Marriott International, La Quinta Inns & Suites Join Concur T&E Cloud to Supply Itinerary Visibility to TMCs, Corporate Clients

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Concur® (Nasdaq: CNQR), the global leader in integrated travel and expense management, today announced Marriott International and La Quinta Inns & Suites intend to join the Concur T&E Cloud, enabling corporate travel transactions booked directly from their branded websites to automatically appear in Concur products. Under the new Concur TripLink product strategy supporting Open Booking, these itineraries create visibility for both TMCs and corporate customers.

The new hotel partners will join InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and Avis Car Rental to provide travelers who have linked their accounts the ability to book directly on the providers' brand websites and still receive their corporate negotiated rates. Avis and IHG are expected to be the first available to Concur clients in 2013 with new brands deploying through 2014. These new brands include:

• La Quinta: La Quinta Inns & Suites®

• Marriott International:  AC Hotels by Marriott®, Autograph Collection®,  Courtyard®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, EDITION®, Gaylord Hotels®, Grand Residences by Marriott®, The Ritz-Carlton®, The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club®, JW Marriott®, Marriott Hotels®, Renaissance Hotels®, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Residence Inn®, SpringHill Suites®, TownePlace Suites®

"We are excited to enhance the business travel booking experience by joining Concur TripLink," said Ted Schweitzer, senior vice president, marketing and e-Commerce at La Quinta Inns & Suites. "Through the program, we look forward to offering our mutual clients the flexibility and freedom to book travel however they prefer while providing the points they earn through La Quinta Returns."

As more than 50 percent of corporate hotel transactions are booked out of policy* Concur TripLink provides the visibility and cost savings to increase policy compliance. In addition, travelers and their companies receive the following benefits, including:  

• Increased Savings: Concur TripLink provides a complete view of all company travel transactions, giving travelers and their companies better visibility, more control and stronger negotiating power – and ensures they receive their negotiated discounts.
• Improved Traveler Safety: By capturing out of program bookings, companies know where their employees are traveling at all times, supporting their Duty of Care requirements. This also enables their TMCs to support these travelers and deliver the services they require.
• Greater Compliance: By gaining visibility into non-GDS bookings, organizations and their TMCs have a complete view of the travel data. They can use this information to drive programs and services to increase compliance.

"The challenge that managed travel programs and their TMCs have with out of program bookings is not new nor easily solved," said Mike Koetting, Executive Vice President of Concur. "By increasing the number of hotel providers connecting to the Concur T&E Cloud, companies have the potential to drive higher compliance, realize the corporate rates they negotiated and have a consolidated view of all of their travel program data. It also enables their TMC partner to better serve them and their travelers."

About Concur
Concur® is a leading provider of integrated travel and expense management solutions for companies of all sizes. Concur's easy-to-use web-based and mobile solutions help companies and their employees control costs and save time. In support of the mission to fuel The Perfect Trip™, Concur delivers continuous innovation through The Concur® T&E Cloud, the open platform that enables the entire ecosystem to build upon and extend applications, content and T&E data aggregated through Concur; and Concur® Big Data, which leverages the industry's most comprehensive source of T&E data to provide enhanced value in accordance with their travel policies. The Concur Perfect Trip Fund invests in leading edge innovative travel technology companies and is awarding $100,000 in innovation awards at its first annual Developer Conference on October 2, 2013.  Apply here or learn more at http://www.concur.com or the Concur blog.

About La Quinta
LQ Management L.L.C. is one of the largest operators of select-service hotels in the United States. Based in Irving, Texas, the Company operates and provides franchise services to more than 800 hotels in 46 states, Canada and Mexico under the La Quinta Inn® and La Quinta Inn & Suites® brands. For reservations or more information about La Quinta, please visit www.LQ.com or call 1-800-SLEEPLQ. Follow La Quinta Inns & Suites on Twitter at: twitter.com/LQ or on Facebook at: facebook.com/laquinta.

About Marriott
Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) is a leading lodging company based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, with more than 3,800 properties in 74 countries and territories. The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 18 brands. For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com.

SOURCE Concur