Cambria Hotel Downtown Phoenix Convention Center, USA, a Choice Hotel. Photo Credit: Choice Hotels
Cvent and Choice Hotels International have announced a global rollout
of Instant Book, a booking tool service that will be embedded into
Choice Hotels' booking platform, streamlining group room block
management for small and simple events, while expanding planner
engagement and booking options.
The tool will allow planners to search, compare real-time rates and
availability, and book rooms with a few clicks, bypassing the
request-for-proposal process.
The deal with Choice Hotels to integrate Instant Book functionality
across the hospitality company's booking platform will be available in
the third quarter this year. Properties that are joining the Choice
distribution network as a result of the Radisson Hotels Americas
acquisition will gain access to Instant Book. Choice is the first hotel
company signed on to integrate the functionality companywide.
Speaking at the annual Cvent Connect user conference at Caesars Forum
in Las Vegas, vice president of product management, McNeel Keenan, said
that more than 2,000 venues, covering more than 200 cities, will gain
Instant Book functionality upon the launch.
Planners will be able to filter search results to see Instant
Book-enabled properties and check for guest room and meeting room
availability and rates based on dates and event size. Real-time rates
will be shown for meeting-package options and room types, and can be
booked instantly with a credit card. Once reserved, a custom booking
site is automatically generated for attendees, so planners can track
room pickup.
Cvent has not defined the parameters for what constitutes small,
simple meetings and use of the tool. "We work with each hotel chain to
set the parameters that work for them, rather than forcing a
standardised definition," explained Cvent vice president of product
management Jim Abramson. "There can be some variation between properties
on items such as rates and applicable discount, but the broader meeting
parameters tend to be fairly uniform and fixed across a brand’s
properties."
Cvent is in the process of onboarding several other companies. "This
new functionality reflects our shared vision of making booking and
managing meetings and events easier – for both planners and hoteliers
alike," he added.
Cvent competitor, Groups360, announced instant booking functionality
with Choice in April, and for Marriott International properties in
January this year, the latest in a handful of its instant booking
agreements that also includes Hilton and Omni. The parameters and limits
of Group360's instant-booking function likewise vary by hotel company.
Blackstone, an affiliate of which now owns Cvent, is also a significant investor in Groups360.
Source: Northstar Meetings Group