DALLAS—SiteMinder has partnered with Priceline.com to offer hotels an advanced way of distributing their inventory online. The partnership integrates Priceline.com into SiteMinder’s Channel Manager, providing hotels a new way to reach travelers making their hotel reservations through Priceline.com’s apps or mobile web.
Fig Cakar, managing director of SiteMinder’s Americas region, said the integration could be a “game changer” for hotels that have only known more traditional, often-costlier ways to have their rooms distributed to the booking website.
“Due to the low, flat fee involved in subscribing to SiteMinder’s Channel Manager, hotels now have the opportunity to keep their rates and availability updated in real time on Priceline.com without having to incur large costs for every transaction made. For the average-sized independent hotel that’s challenged with limited visibility and reach to potential guests online, this is a huge benefit,” said Cakar.
According to Phocuswright and h2c’s Independent Lodging Market Report, co-sponsored by SiteMinder, less than 40% of Europe’s independent properties use a channel manager, while in the U.S., independent lodging operators say they acknowledge the importance of effective distribution but lack the ability, systems, budget and time to exploit the opportunities.