Sabre offers corporate hotel tool

Travel technology and global distribution system (GDS) provider, Sabre Travel Network, has partnered with hotel booking solution provider, Conferma, to create an online hotel booking tool for Sabre-connected agents to offer their corporate customers.

It is aimed at companies that do not already use an online self-booking tool such as Sabre's GetThere solution.

Hotels@Desk allows the business traveller to search and book accommodation from a database of more than 90,000 hotels. To help drive compliance to a company's travel policy, all preferred supplier hotels are highlighted during the search and booking process and high quality images, maps and descriptions of each hotel are included.

The tool can be accessed online from the employee's computer, either through a password protected website or via the company's intranet. Any bookings made are still fulfilled by the Sabre-connected travel management company (TMC) and integrated into the traveller's PNR (Passenger Name Record).

”By offering Hotels@Desk to their corporate customers, agents can increase the number of corporate hotel bookings they manage and receive additional revenue through transaction fees and commissions,” said Sabre Travel Network vice president UK and Ireland, Reet Wiseman.

Sabre cites a statistic from PhoCusWright research, which reveals that while most travellers are happy to book air travel through their TMC, 60% usually book direct with the hotel for accommodation. However, by providing a tool that is still managed by the TMC, travel managers benefit from improved management data and have greater control over tracking staff when abroad.

”This innovative approach addresses effectively the issue of executives booking hotels outside company policy and outside the managed travel programme,” said Conferma managing director, Paul Raymond. ”Hotels@Desk allows Sabre-connected agents to manage hotel bookings quickly, accurately and cost-efficiently for their clients.”