News for the Hospitality Executive |
MIAMI (September 14, 2009) – AboutAnywhere.com, a direct-to-consumer travel website, is introducing a new low-cost OTA (Online Travel Agency) business model with major innovations in e-marketing services and improved functionality for both hotel partners and consumers. As of today, AboutAnywhere.com’s enhanced platform offers hotels extranet access to load rates and inventory and will launch a consumer booking engine by November 1st. In addition, the website only charges hotels a 10% commission on bookings - one of the lowest among competitors – and guarantees the highest quality of customer service for both hotels and consumers, positioning AboutAnywhere.com as a trendsetter in the travel e-marketplace. For increased marketing exposure, hotel partners can request being listed in their destination’s “Top 20 Hotels”, an innovative program charging on a pay-per-click basis. AboutAnywhere.com is also spearheading integration of new technologies into its revamped platform, following the example of its popular hotel Twitter feeds. “Our new model as a low-cost online travel agency aims to save hotels and consumers money while adding advanced technologies and improving communication on all fronts,” says Ashwin Kamlani, CEO of AboutAnywhere.com. “We are eliminating unnecessary intermediary fees for the hotel industry, the same way eBay did for the resale e-marketplace. We have built a next generation Online Travel Agency, which depends on revenues from a Google style Pay Per Click advertising platform rather than deriving our profits from high commissions. This opens the door for us to take full advantage of new technologies such as Twitter feeds, changing the way hotels sell and consumers purchase travel.” As always, AboutAnywhere.com is free for consumers, providing a state-of-the-art travel portal to streamlining travel research, planning and booking with hotels. Online travel shoppers have the benefit of quick-click global searches for hotel and travel deals by name, country or major city. For more information on AboutAnywhere.com and its new website model, please visit www.aboutanywhere.com or call 1 800 805 2653 (US) or +1 786 853 0758 (Outside US). ABOUT ABOUTANYWHERE.COM AboutAnywhere.com is a direct-to-consumer low-cost online travel agency featuring the lowest booking commissions in the e-marketplace. Hotel partners gain access to an audience of comparison shoppers, without the complicated contracts or hefty fees of other travel websites. This means smaller, independent properties have the chance to shine online! Online profiles contain updated facts, photos, virtual tours, property links, and integration with Twitter. Consumers meanwhile have access to a better selection of hotels with which to thoroughly research their travels, with streamlined communication to the hotels. Plus, AboutAnywhere.com’s Travel News section provides up-to-the-minute information from the global travel community. AboutAnywhere.com currently offers more than 16,000 properties worldwide, including hotels, resorts, timeshares, vacation homes, bed & breakfasts and youth hostels in top destinations. www.aboutanywhere.com |
Contact:
Michelle Dumaine or Erika Vives |