Trazzler's world of trips has been created by several constituents: freelancers, travelers, bloggers, and tourism bureaus. Today, we're adding "content partner" to the list.
Some popular niche categories of travel — skiing, golf, spas... — are so popular that they call for extensive editorial coverage. But these places can be expensive to visit, making the pool of expert writers relatively small. Luckily, some of these niches are well covered by existing magazines and websites. So on a case-by-case basis, we've decided to explore partnerships with third parties.
Boutique hotels fall into this category. I love learning about unique places to stay, and I'm often inspired to travel based on boutique hotel reviews, even if I end up staying at a less-expensive property nearby. (Last month, I stayed at a run-of-the-mill (cheap) Best Western in Healdsburg, but walked to dinner at Dry Creek Kitchen inside the tony Hotel Healdsburg.)
When I started looking, it didn't take long to find the best possible partner for boutique hotels: London-based Mr & Mrs Smith. Here's how they explain what they do: "The site, and the name, is all about romantic escapes, with a wink to couples everywhere, who fancy checking into a fabulous hotel under this classic dirty-weekend pseudonym (their inception came about long before the film with Angelina and Brad). Mr & Mrs Smith trips on Trazzler take you on a tour around the most stylish and individual hotels in destinations around the world, from Amsterdam to Zambia. Every boutique hotel selected has been visited by a Smith team member before being reviewed anonymously (and thoroughly) by a couple."
There are a few dozen Mr & Mrs Smith trips on Trazzler today. By the end of December, there will be hundreds.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith was selected first on editorial merit, but there are commercial components to the partnership as well. Links to Mr & Mrs Smith booking will be made available from each Trazzler trip page, and we will be sharing revenue from these bookings. At this time, we are not labeling Mr. and Mrs. Smith's trips differently than other Trazzler trips because we feel they are of equal value from an editorial perspective (in other words, they are as good or better as anything we could concoct). However, we're open to your feedback. Do you think we should call out the Smith trips differently? Please let us know.
Monday, December 8, 2008
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