Top Restaurants & Spas Give Travelzoo Subscribers a Big Thumbs Up as Deals Publisher Sells 100,000th 'Local Deal'

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Dec 07, 2010, 10:40 ET

NEW YORK, Dec. 7, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Travelzoo (Nasdaq: TZOO), a global Internet media company, announced today that it has sold its 100,000th Local Deal voucher. The voucher purchased was a $20 lunch for two at Michelin-Rated Colibri Mexican Bistro in San Francisco. The deal follows 150 other outstanding offers that have saved Travelzoo® subscribers more than $2.5 million at local businesses in 24 cities since Local Deals launched in August. Notable offerings featured on Travelzoo Local Deals™ have included an $89 dinner for two at celebrity hot spot Culina inside the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, which sold 3,076 vouchers as well as a $125 deal at the upscale Townhouse Spa in Manhattan, which sold over 2,000 vouchers.

As Travelzoo ramps up its Local Deals publication across the country, local businesses are starting to reap the benefits that top travel brands, like JetBlue Airways and Starwood Hotels & Resorts, have enjoyed with Travelzoo over the past decade. Consistently, local businesses report that Travelzoo's subscribers are sophisticated consumers who can quickly turn into repeat customers.

Jamie Ahn, Director of Townhouse Spa, which was named Vanity Fair's favorite spa in New York City, said, "The Travelzoo Local Deal was an explosive marketing campaign for Townhouse Spa. We've been impressed with the demographic of the Travelzoo subscribers. They're sophisticated, appreciative and also tip well, which is important for our staff. These are just the type of people we want in our spa!"

Jennifer Blackmon, Director of Sales and Marketing for bistro 24 at the Ritz-Carlton in Phoenix, remarked, "Of the diners that have come in so far, 85 percent of them are new clients. In addition, the customers spent anywhere from $20 to $60 more than the voucher amount, mostly on drinks and dessert. We had one couple come back for dinner the very next night!"

Carlie Bockelman, Spa Director at Spa Blix in Seattle, said, "This is the third collective buying company we have worked with, and it is by far the most positive. The clients we have seen so far have been in the demographic we were given and they have been both tipping well and buying product. Furthermore, most have expressed an interest in returning."

Benjamin Berry, Director of Restaurants for Wooley's Steakhouse in Bloomington, Minn., commented, "The Travelzoo promotion has worked better than many of their competitors. The major differentiator was the type of people that it brought in. For the most part, these diners spent above and beyond the discount certificate amount by ordering drinks, bottles of wine and dessert. This offset the promotion cost of the discount and gave us the opportunity to showcase our food and service to many guests that had never been to the restaurant before."

Dan Underwood, General Manager of Central 214 in Dallas's Hotel Palomar, said, "Travelzoo Local Deals is the first and only deal site we've worked with, and the response has been great. The diners are spending above and beyond the voucher amount."

Michael Stitt, General Manager and Vice President of Travelzoo Local Deals, said, "We are delighted, but not surprised; to hear local businesses praise the quality and level of sophistication of our subscribers. For many of our 21 million subscribers, Travelzoo is a trusted friend who tells them about the deals that matter. We rigorously fact-check the deals we recommend to ensure they meet our high quality standards. Local Deals is no different and is a positive extension for the Travelzoo brand."

To see the latest Local Deals or become a Travelzoo subscriber, visit www.travelzoo.com/local-deals.

About Travelzoo

Travelzoo Inc. is a global Internet media company. With 21 million subscribers in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific and 24 offices worldwide, Travelzoo® publishes deals from more than 2,000 travel and entertainment companies. Travelzoo's deal experts review offers to find the best deals and confirm their true value. In Asia Pacific, Travelzoo is independently owned and operated by Travelzoo (Asia) Ltd. and Travelzoo Japan K.K. under a license agreement with Travelzoo Inc. Travelzoo Local Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Travelzoo Inc.

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