Flash sale site expands to 24/7 rates for hotels and resorts, unveils live villa bookings, and launches online magazine

 

Singapore - Change is constant, and in the fast moving world of technology and travel, this holds truer than most. Responding to the demands from members for 24/7 rates on hotels and resorts, TheLuxeNomad.com has pivoted its initial business model to not only feature flash sales but focus on Best Available Rates which can be booked at anytime. The start-up also goes a step further to enable live bookings on selected villas which traditionally have required customers to TT payments; a payment method considered out of touch for the modern luxe consumer who is always on the go.

 

"The key to running any business is that you are continuously growing and adapting to consumer demands and behaviour. Initially, our main focus were flash sales which worked well as a USP because these were deals you couldn't find elsewhere. The catch being however, that they only ever lasted 2 weeks at a time. Whilst flash sales appeal greatly to the deal-savvy traveler, we found there is also a growing segment who aren't price sensitive and prefer to book at anytime. With this pivot we now cover both types of consumers." says Chief Nomad and founder, Stephanie Chai.

 

Launched in July 2012, TheLuxeNomad.com now offers over 400 properties across Asia Pacific and Europe and has grown from a staff-strength of two to a team of ten spread across three regional offices in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong. The company has since raised over SGD1 million worth of investments and has tripled its revenues in the short period of June to December 2013.

 

The site has also garnered a strong and organic social media following of 60,000 Facebook fans and loyal 21,000 Instagram followers - no mean feat, thanks to the clever use of destination reviews and online coverage from celebrities and personalities such as Arissa Cheo and Vanness Wu.

 

• Pivot in business model from flash sales to 24/7 best available rates -TheLuxeNomad.com now offers 24/7 best available rates throughout the year, giving its members a plethora of choice in hotels and resorts that can be booked at any time, alongside weekly time-limited flash sales.

• A platform for the burgeoning villa market in Southeast Asia - The site now offers a dedicated tab for booking of villas in popular destinations such as Bali, Phuket and Koh Samui. With close to 100 villas available, members can take their pick and stay in sprawling million-dollar villas for as little as USD 900++ a night for a five bedroom.

• Customer service available via live chat system - The site has also newly rolled out a live chat service that is available during office hours from Mondays to Fridays. Customer service representatives offer a range of advice from recommendations on properties to personal travel tips on the destinations.

• Launch of online magazine - The perfect combination of content and e-commerce, the site has launched their definitive guide to travelling with its online magazine. Offering an exhaustive list of travel fashion and style, industry news, city guides and reviews from celebrity nomads and online influencers, the magazine offers insights to secret finds that are aspirational and inspirational. Its first article, a humorous list on "8 signs You're an Asian Traveller" has gone viral, garnering 5400 shares across Facebook and Twitter.

 

"The challenge every e-commerce site has is that you are always selling so if someone isn't in the mood to shop, they're not going to your site. The solution to keep them coming back? Quality content. The online magazine is a good way to break up the monotony of e-commerce with alluring and visually captivating content from our celebrity nomads and team of curators. We have such amazing content from our travels and reviews of the different properties in our collection, and the magazine is a natural platform to showcase these, with our first article "8 signs you're an Asian traveler" already garnering a viral 4300 shares. With the addition of content, we provide members a reason to come back to our site even when they aren't looking for a holiday - yet!"

 

"The revamped interface and additional new features has been a big step for us in moving forward into 2014 and will definitely help in our expansion to inspire travel between Asia and the rest of the world."

 

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About TheLuxeNomad.com                                                                                                               

TheLuxeNomad.com is an exclusive members-only site that offers Flash Sales and 24/7 Best Available Rates of luxury hotels, resorts and villas. Flash sales offer discounts of up to 70 percent and membership is free.

 

The site displays a curated list of stunning properties with personalized editorial content from the team and selected celebrity "Nomads on-the-go". Celebrity Nomads include Taiwanese actor Godfrey Gao, Australian celebrity blogger Margaret Zhang and Hong Kong supermodel Jocelyn Luko.

 

The site is run by Singapore-based, Luxe Nomad Private Limited - a team of passionate travellers with diverse backgrounds ranging from Investment Banking, Law to Linguistics. Luxe Nomad Pte Ltd also maintains offices in Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong. Visit the site at www.theluxenomad.com.

 

 

About Stephanie Chai, CEO of TheLuxeNomad.com

New-Zealand-born Eurasian Stephanie Chai, first began her entrepreneurial career in 2009 when she founded the regional wedding portal, WeddingGuideAsia.com. Since its inception, the site has attracted over 300,000 readers a year, and has had partnerships with HELLO! Singapore and MSN Malaysia. A graduate in Finance and International Business from the University of Auckland, TheLuxeNomad.com represents Stephanie's latest venture into the business of travel - her personal take to inspire people to travel without breaking the bank.

 

A former model and host for broadcast programmes across Singapore and Malaysia, Stephanie currently resides in Singapore, managing her time between the regional offices of TheLuxeNomad.com.

 

 

Media Contact:

Issued by TheLuxeNomad.com Press Office through Bless Inc. Asia Private Limited

 

For more information and high-resolution images, please contact:

Karen Chen       +65 6337 0996 // +65 9835 0249 // karen@blessinc.net

Daryl Dee Teo   +65 6337 4877 // +65 9670 1646 // dee@blessinc.net