Direct Booking Commission-free Luxury Hotel Site Debuts

The GreatestHotels.com site features exclusive offers at 4/5-star luxury hotels

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Dec 01, 2016, 09:00 ET

NAPLES, Fla., Dec. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Travelers seeking luxury accommodations can now find exclusive amenities at exceptional hotels at www.GreatestHotels.com. After two years in development and one year in beta, GreatestHotels.com is now live and its hotel membership includes world-class independent hotels and mega brands. The site provides an alternative to the huge online travel agents (OTAs) such as Expedia, Priceline and now Google, for savvy hotel guests. Hotel members never pay commissions, instead they pay a nominal monthly subscription fee, exponentially less than the cost of OTA commissions, allowing them to be very competitive on rates and generous on amenities.

At Greatest Hotels, "Greatest Guests" enjoy an exceptional experience and exclusive amenities at world-renowned resorts in Hawaii, California, Las Vegas and Florida, as well as at unique boutiques such as the charming Marisol Hotel in Coronado, California.

The parent company is Greatest Hotels, Group, Inc. (GHG, Inc.) and Founder and company Chairman and CEO Dwight Gould, is a hospitality and marketing expert and entrepreneur. "If we can help our member clients move one point of rooms business from the OTAs to a Greatest Hotels direct booking, members can realize a minimum of 3% profit growth straight to their bottom line," says Gould. "The site's added value is in its ability to drive discerning prospects to member hotels, where they have the best chance of becoming a loyal hotel guest." Recent studies* show that direct bookings are on average 18% more profitable than those through an online travel agent, and that the most efficient sale is a repeat sale.

Benefits to Hotels:

No Commissions—Greater Margins
Control of the Rate, Guest Relationship and Data—Efficient Retention
Highly Qualified Prospect Development—Efficient Conversion
High Lifetime-Value Guests—Loyalty Program Prospects
Nominal Subscription—Higher Profits

The upscale site users—"Greatest Guests"—can expect exclusive hospitality amenities from hotel members and monthly newsletters featuring new members and new benefits. "We allow our hotel members the ability to extend premium amenities to Greatest Guests, such as flowers, candy, wine, etc. in support of the member's effort to build a relationship and a loyal guest," says Gould. "Consumer research says that price is not a primary driving factor with most affluent travelers, their top priority is to be in control, and to have an exceptional experience, and that's what we offer." GreatestHotels.com site is already a leader in organic search results and in a recent consumer survey** 85% of this cohort said they would be "likely/very likely" to try the GreatestHotels.com site.

Benefits to Guests:

Personal Relationship—Persons, not Confirmation Numbers
Superior Recognition—Exclusive Amenities for Valued Guests
Being in Control—Creating Exceptional Experiences

Members of the GHG, Inc. advisory board include highly regarded hospitality and marketing leaders Joe McInerney, CHA, Emeritus President & CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association and President & CEO of McInerney Hospitality International LLC; and Melinda Bush, President & CEO Chief of HRW Holdings, a highly respected travel publishing pioneer.