Hideaways Aficionado Luxury Travel Club - Media Mentions

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MEDIA MENTIONS

Savia
November 2009
Con su empresa y club de socios Hideaways, lleva 30 años enseñando cómo y dónde convertir las vacaciones en una experiencia única . . . Read full article.

The Miami Herald
February 8, 2009
Where do couples honeymoon when budgets are tight? . . . From Hideaways International, luxury travel club and site, www.Hideaways.com . . . Read full article.

Lodging Magazine
December 2008
Mike Thiel laughs when asked about his nickname: "The King of the One Night Stand." He doesn't mind it because it's something he's earned for reasons other than what you may be thinking . . . Read full article.

Entrepreneur.com
October 22, 2008
Ever wonder where top executives get together for high-level meetings or corporate retreats? (We don't have to wonder about AIG after its well publicized taxpayer-sponsored shindig a couple of weeks ago.) Well, the folks at Hideaways International have an idea . . . Read full article.

Charlotte Observer
September 28, 2008
Mike Thiel, 63, is founder/president of Hideaways International (www.hideaways.com), a luxury travel company with a travel club. Thiel, of Rye, N.H., has been dubbed "King of the One-Night Stands" because his duties include staying at and inspecting high-end hotels as many as 60 hotels per research trip, four or five trips per year.

Q. Tell us about a "tour from hell" experience.

Believe it or not, with Disney . . . Read full article.

Suite101.com
September 14, 2008
Hideaways International is a luxury travel company, and results from its holiday travel poll for the holidays show that most of the members of its travel club still intend to take vacations away from home for the 2008-2009 winter holiday season. THe majority of poll respondents live in North America. Hideaways International Holiday Travel Poll Results . . . Read full article.

Forbes.com
April 2008
"Obviously, Cancún has become a really big break destination," says Mike Thiel, founder and president of New Hampshire-based Hideaways International. "But that's not to say you can't fly in to Cancún and go to some little enclave to get you way away from the crowds."

Forbes.com
November 2007
When Bill Giles, 60, an advertising executive from Lexington, Ky., wants a vacation, he doesn't look for a resort with a long list of daytime activities and a hopping nightlife. He simply wants sun, surf, and sand--and he does not want to share them.

With that in mind, he and his wife head to Guana Island, a private resort in the British Virgin Islands. Here, no more than 30 guests at a time paying between $700-$3,000 a night share 850 exclusive acres.

"We don't need a lot to take a vacation," says Giles. "By the second or third day, you can feel a change in your central nervous system."

Want to vacation like Giles, as far away as possible from the hustle and bustle of the workaday world? Many people find no better escape than the exclusivity of the most luxurious--and private--beach resorts.

"Those who are living high pressure lives and have to interact with people all day sometimes just want to get away alone with someone special," says Mike Thiel, president of Hideaways Aficionado Club, a club that specializes in luxury travel. Tens of thousands of members have joined since he founded the club in 1979.

CNN.com
May 21, 2007
“We loved having breakfast on the stone terrace overlooking the vineyards and relaxing in the evening in front of the fire with a glass of wine made from the grapes growing outside our door. We booked our trip through www.hideaways.com, which is based in New Hampshire.

Mike Thiel, Hideaways founder, notes that villa and flat rentals abroad and in the Caribbean are increasing about 15 percent a year. "It is a favored option for multi-family getaways," he says. And more economical, especially if you can book during low season, summer in the Caribbean, for example, spring or Thanksgiving in Italy. But even in summer, you could probably find a place in Europe for $3,000 or so a week -- and far less in Mexico or the Caribbean -- not bad when divided among a couple of families. ”

CruiseDiva.com
December 2004
"When Hideaways International, highly-regarded luxury travel club, announced its "Bah-humbug Hideaways" for this year-end holiday season, it picked five tropical resorts...and SeaDream Yacht Club, operator of the twin, mega-yacht cruisers, SeaDream I and II. Hideaways International's choices for escaping the commercialization of the holidays were: Guana Island, in the Caribbean's British Virgin Islands; Ikal de Mar on Mexico's Caribbean shoreline; Little Palm Island, Florida; Peter Island, British Virgin Islands; Laluna, resort on the Island of Grenada; and SeaDream Yacht Club."

The Portsmouth Herald
September 2004
"Fulfilling vacation fantasies[Hideaways] helps tourists travel the world like locals of leisure."

USAToday
August 2004
"Hideaways International lists villas on two dozen Caribbean islands and around the world. Booking typically is done directly with villa owners. Hideaways also books getaways at small-scale, high-character hotels and offers members a glossy villa guide and newsletter."

Budget Travel Magazine
June 2004
"Hotels are for suckers. Rent a place for the week and be a temporary European, enjoying the local rhythms, shopping the markets, and sipping wine on your terrace at sunset. The Specialists: Hideaways International [has] the widest selection."

State College Magazine
June 2004
"Hideaways International searches the globe for the most unforgettable getawayswhether youre searching for something casual, casually elegant, or once-in-a-lifetime elegant, [they offer you] something to fulfill your dreams."

The Wall Street Journal
Personal Journal Cover Story, May 2004
"While villa rental long has been popular in places such as Tuscany and Provence, the industry is expanding rapidly across the continent. Hideaways International Inc., one of the largest vacation-rental companies in the U.S., has added properties in Croatia and Hungary."

Family Circle
April 2004
"Rent bargain villas or condos. They offer more room, privacy and a homier feel than a hotel room for comparable or even lower prices. Hideaways International . . . offers discounts on villa rentals."

Kiplinger.com
March 2004
"Renting a private home abroad can make any tourist feel like a local. Hideaways International provides a large selection of Caribbean properties."

Smart Money
February 2004
"More and more travelers are living the good life while on vacation by staying in a villa, a private home for rent. Hideaways International in Portsmouth, NH [is] one of the largest villa rental agencies."

Healing Lifestyles & Spas Magazine
July/August 2003
“Hideaways International is the world’s premier travel club for those seeking out-of-the-ordinary vacations. Their staff and ‘Ambassadors’ roam the world in search of secluded villas, intimate resorts, boutique hotels, yacht-like cruise ships, city-center apartments and more.”

MSNBC.com
July 16, 2003
“Mike Thiel’s Hideaways International is a fascinating and popular organization, in business for many years, representing rental villas, apartments, condos, throughout the world, ranging from Cape Cod to Upper Captiva in Florida, from the California Coast to Provence and Tuscany.”

The Portsmouth Herald
June 22, 2003
“For 25 years, Hideaways International has explored the vacation road less traveled, searching for the world’s best villas, boutique hotels and resorts, private pied-a-terres, yacht-like cruises, barge charters, manor houses, beach houses, castles, entire islands, and more.”

Wheretogonext.com
June 6, 2003
“Thanks to a villa-discovering operation called Hideaways International, anyone with a few bucks can move into a scrumptious setting and escape to a new level of reality.”

CNBC
May 26, 2003
"When many of you think about summer vacations, images of tourists, mobs, and packed beaches may come to mind. Hate that! But if you're looking to truly get away from it all, our next guest has the answer. Joining us now with a look at the world's most luxurious getaways is Mike Thiel, founder and president of Hideaways."

Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel on MSNBC.com
March 14, 2003
“Picture yourself in a Tuscan villa, Florida beach house, Caribbean cottage, Parisian apartment, on-mountain ski condo—whatever floats your boat (hey, barges and yachts are an option, too). Normally you’d have to go through a rental agency to find a vacation home for a week or two. The problems are (a) an agent takes a commission, and (b) agencies tend to rep the pricier properties. Hideaways International charges just once—for membership—whereupon you get a catalogue chock full of tantalizing homes you can rent directly from the owner.

What makes Hideaways an admirable company, and in keeping with the spirit of Budget Travel philosophy, is that it’s not a rental agency. It is, in a general sense, in the business of publishing a catalogue (which is also available on-line to members, plus there’s a newsletter). That catalogue is filled with descriptions, pictures, and prices of villas.

And it’s not just private homes/condos for rent, Hideaways catalogues also include more traditional lodging options that are a bit out of the ordinary or not as widely known or advertised as the big shots [like] little-known resorts. Usually members get five or ten percent off the rack rates.”

John Clayton’s Travel With a Difference, KNX1070 Radio
February 15, 2003
“When a company has a name like ‘Hideaways,’ you know it’s got to be special—and this one is. I’ve known about them for a long time, and they’re the best at what they do. Whether its their intriguing newsletter or their 100 plus page [magazine], Hideaways gives you tips and ideas on, as they say, ‘the road less traveled.’ Their words and pictures are nothing less than stunning, and the secrets they share with you are so captivating, you’ll want to run away with Hideaways today. Of all the thousands of things I’ve talked about in 10 years on LA radio, Hideaways is the most exciting and unique.”

CNBC
February 13, 2003
“Well, tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. If you haven’t bought something for him or her yet: PANIC! You are in trouble. Luckily though, thank God for us because we have some suggestions that will take your honey’s breath away. Mike Thiel is the founder and president of Hideaways International; he has some ideas for you on ultra exclusive, ultra romantic getaways.”

Dow Jones Interactive
January 13, 2003
“Hideaways International offers its members details, reviews and contact information for country cottages and out-of-the-way boutique hotels to staffed villas in exotic locations.”

MSNBC.com
December 16, 2002
“Well-known travel club Hideaways International can set your extended family up in vacation digs from Florida to Maine, Colorado to California, often for as little as $1,000 a week. There are bargains in the Caribbean and Europe too."

Smarterliving.com
November 12, 2002
“There are hundreds of options for staffed vacation rentals in the Caribbean as well as in the United States. Try Hideaways International travel club, the recognized leader in villa vacations.”

The Dallas Morning News
November 10, 2002
“Movie stars and celebrities don’t travel like other people do. They arrive in private jets met by agents bearing gifts and spreading red carpets, and then they’re swept away by limousines to their private villas. You might not be a movie star with a private jet, but you can sweep yourself away to a private villa, often for no more than you would spend at a hotel . . . Hideaways International puts members in direct contact with owners. It has more than 2,000 listings worldwide.”

The Golf Insider Magazine
October 2002
“Hideaways International is a travel club specializing in little-known escapes.”

Porthole Magazine
October 2002
“Hideaways’ portfolio of inspected and approved lodgings gives terrific options and assurances of quality information, precision quality control, an unparalleled online rating system, and valuable referral from members who have stayed at the listed properties. An annual Hideaways membership includes an informative, semiannual Hideaways Guide, which lists hundreds of private vacation homes for rent directly from their owners, plus thousands of other unique escapes. A quarterly newsletter keeps members up to date on properties, ratings, and travel news. Hideaways also offers members-only perks and discounts at select properties, as well as personal services from friendly and knowledgeable travel consultants.”

Arthur Frommer in The Los Angeles Times
September 8, 2002
“[Choose] from villas throughout the world (including the United States and the Caribbean) . . . consider Mike Thiel’s Hideaways International. Instead of acting as a broker, Thiel operates a referral service, representing rental villas from Barbados to Cuernavaca, Mexico, and from the California coast to Thailand and Australia. He issues a [magazine] twice a year containing color photographs of hundreds of homes for rent. If you see something interesting, you phone Hideaways to get the details. You then contact the owner of the home or condo directly. You save, according to Thiel, by renting directly.”

Yonkers Tribune
July 27, 2002
“Founded in 1979, Hideaways International is recognized by many as the world’s premier travel club specializing in unique and memorable worldwide vacation escapes.”

WWLTV.com
May 29, 2002
“Rent your own private villa (many have pools) for under $1,500 in the Caribbean or the United States. Save even more when you share the house with friends or family. Live like a kind with a cook and maid. Call the Hideaways International travel club.”

Ranch & Cove Magazine
May 2002
“Hideaways International [is] an exclusive, service oriented travel associate helping travelers develop unique vacation experiences. From villas to exclusive resorts and inns to yacht charters and adventure vacations, Hideaways provides insider access . . . and can help in searching for that ‘vacation road less traveled.’”

Entrée Newsletter
May 2002
“The best vacation resource in the business is Hideaways International, a travel club specializing in spectacular vacations at villas, yacht-like cruise ships, intimate resorts and boutique hotels worldwide.”

Los Angeles Times
April 7, 2002
“The travel club Hideaways International books family groups in villas that are surprisingly affordable, in places ranging from North Carolina to Mexico.”

Time.com
April 2001
“Hideaways International rents villas, castles, cottages in Austria, England, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, and Wales.”

Samantha Brown, Great Vacation Homes, The Travel Channel
1999
"For Gail and Mike Thiel, who could vacation anywhere around the world, they choose as their ultimate hideaway a little unassuming town called Portsmouth, NH. I'm at their house in Portsmouth, where they also have a business called Hideaways International. They find secluded homes all around the world for people to vacation in. So I thought it'd be a great idea to check out where they hide away."

Travel + Leisure Magazine
1998
"I recently met with Mike Thiel, owner and founder of Hideaways International, and came away very impressed with his company, which specializes in private home rentals around the world. Thiel founded the firm 20 years ago, and since then has built up a roster of thousands of properties, ranging from a three-bedroom condo in Hawaii for as little as $875 a week to a 6,000-square-foot estate in St. John, U.S.V.I., that lists for up to $5,900 a week. Although there is a preponderance of Caribbean villas in the company's listings, there are plenty to choose from in England and Ireland as well as mainland Europe. The company has a stone town house built in the 1690s in the Cotswolds that sleeps six and rents for as little as $850 per week, as well as a five-bedroom home in County Kerry which also rents for as little as $850 per week."

CNN
August 23, 1997
"A visit to an exotic destination can be a bit of a let-down if you wind up in a standard hotel room. But you can avoid that disappointment through renting a private residence. Joining us now to talk about such private rentals is Mike Thiel, the president of the travel club Hideaways International."

Travel Weekly
July 1997
"Dedicated to helping clients book villas and condominiums.""Best Newsletter"

BusinessWeek
August 1996
"[Hideaways International] Specializes in finding upscale vacation home rentals in exotic locations without charging a commission."

Arthur Frommer’s Almanac of Travel
1988
“Our first guest is the famous Michael Thiel from Hideaways International who puts out Hideaways Guide twice a year. And this [Guide is mailed] to thousands and thousands of people who are fiercely loyal aficionados.”

PM Magazine
1984
“Have you ever dreamed of finding your own private hideaway? A place to escape on vacation that’s unique, romantic, and nothing like the typical hotel room we all see? Sure, we’ve all daydreamed about that. But how many times have your vacations bombed out because you didn’t know where you were going? What we need is someone who can find for us our perfect vacation hideaway. Someone who understands how important vacation is. Mike Thiel [runs] Hideaways . . . it’s sort of a passport to fantasy.”

IndependentTraveler.com
"If you have a large family, you may want to consider renting a vacation home. You'll have more space and privacy, and cut down on the bickering that comes from cramped quarters. Check out Hideaways International, a travel club that offers villas, condos and suite resorts around the world at a discount."

Frommer’s Jamaica
1st Edition
“Hideaways International publishes Hideaways Guide, a pictorial directory of home rentals throughout the world; the directory includes full descriptions so you know what you’re renting. Rentals range from cottages to staffed villas to whole islands! On most rentals, you deal directly with owners. For condos and small resorts, Hideaways offers member discounts. Other services include yacht charters, cruises, airline ticketing, car rentals, and hotel reservations.”

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