Luxury rooms at a deep discount

How fast can you commit to spending dough for a night at a luxe hotel? What if the room rate were 60% off? Jetsetter.com puts chic hotels around the globe on sale -- but you have to be quick because the clock is ticking.

What’s hot: I’m not sure which is hotter: the caliber of hotels or the competitive pressure that means the deal might disappear. The key to this sexy site of glam hotels: It tells you which sales to expect. Discounts can range from 30% to 60%. One recent deal listed Le Parker Meridien New York (superior king room) marked down from $294 to $190 a night. Sales start at 9 a.m. Pacific Time and run for about three days with a 9 p.m. Pacific Time deadline, although more exotic locales such as Belize or Thailand might have a five-day window. If you need more time to decide, you can “hold” a room at this price for 10% of the purchase price. If you decide not to book, it converts to JetSetter credit.

What’s not: Following a trend of invitation-only shopping sites, the membership acceptance process is unclear. Chief Executive Drew Patterson says the site is not recruiting members but members are inviting friends via social networks such as Twitter or by e-mail. You might need to be Web savvy to seek an invitation, or try your luck by visiting the website and requesting membership.

-- Jen Leo