RoomIt by CWT signs partnership with SiteMinder

RoomIt by CWT, the hotel distribution division of Carlson Wagonlit Travel, and SiteMinder, the hotel guest acquisition platform, have signed a strategic partnership that will see a global integration of their services. The companies will provide hotels with additional access to RoomIt travellers under Carlson Wagonlit Travel’s corporate travel programmes umbrella. “RoomIt is committed to connecting hotels to business travellers and business travellers to the right rooms,” says Yon Abad (pictured), Vice-President Suppliers at RoomIt by CWT. “We are pleased to fulfil this commitment together with SiteMinder… Hotels want more rooms booked and business travellers want more choice; it’s a win-win.” As the business travel landscape changes, the lines continue to blur on what business travellers look for when booking business trips, making the demand for more choice a table stake for corporate hotel programmes. In fact, according to new research by RoomIt and GBTA, 60% of business travellers report they most often stay at upscale or higher properties, opening up a highly-lucrative market for hotels. SiteMinder’s Managing Director, Mike Ford, says: “The hotel industry is witnessing an unprecedented rise of direct connections, be that to guests or, now, a travel management company. This partnership is about rewriting the rules to provide hotels choice as they look to tap into the booming corporate travel market.” The connection is being piloted to SiteMinder’s hotel enterprise customers in the UK and Italy, and expected to be offered to other SiteMinder hotel customers globally later this year. To be eligible, the properties of hotel groups and chains must currently be centrally located in a business travel destination, have more than 10 rooms, and provide amenities and services that cater for business travellers, including last room availability, in-room Wi-Fi and same-day cancellations. RoomIt by CWT claims to book 30 hotel rooms a minute, while CWT handles 105 events daily. SiteMinder claims to work with 30,000 hotels, across 160 countries, and to generate 80m reservations worth over US$35bn in revenue for hotels each year.