Pegasus Solutions’ Utell Now Performing in Las Vegas for Independent and Small Chain Hotels

Utell Hits the Jackpot with Nearly 8,000 Guest Rooms in Vegas Market

Utell, the world’s largest third-party provider of representation, reservations and marketing services to the hotel industry1, today announced it has entered the Las Vegas hotel market with the signing of three contracts. Utell will be providing representation and reservations services for The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino, The Aladdin Resort & Casino and Station Casinos, Inc. (NYSE: STN). Utell is one of several services recently acquired by Pegasus Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: PEGS).

According to Graham Richards, senior vice president – Americas Division of Utell, the Las Vegas market, with more than 30 million visitors to the city each year and more than 120,000 room nights on a daily basis2, represents a ripe opportunity for expanding Utell’s customer base. “As a top travel destination with some of the world’s most fascinating hotels, Las Vegas continues to attract travelers worldwide. Utell can provide independent and small chain hotels in Las Vegas with a stronger presence in the global marketplace and with an enhanced ability to facilitate hotel reservations, whether it be through voice, global distribution system connectivity or online channels,” Richards said.

Mirrored after the Renaissance Venice and included in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the largest hotel rooms, The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino offers guests 3,036 hotel suites, features approximately 120,000 square feet of gamming space, approximately 500,000 square feet of retail space at The Grand Canal Shoppes, the luxurious Canyon Ranch SpaClub, and approximately 500,000 square feet of meeting space. Under the agreement, Utell will provide voice and GDS representation as well as internet distribution.

Michael French, senior vice president of operations for The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino, cited Utell’s comprehensive package of services as a primary reason for selecting Utell as its representation provider. “To successfully compete in the global travel marketplace, a hotel needs more than a GDS connection, it needs a true marketing partner. Utell is providing The Venetian with the necessary marketing and reservation tools to boost and maintain our diverse worldwide guest traffic,” French said.

The Aladdin Resort & Casino, opening on August 17, 2000, will feature 2,600 guest rooms, 100,000 square feet of gaming space, a 7,000-seat theater for the performing arts, 21 restaurants, and a 500,000-square-foot shopping mall. The Aladdin has signed on with Utell for voice reservations, voice call gating, Internet distribution and GDS representation. In addition, Aladdin’s Web site at www.aladdincasino.com will be “Powered by Pegasus,” using Utell’s NetBooker Link online booking engine.

Ryan Kingston, vice president of hotel operations for The Aladdin Resort & Casino, reiterated that when it comes to expanding a hotel’s presence, penetrating markets worldwide and generating new business, Utell is the obvious choice. “As an independent start-up company, we've turned to Utell for a variety of services involving all reservation sources -- from GDS to direct reservations to the Internet,” Kingston said.

Station Casinos, Inc. offers more than 2,000 comfortable hotel rooms in Las Vegas. Utell has signed all six properties of Station Casinos, Inc., including Texas Station Gambling Hall & Hotel, Palace Station Hotel & Casino, Boulder Station Hotel & Casino, and Sunset Station Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, as well as Station Casino Kansas City in Kansas City, Mo., and Station Casino St. Charles in St. Charles, Mo., near St. Louis. Utell will provide voice and GDS representation and Internet distribution. Station Casino’s Web site at www.stationcasinos.com will also be “Powered by Pegasus” using Utell’s NetBooker Link online booking engine.

John Schreiber, vice president of sales for Station Casinos, said, “With increased interest from travelers worldwide in Las Vegas as a destination of choice, it is critical that we leverage the ‘industrial strength’ global services of Utell to ensure we effectively penetrate the global travel market.”

According to Utell’s Richards, the need for Utell’s services in Las Vegas is so significant that Utell is dedicating a senior management representative to the Las Vegas area to facilitate demand. “We have entered the Las Vegas market with a bang in the true larger-than-life Vegas style. We realize the tremendous interest from numerous hotels in the Las Vegas market reflects the heightened need for Utell’s services,” Richards said.


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1 Hotels magazine, “Hotels Consortia 25,” July 1999

2 Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority