Travel Intelligence Group Enhances Competitive Positioning of Luxury Hotels: Online Travel Provider Benchmarks Rate Parity

    LONDON, ENGLAND, July 28, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Travel Intelligence Group has implemented benchmarking solutions to better ensure competitiveness of offered hotel products. The online boutique and luxury hotel distributor has subscribed to RTWeb from provider RateTiger, who offers internet travel providers a platform that helps to compare hotel offerings for listed properties across various distribution platforms. In today's market, benchmarking becomes essential to ensure optimal product positioning and sales.

Travel Intelligence Group which offers a global collection of chic, boutique and luxury hotels has currently enlisted 400 hotel properties which need to be benchmarked across six channels and three geographical regions. The partnership with RateTiger will enable Travel Intelligence to benchmark its website against direct competitors (other TPIs) and ensures it remains extremely competitive in the market place. The RTWeb application collects data in real-time to ensure information is relevant and representative of current market conditions.

"We have seen business considerably increase over the past 12 months and it was becoming more essential to benchmark individual properties as well as monitor our online traffic and competitors' offerings," said Marin Muyser, CEO, Travel Intelligence Group. "Today, it is essential our hotel partner adhere to rate parity. Without benchmarking it is impossible for us to sell a definitive offering to consumers. RateTiger has proven that it can provide intelligent products for hoteliers and RTWeb reduces manual checks and balances. Now we can take a more holistic view of the online market place as consumer bookings continue to increase."

Online hotel bookings in 2008 represented 26% of the travel buying market, and with hundreds of TPIs across the world offering products to consumers the internet has become a competitive sales platform.
Sascha Hausmann, RateTiger COO said; "Online businesses cannot expect to get buyers so easily anymore without doing their homework. Hoteliers and consumers are becoming intelligent in the way they make use of the internet and it is essential TPIs exactly understand what their competitors and consumers are doing. Travel Intelligence can now take advantage of online real-time data that can help them make strategic decisions quickly and confidently."

The Travel Intelligence Group was originally founded by AA Gill and other well known travel writers, and is the leading online presence for luxury and boutique hotels worldwide. TIG also owns ChicRetreats.com, a website focusing on small luxury and boutique hotels. Its subsidiary's technology platform, Starfish Luxury Travel Distribution, powers sites such as Hip Hotels and Mr & Mrs Smith.

For Further Information, contact:

Marin Muyser, Executive Chairman
020 7580 2663

Source: Travel Intelligence Group
Website: http://www.travelintelligence.com

# # #