News & Stories

Hamburg. The amount of available user generated content and product reviews has grown rapidly in the internet. There are countless user generated reviews about digital cameras and resort hotels, as well as about brands, products and services. Those, who regard this exchange of user opinions as a private chit-chat of a small user group, are mistaken. This is revealed by a current study.

Munich. For one year now, TrustYou has been the first and only real meta search engine for the hospitality industry on the Internet, as reported last week in the first part of this article. TrustYou throws together hotel recommendations all over the world within only a few seconds helping guests to get an overview in a short period of time. Simultaneously, the portal provides hoteliers with an overview of their online reputation. The detailed analyses can be used as benchmarks in order to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of hotels compared to the competition. Today's focus: the reputation management tool for hoteliers.

Munich. This year, the first and only real meta search engine for the hotel industry has been launched in the web: TrustYou. Today, after several re-launches, TrustYou is able to provide internet users with hotel recommendations all over the world within a few seconds; these recommendations originate from statements and reviews of other hotel guests on different websites. The system is able to provide this information due to its "semantic search technology". At the same time, the portal gives the hotel managers an overview about their online reputations. They are able to use detailed analyses as benchmarks in order to see their hotels' strengths and weaknesses in the competition.

Southlake. Travellers young and old are increasingly using mobile devices for flight notification, check in, seat selection, and for viewing hotel locations. A global survey also reveals: Surprisingly, Europeans rank ahead of North Americans in adopting newer features.

New York/Silver Springs. The recent severe conflict is terminated: Choice Hotels International and the online travel company Expedia signed a new three-year agreement to include Choice properties on the more than 80 Expedia and Hotels.com-branded sites that Expedia operates worldwide.

Munich. Online agent Expedia removed all Choice Hotels from its website overnight on October 15. The reason: the negotiations on the new agreements had come to a standstill. In the meantime, however, Choice's CEO Steve Joyce says in plain words: Expedia wants to force the franchise group to allow Expedia unconditioned access to its entire inventory and pricing systems. The story is not causing massive waves in the US alone. Mainly European franchisees of Choice have been affected by this turmoil.

Vienna/Brixen. Andreas Falkensteiner, hotelier from Southern Tyrol, tour operator and brother of the hotelier Erich Falkensteiner, Vienna, has founded a joint venture with TUI Austria for incoming, direct travel distribution and hotel management. New dimensions in tourism are on the rise.

Frankfurt. Worldhotels has a new Managing Director and soon one hotel group fewer. As of immediately, Robert Hornman will assume the post of Board Chairman, replacing Michael Ball. At the same time, it was announced that Lindner Hotels & Resorts will leave Worldhotels on 1 January 2010. Lindner is the biggest hotel chain in the Worldhotels international marketing and reservation association. The move is painful but Rob Hornman, with Worldhotels for one year already, has meanwhile acquired new smaller groups and with them has identified new member hotel needs. In 2010, the former reservation system will be transformed into a comprehensive service platform for private hoteliers.

Munich. swoodoo started off as a flight search engine. Now, the hotel search engine will follow. It compares rates of many well-known providers including HRS, booking.com, hotels.com and Expedia. The aim is to become market leader among meta search engines.

Hamburg. Apparently, the economic crisis affects the travel plans of the German-speaking internet users, too. According to a current online survey, the users are much more restrained with regard to travelling costs compared to the previous year.