There are a few stages we all experience while attempting to organize a girls’ trip. Initially, there’s the moment the idea strikes. You’re all having a necessary life debrief over drinks when you collectively decide that you guys are burnt out and deserve a getaway. Suddenly, it becomes an exhilarating brainstorm, where everyone’s pitching dreamy, far-out destinations like Tulum and the Amalfi Coast for your overdue R&R. Then comes the weeklong surge in the group chat: hotel links fly, preferred flight itineraries pile up. But somehow, the momentum peters out in between finalizing the dates and asking the awkward questions about whose card will go down for what. Soon, you find that another dream has stalled in the iMessage fantasy phase.
Being friends with mostly Type Bs has found me in this position quite often, which is why the platform Engine piqued my interest. Primarily, it’s a tool for organizing group business trips, which admittedly, is not something that I’m tasked with all too often. But I personally found it interesting that it can be used as a (completely free) trip management platform for any large group of travelers—including groups of enthusiastic but woefully busy/slightly unorganized girls. Also, quality time spent with friends counts as serious business in my book, and it deserves a planning platform that treats it as such.
This site allows groups to book stays at hotel properties globally. And you can save up to 22% on rooms reserved through Engine versus going the regular route. There’s also the lovely added benefit that when it’s time to finally secure your group’s room block at the hotel of your dreams, the platform will coordinate everything for you—from negotiating the best rates and terms to ensuring everyone has their preferred room locked in.
As someone who’s been burned by the uniquely frustrating and drawn-out group travel booking process, I welcome any available fix. So it’s also nice to know that Engines streamlines the entire booking process and will track down the best options that’ll suit everyone in your group’s different preferences.
Your next girls’ trip should be reserved for disconnecting from the demands of real life and reconnecting with the people who know you best. It doesn’t deserve to be tainted by nonsensical planning logistics. If the solution is to plan it like a buttoned-up corporate getaway, so be it. That’s how you’ll get every step clearly outlined in black and white. The next time you enter the dreamy girls’ trip brainstorming phase, consider making things official on Engine sooner rather than later. Allow it to act as the well-informed travel agent that you and your friends are worthy of.
