Seven months after Travel + Leisure Co. – formerly known as Wyndham Destinations, which acquired the Travel + Leisure brand in January – debuted its online booking platform, the company has unveiled a new subscription service.
Called Travel + Leisure Club, the subscription service offers members access to preferred pricing on featured itineraries inspired by Travel + Leisure magazine editorial coverage, concierge services, exclusive experiences and a magazine subscription for an introductory rate of $9.95 per month.
“Throughout the storied 50-year history of Travel + Leisure magazine, there was never a way for consumers to easily book a trip based on the inspirational stories they read in the pages of the magazine," says Noah Brodsky, president of Travel + Leisure Group.
“With the launch of Travel + Leisure Club, we’re able to harness the award-winning magazine content to bring members one step closer to the transformative power of travel by providing expert guidance, personalized service and preferred pricing so they can create their own travel stories.”
Club members can save an average of 25% off retail rates on hotels and resorts as well as receive exclusive pricing on activities, car rentals and more. According to the company, members can choose from an inventory of more than 600,000 hotels and resorts, more than 345,000 activities, all major cart rental services and dozens of airlines.
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Brodsky says the platform is powered by a “secret sauce” made possible through Wyndham Destinations’ acquisition of ARN in 2019 and includes supplier direct and third-party aggregated inventory.
“That’s the reason we acquired them [ARN],” he says. “That’s the core of our tech stack.”
Brodsky says debuting a subscription service, which the company has been developing for about a year, follows a broader subscription “megatrend” across industries; in travel, the subscription model is gaining traction via offerings from the likes of Tripadvisor and eDreams Odigeo.
Leisure travel, he adds, is going to continue to lead the travel industry’s recovery, and Travel + Leisure’s efforts are “100% focused on leisure travel.”
In addition to Travel + Leisure Club, Travel + Leisure Co. has also introduced an open online retail travel site called Travel + Leisure GO.
Through GO – which is replacing the BookTandL platform that launched as party of the company’s rebrand in January – travelers are connected to inspirational travel stories, destination guides and curated itineraries with planning and booking tools.
Curated itineraries start at $1,650 for a four-night stay featuring accommodations, activities and ground transportation for two in destinations including Charleston, Chicago and Mexico.
Over the coming months, GO will add additional services including one-click booking on customizable itineraries and integrated booking opportunities on editorial content, as well as lifestyle elements such as a retail marketplace featuring Travel + Leisure branded products.
Both Travel + Leisure Club and Travel + Leisure GO are the first consumer offerings from the Travel + Leisure Group business line within Travel + Leisure Co., which has a portfolio of nearly 20 resort, travel club and lifestyle travel brands.
* Hear PhocusWire's interview with Travel + Leisure Group's Noah Brodsky on the How I Got Here podcast below
How I Got Here, episode 63 - Noah Brodsky of Travel + Leisure