Travel Technology
prnewswire | July 28, 2023
Choice Hotels International, Inc. one of the world's leading hotel franchisors, announced today that all nine Radisson Hotels Americas brands – including Radisson Blu, Radisson, and Country Inn & Suites – are now available to be booked on ChoiceHotels.com. This adds nearly 600 hotels onto its world-class central reservation system ahead of schedule and less than a year since its acquisition of Radisson Americas closed. Choice also announced the successful integration of the Radisson Rewards Americas loyalty program into the award-winning Choice Privileges program. This enables the nearly 60 million Choice Privileges members to earn and redeem points at over 7,400 hotels across 22 brands in 45 countries and territories.
"We are excited to offer travelers hundreds of additional hotels to choose from on ChoiceHotels.com, including numerous upscale and full-service properties, as we welcome our Radisson franchisees to Choice's powerful reservation engine," said Pat Pacious, CEO, Choice Hotels International. "Integrating nearly 600 hotels and the Radisson Rewards Americas program in such a short period of time is a testament to Choice's advanced technology and integration expertise and shows our commitment to providing franchisees with opportunities for optimal success and offering travelers ways to easily find the right hotel to meet their travel needs on one website."
Integration Milestone Marks More Bookable Options on ChoiceHotels.com
More upscale and full-service hotel options located in the U.S., including in 90% of the top 25 markets. Examples include:
Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel (Chicago, Illinois)
Radisson Panama City Beach-Oceanfront (Panama City, Florida)
Cambria Hotel Boston Somerville (Somerville, Massachusetts)
Heights House Hotel, Ascend Hotel Collection (Houston, Texas)
4,000 midscale, economy and extended stay locations located within one mile of an interstate exit, many with pools. Examples include:
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Charlottesville-UVA (Charlottesville, Virginia)
Sleep Inn & Suites Lancaster-Platteville (Lancaster, Wisconsin)
Comfort Suites Natchitoches (Natchitoches, Louisiana)
Quality Inn Murfreesboro-University Area (Murfreesboro, Tennessee)
Fantastic selection of hotels outside of the U.S. Examples include:
Radisson Blu Hotel Toronto Downtown (Toronto, Canada)
Radisson Blu Aruba (Palm Beach, Aruba)
Clarion Hotel Post (Gothenburg, Sweden)
Comfort Hotel Jeddah King Road (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)
hotel around TAKAYAMA, Ascend Hotel Collection (Takayama, Japan)
Radisson RED Hotel Miraflores (Lima, Peru)
Quality Hotel San Martino (Garbagnate Monastero, Italy)
More options for members of Choice Privileges, including the opportunity to earn and/or redeem points at casinos, luxury resorts and vacation rentals through Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Penn Casinos and BlueGreen Vacations. Examples include:
Margaritaville Resort Casino (Bossier City, Louisiana)
Bluegreen Vacations Fountains, Ascend Resort Collection (Orlando, Florida)
Circus Circus Hotel & Casino (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Integrated Loyalty Programs Bring New Choice Privileges Member Benefits, Co-Brand Credit Cards & More
Diamond Elite members of Choice Privileges, the highest Elite level, starting today, are entitled to free breakfast for two at Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, and Park Plaza hotels in North and South America and LATAM. Click here for a full list of benefits.
Members of Choice Privileges now have more accommodation options to choose from where they earn and redeem points, as well as two new co-branded credit card options which launched earlier this year, that accelerate the number of points earned to get to a redemption night faster. Cardholders can now earn points on everyday purchases, including at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement and phone plans, making this the fastest way to earn points during stays at participating Choice Hotels properties.
About Choice Hotels
Choice Hotels International, Inc is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world. A challenger in the upscale segment and a leader in midscale and extended stay, Choice® has more than 7,400 hotels, representing over 625,000 rooms, in 45 countries and territories. A diverse portfolio of 22 brands that run the gamut from full-service upper upscale properties to midscale, extended stay and economy enables Choice® to meet travelers' needs in more places and for more occasions while driving more value for franchise owners and shareholders. The award-winning Choice Privileges® loyalty program and co-brand credit card options provide members with a fast and easy way to earn reward nights and personalized perks.
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Travel Technology
prnewswire | July 06, 2023
Trip.com Group, a leading travel service provider and Tourism New Zealand, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote New Zealand as a key tourism destination in Asia Pacific.
Trip.com Group's Vice President of Destination Marketing & Strategy Alliances, Edison Chen, and Tourism New Zealand's Board Chairman, Jamie Tuuta, in the presence of New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, signed the MOU. The Prime Minister is currently on a working visit to China.
As part of the collaboration, both parties will launch a series of joint marketing campaigns to attract tourists from Asia Pacific to New Zealand. The markets include the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Australia. This will involve the creation of appealing and attractive travel itineraries and experiences to meet specific visitor needs, positioning New Zealand as a destination of choice for travellers.
This partnership marks the first Asia Pacific pan-regional collaboration for both sides.
Edison Chen, Vice President of Destination Marketing & Strategy Alliances, at Trip.com Group said, "With the reopening of China's border, we have seen a marked increase in outbound travel-related bookings and searches in the recent months. We look forward to collaborating with Tourism New Zealand to leverage our resources and deep data insights to boost New Zealand tourism development, fully optimising the travel experience for tourists in New Zealand."
"With the resurgence of international travel post-pandemic, this collaboration could not be better for both parties involved."
Data from Trip.com Group's Ctrip and Trip.com platforms show a keen interest in travel in Asia Pacific, including New Zealand.
Specifically, searches for flights to New Zealand have seen a significant increase of nearly 560% year-on-year, and the volume of bookings was up over 570% compared to the same period last year.
The Chinese mainland was the top source of arrivals to New Zealand in the first half of this year, followed by other key markets, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, and South Korea, making the top 10 list.
Tourism New Zealand's Chief Executive, René de Monchy said, "Through the partnership, Tourism New Zealand aims to provide Asia Pacific travellers with more convenient booking methods, personalised itinerary planning, and comprehensive service support. We look forward to welcoming travellers to deeply explore the beautiful landscapes and unique culture of Aotearoa New Zealand, as well as experience our manaakitanga."
About Tourism New Zealand
Tourism New Zealand is responsible for promoting New Zealand in key markets as a visitor destination.Tourism New Zealand is the organisation responsible for marketing New Zealand as a holiday destination. The major tool we use to do this is the 100% Pure New Zealand marketing campaign, a campaign that has evolved over the past decade to make New Zealand one of the world's most well-respected tourism brands.
About Trip.com Group
Trip.com Group is a leading global travel service provider comprising of Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner and Qunar. Across its platforms, Trip.com Group helps travellers around the world make informed and cost-effective bookings for travel products and services and enables partners to connect their offerings with users through the aggregation of comprehensive travel-related content and resources, and an advanced transaction platform consisting of apps, websites and 24/7 customer service centres. Founded in 1999 and listed on NASDAQ in 2003 and HKEX in 2021, Trip.com Group has become one of the best-known travel groups in the world, with the mission "to pursue the perfect trip for a better world".
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Travel Technology
Hyatt Hotels | September 22, 2023
Hyatt Hotels Corporation embarks on a strategic expansion journey with over 30 luxury and lifestyle hotels planned for the Americas by 2025.
The brand's rapid growth includes doubling luxury room inventory and increasing lifestyle rooms, making it a premier choice for high-end travelers.
The strategic acquisitions of Mr & Mrs Smith and Dream Hotel Group enhance Hyatt's offerings for members of the World of Hyatt.
The Hyatt Hotels Corporation has strengthened the brand with ambitious plans to expand its luxury and lifestyle presence throughout the Americas. With a robust development pipeline encompassing more than 30 planned hotels and resorts slated for completion by 2025, Hyatt is poised to make a significant impact. This strategic initiative includes venturing into new markets, reflecting the company's unwavering commitment to enhancing its brand offerings. Over the past half-decade, Hyatt has achieved remarkable milestones on a global scale, including doubling luxury room inventory, tripling the number of resort rooms, and quadrupling the availability of lifestyle rooms. The momentum behind this growth shows no signs of abating. Hyatt now proudly stands as the fastest-growing luxury portfolio, with luxury, lifestyle, and resort properties constituting over 40% of its extensive portfolio. This success solidifies Hyatt's position as the ultimate choice for discerning high-end travelers seeking unparalleled experiences.
This brand expansion has new properties in sought-after destinations, including the Hyatt Centric Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, Cas en Bas Beach Resort in Saint Lucia, and Hyatt Centric Querétaro in Mexico. Additionally, Hyatt is introducing Boundless Collection hotels, featuring Thompson Hotels in various U.S. and Mexican locations. Timeless Collection hotels will offer a home away from home experience, with Park Hyatt Los Cabos in Mexico and Grand Hyatt Scottsdale in Arizona among the highlights. The Inclusive Collection will welcome new resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico, including Secrets St. Lucia Resort & Spa and more. Several luxury and lifestyle Hyatt hotels have recently opened in the Americas, with exciting additions like Andaz Mexico City Condesa and Dreams Flora Resort & Spa in Punta Cana. The Fordson Hotel in Oklahoma City will soon join The Unbound Collection by Hyatt.
Hyatt's transformative growth journey extends further through strategic acquisitions that enhance the offerings for its valued guests and members. The recent acquisition of Mr & Mrs Smith, a global travel platform renowned for its curated collection of boutique and luxury properties, is a testament to Hyatt's commitment to delivering exceptional experiences. This move significantly enriches the choices available to World of Hyatt members, providing them with an even more comprehensive array of rewarding stays and memorable experiences. In addition to this, Hyatt's earlier acquisition of Dream Hotel Group in early 2023 has opened up new horizons for World of Hyatt members, enabling them to access an expanded portfolio of stay options and lifestyle experiences in vibrant destinations like Nashville, Hollywood, South Beach, and New York City.
Additionally, this acquisition catalyzes Hyatt's brand expansion into an emerging leisure market in Mexico, with the upcoming Dream Valle de Guadalupe (slated for 2024). Nestled across 35 sprawling acres in the picturesque Baja California region, this property will feature a sprawling vineyard, 61 well-appointed guestrooms and villas, a luxurious spa and wellness facility, and a trio of vibrant dining and nightlife venues, including an exclusive tasting room and pool bar.
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