LONDON, UK – SiteMinder announces a pioneering partnership with RoomIt by CWT, the hotel distribution division of Carlson Wagonlit Travel, a long-standing leader in business travel. The partnership will provide a modern alternative to the traditional corporate travel distribution chain by offering eligible SiteMinder hotel customers direct access to a travel management company’s clients for the first time.
Under the agreement, RoomIt will create a connection to SiteMinder’s platform so hotel users can offer their best available rates, corporate negotiated rates, consortia rates and any promotional rates directly to RoomIt travellers under CWT’s umbrella of multi-billion-dollar corporate travel programs. The direct connection serves as an alternative means of rate distribution to RoomIt for accommodation providers seeking value and that meet certain business traveller criteria.
SiteMinder’s managing director, Mike Ford, says, “The hotel industry is witnessing an unprecedented rise of direct connections, be that to guests or, now, a travel management company. This partnership is about rewriting the rules to provide hotels choice as they look to tap into the booming corporate travel market.”
“RoomIt is committed to connecting hotels to business travellers and business travellers to the right rooms,” says Yon Abad, Vice President Suppliers at RoomIt by CWT. “We are pleased to fulfil this commitment together with SiteMinder, a globally premier guest acquisition platform. Hotels want more rooms booked and business travellers want more choice; it’s a win-win.”
The higher-rated, shorter-lead business traveller opens up a highly-lucrative market for hotels. According to Phocuswright research, corporate travellers have greater demand for ancillaries and interest in paying for more than standard hotel products, including late checkout or early check-in.
The connection is being piloted to SiteMinder’s hotel enterprise customers in the UK and Italy, and expected to be offered to other SiteMinder hotel customers globally later this year. To be eligible, the properties of hotel groups and chains must currently be centrally located in a business travel destination, have more than 10 rooms, and provide amenities and services that cater for business travellers, including last room availability, in-room Wifi and same-day cancellations.
