Breaking Travel News

Spa Finder and WorldRes.com Partner To Create Spa Channel On Leading Internet Sites

Spa Finder, the nation`s largest spa travel, marketing and publishing company, announced today it is partnering with WorldRes.com, the Internet`s hotel reservation and distribution network, to create a spa channel on leading Internet sites. This channel, which is set to launch in July, will be the most comprehensive source of spa travel and information on the Internet and will allow consumers to book a spa vacation online through hundreds of travel and specialty websites.
Under the terms of the five-year agreement, Spa Finder will become WorldRes.com`s exclusive partner in the spa travel and vacation market, and participating Spa Finder properties will be available on the WorldRes.com network of over 1,700 web-based partners, including AOL, Lycos, Yahoo!, Delta Airlines, BestLodging.com, MapBlast and more. From the spa channel, spa goers will be able to check availability and book spa properties in real time, increasing the property`s opportunity to capture online consumers. Additionally, WorldRes.com will provide technology to Spa Finder for their call center and a booking engine for www.spafinder.com. WorldRes.com will also be the exclusive reservation and distribution system for Spa Finder.


“Spa Finder is dedicated to connecting spa goers to their ideal spa destination. By increasing our reach to the WorldRes.com audience, we are able to deliver the best online spa-travel booking experience to a much wider audience, while significantly increasing the marketing reach of our member spas,” said Steve Buck, Spa Finder`s President and CEO. “The new Spa Channel with WorldRes.com enables Spa Finder to use its travel, publishing and marketing resources to become a one-stop shopping experience for spa-goers.”


“This partnership brings together the unique resources of two industry leaders and represents a revolution in the way consumers book spa vacations-which will clearly benefit both spa owners and spa goers,” said Greg Jones, CEO of WorldRes.com. “This agreement is mutually beneficial to both companies and we look forward to working together.”


According to industry estimates, spas and spa-related products are a $5.3 billion industry in the U.S. alone, and revenues from increased spa usage have risen by more than 20 percent in each of the past six years. Additionally, Jupiter Research indicates consumer`s use of the Internet for booking travel is expected to grow from $14 billion in 2000 to $32 billion in 2006. This growth, coupled with the triple digit annual growth in online bookings that WorldRes has experienced on its system, provides the perfect environment for the launch of the spa channel.


About WorldRes.com:
WorldRes.com, Inc. (www.worldres.com) is the most powerful Internet platform connecting accommodation providers (hotels, resorts, B&B`s, and more) with online travel distributors, including web sites, call centers and travel agents. Founded in 1995, WorldRes.com is headquartered in San Mateo, California, and operates offices in France, Germany and the United Kingdom. WorldRes.com owns and operates two consumer web sites: PlacesToStay.com, which offers real-time rates, reservations and information for all WorldRes.com member properties; and BedandBreakfast.com, with information on more than 25,000 B&Bs and historic inns around the world.

ADVERTISEMENT


About Spa Finder:
The New York Times Sunday Magazine, in a special section of its April 1st issue, cited the founding of Spa Finder in 1986 as a milestone in the growth of the spa industry in the U.S. As the world`s leading spa publisher, spa travel service and spa marketing company, Spa Finder is the most respected and recognized brand among spa- goers.


The Spa Finder Company, with offices in New York and San Francisco, publishes Spa Finder Magazine, the leading publication devoted to spa travel. The Company also operates Spa Finder Travel, which handles requests for 250,000 spa vacations annually, and www.spafinder.com, the most complete Internet source for the spa experience. In addition, Spa Finder`s Gift Certificate Program, with over 800 spas worldwide, lets anyone give the gift of spa experience for as little as $50. For more information, visit www.spafinder.com or dial 1-800-ALL-SPAS.

——-