New York’s Hotel Pennsylvania was named the 2006 eMarketer of the Year by TravelCLICK and the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) last night at the 50th Annual Adrian Awards Gala, held at the New York Marriott Marquis. Sponsored by TravelCLICK, the eMarketer of the Year Awards honor hoteliers who exhibit outstanding use of electronic channels and online technologies to promote their properties. Operating in one of the world’s most competitive markets, Hotel Pennsylvania was recognized for its strong performance in executing a significant shift from voice to web reservations and substantially increasing its web revenue base and GDS business.

Hotel Pennsylvania, a 1,700-room property located in midtown Manhattan, implemented an integrated online strategy designed to drive demand and convert guests on the web. The approach included a value-added website, a multi-pronged approach to Internet marketing and a state-of-the-art web booking engine. The hotel wins over online shoppers with its ‘web promise’ to deliver the best value in New York with its lowest room rates and the widest range of inventory available only on its website.

The hotel’s user-friendly site also features a best-rate guarantee, special rates for select groups, Internet-only packages, a New York City events calendar, and support in 23 languages for its large international customer base. Search engine optimization, targeted paid campaigns and GDS advertising drive demand, while market intelligence enables the hotel to benchmark its performance against competitors. A central reservation system with a flexible and robust web booking engine provides superior property merchandising capabilities and delivers more online conversions.

“All of the entrants in this year’s competition demonstrated innovation and creativity,” said John Hach, Vice President of eMarketing at TravelCLICK. “The eMarketer of the Year Awards illustrate the importance of an integrated approach to electronic distribution—- from your hotel website to the GDS—to drive demand, gain a competitive edge and derive higher net revenues. We salute our 2006 entrants and congratulate Hotel Pennsylvania for its outstanding achievement.”

In addition to naming the 2006 eMarketer of the Year, TravelCLICK recognized the following winners in regional and chain categories:

á      Asia/Pacific Region - Royal Plaza on Scotts, Singapore;

á      Europe/Middle East/Africa Region - Hilton Paris, Paris, France;

á      Latin America Region - Casa Medina Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia;

á      North America Region - Hotel Pennsylvania, New York, NY; and

á      Chain Category - Joie de Vivre Hospitality, San Francisco, CA.

The eMarketer of the Year Awards focus on booking performance driven by electronic advertising and marketing, email marketing initiatives, enhanced website design and competitive intelligence.
——-