SEATTLE—Expedia, Inc., the world’s largest travel company, is rolling out its Value Add Promotions tool on Expedia PartnerCentral. With Value Add Promotions, hotel partners can better promote their property and increase their demand across Expedia, Inc. brands and while maximizing their revenue by offering complimentary amenities that enhance a traveler’s stay.
According to Merrill Research and verified by an Expedia survey*, the top five most desired amenities, are:
Free Wi-Fi: 75 percent
Special rates: 70 percent
Free parking: 65 percent
Loyalty points: 40 percent
Breakfast: 20 percent
Value Add Promotions allow hoteliers to create unique travel offers and works on a cost-per-acquisition model where hotel partners incur the cost of the promotional amenity only after the guest checks into the hotel. The Value Add Promotions are prominently displayed across Expedia, Inc.’s websites, allowing travelers to clearly differentiate hotel offerings and select the hotel and promotion that best meets their needs.
Within Expedia PartnerCentral, there are currently over 25 categories of Value Add Promotions for hotel partners to choose from, ranging from Wi-Fi to room upgrades, and the offerings are updated frequently to meet the hospitality industry’s evolving needs. This new approach makes it easy for hotels of all sizes to better promote their property and differentiate their offers while staying competitive on price and maximizing their revenue per available room (RevPAR).
“Interestingly, the lack of amenities is one of the most likely reasons for travelers to shop at another property. For example, research shows that if a hotel does not include free Wi-Fi, 44 percent of the customers said they would look for another hotel. Similarly, if a hotel does not offer free parking, we know almost half (48 percent) of them will look shop around,” said Benoit Jolin, vice president of Expedia’s Global Product. “In addition to greater visibility, Value Add Promotions offer hotel partners flexibility and control, giving them the ability to customize promotions by length of stay the promotion by redemption rules, and room type restrictions.”
*The initial rollout of Value Add Promotions started in early 2016 in North America.
