Secret Escapes is a company.
Secret Escapes has raised $141.0M across 3 funding rounds.
Key people at Secret Escapes.
Secret Escapes has raised $141.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Key people at Secret Escapes.
Secret Escapes has raised $141.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Secret Escapes's investors include Backed VC, Boost Capital Partners, Accel, Accomplice VC, CRV, Flybridge Capital Partners, Greylock, GV, Harrison Metal, Highland Capital Partners, IrishAngels, Kickstart Fund.
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]
Secret Escapes has raised $141.0M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $68.0M Series D in October 2017.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2017 | $68.0M Series D | Backed VC, Boost Capital Partners | |
| Jul 1, 2015 | $60.0M Series C | Accel, Accomplice VC, Backed VC, Boost Capital Partners, CRV, Flybridge Capital Partners, Greylock, GV, Harrison Metal, Highland Capital Partners, IrishAngels, Kickstart Fund, Madrona Ventures, Math Capital, Motivate Ventures, Paradigm, Rebel Fund, RET Ventures, Stride VC, The Hit Forge, Christian Reber, Jason Robins, Jeff Seibert, Kevin O'Leary, Marc Benioff, Nick Caldwell, Paul Forster, Wayne Chang | |
| Oct 1, 2012 | $13.0M Series B | Accomplice VC, Backed VC, Boost Capital Partners, Flybridge Capital Partners, Greylock, Harrison Metal, Highland Capital Partners, IrishAngels, Kickstart Fund, Math Capital, Motivate Ventures, Paradigm, Rebel Fund, RET Ventures, Stride VC, The Hit Forge, Christian Reber, Jason Robins, Jeff Seibert, Kevin O'Leary, Nick Caldwell, Paul Forster, Wayne Chang |
