SiteMinder Partners with RoomIt by CWT

SiteMinder, a guest acquisition platform, announced a pioneering partnership with RoomIt by CWT, the hotel distribution division of Carlson Wagonlit Travel. The partnership will provide a modern alternative to the traditional corporate travel distribution chain by offering eligible SiteMinder hotel customers direct access to a travel management company’s clients for the first time.

Under the agreement, RoomIt will create a connection to SiteMinder’s platform so hotel users can offer their best available rates, corporate negotiated rates, consortia rates and any promotional rates directly to RoomIt travelers under CWT’s umbrella of multi-billion-dollar corporate travel programs. The direct connection serves as an alternative means of rate distribution to RoomIt for accommodation providers seeking value and that meet certain business traveler criteria.

The higher-rated, shorter-lead business traveler opens up a highly-lucrative market for hotels. According to Phocuswright research, corporate travelers have greater demand for ancillaries and interest in paying for more than standard hotel products, including late checkout or early check-in.

The connection is being piloted to SiteMinder’s hotel enterprise customers in the UK and Italy, and expected to be offered to other SiteMinder hotel customers globally later this year. To be eligible, the properties of hotel groups and chains must currently be centrally located in a business travel destination, have more than 10 rooms, and provide amenities and services that cater for business travelers, including last room availability, in-room Wifi and same-day cancellations.