Hotels.com is a leadingnetwork of localized websites and telephone call centers that offer bookingservices for hotel accommodation worldwide. 

Travelers can choosefrom the widest selections of accommodation via Hotels.com, including bothindependent and major chain hotels as well as self-catering in over hundreds ofthousand properties worldwide. The company offers a one-stop shopping source forhotel-pricing, amenities and availability and also specializes in providingtravelers with accommodations during sold-out periods.

Hotels.com operates 85websites in 34 languages and lists over 325,000 hotels in approximately 19,000locations. It has business affiliation with hotels and B&Bs, some condosand other types of commercial lodging. 

Hotels.com throughnumbers:

·        60 million unique visitors per month

·        260,000+ bookable properties

·        400+ affiliated airlines

·        90 localized websites in 41 languages

·        39.4 billion dollars gross bookings (2013)

·        25M+ verified guest reviews

History:

Hotels.com was launchedas the Hotels Reservation Network in 1991, by David Litman and Robert Diener,which provided hotel booking via a toll-free number in the United states. After buying thedomain name for approximately US$11m, HRN changed its name in 2002 toHotels.com. After this, the company rapidly expanded by adding 29 sites in overtwo years. In 2005, it became an operating company of Expedia Inc.

As a part of its international growth,Hotels.com has launched websites for Europe, America, Australia, Japan, China,the Middle East and South Africa. Websites for Indonesia and Vietnam werelaunched in 2011. Customers across the globe can book online or by phoning oneof the multi-lingual call centers. Calls are both toll-free and paid, dependingon the country for booking. Hotels.com also launched an app for both Androidand Apple devices.

Services:

Companies can list their hotels by applyingthrough the Expedia Partner Centre. As a result, companies can list theirhotels on all 200+ Expedia booking sites, including Hotels.com. This increasestheir online exposure and also allow them to reach customers using variouschannels, such as, mobile phone, tablets and PCs.

After signing up with EPC, hotels are given acustomized offer by sales expert who collects the hotel’s details. Detailsinclude picture of the hotel and rates. Within a few days, the hotel getsfeatured on Hotels.com, as well as on other Expedia group websites. As a result,the hotel comes up in user search results, giving the hotel significantlyincreased visibility. A huge global audience of 53 million global travelers canview the listed hotel. 

Hotel owners get the opportunity to managetheir property online through Expedia. Owners can adjust arrivals, rates,availability and inventory when needed. The built-in marketing tools on the EPCwebsite gives the owners an insight about how to increase profits and run thehotel successfully.

Moreover, the EPC mobile app enables theowners to respond to guest reviews immediately and see any online reviews thatare written. By responding to reviews, owners can display their excellentcustomer service and increase the hotel’s popularity. The app also givesreal-time reservation confirmations and marketing insights with just a click.The hotel owners can also create and extend their targeted promotions withease.

Hotels.com Affiliate Program:

The Hotels.com affiliate programtargets sites that want to leverage the Hotels.com brand to monetize traffic.With a competitive commission-based business model and cookie period, partnersearn commission for each booking that customers make. Promoting Hotels.comcouldn’t be easier, with a range of dynamic partner tools, banners, frequentpromotions and continuous support, to help convert traffic into sales

All affiliates are given a trackinglink containing a unique ID which identifies their website, so any bookingswith the affiliate ID is attributed back to the partners and they earn acommission.

Commission is paid once the check-outdate on the booking has passed and the hotel has confirmed the guesthas completed their stay.

When the partners sign up to the chosennetwork, they are able to log into their account and gain access to highlydetailed and advanced reporting to monitor performance.

Loyalty Program:

Hotels.com has a loyalty program which allowscustomers to claim discounts on some hotels, regardless of hotel chain andtype.

Ø  Hotels.comRewards: Membership Tiers and Benefits:

Hotels.com has a verysimple but rewarding loyalty program, called Hotels.com Rewards. The mainstrength of the program is one free night for every 10 booked nights. A traveler qualifiesfor the Hotel.com rewards Silver or Hotels.com Rewards Gold whenthey collect enough nights in a membership year.

To qualify for Hotels.com Rewards Silver atraveler needs to collect 10 to 29 nights during their current membershipyear. Hotels.com Rewards Silver benefits include:

·        Early access to dealsand promotions

·        Dedicated agentsavailable by email or phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

·        Hassle-free travelguarantee

To qualify for Hotels.com Rewards Gold,a traveler needs to collect 30 or more nights during their current membership year. Hotels.comRewards Gold benefits include:

·        All the benefits ofHotels.com Rewards Silver

·        Exclusive access tospecial deals and promotions

Ø  Prosof the Reward Program:

·        Registration for theHotels.com Rewards loyalty program is free and easy.

·        Travelers can redeemfree night for a night of greater value and pay the difference.

·        Travelers can redeem multiple free nights when they book amultiple-night stay

·        If a traveler cancelsa refundable booking before the hotel’s cancellationdeadline, that free night will be returned to the traveler’s account within 1hour.

·        Hotels.com has almostpermanently discount coupons available from 10% to 15%.

·        Payment can be made inany currency in Hotels.com.

Ø  Consof the Reward program:

·        The value of aHotels.com free night does not include taxes and fees. So, it’s never actuallycompletely free.

·        Travelers can redeemonly one free night for each night of booking. So, travelers cannot use two ormore reward coupons for one and the same night.

·        If a traveler cancelsbooking after the cancellation deadline, that free night will be forfeited.

·        There are variousrestrictions for redeeming free nights through Hotels.com Rewards Program.

·        Hotels.com does notreward or redeem points for hotel loyalty programs or frequent flyer programs.

Hotel price Index: