Amadeus unveils Next Generation Hotel Distribution Architecture

Amadeus has completed the migration of 75,000 hotel properties onto a next-generation distribution technology platform. The open systems technology allows Amadeus to introduce new search capability and provides the foundation for even more advanced search capability in the future.

Amadeus' hotel GDS application now runs on the Linux operating system and uses OpenTravel Alliance XML standards to enable more sophisticated interactions with other systems.

Amadeus' new distribution architecture immediately doubles the search flexibility for travel agents. Hotels are now categorised according to 100 separate attributes giving travel agents much more precision when matching a hotel with their customers' requirements. This makes it possible to search for "hotels in France with a swimming pool", for example.

The flexibility of the new architecture also allows Amadeus much greater freedom to introduce advance search features as hotel distribution continues to evolve. Soon it will be possible to search for "hotels in Thailand which were rated highly by families".

Amadeus' new platform also offers much clearer and richer display of information about available rooms. Hotels will be able to seamlessly distribute available room/rates, price and descriptions in whatever language the travel agent requests. For example, hotels can seamlessly upload a wide variety of information in different languages about room amenities, such as whether the room has an alarm clock or a coffee and tea-maker. This information can then be displayed on the available-rooms screen so travel agencies can efficiently offer detailed descriptions of what a guest can expect from an available hotel. Simplifying this process makes it easier for hotels and travel agents to offer the information needed to ensure that the hotel experience meets the consumer¹s expectation.

Advanced search and more precise hotel information will become even more important as more hotel content is added to the GDS. There are now 75,000 hotels bookable in Amadeus and the company has added 10,000 hotels a year since 2005. And, as more independent hotels are brought into the Amadeus system, such flexible search will be invaluable in matching customers with their ideal hotel; opening up the "Long Tail" of hotel content and driving bookings, revenue and yield for hotels which are distributed through Amadeus.

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