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Secret Escapes has raised $400.2M across 7 funding rounds.
Key people at Secret Escapes.
Secret Escapes has raised $400.2M in total across 7 funding rounds.
Secret Escapes operates as a members-only online travel club, providing exclusive access to curated luxury hotel stays and holidays at preferential rates. The platform leverages a flash-sales model, presenting hand-picked deals on premium accommodations and travel packages through its website and mobile applications. This approach enables the company to offer significant discounts while maintaining a high standard of quality for its discerning membership.
The company was co-founded in 2010 by Alex Saint, Tom Valentine, and Troy Collins. Their collective insight identified an opportunity within the travel industry: to create a private marketplace where luxury hotels could discretely sell unsold inventory to a targeted audience without diluting their brand perception. This model addressed a specific market gap, allowing premium travel experiences to become more accessible to a broader consumer base.
Secret Escapes primarily serves affluent travelers seeking high-end holidays and getaways without the premium price tag. The company’s long-term vision is to establish itself as the world’s leading members-only travel and experiences platform, continually inspiring its global community to discover and embark on exceptional escapes. It aims to broaden its unique offering and further solidify its position in the luxury travel market.
Key people at Secret Escapes.
Secret Escapes has raised $400.2M in total across 7 funding rounds.
Secret Escapes's investors include Merian Chrysalis, Merian Global Investors, Nezahat Gultekin, Guillaume Durao, Backed VC, Boost Capital Partners, GV, Octopus Investments, Accel, Accomplice VC, CRV, Flybridge Capital Partners.
Secret Escapes has raised $400.2M across 7 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $8.3M Other Equity in July 2023.
Secret Escapes is a members-only online travel company that offers heavily discounted luxury hotel stays, holidays, and experiences through its website and mobile app.[1][2][3] It serves over 62 million members worldwide by partnering with hotels, resorts, and tour operators in 150 countries to fill excess inventory with flash sales, solving the problem of stressful, overpriced luxury travel bookings while helping providers maximize occupancy.[2][3][5] Operating in 14-21 countries primarily across Europe and the US, the company has demonstrated strong growth momentum, with reported 66% sales increase in 2019, $457.8 million in 2024 revenue, and total funding of £156-216 million from investors like Google Ventures, Index Ventures, and Octopus Ventures.[2][6]
Secret Escapes was founded in 2010 (launched in 2011) by Tom Valentine and Alex Saint in London, UK, rebranding from DMC Cruise Limited after spotting demand for luxury travel deals.[1][2][4] Alex Saint had previously founded and sold Dealchecker.co.uk, a travel deals aggregator, while Tom Valentine worked at online fashion brand Koodos; they aimed to make holiday booking exciting and stress-free, inspired by frustrations with price comparisons and poor options.[2][4] Early traction came quickly: Series A funding from Octopus Ventures and Accomplice (Atlas Venture) in 2011, followed by Series B from Index Ventures in 2012, reaching 5 million members by 2013 with international launches in Germany and Sweden.[3] Pivotal moments included 2014's 300% revenue growth, $60 million funding in 2015 from Google Ventures and others, and acquisitions like Justbook (Germany), mycityvenue (UK), Travista (Germany), Slevomat Group (2017, Central/Eastern Europe), Pigsback.com (Ireland), and Lateroom's IP post-collapse.[1][2]
Secret Escapes rides the digital travel deals trend, capitalizing on mobile booking apps and flash-sale marketplaces amid rising demand for affordable luxury post-pandemic, where consumers seek personalized, stress-free experiences over traditional aggregators.[2][5] Timing aligns with e-commerce travel recovery, as memberships grew to 62M amid industry pressures, leveraging data for AI personalization when competitors struggled (e.g., Lateroom's collapse).[2][5] Market forces like hotel inventory surplus, global tourism rebound, and ad tech advancements favor its model, influencing the ecosystem by consolidating regional players (e.g., Slevomat, Pigsback) and setting standards for members-only exclusivity in a fragmented $500B+ online travel market.[1][2]
Secret Escapes is poised for continued expansion, potentially deepening AI-driven personalization, entering more US/Asian markets, and pursuing acquisitions to hit 100M+ members amid sustainable travel trends and VR previews.[3][5] Evolving regulations on data privacy and economic volatility could challenge flash deals, but its funding track record and 66% growth precedents position it to lead luxury travel tech. As the go-to for discounted escapes, it transforms booking drudgery into excitement, sustaining its edge in a recovering global tourism wave.[2]
