Room Key(SM) Forges New Partnerships To Double Hotel Inventory Since Site's January Debut

DALLAS, Sept. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Room Key(SM), the innovative hotel search engine which launched in January of this year, announced today three new hotel partnerships and impressive consumer traffic growth, clearly reflecting consumer interest in the simplified search experience and benefits of booking direct that Room Key delivers.  

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Room Key has been embraced by the hospitality industry since launch, which has translated to exceptional growth within its direct connect hotel offerings.   The newest partners to join Room Key are La Quinta Inns & Suites, Millennium Hotels & Resorts and The Leading Hotels of the World (LHW).  The addition of these hoteliers effectively doubles the properties that will be offered to consumers on Roomkey.com, increasing the breadth and depth of offerings from which consumers can choose the hotel that is right for them.  These new partners' hotels are expected to go live on Roomkey.com this fall.

Partnering with La Quinta Inns & Suites expands Room Key's midscale offerings throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico with another brand that is known and trusted by consumers.  "We are pleased to join Room Key and offer consumers an additional way to easily search for our hotels and book direct with La Quinta," said Ted Schweitzer, senior vice president marketing and e-commerce at La Quinta.  "When using Room Key, consumers can rest assured knowing they booked directly with our hotel and will earn their La Quinta Returns points."

Millennium Hotels & Resorts brings mid to upscale properties in 19 countries to Room Key, further expanding the site's global offerings for consumers.  "Millennium is excited to add our properties to the selection of hotels on Roomkey.com," said Nayan Peshkar, Director of Revenue Management and Electronic Marketing from Millennium.  "It's important to the Millennium brand that we reach consumers where they shop and offer them the most accurate and comprehensive information on our properties to simplify their search.  Room Key enables us to do that via a new, yet already established and rapidly growing, distribution channel."

The addition of LHW provides Room Key a conglomeration of global independent luxury hotel offerings, further building out the high-end hotel inventory on the site.  "We're pleased to partner with Room Key to drive additional exposure to our member hotels," said Ted Teng, president and CEO of LHW. "We also look forward to introducing the benefits of Leaders Club membership to discerning travelers in search of the sweet spot where global, luxury and independent hotels intersect."

In addition to a welcome reception from the hospitality industry, consumer response to the Room Key brand has also been strong.  Room Key now reaches more than 14 million travelers per month, according to Google Analytics, and the site has consistently received high marks for ease of use and quality information.  Room Key's presence on popular social media sites including Facebook and Instagram has further engaged consumers, enabling them to interact directly with the brand. 

"From the casual tourist to the frequent traveler, we're thrilled consumers are choosing to search and book their hotel through Room Key at such a rapidly growing pace," said John F. Davis III, chief executive officer at Room Key. "With Room Key monthly visits reaching over 14 million in just 8 months, it's clear that the tailored hotel shopping experience Room Key delivers is one that travelers are seeking today.  With the latest addition of three outstanding, new direct connect partners, we are making great strides toward our mission to enable travelers to efficiently select and confidently book directly with the right hotel."

Room Key will continue to expand its offerings as part of its ongoing commitment to helping travelers search, book and relax.  Learn more about Room Key at roomkey.com; facebook.com/roomkey; @Roomkeytravels on Instagram.

About Room Key(SM)

Room Key is a new venture that has developed an innovative online hotel search engine, Roomkey.com, which provides the simplicity, transparency and breadth of choice consumers expect from a search engine, while delivering the flexibility, accuracy and assurance consumers expect from the hospitality industry.  Room Key was founded by six of the world's leading hotel companies, Choice Hotels International (NYSE: CHH), Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H), InterContinental Hotels Group (NYSE: IHG), Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) and Wyndham Hotel Group, part of the Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN), or their respective affiliates and is led by a highly regarded management team.  Room Key can be accessed internationally at www.roomkey.co.uk in the U.K., www.roomkey.ca in Canada, www.roomkey.com.au in Australia and www.roomkey.co.nz in New Zealand.

Media contact:
Shani Wright
Porter Novelli
212-601-8397
[email protected]

SOURCE Room Key