Net New Customers, Lower Distribution Costs: First Wave of Hotel Chains Connect to Tripadvisor Plus and Benefit from Growing Travel Subscription Service

NEEDHAM, Mass., July 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tripadvisor^®, the world's largest travel guidance platform*, announced today that three hotel groups, with a combined portfolio of close to 500 properties, are among the first hotel chains to connect directly to Tripadvisor Plus, a new annual subscription that offers members endless travel savings, perks and VIP services. Tripadvisor Plus members will get access to special room rates and guest perks, such as welcome gifts, dining and spa credits and late check-out, when booking at selected Barceló, Millennium Hotels and Pestana Hotels worldwide. For the participating hotels, Tripadvisor Plus provides access to new, high-value customers they can remarket to directly, at zero commission. 

Today's announcement represents a major milestone in the evolution of Tripadvisor Plus, which launched to travelers in the U.S. on 16 June. Barceló Hotel Group (BHG), Millennium Hotels and Resorts (MHR) and Pestana Hotel Group are the first hotel chains to directly connect to Tripadvisor Plus at the corporate group level, meaning accommodations within their portfolios will be automatically enrolled into the program, offering special rates and perks to Tripadvisor Plus members. 

"Tripadvisor Plus is so attractive not just for the savings it offers savvy travelers, but also for the VIP perks that can help elevate their travel experience. That is exactly what these three partners will deliver, and we're excited about the wide range of accommodations that will be available to our members," said Kanika Soni, chief commercial officer, Tripadvisor. "Our partners clearly see the potential of Tripadvisor Plus to help reduce the burden of high online distribution costs. And with travel rebounding in the U.S., today's news shows the momentum we are building with the program."

A Better Distribution Model for Accommodation Providers

For the three hotel groups, Tripadvisor Plus offers an innovative new model of room distribution. Unlike traditional online travel agents, Tripadvisor does not charge participating hotels any commission fee per booking (instead drawing revenue from travelers via annual membership fees). Participating hotels are able to reinvest this third party cost saving into an enhanced guest experience via members-only room rates and exclusive guest perks, attracting a highly valuable customer segment of ready-to-book Tripadvisor Plus members. 

Participating properties also receive enhanced visibility and special badging on Tripadvisor to attract Tripadvisor Plus members, and get full access to all of the customer information from each Tripadvisor Plus reservation allowing hotels to build relationships with those guests after their stay.

More than 60 Travelers' Choice award-winning properties are among the hotels that will be available to book on Tripadvisor Plus as a result of these new partnerships. Properties joining Tripadvisor Plus include:

• Barcelo Maya Riviera, a new 5 star resort located in the Riviera Maya along the Yucatán coastline in Mexico
• The McCormick Scottsdale, a lakeside resort set in 480 acres of pristine Arizona golf course
• Pestana CR7 Funchal, a hotel on the island of Madeira that boasts contemporary design born from a unique collaboration with global soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo
• Occidental Caribe, a family-friendly all-inclusive resort in the popular Caribbean destination of Punta Cana
• Grand Millennium Business Bay, a new luxury destination hotel along the Dubai Canal waterfront
• Pestana Palace Lisboa, a restored 19th century palace offering 5 star accommodation in the heart of Lisbon

About the Partners

Barceló Hotel Group is among the top thirty largest hotel chains in the world, with more than 250 urban and holiday hotels, and more than 55,000 rooms, distributed in 22 countries and marketed under four different brands: Barcelo, Royal Hideaway, Occidental and Allegro hotels.

"Our long-standing collaboration with Tripadvisor means that we are always ready to take advantage of all the new distribution opportunities that it offers us, being able to reduce our direct distribution costs and increase the visibility of our direct channels. I believe that Tripadvisor Plus is a product that perfectly complements our strategy and on which we have high expectations," said Lluís Massanet, global digital business deputy director, Barceló Hotel Group.

Millennium Hotels and Resorts (MHR) operates over 145 hotels across some 80 locations. It has several distinct hotel brands, including Grand Millennium, Millennium, M Social, Copthorne and Kingsgate, throughout Asia, Europe, the Middle East, New Zealand and the United States. 

"We are delighted to partner with Tripadvisor to provide Millennium curated value-add experiences to the Tripadvisor Plus members globally across Millennium Hotels and Resorts. We look forward to welcoming Tripadvisor Plus members to our unique portfolio of hotels placed in the best locations around the world," said Saurabh Prakash, group vice president of digital marketing, revenue management, loyalty & distribution, Millennium Hotels and Resorts.

Pestana Hotel Group is the largest international tourism and leisure group of Portuguese origin, and owns and manages 100 properties, across three continents. The Pestana Hotel Group comprises four hotel brands: Pestana Hotels and Resorts, Pestana Pousadas de Portugal, Pestana CR7 Lifestyle Hotels and Pestana Collection Hotels.

For more information on how hotels can join Tripadvisor Plus, please visit: https://www.tripadvisor.com/business/plus.

Notes to editor

*Source: SimilarWeb, unique users de-duplicated monthly, March 2021

About Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor, the world's largest travel guidance platform*, helps hundreds of millions of people each month** become better travelers, from planning to booking to taking a trip. Travelers across the globe use the Tripadvisor site and app to discover where to stay, what to do and where to eat based on guidance from those who have been there before. With more than 887 million reviews and opinions of nearly 8 million businesses, travelers turn to Tripadvisor to find deals on accommodations, book experiences, reserve tables at delicious restaurants and discover great places nearby. As a travel guidance company available in 43 markets and 22 languages, Tripadvisor makes planning easy no matter the trip type. The subsidiaries of Tripadvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP), own and operate a portfolio of online travel brands and businesses, operating under various websites and apps, including the following websites:

www.bokun.io, www.cruisecritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.thefork.com, www.helloreco.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.housetrip.com, www.jetsetter.com, www.niumba.com, www.seatguru.com, www.singleplatform.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com, and www.viator.com.

* Source: SimilarWeb, unique users de-duplicated monthly, March 2021
** Source: Tripadvisor internal log files

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SOURCE Tripadvisor