HOTELMARKETING.COM

Expedia QuickConnect in high demand

June 25, 2008 | Hospitality Industry

Marking the one year anniversary since launching its hotel connectivity solution Expedia QuickConnect, Expedia, Inc. reported it has rolled the solution out to hotels in more than 35 countries, with just under 50 reservations systems now in production.

Expedia has deployed Expedia QuickConnect to nearly 1000 hotel partners worldwide, with new hotels adopting the solution every week.

Because Expedia QuickConnect enables independent hotels and small- to medium-size hotel chains to exchange rates, availability and booking information with Expedia sites in real time, properties that have implemented Expedia QuickConnect have achieved significant efficiencies and growth in room night production and revenues. Hotels in EMEA that have implemented the Expedia QuickConnect interface have on average more than doubled the inventory they are able to offer through Expedia, resulting in a favorable impact on production results. North American hotels connecting to Expedia through Expedia QuickConnect have achieved growth in roomnight production up to three times higher and revenue growth up to more than four times higher than properties that have not yet implemented the solution.

“On a global scale, hotels that implement Expedia QuickConnect are able to sell more room and rate types and achieve greater efficiency in their revenue management strategies,” said Dean Gregory, senior director of lodging connectivity at Expedia. “Ultimately, it delivers our hotel partners better access to the global Expedia marketplace, and streamlines the exchange of information.”

A truly global solution, Expedia QuickConnect has been adopted by hotels throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, and the Americas. Over 90 percent of hotels that have deployed Expedia QuickConnect(TM) are located outside the U.S. Expedia QuickConnect continues to gain momentum in new markets globally. Israel, New Zealand, South Africa and Russia are among the countries where hotels have most recently adopted the connectivity solution.

In the Asia-Pacific region, hotel adoption of Expedia QuickConnect continues to grow at double double-digit rates on a monthly basis. Through an agreement with HUBS1, China’s leading travel technology and distribution marketplace, hotel chains like Jin Jiang Hotel Group, the largest hotel owner and operator in China, are able to connect directly to the Expedia network, garnering the ability to tap into last room availability and real time rates, as well as fulfill the increasing demand for accommodation in China among Expedia customers globally.

“Our partnership with Expedia changes the way hotels in China can manage their inventory, which is especially important in light of the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. As the official hotel reservation service provider for the World Expo, HUBS1 is expected to leverage the Expedia QuickConnect partnership to meet the demand of the millions of visitors to China,” said D. Teddy Zhang, president and CEO of HUBS1. “Expedia continues to improve hoteliers’ access to its marketplace with innovative technologies like Expedia QuickConnect.”

Expedia QuickConnect, an easy-to-use reservation system interface developed specifically for independent and small-to-medium size hotel chain partners, allows hotel partners to link their property management and central reservation systems to Expedia. Expedia was the first online travel agency to offer an open API for hotels, which enables hoteliers to more efficiently manage the rates and inventory they offer to Expedia’s global customer base.

Expedia’s portfolio of connectivity solutions makes it easier for hoteliers to manage their rates and inventory on Expedia sites, and allows for the electronic exchange of rates, inventory and booking data between Expedia and its hotel partners. Expedia Connect, a connectivity solution for large hotel chains, supports more than 18,000 partner properties with another 5,000 planned to be deployed by the end of the year. Since its’ inception three years ago, more than 40 percent of all Expedia merchant hotels have connected via Expedia Connect.

Related Link: Expedia QuickConnect

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