the Ameswell Hotel in California’s Silicon Valley, where most sale dates are Monday through Wednesday). If a deal has ‘up to 40 percent off’, that 40 percent will likely be applied to off-season dates and could drop to 10 percent during busier times.

Many travel companies use Black Friday sales to fill their books during slow periods, even for bargains. For example, the Dagny Boston is offering 25 percent off rooms, which normally start at $119 per night, through November 29 for winter stays through February.

Always read the conditions carefully. Many offers are non-refundable and prepaid, including the suites in the 18th century village-turned hotel Borgo San Vincenzo in Montepulciano, Italy, where a sale from November 23 to 27 offers 20 percent off regular rates, including breakfast for two, free e-bike loans and a 100 euro, or about $107, food and beverage credit (suites start normally from 300 euros).

Sometimes incentives come in calendar-related tiers. The travel organization has until November 30th G-adventures is offering up to 30 percent off trips departing before April 20, and 10 to 15 percent off trips in May and June.

Be proactive. With travel sales growing, it’s worth checking out any hotel, tour company, airline or cruise line you’re interested in from November 24 to 28 to see what they have to offer.

The following sales represent the wide range of deals available during the holiday shopping season.

Flash sales and bargains

In a new twist on blink-and-go deals, Top resort in Stowe, Vt., and High peaks resort in Lake Placid, NY, are each offering one room per night for $100 through August 31. Book them while they last on November 27.

Between November 24 and 28 the Vintages Trailer Resort in Oregon’s wine-growing region, Willamette Valley is offering 40 percent off stays in its retro trailers for trips through March. Discounted nightly rates start at $59 (use code CYBER23).

Ski destinations rarely go on sale, but through December 17, about a dozen hotels in Aspen, Colorado, will offer rooms starting at $150 per night, and the Aspen Snowmass Ski Area is selling $88 lift tickets – normally $189 – for travel from Thanksgiving through December 22.

Among airline sales Scandinavian airlines round-trip flights between the United States and Scandinavia will be priced from $375 between November 21 and 28 for travel from January 15 through April.

Portfolio sales

Plan any upcoming event (such as a wedding, business meeting or concert) through retail companies offering their entire hotel portfolios for sale. The stylish one Viceroy Hotels & Resorts holds one sale through December 3 with rooms up to 35 percent off. Before discounts, nightly rates are usually between $275 per night Viceroy Chicago and $850 additional Sugar Beach, a Viceroy resort.

BurgerM operates 33 hotels in cities across the United States, Europe and Asia. Through November 27, rooms receive discounts of up to 30 percent for stays through March. Shoppers who sign up for the company’s loyalty program with a six-month free trial can enjoy free perks like late check-out. Rates normally start between about $200 and $230 at CitizenM hotels in Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle.

Car campwhich offers glamping-style accommodations, with accommodations in Airstream trailers in resort areas such as Cape Cod, in Massachusetts and near national parks such as Yosemite and Zion, is offering up to 40 percent off from November 24 to 27 for a two-night stay or more through 2024 (pre-sale rates start at $138).

Traveling with a bucket list

Exotic and dream destinations will also be on offer in the coming weeks. EF Go Ahead Tours is offering discounts on a ‘bucket list’ list of destinations with up to $600 off per person through November 22, including a 12-day trip to Bali and Java, Indonesia, which starts at $3,039 before the sale. On Black Friday, the tour company will offer more sales, including trips to Greece, and an additional $100 off all tours.

The new thing is on the Spanish island of Mallorca Zafiro Palace Andratx offers up to 40 percent off rates (starting at $112 per night, after discount) for stays during the 2024 season (May through September) when booked between November 20 and 28 (three-night minimum stay required).

A pair of luxury Marriott hotels near Machu Picchu in Peru will be on sale from November 24 to December 1 for three-night stays through March at more than 40 percent off. Housed in a 500-year-old mansion in Cusco, Palacio del Inka offers rooms starting at $236 per night after the discount, including breakfast for two. In the nearby Sacred Valley, Tambo del Inka stays start at $355 per night with the Promotionincluding breakfast for two.

Learn to surf cheaper in Costa Rica Surf synergywhich has a 25 percent discount until December 15 on its seven-day surf camps, which normally start at $2,765 per person, including accommodation, meals, airport transfers, surfing lessons, massages and other activities.

It’s a good time to buy cruises. Celebrity Cruises is putting most of its itineraries on sale through April 30 through December 5, with a 75 percent discount for a second guest sharing a cabin and up to $300 in shipboard credits. A sailing trip of 11 nights New Zealand in March starts at $683 before sales.

It’s also one of the few times there are deals on accommodations in and around popular national parks. Explorer Cabins just outside Yellowstone National Park 30 percent discount rates between Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday (from $229 per night before the sale).

Splurges on sale

Even some luxury companies are lowering their rates during the start of the holidays. From November 23 to 27 SB Winemaker’s House & Spaa boutique hotel in Mendoza, Argentina, managed by winemaker Susana Balbo, will take 30 percent off its $4,235 price in January for a five-night package that includes a massage, wine-pairing dinner, ceramics workshop and other activities.

Consider salmon fishing in Alaska Salmon Falls Resort near Ketchikan, which is offering 30 percent off packages booked through Dec. 1 for stays from May 1 to Sept. 30. Discount rates start at $945 per person and include meals, airport transfers, and daily activities such as guided fishing and kayaking.

Miraval Resorts & Spain Arizona, Massachusetts and Texas, comes with a $300 per night resort credit for bookings made between November 27 and December 5 for stays through 2024. Rates at the Miraval Berkshires start at $679 and include lodging, meals and activities.

Graze your way through southern Italy in May on a 12-day culinary tour of Naples, Calabria and Basilicata with My Bella Vita Travels. During the sale from November 23 to 27, the Taste of the South tour saves nearly $1,000 on the trip that normally costs $6,650 per person. Other tours will also be reduced by 15 percent at that time.

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