Everyone is trying to take advantage of the final days of summer, but with the price of everything increasing, we’re all looking for vacation deals.
A quick road trip isn’t even as freeing as it used to be because of the price of gas and the increase in hotel and Airbnb rates.
Then there are companies offering deals like $129 hotels in Mexico, or weekend hotel stays, with perks, for rock bottom prices. Are the deals too good to be true?
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This is my honest review of what happened after I booked a deal that popped up on my Instagram feed, knowing there was a high possibility that it could be a scam.
So, is it?
Unfortunately, the answer isn’t that simple.
The Deal
I bought a $149 deal that ended up coming from a company called “Take Three Nights.” The deal promised three nights at a choice of hotels in dozens of U.S. cities and came with $100 to spend on food, and another $100 to spend on airfare that would be reimbursed following my trip. Plus, after I completed by first trip, I’d get two additional hotel nights in a different city.
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You can chat with a representative on the company’s website and you can also text with a representative to get information and make reservations.
PRO TIP: I recommend taking advantage of the chat feature or text with a representative. I could never get through to the company on the phone, and waited on hold for more than 90 minutes.
I decided to try Savanah, Georgia. The first thing I discovered was that I wasn’t going to get a hotel reservation for the $149 I’d already paid.
The hotel was fantastic, and the location couldn’t have been better, but the deal wasn’t exactly what I felt was advertised either. There was no mention of an upcharge when I bought the deal.
But, I also had that $100 restaurant credit and $100 in airfare to help keep costs down on the trip.
WELL …
Restaurants
In reality, the “credit” gives you $100 to a website where you can buy discounts to use at different chains.
For example, you could use $10 of the credit to buy a 50% one large pizza coupon at Papa John’s. The selection is extremely limited and there were no Savanah-area locations included in the offerings.
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I have used the credit since I returned, but still have more than half the card left because restaurants I normally visit simply aren’t included in the promotion.
Airfare
I’ve still got that $100 airfare credit coming, right?
Eh.
Make sure you read the fine print when you book airfare. I thought I had and I still missed a key detail.
You are required to spend at least $200 BASE FAIR per person (before taxes and fees) to claim the airfare credit. I paid a few dollars under that for my ticket, and therefore didn’t qualify. You also cannot use airline points for your flight.
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Make sure you also print paper boarding passes at the airport if you hope to get this credit. You are required to mail the boarding passes, along with a certificate the company will include in an email to claim the credit.
Overall Rating
While we had a great trip to Savannah, I didn’t feel like this deal was really what was advertised.
Is it a scam? Not exactly, but I felt like there were a lot of grey areas, and a lot of hoops to jump through as a customer.
I did just contact the company to book my second stay, and was again offered hotels for a higher price. I haven’t decided If I will use it or not.
Overall the hotels were slightly cheaper than advertised prices, but I feel like you can probably find the same rates, or lower ones, by using AAA discounts, or simply by contacting the hotel directly.
I might feel differently if it was easier to book, use the restaurant deal, and if I qualified for the airfare reimbursement.
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