With only 30% to 50% of corporate hotel buying going through TMCs and many bookings still being booked direct by business travellers themselves, the Hotelzon acquisition is designed to provide both corporations and Travelport-connected travel agencies with a best-in-class booking tool with extensive independent hotel content.
Hotelzon will continue to operate under its existing brand and be led by incumbent CEO, Jani Kaskinen, who will report into Niklas Andréen who heads up Travelport’s Global Hospitality, Car & Advertising business.
The acquisition complements and further strengthens Travelport’s current hotel offering to corporations and TMCs by providing the following benefits:
Expanded hotel content in both Travelport’s and Hotelzon’s booking platforms: bringing an additional 30,000 hotel properties into Travelport’s Travel Commerce Platform, in particular, new European independent and small hotel chain properties that were previously unavailable. Likewise, Travelport’s hotel content will be made available to Hotelzon’s travel agency and corporate customers.
New industry-leading technology, including Hotelzon’s corporate self-booking tool. The enhanced functionality will allow Travelport to more effectively serve both the expanding needs of its corporate customers, in a space that is of growing importance to the overall travel sector, as well as its core TMC partners.
Best-in-class extranet capabilities that allow both travel agents and corporate travel managers to access independent hotel content, including their specially negotiated rates with these independent hotels.
Heightened hotel and corporate travel expertise and skills gained through Hotelzon’s management as well as its skilled team of hotel technology developers.
New insights into hotel booking behaviour, including the needs of today’s corporate travel buyer and traveller, particularly around where hotel bookings are made without being attached to an air booking.
Gordon Wilson, President and CEO of Travelport, said: “This acquisition is part of our realizing our strategic plan to redefine travel commerce, with a particular focus on growing in both the hotel and corporate travel space”
Travelport’s acquisition of Hotelzon follows other investments it has made as part of its “Beyond Air” strategy including the acquisition of Sprice.com in 2010, which enabled the launch of Travelport Rooms and More, its B2B booking engine focused on leisure travel.
