Secret Escapes Reviews 

Using AI advertising - I will not use this company going forward.

The print off of my booking did not match what I had paid for, I had paid for 2 people, 2 nights + 2 evening meal credits. Print off saying 1 evening meal, which meant a lost of £70.
I phoned expecting it to be corrected but was told that I had only paid for one meal, after explaining that this was not the case, I was asked to send screen shots which I did, I was told that it would be reviewed. I received an email to say that I had only paid for one meal. In all I made five phone calls through lack of communications from SE. 5/6 days later SE agreed that the booking was for 2 meals. I phoned the hotel and was told that others had had a problem with SE. Thankfully the last person I spoke to corrected the booking and was very helpful. The frustration was that I was treated as if I was in the wrong at times quite rudely spoken to, with no apology or compensation from SE.
A very poor response in all from SE for their IT problem

We booked a Rudding Park experience, great offer, tried booking at the hotel direct, but they could only match the offer and without the complimentary bottle of wine, so Secret Escapes it is. We got confirmation straight away. and then an email from the hotel. We liked that there were a few extras included in the deal :-) The booking process was quick and easy we would definitely check out Secret Escapes next time we're travelling.

I queried my upcoming Berlin booking after noticing that the hotel, Sly Berlin, was advertising almost the same price on their own website as Secret Escapes' "discounted" rate. On top of that, my booking doesn't include city tax or VAT, making it actually more expensive overall.

After a few days of silence from the initial handler (Liyabona), who confirmed the case was still being investigated, I called and spoke to Bradley, who was dismissive and repeatedly talked over me. His first suggestion was simply to cancel the booking. He eventually explained that Secret Escapes uses renegotiated hotel rates, which directly contradicts their own policy stating that discounts are calculated by reference to the hotel's own prices. If that were truly the case, the hotel's own website should not be showing the same or lower rate, especially one that includes city tax and VAT.

Had this been explained from the start, I could have cancelled and rebooked directly with the hotel during their early bird offer, which included the same benefits plus city tax and VAT. Instead, that window has now passed.

There is nothing unreasonable about questioning an advertised discount. Customers should never be made to feel like a nuisance for seeking clarity on pricing. To anyone hesitant to book, check the hotel's website and Booking.com first, and make sure you're comparing the total price including all taxes. If you did book and had a problem, hopefully you don’t speak to Bradley who seems to love his job as you will be left feeling dismissed.

The booking process was very easy along with very good value.
This was a rebooking for a hotel in Dubai which, with the current situation, we had to cancel. Secret Escapes still insisted on taking £35 cancellation fee despite the FCO advising against all but essential travel
To continue with my review:
Thank you Jamila for taking the time to look into my complaint, when are going to reply as it's been 5 days now. We had to cancel this booking as our travel insurance in not valid in the current situation as the FOC had advised against all but essential travel and in this climate we are really disappointed Secret Escapes still insisted on deducting £35 cancellation fee !!! All the other companies we booked through for this holiday refunded us in full because of the conflict. So please respond to this complaint with a refund on my account as we had NO choice other than to cancel.
An update to the review I posted as above: Secret Escapes (Jamila) emailed me directly to say they are willing to refund the cancellation fee. It's a real shame I had to post a negative review to obtain a response
however it's now resolved so thank you Jamila.

I booked a 2 night break on a Friday night however when we arrived at the hotel on the Sunday they had not received any notification and didn't have a reservation for us. Luckily they had one room left. This could have been a disaster as this was a surprise break for my husband.

Good prices and easy to book. Very pleased, and looking forward to our break.

I have never and would never book with secret escapes after seeing their 100% AI ad on TV. If you can’t be bothered to make a simple ad, (and trust me it was simple, absolutely no justification to use AI for any of it) why on earth would you trust them with your holiday. Everything they’ve presented to you on TV is false advertising as it’s not even real. Disgusting.

Easy booking system have used Secret Escapes for many years and always know that hotels will be good quality

We've found some amazing deals with Secret Escapes & been to places we'd never even been aware of. It's a bit of a treat to take a Secret Escapes deal so it's always a pleasure.

Easy to use website and very clear about offers. The booking process was straightforward and everything was confirmed immediately. We have used Secret Escapes for many deals and would recommend them to anyone looking for a getaway, either at home or abroad.

Fantastic experience - able to book a discounted hotel deal at the last minute. Really pleased.

A friend recommended using Secret Escapes - so I did!

Website was easy to use- booking confirmation was prompt - this was shortly followed by confirmation from the hotel.

I have since received from Secret Escapes various itinerary ideas of where to visit during our stay- very helpful indeed.

Simple straightforward booking process.

Booked on here a few times and always been pleased but forgot to go the hotel website and check the reviews this time before I booked. Was disappointed to find the hotel has very poor reviews and not up to usual standards of SE. Will keep fingers crossed it is ok when we get there in July.

They used AI in their advert, instantly lost my interest and caused me to write a bad review. Well done marketing team, you’ve just lost a customer who loves going on holiday!

Very pleased with the service and helpful SE staff Thankyou

Secret Escapes sent a reminder email about a trip I had been looking at. I had already booked somewhere else via a different company but when I saw the Secret Escapes deal, it was a much better hotel, in a better location and with more facilities for the same price. Luckily I could cancel my first booking and booked the new hotel through Secret Escapes. Result!