Worldhotels Signs Strategic Alliance Agreement With Groople

WORLDHOTELS, a leader in the global independent hotel sales, marketing and distribution industry, today announced that it has signed a strategic alliance agreement with Groople, the Colorado-based Internet firm that is dedicated to improving and automating the group-travel-booking process. This is the first agreement of its kind to be signed by either company.

Through the agreement, Groople is providing participating WORLDHOTELS' properties with preferential listing placement on Groople.com and Travelocity.com. In exchange, starting in June 2005, a seamless GDS interface to WORLDHOTELS' inventory will be finalized, enabling groups of five rooms or more to be booked and immediately confirmed on Groople.com and Travelocity.com. Until June, reservations made through Groople will be processed through the WORLDHOTELS' group travel department. Groople will also manage any customer service issues directly with the hotels.

"Our agreement with Groople is significant, as no other public group site enables consumers to make their own group booking and get instant confirmation of the reservation," said Edward Perry, director of Sales and Marketing-Alternative Distribution Channels-WORLDHOTELS, the Americas. "This technology works for groups of all sizes - from intimate gatherings and weddings to large corporate meetings. Plus, it eliminates the time consumers typically wait during the group booking process, providing instant gratification."

Perry went on to explain that until now GDS technology could only manage group bookings of up to four rooms at a time. The seamless interface to WORLDHOTELS' inventory, which was developed by TRUST, enables consumers to use Groople to book as many rooms as a given hotel has available.

"We're excited about our alliance with WORLDHOTELS because their presence in 70 countries worldwide will significantly boost Groople's inventory overseas, giving leisure group travelers more options than ever before," said Groople Chief Executive Officer David Loy. "By allowing these group bookings to be researched and confirmed online, this agreement further enhances the scope of hotel offerings."

"This agreement renews our commitment to member hotels to drive more business through group channels," said Tom Griffiths, vice president, WORLDHOTELS-the Americas. "It's estimated that unmanaged leisure groups known as the SMERF market (Social, Military, Education, Religious, Fraternal) book $18 billion a year in travel. We're confident that our alliance with Groople with help our company capture a greater share of this important market, while offering a quality portfolio of hotels to their customers."

The group booking process is started on www.groople.com by selecting the "hotels" tab near the top of the page and then filling in the remaining information fields. Through www.travelocity.com, the group booking functionality can be accessed from the main hotel page's shopping engine. After choosing the city and dates, customers simply select the "5+ rooms" button to begin the planning process.

WORLDHOTELS is one of the world's leading hotel sales, marketing and distribution organizations. This progressive and steadily expanding corporation represents nearly 500 member properties in 70 countries spanning all continents. Unique in its approach, WORLDHOTELS meets the requirements of business travelers and vacationers alike by providing hotels in three distinct categories: "The Deluxe Collection," hotels of refined elegance and luxurious comfort; "The First Class Collection," hotels of casual elegance, superior class and high quality; and "The Comfort Collection," hotels characterized by a casual ambiance, intimate atmosphere and moderate price. For more information or to make reservations, visit online at http://www.worldhotels.com or call toll free at 1-800-223-5652 in the U.S. and Canada.

Based in Denver, Groople was created by more than 20 experienced leaders from every area of the travel industry with the goal of becoming the place for leisure group travelers to book the best, hassle-free deals. Groople serves military groups, family reunions, religious organizations and other leisure customers at www.Groople.com and through its offline agents while helping suppliers by giving consumers access to hotel inventory.


Logos, product and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

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