CNG Travel Group plc announced today that it has signed distribution agreements with another three hotel chains, further expanding its global hotel inventory.These latest agreements with Le Méridien, Rezidor SAS Hospitality and K&K add more than 440 quality hotel properties to CNG’s inventory of over 25,000 hotels worldwide. CNG operates one of the world’s largest hotel booking programmes, putting it alongside global online operations like Travelocity, Expedia and Hotels.com. At the end of November 2004, CNG announced similar deals with Sol Melia Resorts and Hotels, and Swiss Quality Hotels.

As well as connecting hotels with thousands of agent and affiliate purchase points, CNG’s programme allows them to maintain all-important control over rates so that hotel brand integrity is not compromised. Automated processes and seamless connectivity with reservation systems allow participating hotels to alter room availability and pricing in real time, maintain their own rates, allocations and closed dates, and receive electronic booking confirmations.

Le Méridien director e-commerce worldwide, Andrew Pozniak, said: “We’ve been very open recently about the challenges posed by broadening Internet distribution. This agreement with CNG fits with our distribution strategy exactly as it provides Le Méridien with access to additional routes to market whilst maintaining the flexibility of management and cost efficiencies we need.”

CNG CEO Finbarr Power added: “CNG’s focused approach to enlarging both hotel content and distribution is a key factor in our expansion plans for Europe. We’re signing more and more hotel inventory because CNG’s model complements what hotels now demand of their distribution partners. With CNG, hotels get more business and control, while our customers get competitive pricing with an impressive and growing range of hotels.”

CNG’s distribution platform includes its TLC (Travel Lodging Connector) booking solution, a network of thousands of travel agents, 1,200 affiliate partners such as KLM and America West, and the consumer website placestostay.com.
——-