Active Hotels has announced a new partnership with Best Western at the same time as it has revealed its total number of reservations has increased by 103% from January to June 2004 compared with the same period last year. The company has seen the total value of its on-line reservations rise from £19.8 million to £40.2 million over the same period.  Active Hotels claims it is on track to reaching its target of processing €0.20 billion worth of reservations for European hotels over the next year. Now enrolling up to 500 European properties per month Best Western is particularly focused on France, Spain and Italy.  The online hotel reservation provider features a vast range of products from independent hotels in the countryside to groups and chains in city centres. 

Roger Graham, Active Hotels’ Chairman, said: “We are encouraged by the excellent rate of summer bookings, which are running at twice last year’s rate.  With the continued growth in online bookings by travel agents, particularly in the UK, and demand for short breaks, we have undertaken a number of new initiatives to ensure that we are providing the travel trade with the service they need. Initiatives include investments in our search facilities, improvements in the range and quality of the hotels featured and the introduction of an online ‘guest book’ where prospective guests can refer to reviews made by previous guests for each hotel.  With almost a thousand reviews being received every day, this has proved exceedingly popular with both consumers and the trade, and is proving to be a valuable tool for hotels as well.”

Active Hotels also announces today the potential for further expansion via a partnership with Best Western.  Active Hotels is in discussion with Best Western regarding access to their global Central Reservation System. The new deal could ultimately allow Active Hotels connection to its properties worldwide.

Gavin Percy, Director of Sales, Best Western, said: “As the world’s largest consortium of individually owned hotels, a potential joining of forces with Active Hotels would give travel agents and direct bookers more opportunities to access our hotels with competitive prices.  With the continued rise of online hotel bookings our aim is to achieve a higher rate of online bookings for Best Western hotels.  Active Hotels’ impressive increase in reservations displays its strong market position.”
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