Argophilia

Αργοφιλία: For the love of the journey.

online travel

Big OTAs and Big Hotels in Price Fixing Lawsuit

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A federal lawsuit naming the likes of Expedia, Orbitz, Booking.com, Travelocity, Trump International Hotels Management, Intercontinental, Kimpton, Sabre Holdings, Priceline, Marriott, Starwood, and Hilton alleges the companies conspired to fix hotel room prices. According to the news from Reuters, the suit claims the travel giants did so in an effort to fend off competition from smaller online retailers.

Carlson Names Veteran Trudy Rautio CEO

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Global hospitality firm Carlson has announced Trudy Rautio (at left) as the new president and CEO after Hubert Joly steps down. The move makes Rautio on the 5th head of the company in its 74 year history. The family owned business includes the brands Radisson Hotels, T.G.I Friday’s, and Carlson Wagonlit Travel.

Gstaad Palace Offers Exclusive Jardin des Monts Skincare

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Guests staying looking to indulge themselves during their Alpine break could do worse than check out the Gstaad Palace this spring. The Swiss Alps’ landmark hotel has just introduced an exclusive new treat for its guests – a therapeutic spa and massage program featuring 100% organic skincare from Jardin des Monts.

1000 More Hotels Join Global Hotel Exchange

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In online travel agency (OTA) news, the California Lodging Industry Association (CLIA) and the Independent Lodging Industry Association (ILIA) have added a thousand plus independent hotels to upstart booking platform Global Hotels Exchange (GHX). Even prior to the official launch of GHX, it appears many hotel owners and support organizations are willing to flock to the new channel.

Who’s the Big Bad Wolf of Hotel Marketing?

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Just out, the Distribution Channel Analysis study via the American Hotel Lodging Association (AH&LA) and STR, has been released. The detailed study, supposedly aimed at helping “all” hoteliers better understand hotel room distribution, discusses distribution channel mix, among other salient hotel profitability instances. But, is the study really meant for all hoteliers, or just the fat cats?

OTA CEOs: Part III

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Continuing our series on decision makers in the online travel world, Argo jumps back in to an interesting Q & A session between reporters from USA Today and leading CEOs. Veronica Gould Stoddart and Roger Yu caught up with 6 top bosses at the recent PhoCusWright conference in Hollywood, Fla. We take up where we left off, analyzing answers to some key tech trend questions.

TripAdvisor’s Fake Reviews Sickness Goes Critical

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TripAdvisor, the leading online travel reviews site in the world, is now under investigation by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over concerns reviews from travelers may be illegitimate. A formal investigation has reportedly been launched on the heels of complaints TripAdvisor’s reviews problems have reached monumental levels.

MakeMyTrip Takes on Expedia and the World

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With markets around the world in a bit of chaos, it’s interesting to note one India travel company reporting astonishing growth. According to news from MarketWatch, MakeMyTrip Limited is going like gangbusters – the company has posted an over 50% YoY profit increase. The India’s leading travel portal may soon lead more than just India.

HouseTrip – A Startup Taking Aim At Travel Alternatives

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TechCrunch reported on a fascinating startup in April, a new take on vacation rentals called HouseTrip. The news back then was about the Swiss startup’s $2.7 million in funding from Index Ventures, but today it looks as if the company is spending the money wisely. Let’s take a look under the hood of what my old friend Steve O’Hear called; “another play in the holiday apartments space.”

Google + and Really Refined Reviews – Coming Soon

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The suggested Google Travel entity could be just around the corner. According to the news from Tnooz and Kevin May, Google unceremoniously yanked third party reviews from hotels on Google Maps and Google Places, a move May suggests puts Google’s review credibility down there with TripAdvisor’s. But what if?

Thomas Cook Celebrates 170th Anniversary

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If you’ve ever wondered how travel companies like Thomas Cook got so prominent, last weeks 170th anniversary of their founders holidays should be a clue. Thomas Cook’s first hosted tour, a train ride with 500 demonstrators back in 1841, launched maybe the world’s most respected holiday travel company.

Agoda Goes Mobile with Free iPhone App

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Agoda, the leading online booking portal in Asia, has announced a new iPhone application. Free for download, the app allows Agoda customers to view and book up-to-the-minute rates at more than 150,000 properties around the world.

TripAdvisor Acquires Where I’ve Been

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TripAdvisor, the online world’s most popular travel website, has reportedly purchased Where I’ve Been, the once popular Facebook application. The map oriented platform allows users to display where they have visited or lived, and places they would like to visit. Once a “viral” application with something over a million monthly users, the app now sees only a fraction of that number.

Will Google Launch Their ITA Travel Weapon?

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According to TechCrunch’s reliable network of source, Google may well roll out an integrated ITA search platform within days. A report by TC’s Leena Rao 16 hours ago suggests Google’s recent acquisition may in fact be the forboding nightmare Microsoft, Expedia, and others feared.

Travel for Good Winners Picked by Travelocity

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Travelocity announced the four grand prize winners for their recent Travel for Good® program. Over the last six months Travelocity has been looking for stories of inspiration from volunteers around the world. The four winners will each receive a $5,000 grant for a so called “volunteer vacation” – where they can offer their services in some corner of the world.