I try to save money on lodging when I travel so I have more for restaurants and outings–I always check Jetsetter.com first to see if there are any hotel deals where I’m headed. The site features super-detailed reviews on cool hotels, which is how I found one of my all-time favorite hotels.
In an industry increasingly dominated by couch surfing and apartment rentals, the idea of a hotel being the highlight of a trip has seemingly gone out of style. Not so, say the team from elite travel concierge site Jetsetter.com.
Jetsetter offers travelers one-of-a-kind accommodations across the world—from staying in an off-the-grid, 14-century Spanish church to an Australian hotel where you can harvest your own oysters. But unlike travel sites that rely on customer reviews, a team of correspondents visit most of Jetsetter’s 3,000 destinations and confirm it meets the company’s unique standards.
“Think of us as your most well traveled friend, the one with great taste and inside connections who…can also score you a value-driven deal on your stay,” says Sean Murphy, editor-in-chief of Jetsetter magazine.
When a property is “Jetsetter Verified,” a correspondent has visited the hotel and tested the beds, shower pressure, the concierge’s knowledge, the Wifi, and even the cocktails.
That research is then broken down in the hotel’s What We Love section—the standout features, such as “jalapeno bacon-wrapped dates”—and the What We Know section—aspects some travelers may not enjoy, such as “no gym, but there is a Wii Fit in every room.”
The reviews are meticulous, to say the least.
Jetsetter also offers packaged trips and experiences like a Grecian kayaking adventure, a Parisian culinary tour, and hard-to-get tickets to sporting events. Or travelers can build a customized vacation from scratch using Jetsetter’s travel planning services.
“Our team of market managers work their partner relationships to provide negotiated rates of up to 40% off featured properties,” says Murphy. Those flash deals are sent to members via daily emails; but if none of those destinations are appealing, Jetsetter also offers booking services for more than 2,000 properties in its permanent collection.
“If you are searching for unique, exceptional travel experiences and want usable insight and expectations-setting perspectives, Jetsetter is the brand for you,” Murphy says. With so many choices on the site one might wonder if any property stands out as truly exceptional.
Enter Jetsetter’s Best of the Best Awards, with Soneva Kiri at the top.
“There’s remote, and then there’s Koh Kood. This tiny Thai isle is a private jet and speedboat ride away from the nearest international airport. But it’s well worth the trip,” says Murphy. Worth the trip indeed — Soneva Kiri boasts ocean-view villas with private infinity pools and a treetop restaurant where waiters zipline to serve dinner.
If you sign up to become a member (requires just an email address), you can access all of Jetsetter’s deals and search their thousands of properties. I hope you’re planning a trip somewhere this week…but for now, links to a few Jetsetter hotels I’d like to visit:
- An 18th-century hotel in the heart of Seville, Spain
- A six-bedroom getaway in East Hampton
- A hipster’s paradise in downtown Los Angeles
- The hotel with the best rooftop bar over Istanbul
- Stylish and secluded in Playa del Carmen, Mexico
- The once-in-a-lifetime safari lodge in South Africa
Budget lodging ideas
Bakersfield Blonde 