Best Western International members and executives expressed support for Choice International in its posting battle with Expedia.com and Hotels.com. (See, Choice International Blackballed by Expedia andHotels.com, TheWhat’sOnReport,October 26.) According to Hotels Magazine and on its website, Best Western members “indicated they’d be willing to join Choice Hotels International in pulling BestWestern hotels fromExpedia,” and that “BestWestern is balking at Expedia’s demand for last-room availability, a three-year term with no exit clause, and a 25% net rate.” Speaking at its annual convention last week, Dorothy Dowling, Senior Vice- President, Marketing and Sales, said Best Western was working with Expedia’s competitors “far more aggressively to define our market share” and to establish “more favorable business terms on inventory assignments,”Hotelsmagazine’s Associate Editor AdamKirby commented on his blog, “If BestWestern does in fact break off negotiations with Expedia, as Choice did, it could change the online booking paradigm forever and shift the negotiating power back to the hoteliers, where it belongs.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.