Hospitality Management
prnewswire | August 31, 2023
Cendyn, a catalyst for digital transformation in the hospitality industry, proudly announces the strategic acquisition of WIHP, an industry leader in hotel digital marketing services and technology. The acquisition signifies a key milestone in Cendyn's quest to facilitate profitable revenue growth for the hospitality industry through continued investment in driving direct bookings.
For close to 30 years, Cendyn has established itself as a pioneer in empowering people to excel in hospitality through world-class technology and services. This commitment enables hoteliers to foster deeper guest relationships, increase direct bookings, and enhance overall bottom-line results.
The merger between Cendyn and WIHP represents a leap for Cendyn, reinforcing its EMEA and global footprint at a time when the industry is focused on driving more profitable revenue. By joining forces, the two entities create a digital ecosystem that empowers clients of both Cendyn and WIHP to generate profitable revenue growth driven through their direct booking channels.
"We are thrilled to embark on this transformative journey with WIHP," said Jack Blaha, CEO at Cendyn, "The synergy between both companies is remarkable, and with WIHP's metasearch prowess, this merger reaffirms our commitment to driving more demand for our customers' most profitable direct booking channel."
"At the core of this transformative acquisition lies two true digital leaders in the industry," said Vincent Ramelli, CEO at WIHP. "Marrying Cendyn's rich heritage with WIHP's state-of-the-art metasearch expertise establishes a new epoch in the hospitality industry. We are incredibly excited to see what we can achieve together for our industry."
As Cendyn and WIHP unite under this acquisition, hoteliers can expect a revolutionized approach to hotel digital marketing services, setting an elevated standard for the future of hospitality technology.
About Cendyn
Cendyn is a catalyst for digital transformation in the hospitality industry. We help hotels around the globe drive profitability and guest loyalty through an integrated technology platform that aligns revenue, eCommerce, distribution, marketing and sales teams with centralized data, applications, and analytics, so they can capture more demand and accelerate growth. With offices located across the globe, in the United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Singapore, Bangkok, and India, Cendyn serves tens of thousands of customers across 143 countries.
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Destination and Tourism
prnewswire | August 18, 2023
Global luxury travel network Virtuoso reveals when, where and how the affluent are traveling for the remainder of 2023. Respected as an industry-leading trend forecaster, Virtuoso gathered data and insights from its network of travel advisors, preferred partners and high net worth/ultra-high net worth clientele based on its data warehouse of more than $63.6 billion in transactions and an ongoing series of surveys. The results were shared at luxury travel's leading event, the 35th annual Virtuoso Travel Week. Running August 12-18 in Las Vegas at Bellagio Resort & Casino, ARIA Resort & Casino and Vdara Hotel & Spa, the event is recognized as the Fashion Week of luxury travel for its presentation of the latest news and trends affecting the industry before thousands of industry leaders, as well as the multi-million dollars in travel sales it drives.
The lead story: travel shows no signs of slowing down, despite inflation and global economic challenges. In the first half of 2023, Virtuoso reported a 69 percent uptick in sales versus 2019 numbers, with hotel and cruise segments leading the way, up 173 percent and 122 percent respectively.
Luxury hotels in the U.S. have seen a 57 percent increase compared to 2019, while luxury international hotels have soared to a 58 percent uptick.
Future leisure travel sales leading into 2024-2025 are equally strong. When comparing sales leading into 2020 from 2019, considered to be luxury travel's highwater mark, 2023's future sales are pacing 107 percent higher. Future sales for 2023 into 2024 are also pacing 44 percent higher than they were in 2022 leading into 2023.
Likewise, 2023 future cruise sales are 44 percent higher than they were in 2022 and 106 percent higher versus 2019.
Travelers are heading abroad in record numbers. Paris, London and Florence ranking among the most-booked cities this fall. When it comes to the hottest travel trends, Virtuoso advisors have noted continued demand for exclusive-use experiences, such as private aviation and yachting along with itineraries that incorporate next-level stimulation and engagement (think scientific expeditions in Antarctica). The wellness sector continues to thrive, with 94 percent of travelers incorporating self-care into their travels and a rising interest in programs that incorporate creative and performance art. Iceland has emerged as a wellness destination, as has Thailand, as travel to Asia returns. What hasn't changed, but is even more pronounced following the pandemic, is the importance travelers place on genuine, personalized service and their willingness to invest in collaborating with a travel advisor to arrange VIP treatment and access, to have reassurance, accountability and save time, and to ultimately have the experience they want.
An overview of the information is below, with complete findings here.
Booking analysis is based on transactional data sourced from Virtuoso's travel agency members; wellness and culinary travel insights were based on surveys conducted with Virtuoso advisors; and sustainability findings are the result of a recent in-depth analysis of Virtuoso partners resulting in its Virtuoso Impact Report, Sustainable Travel, 2023.
AboutVirtuoso Travel
Virtuoso is the leading global network of travel agencies specializing in luxury and experiential travel, with more than 20,000 travel advisors. We partner with over 1,800 of the world’s best companies such as hotels, cruise lines, tour operators, and more. Our advisors use their personal connections and firsthand expertise to craft bespoke trips for clients, including unique experiences, special values, complimentary perks, VIP treatment and rare access.
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Business Travel
Hotel Engine | July 20, 2023
Travel technology leader Hotel Engine today announced a first-of-its-kind promotion for new customers to save big on future bookings. Beginning July 19th, 2023, new customers who sign up and book $500 or more before the end of July will receive 25% back on their spend to use on future stays in the form of Hotel Engine Travel Credits.
To qualify, new users must:
Be a new Hotel Engine customer and sign up to join the platform with their business email here
Book at least $500 in rooms before July 31, and complete the stays before October 1, 2023
“We’re on a mission to radically simplify trip management and are confident that our platform offers businesses and travelers the best solution on the market,” said Elia Wallen, Hotel Engine founder and CEO. “We hope this promotion will help new customers experience how Hotel Engine can save them valuable time and money on their lodging programs, especially in this economic environment when every dollar counts.”
Trusted by more than 40,000 businesses of all sizes, Hotel Engine is a free-to-use hotel booking engine for businesses focused on securing the best possible rates, delivering exceptional customer service and providing intuitive, flexible bookings tools. Key attributes of the platform include:
Cost Savings: Hotel Engine offers up to 60% off rates through relationships with direct hotel partners and wholesalers. And with its free cost savings calculator, Hotel Engine helps customers estimate the potential cost advantages of booking accommodations through its platform.
Secure, Consolidated Billing: All reservations at any hotel are consolidated into a single monthly statement, eliminating both the need to chase down endless invoices and the potential for fraud.
Rewards & Loyalty Pass-Through: Customers have access to Hotel Engine’s robust rewards program and their favorite hotel chains, including Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy and more. With more than 700,000 hotel partners worldwide, customers don't have to compromise on the hotels they want to stay at or the rewards programs they want to maximize.
Intuitive Booking Insights: Data-driven reporting and customized visibility into every company's travel program is available to help companies make more informed decisions.
Free Live Support: Hotel Engine's in-house team provides 24/7 support, with virtually no wait times.
Last month the company announced significant enhancements to Groups, the platform’s intelligent group booking solution, making it easier for member companies to save time and avoid hassle when booking large or complex reservations. Hotel Engine also released FlexPro, a first-of-its-kind industry subscription that provides companies with complete flexibility to cancel or modify any reservation.
About Hotel Engine
Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Denver, Hotel Engine is one of the world’s fast-growing hotel booking engines. The company is on a mission to radically simplify trip management for businesses through rapid innovation and customer obsession. Its Double-sided marketplace connects ~40,000 member companies to a growing portfolio of 700,000+ global partner hotels to create a smarter and more rewarding business travel network.
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