Hilton sets firm standards for Travel Distributors

Hilton International has said it is determined to tackle practices that create customer confusion and limit choice when booking Hilton hotel rooms - David Michels, CEO of the Hilton Group stated that the company will cut ties with distributors who persist in operating misleading pricing practices and demand inequitable conditions.

David Michels commented, “We both value and intend to grow our relationship with online and offline distributors. Unfortunately some distributors increasingly promote hotels that deliver them the highest margin, rather than offer full choice to customers. We will cut ties with any distributor that misrepresents our products in any way.

David Michels added: “Today, the threat from such distributors is not significant for Hilton, however unreasonable practices regarding both our customers and our hotels need to be nipped in the bud in order to protect future profitability.”

Hilton also announced the signing of a new deal with lastminute.com, giving the online distributor full access to Hilton’s inventory, stating it was one of the first moves towards more customer friendly practices.

Hilton’s main objectives are:

· Sales Transparency; ensuring all available Hilton deals are promoted, rather than just those that offer the highest reward for the distributor

· Fair payment terms: all distributors pay on time to standard terms

· Equitable Commissions; ensuring rewards are based on the value added by the distributor

· Predatory Marketing: ensuring the Hilton brand is not abused

· Balanced inventory risk; sharing the risk of room allocations between Hilton and the distributor

See other recent news from: Hilton