When searching for a luxury holiday at a lower price, two names that often come up are Luxury Escapes and Secret Escapes. Both platforms specialise in handpicked hotels and holiday deals, but they approach luxury travel slightly differently.
Luxury Escapes has developed into a broader travel platform offering hotels, packages, tours, cruises, flights, experiences, and car hire, while Secret Escapes focuses more heavily on curated luxury hotel stays and holiday deals available to members.
Luxury Escapes currently says it has more than 9 million global members, while Secret Escapes operates around a members-only model where joining is free. So, which one is better in 2026? The answer depends on what you are looking for.
Luxury Escapes has an advantage for travellers who want complete packages, loyalty rewards, and additional inclusions, while Secret Escapes can be an excellent choice for people primarily looking for discounted luxury hotels and curated holiday deals.
Luxury Escapes vs Secret Escapes at a Glance
| Feature | Luxury Escapes | Secret Escapes |
| Membership | Free membership plus optional LuxPlus+ | Free membership |
| Luxury hotels | Yes | Yes |
| Holiday packages | Yes | Yes |
| Tours and cruises | Yes | More limited |
| Flights | Yes | Available for selected holidays |
| Added extras | Strong range of VIP inclusions | Often includes upgrades, drinks and other perks |
| Loyalty programme | Société | Primarily deal-focused |
| Price guarantee | Best Price Holiday Guarantee | Deal-specific pricing |
| Best suited to | Complete luxury holidays | Curated hotel and holiday deals |
What Is Luxury Escapes?
Luxury Escapes is an Australian-founded travel company that launched in Melbourne in 2013. It began as a platform for exclusive luxury accommodation deals but has expanded considerably.
Today, Luxury Escapes promotes thousands of travel products, including hotels, holiday packages, tours, cruises, flights, experiences, and car hire. The company says it works directly with travel partners to negotiate exclusive offers and add VIP inclusions to its packages.
These inclusions are an important part of the Luxury Escapes model. Depending on the deal, a package can include benefits such as breakfast, dining credits, spa treatments, transfers, activities, room upgrades, or other extras.
Luxury Escapes also has a free Société rewards programme. Members can earn points from bookings and unlock additional benefits as they progress through the programme, including selected room or package upgrades, airport chauffeur transfers, and lounge passes.
There is also LuxPlus+, a paid VIP travel club offering member-only prices, early access to selected offers, and additional savings.
What Is Secret Escapes?
Secret Escapes takes a more focused approach to discounted luxury travel. Its model centres on handpicked hotels and holidays offered at exclusive member rates.
Joining Secret Escapes is free, and the company says there is no membership fee. Once registered, members can access curated hotel and holiday offers that may include additional perks such as room upgrades, drinks, massages, or late checkout.
The platform also emphasises limited-time deals. New offers are added regularly, and some rates have limited availability, so flexibility can be useful when booking through Secret Escapes.
Secret Escapes says its travel experts handpick the hotels featured on the platform based on factors such as quality, location, and amenities. Its current hotel selection includes city hotels, boutique properties, spa breaks, and beach resorts across various destinations.
In simple terms, Secret Escapes is particularly useful if your main goal is to find a high-quality hotel or holiday at a discounted member rate.
Luxury Escapes vs Secret Escapes: Main Differences
1. Membership and Pricing
Both platforms allow travellers to access their core deals without paying a traditional membership fee.
Secret Escapes has a particularly straightforward model. You sign up for free and gain access to its members-only rates. The company explicitly states that membership does not cost anything.
Luxury Escapes also offers free membership, but it has an additional paid option through LuxPlus+. This gives frequent travellers another way to access member-only pricing, early access, and other benefits.
For occasional travellers who do not want to pay for a premium travel club, Secret Escapes has the simpler proposition. For frequent travellers who can make use of recurring discounts and benefits, Luxury Escapes offers more opportunities to get additional value.
Winner: Secret Escapes for simplicity; Luxury Escapes for frequent travellers.
2. Range of Travel Options
This is one of the clearest differences between the two platforms.
Luxury Escapes has expanded into a broader travel marketplace. Its current offering includes hotels, packages, tours, cruises, flights, experiences, and car hire.
Secret Escapes remains more closely associated with luxury hotel stays and holiday packages. It does offer flight-inclusive holidays and other travel options, but its core proposition is still curated accommodation and holiday deals.
This gives Luxury Escapes an advantage if you want to arrange more of your trip through a single platform.
Winner: Luxury Escapes.
3. Hotel Deals and Added Extras
Both companies focus on more than simply reducing the room price.
Secret Escapes says its offers can include extras such as complimentary room upgrades, drinks, massages, and late checkout. These benefits vary depending on the individual deal.
Luxury Escapes similarly builds additional benefits into many of its packages. Its current positioning specifically highlights VIP inclusions and exclusive extras negotiated with travel partners.
The difference is that Luxury Escapes generally places a stronger emphasis on complete packages. A deal may combine accommodation with meals, transfers, activities, or experiences, making it easier to calculate the overall value of the holiday.
Secret Escapes can be more appealing when you are mainly interested in securing a discounted room at a luxury property.
Winner: Luxury Escapes for comprehensive packages; Secret Escapes for straightforward hotel deals.
4. Price Guarantees
Luxury Escapes has a formal Best Price on Earth Holiday Guarantee for eligible bookings. If you find the same deal online for a lower price, Luxury Escapes says it will match the price after verification. Importantly, the comparison must involve the same hotel and the same VIP inclusions, rather than simply finding a cheaper room at the same property.
This can be useful when comparing a Luxury Escapes package with another travel website or a hotel-direct offer.
Secret Escapes also focuses on negotiating exclusive member rates, but the way its deals are structured means travellers should compare the complete package rather than assuming that a displayed percentage discount represents the lowest possible price.
Winner: Luxury Escapes.
5. Loyalty Rewards
Luxury Escapes has a significant advantage when it comes to loyalty.
Its Société programme is free to join and allows members to earn points on bookings. As members progress through different levels, they can unlock additional benefits such as selected upgrades, chauffeur transfers, and lounge passes.
LuxPlus+ adds another layer for travellers who book frequently, offering member-only pricing and early access to selected deals.
Secret Escapes is primarily built around access to discounted deals rather than a comparable points-based loyalty structure.
For someone who travels regularly and expects to book multiple luxury holidays, Luxury Escapes therefore has a stronger long-term value proposition.
Winner: Luxury Escapes.
Which One Has Better Luxury Holiday Packages?
If you are looking for a complete luxury holiday rather than just accommodation, Luxury Escapes has the stronger offering.
Its packages can combine hotels with flights, tours, cruises, meals, activities, transfers, and other inclusions. The company’s model is specifically built around creating value through negotiated packages and VIP extras.
Secret Escapes is still a strong option for holiday packages, particularly if you find a limited-time deal that matches your destination and dates. However, its biggest strength remains its curated collection of luxury hotels and holidays.
For a traveller who wants to book a resort stay with breakfast, transfers, dining credits, and activities included, Luxury Escapes is likely to be the more convenient choice.
Winner: Luxury Escapes.
Which One Is Better for Couples?
Both platforms can work well for couples, especially when booking honeymoons, anniversary trips, or romantic weekend breaks.
Secret Escapes can be particularly attractive for couples who are flexible with dates and want to browse luxury hotels at reduced member rates. Its curated approach means you can discover boutique hotels, spa properties, beach resorts, and city stays without searching through an enormous list of ordinary accommodation.
Luxury Escapes may have the edge for couples planning a more elaborate trip. Packages that include dining, spa treatments, transfers, excursions, or other VIP benefits can reduce the amount of planning required.
If the holiday itself is the priority rather than simply the hotel room, Luxury Escapes is the stronger option.
Winner: Luxury Escapes.
Which One Is Better for Families?
Families should focus on the specific package rather than the platform name.
Luxury Escapes offers a wider range of travel products, which can be useful when combining accommodation with tours, transfers, cruises, and experiences. Its broader package selection also makes it easier to look for a complete family holiday.
Secret Escapes can work well for families who already know the type of property they want and are mainly looking for a good hotel deal.
In either case, check child policies, room occupancy, meal inclusions, transfer arrangements, and any additional charges before booking.
Winner: Luxury Escapes for variety; Secret Escapes for hotel-focused searches.
Which One Is Better for Flexible Travellers?
This category is harder to award to one platform because flexibility depends heavily on the individual deal. Both companies offer different types of accommodation and holiday offers, and the cancellation or date-change conditions can vary. Before booking, compare the exact terms for:
- Cancellation and refund eligibility
- Date-change options
- Available travel dates
- Minimum stay requirements
- Room category
- Included meals and extras
- Transfer arrangements
- Additional fees and taxes
Secret Escapes itself notes that availability for its lowest advertised rates can be limited, while Luxury Escapes promotes flexible booking options on selected offers. For this reason, the best choice depends on the individual offer rather than the platform’s overall reputation.
Winner: Tie, depending on the deal.
Luxury Escapes vs Secret Escapes: Pros and Cons
Luxury Escapes
Pros:
- Wide range of hotels, tours, cruises, flights, and experiences
- Strong package inclusions
- Best Price Holiday Guarantee
- Free Société rewards programme
- Optional LuxPlus+ membership
- 24/7 customer service
- Suitable for complete holiday planning
Cons:
- Premium membership is an additional consideration for frequent users
- The best value depends on the specific package
- Some travellers may prefer a simpler hotel-deal platform
Secret Escapes
Pros:
- Free membership
- Curated luxury hotels and holidays
- Regular limited-time deals
- Added perks on selected offers
- Strong choice of luxury hotel stays
- Useful for travellers who are flexible with dates
Cons:
- Lowest advertised rates can have limited availability
- More focused on hotels and holiday deals than a full travel marketplace
- Deal availability changes frequently
So, Is Luxury Escapes Better Than Secret Escapes?
Overall, Luxury Escapes has the edge in 2026, but Secret Escapes remains a strong alternative. Luxury Escapes is the better choice if you want a broader travel platform, comprehensive holiday packages, VIP inclusions, loyalty rewards, and the ability to book different parts of a trip through one service.
Its Best Price Holiday Guarantee also adds another layer of confidence when comparing identical packages. Secret Escapes makes more sense for travellers whose priority is finding a carefully selected luxury hotel or holiday at an exclusive member price. Its free membership and curated approach make it particularly appealing to occasional travellers who enjoy browsing for limited-time deals.
Final Verdict
So, is Luxury Escapes better than Secret Escapes? For most travellers looking for a complete luxury holiday experience, Luxury Escapes is the stronger all-round option. Its broader range of travel products, package inclusions, loyalty programme, and price guarantee give it an advantage beyond simply finding a discounted hotel.
However, that does not mean Luxury Escapes will always be cheaper. Secret Escapes can offer excellent value when a particular hotel or destination is featured at an attractive member rate. The smartest strategy is to compare the same property, dates, room category, meals, cancellation conditions, and inclusions on both platforms before booking.
A 30% discount on one website is not necessarily better than a smaller discount that includes breakfast, transfers, dining credits, or other benefits. In short, choose Luxury Escapes for broader choice and complete packages, and consider Secret Escapes when you want curated luxury hotel deals with a simple free membership model. The best platform ultimately depends on the specific deal and the type of trip you are planning.
