Shangri-La International Hotel Management, one of the world’s most respected hotel companies and Ctrip.com International today signed a distribution co-operation agreement.

Being its first direct distribution system partner in mainland China, Shangri-La will leverage Ctrip’s cutting-edge hotel reservation platform to distribute hotels of its brands, namely Shangri-La, Traders and Kerry, in the country.

Under the terms of the agreement, the reservation systems of both Shangri-La and Ctrip will establish direct connectivity.

Through Ctrip’s platform, travellers can make bookings at Shangri-La, Kerry and Traders hotels in China with Best Available Rate and receive confirmation for room types and rates on a real-time basis.

Members of Shangri-La’s programme for frequent guests, Golden Circle, who book Shangri-La’s hotels via Ctrip, will be equally entitled to receive Golden Circle rewards and benefits.

For better communication and service to Ctrip members, Shangri-La will provide Ctrip with hotel/destination updates and promotional activities via a dedicated Shangri-La page on the Ctrip website that will be promoted to Ctrip members.

Shangri-La operates 32 hotels under the brands of Shangri-La, Kerry and Traders with more than 15,000 rooms, the largest rooms inventory in mainland China. The group currently has over 20 new hotel projects in the country under development that are planned to open within the next five years.

“Shangri-La has enjoyed very pleasant co-operation in the past with Ctrip, the leading online travel service provider in China,” said Kent Zhu, group director of sales marketing, Shangri-La International Hotel Management.