The best early Black Friday travel deals from Secret Escapes

The travel deals specialist has launched its Black Friday bargains early this year

The Grecotel Eva Palace resort (Grecotel)

The traditionally American sales date of Black Friday may still be three weeks away (26 November) but luxury hotels specialist Secret Escapes has already started its celebratory sale.

For those who are unfamiliar, the Friday after the US holiday of Thanksgiving sees astonishing discounts and deals across fashion, tech, travel and more.

We trawled through dozens of deals to find the very best November travel offers – from 60 per cent off a week in a five-star Corfu resort booked for next spring to glamorous winter sun courtesy of an overwater villa in the Maldives at nearly half price in January or February.

Best Secret Escapes Black Friday deals

Overwater villas at The Residence, Maldives: were £1,139 a night, now £581

(Secret Escapes )

It’s a fantasy on many people’s bucket list - those thatched holiday villas on stilts in the Maldives, surrounded on all sides by jewel-bright Indian Ocean. Secret Escapes has slashed the price of its per-night rates in a one-bedroom water villa by nearly half over several dates in January and February 2022 for a sultry winter sun escape that won’t put quite so much pressure on the bank balance. All The Residence’s water villas have chic, understated interiors, private decks and freestanding bathtubs, with fabulous views out over pale-aquamarine lagoon. The rate includes breakfast and dinner, as well as one high tea and one spa treatment per person, and the package is fully refundable up to eight days before travel. Travel to the resort isn’t included, so do check flight prices before booking.

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Three nights’ all-inclusive at Corfu’s five-star Grecotel Eva Palace: was £1,659, now £531

(Secret Escapes )

For a sultry spring, summer or autumn break next year (discounted dates range from April to October 2022), book a three- or five-night stay at Corfu’s five-star Grecotel Eva Palace, on the island’s beautiful Kommeno Peninsula, home to soft golden sands. The resort’s style is classic, old-fashioned Corfiot elegance, with three restaurants you can book tables at in advance on Grecotel’s app, plus a cocktail bar with fabulous sea views. A rooftop spa, sand-and-pebble beach and range of watersports complete the picture. Mediterranean bliss.

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Adults-only, five-star resort in Lanzarote: was £494 a night, now £321

(Secret Escapes )

After winter or spring sun with only a short travel time? Make for the Canaries, which retain their heat well into winter and see temperatures rise before many Mediterranean islands in spring. With deals from November to April, you can take your pick on which end of winter you want to be in balmy Lanzarote - Secret Escapes has rooms at 35 per cent off at the five-star Secrets Lanzarote Resort & Spa in Arrecife throughout those months. Book into the soothing mountain and forest-themed spa, sunbathe in front of sweeping views of the Atlantic, or linger late in the piano bar for a singalong.

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A high-glamour weekend in central London: was £440 a night, now £189

(Secret Escapes )

Hotels in London’s West End are notoriously pricey, but you can snap up some bargains in this Black Friday sale. A great example is the chic, relatively new Great Scotland Yard boutique hotel, a design hotel poured into an old police HQ in Westminster. Decked out with curious detective-themed objects as well as London-inspired art and design, it’s a handy base for West End theatres, strolls along the Thames and many of the city’s best restaurants - and you can bag a night there for up to 57 per cent off when booking certain dates in November, December and January.

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Superior room with private pool in Crete: was £447 a night, now £272

(Secret Escapes )

Crete is the top choice for Greece’s most well-heeled and foodie fans, with an extra-swish level of hospitality that not every Med island can match. With discounted rates from April to October 2022, there’s loads of choice for those booking the Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa, bagging up to 55 per cent off usual prices on holidays during peak spring and summer months. The hilltop resort has gorgeous views of Spinalonga island, four top-notch restaurants and a shuttle bus to deliver you daily to its private beach. Hire a car to zip around this historic island with its charming, rustic villages - or just cool off in your room’s private pool, picked up for a snip.

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Dinner, bed and breakfast at historic Cotswolds bolthole: was £231 a night, now £164

(Secret Escapes )

With villages built from honey-coloured stone, pubs with roaring fires and meandering country walks, the Cotswolds makes for an atmospheric winter break right here in the UK. You can bag a superior room at the quaint King’s Head Hotel at up to 40 per cent off on a wide range of dates through November 2021 to March 2022, with plenty of nights at £164 for bed, breakfast and dinner, as well as some for £174. This wood-beamed, stone-clad inn - with colourful history dating back to the 17th century - is the stuff of ye olde English dreams, with fine dining and upmarket cocktails in the Brasserie.

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Fully flexible 12-night adventure in Bali and Komodo Island, Indonesia: from £1,989

(Secret Escapes )

Proper, long-haul adventures still feel some way off - but book with a tour operator which offers flexibility and the ability to move dates, and you can snap up some incredible deals. Secret Escapes has a tour of Indonesia, with departure date options across several months in 2022 (Indonesia is not yet open to UK tourists, but is expected to open up in phases over the coming months). Guests on the trip will fly to Bali first, exploring creative-hippie central Ubud before taking off for surfy, off-the-beaten track Lovina to go dolphin watching, then historic temples and Mount Agung from Candidasa - all the while staying at small, characterful hotels. Next up is a flight to Komodo Island to see its namesake giant lizards, pink-sand beaches and rugged terrain. Last is a chilled-out stop in Sanur, Bali before flying home. Those flying from Birmingham and London Heathrow get the cheapest package prices, but there are also options starting from Gatwick, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

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Winter sun break at five-star Dubai hotel: was £753 a night, now £151

(Secret Escapes )

Dubai is king of the reliable winter sun destinations, and Black Friday means some astonishing price-drops for its sun-soaked hotels. Secret Escapes has nights at the five-star Grand Hyatt Dubai, including dinner, bed and breakfast, from just £151 in spring 2022 - this suave stay is great for short breaks, being close to the airport in a placid location near Dubai Creek (home to souks and waterfront restaurants). You can laze by vast indoor or outdoor pools, book into the spa with high-tech saunas and steam rooms, book tours out to see the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, or get out into Dubai’s russet-sand desert. The most affordable rates fall at the end of April, just before the UAE’s temperatures soar in late May and early June.

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Voucher codes

For the latest discounts on home appliances, tech, toys and more, try the links below:

• GO Outdoors discount codes
• Apple discount codes
• First Choice discount codes

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