InterContinental wins award for Website

April 13, 2004 |

InterContinental Hotels has been awarded speediest Web site in the hotel industry by Keynote Systems, the internet performance authority.

InterContinental Hotels Group has been awarded speediest Web site in the hotel industry by Keynote Systems, the internet performance authority.

Not only did IHG win the top spot but its branded sites achieved the number two, three and four spots. IHG’s Web site is 60% faster than the closest hotel competitor (Hilton.com) Web site and over 100% faster than the speediest online travel agency Web site (Hotels.com).

IHG continues to lead the industry in online innovation. “This is just another reason why consumers can book with confidence. Customers can make reservations quickly, get the best available rate, their reservation will be there when they arrive, and their security and privacy are always protected,” said Eric Pearson, senior vice president, Global E-commerce, InterContinental Hotels Group.

Web site speed is very important to the customer experience. Harley Manning, author of the September 2003 Forrester Research document, “The Best and Worst of Site Design 2003” reported that fast, highly available sites build confidence that they’ll be there when needed. Also according to the May 2003 Forrester Research report, “Who Books Online and Where” the number of clicks it takes to book a room on the IHG Web site at four clicks is about half of the industry average.

IHG regularly communicates with its guests to learn what will make online booking easier, more convenient, and valuable to them. As a leader in online innovation, IHG was the first to guarantee the best available rate, personalization of hotel and rate preferences, offer end-to-end online point redemption for loyalty program members, and first to offer in-language reservations in French, German, Spanish and Chinese on their Web site. IHG was voted the best international hotel Web site by frequent travelers in the most recent Freddie Awards—the frequent traveler’s answer to the Oscar, Emmy and Grammy Awards.

The new Keynote Travel & Hospitality Web Transaction Performance Index is the most comprehensive index available today and includes over 25 leading Web sites in three distinct categories: airline, hotel, and online travel agency sites. Keynote measures online travel transactions from all the major metropolitan areas in the US and places its transaction measurement computers on the most widely used, familiar recognizable Internet backbone and service providers in the US including Uunet/Worldcom, Sprint, AT&T, and Qwest.