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Six Continents Hotels
Highlights Success of Online Initiatives and Outlines
2003 E-Commerce Goals
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2002-11-20
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Growth of Online Reservations for Six Continents
Hotels Demonstrate Consumers 'Book With
Confidence'
ATLANTA, Nov. 19 As the first hotel company to
offer web bookings more than seven years ago, Six
Continents Hotels, Inc. (www.sixcontinentshotels.com
), the world's most global hotel company, today at
its annual Conference in San Diego, highlighted
the success of its online initiatives, and
outlined its aggressive 2003 E-commerce goals.
We have seen a significant impact on the hotel
industry since the Internet emerged nearly eight
years ago -- and Six Continents Hotels has been
instrumental in this tremendous growth, said Eric
Pearson, vice president of E-commerce for Six
Continents Hotels. From the Internet's starting
point in 1995, it took us just two years to book
one million dollars in revenue from online
reservations. Last January, we booked a million
dollars in a single day. And earlier this year, we
passed another major milestone -- $2 million
booked in a single day direct to our Web sites.
One of the most important elements in the success
of Six Continents Hotels Internet bookings has
been the company's industry-leading Lowest
Internet Rate Guarantee. The Guarantee promises if
a consumer finds on the Internet a lower rate
publicly viewable and bookable on another Web site
for the same hotel and accommodations for the same
dates and finds it within 24 hours of making his
or her reservations, Six Continents Hotels will
honor the lower rate plus give an additional 10
percent discount, upon its verification of the
rate by Six Continents Hotels. Since its launch in
May, some critics have accused the Guarantee of
starting a price war and dwindling profit margins.
A six-month review proves differently.
According to initial highlights:
* Revenue growth for Six Continents Hotels'
Internet bookings have shot
up 80 percent over last year -- compared to
Internet bookings in
general, which averaged 40 percent;
* Hotels are regaining control of their inventory
and capturing the
margins that would have otherwise gone to the
wholesalers;
* Challenges to the Guarantee average about 1 out
of 1,000 bookings, or
less than 1/10 of one percent of people who book
on the Internet
confirming Six Continents Hotels' pricing is the
best available.
According to Forrester Research, online hotel
bookings will double in four years from $6.9
billion this year to $14.7 billion making travel
the number one activity for Internet lookers and
bookers.
Continued Pearson, Clearly there is a great
opportunity and potential with the Internet, and
our goals for 2003 reflect the enormous upside
this channel represents.
Six Continents Hotels Internet objectives for 2003
include:
* Growing Internet direct revenue over 40% by
continuing to offer new
products and services, such as last-minute getaway
packages and top
destination Web sites featuring Six Continents
Hotels;
* Driving demand for the brand Web sites by
expanding geographical reach
with regional sites available in multiple
languages, offering targeted
online promotions, and taking stronger actions to
bias Internet search
engines so that consumers are not hijacked to
third-party web
wholesalers;
* And ensuring that all Six Continents Hotels
properties are maximizing
the benefits of the Internet by instituting new
training courses for
hoteliers, which cover pricing, positioning, and
prospecting on the
Internet, including ways to maximize the benefits
of the Rate
Guarantee.
All of our activities will focus on delivering the
best product at the best available price for our
guests, stated Pearson. Consumers want to book
directly with brands they recognize and trust and
with 50 years behind us, we have the most
recognized and trusted brands in the world.
Pearson went on to say, Ultimately, our Rate
Guarantee and our Web sites are also about
ensuring our guests Book with Confidence.
Confidence they're getting the best available
rate. Confidence they actually have a reservation
when they arrive. Confidence there is no hidden
booking fees. And confidence their security and
privacy are always protected.
Six Continents Hotels is a leading global hotel
group whose brands include InterContinental Hotels
& Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts,
Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge
Suites. Six Continents Hotels owns, operates or
franchises more than 3,300 hotels and over 515,000
guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and
territories around the world.
Six Continents(SM) Hotels, the hotel business of
Six Continents PLC of the United Kingdom (NYSE:
SXC) (ADRs), owns, operates or franchises more
than 3,300 hotels and 515,000 guest rooms in
nearly 100 countries and territories. |
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