US: Booking.com has announced the launch of BookingSuite, which will create websites for small hotels with no upfront costs.
In exchange for the websites, the hotel pays a 10 per cent commission to Booking.com for any reservation made through the site. Booking.com has been testing the service for months and will formally launch it this week.
The service is aimed at independent and boutique hotels without the resources to build their own online presence.
Brian Saab, Booking.com's global head of marketing, says his company already has partnerships with about 2,800 property owners, with another 3,600 lodging owners signed up for the service.
BookingSuite's 10% commission is below the starting 15% rate that Booking.com typically charges hotels. But Booking.com is also looking to get additional fees from these hoteliers for services like search-engine marketing and other ways to raise their stature on Google and other search engines.
Rob Ransom, director of BookingSuite, said: "BookingSuite property websites represent a great leap forward for the industry, said "For the first time, accommodation providers in all regions of the world can benefit from a high-quality online presence with no financial risk and no operational and technical headaches. BookingSuite eliminates time and resources wasted with traditional website development and management, enabling partners to benefit immediately from a strong online presence."
suite.booking.com
