6/26 - Live Q&A with Luxury Link's Founder and President

Question from Karina on Facebook:

Pigbacking on Seth's question... Where do you see Luxury Link going within the competitive Travel and online marketing (groupon, jettsetter, expedia, etc...)? What kind of strategies will you use to beat the market by keeping package prices low and still earning new properties to the site?

Answer from Diane:

We'll keep doing more of the same, and we're also expanding to include some unique experiences such as a shopping tour of New York City w/ a one-hour consultation w/ a top stylist, and a wine & chocolate tour of Paris.

Question from Hillary on Facebook:

Will we see more Asia destinations/offerings? I've seen a lot of expansion in the past few years with LL. I wish you could bring back some great properties like the Langham group in Hong Kong and Kempinski Bangkok.

Answer from Diane:

A

s a matter of fact, our Asia properties have increased substantially year-over-year, in part due to the demand. Are you most interested in Asian cites, or resorts?

I have a couple comments, rather than a question.

I LOVE two things about LL that I hope you never change!

1. I love the extras usually included in the packages, i.e., breakfast, spa credits, extra activities, mini bar credits, etc.

2. I love the fact that I can win an auction, then take some time in arranging my flights and other details before committing to certain reservation dates. THAT is one thing that sets you apart from the others.

Thanks LL!

Question from Neena on Facebook:

What advice would you give to someone who would really like to work at Luxury Link and be part of your ongoing success? BTW, my husband and I can't wait for our upcoming LL Hermitage Bay trip!

Answer from Diane:

Hermitage Bay, great choice! It's actually one of the 15 "competitors" in our current Hotel Games promotion...vote now: Luxury Link Hotel Games.

For careers at Luxury Link, I recommend monitoring our job openings listings page:

http://travelgroup.luxurylink.com/index.php/careers

Question from Ted on Facebook:

Over the last 15 years which one of your favorite destinations has changed the most?

Answer from Diane:

Great question. Probably Los Cabos. 15 years ago the main attraction was Cabo San Lucas, which was known largely for tequila and spring break. Today, the stretch between San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas is populated by some of the great luxury hotels in Mexico. Zoëtry Casa Del Mar Los Cabos is one of my favorites:

http://www.luxurylink.com/fivestar/a...-mar-los-cabos

Question from Hillary on Facebook:

Where do you plan to travel next?

Answer from Diane:

A family vacation in San Diego; we're staying at Paradise Point on Mission Bay:

Paradise Point in San Diego, California - Hotel Travel Deals | Luxury Link

From Omegaet on the Luxury Lounge:

Many web based companies not only constantly evaluate their products or services, but frequently survey and sample the buying habits of their consumers.

In the case of Luxury Link, you are consistently adding to the number and variety of your clients (hotels/resorts), but how much survey work do you conduct with your consumers (especially repeat consumers) to anticipate and provide for their future travel interests?

Answer from Diane:

We have engaged w/ focus groups over the years and developed a survey strategy w/ our marketing team. It's important for us to foollow travel trends, but also hear what our loyal travelers are planning next so we can accommodate them...

Question from Kathy on Facebook:

What was the Luxury Link package you enjoyed the most?

Answer from Diane:

I went to Eastern Europe and stayed at Le Palais (Prague) and St. George Residence (Budapest). I expected to like Prague, but didn't know I would fall in love with Budapest.

Question from Richard on Facebook:

We still haven't begun our vacation planning for this summer and are open to just about anything. What destinations are you seeing as the most popular these days and are there still opportunities to book something for summer?

Answer from Diane:

It may seem counter-intuitive, because the weather can be unpredictable, but some of our packages in the Caribbean and Mexico are selling briskly. Fewer crowds and great rates abound.

Question from Kathy on Facebook:

Do you have plans to add more villas for group or family travel?

Answer from Diane:
Yes! In fact we recently added a new category on Luxury Link, group travel:

Group Travel Luxury Vacations

Villas are a great option and an extraordinary experience. If you do the math, some of our villa vacations are well under $100 per person per night; we also have a great selection of villa properties on Family Getaway:

http://www.familygetaway.com/vacation/estates-villas/deals