BELLEVUE, WASH, December 10th – Expedia, Inc., one of the world’s largest online travel companies, and Best Western International, Inc., the world’s largest hotel chain®, have signed a global partnership agreement to distribute Best Western branded hotels on Expedia, Inc. sites.
This partnership is truly global in nature. Expedia features more than 150 travel sites in more than 70 countries, while Best Western boasts more than 4,000 hotels in over 100 countries and territories worldwide.
Melissa Maher, senior vice president of the Global Partner Group at Expedia, Inc. said “Best Western is one of the most recognizable and popular hotel brands in the world. We are thrilled at the opportunity to drive demand to their owners, and offer Expedia shoppers a swath of new Best Western hotel options to book.”
“Expedia is an incredibly valuable distribution and marketing channel, and we see this new strategic partnership as a great investment to ensure hoteliers can easily and efficiently sell their hotel rooms on their sites. Expedia excels at driving demand from around the world, and their marketing power is something that our hotels will benefit from leveraging,” said Dorothy Dowling, senior vice president of marketing and sales at Best Western International, Inc.
The agreement includes participation in the Expedia Traveler Preference program, which provides Expedia shoppers with an option to pay at the time of the booking, or pay the hotel at the time of stay. Further, technology enhancements between the two companies will also ensure that rates and availability of rooms will be reflected in real-time on Expedia sites, providing the best possible customer experience with seamless booking integration.
