HPL Hotels & Resorts Selects Utell to Provide Global Marketing, Representation and Reservation Services

HPL Hotels & Resorts (HPLHR), a Singapore-based hospitality management company and a wholly owned subsidiary of main-board listed Hotel Properties Limited (HPL), has joined Utell Ltd. to take advantage of Utell's leading reservations management and distribution technology. London-based Utell is a subsidiary of Pegasus Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: PEGS).

Utell is providing a package of reservation services to HPL, including immediate access to Utell's worldwide distribution channels, revenue and yield management tools, training services and account management teams. Utell provides member hotels with international representation in 41 countries through a global network of reservation offices and call centers, any of which can now take telephone reservations on behalf of HPL Hotels. For daily inventory management, HPL now has access to Utell's centrally hosted Unison reservation system. In addition, Utell's sales force will promote HPL properties to corporate and leisure travel agencies at industry trade shows and events.

As a result of the agreement, the following seven hotels switched from Lexington Services representation to Utell:  

* Australia - Concorde Hotel Gold Coast - 199 rooms and suites 

* Malaysia - Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur - 570 rooms and suites

* Malaysia - Concorde Hotel Shah Alam - 381 rooms and suites 

* Malaysia - Concorde Inn Kuala Lumpur International Airport - 423 rooms and suites 

* Malaysia - The Lakehouse, Cameron Highlands - 18 suites 

* Malaysia - Casa del Mar Resort, Langkawi - 29 rooms and suites

* Singapore - Concorde Hotel - 515 rooms and suites

With the addition of the HPL properties, Utell now represents more than 100 hotels combined in the countries of Australia (40), Malaysia (30) and Singapore (34). Utell represents more than 5,000 properties worldwide.

Utell's enhancements to its member services, including free usage of Lanyon's automated request for proposal (RFP) services, played a role in HPL's decision to switch representation firms. "Utell delivers instant global connectivity through its extensive network, as well as access to technology without the need to maintain costly on-site systems," said Edmund Nicholas, vice president of marketing for HPLHR.

"Utell's performance improvement programmes include value-added services such as personalized consultation, training on revenue maximization opportunities, and techniques with distribution channels. And the recent addition of Lanyon's automated RFP services underscores Utell's commitment to provide us with the technology to effectively pursue new businesses."

Lanyon's technology enables Utell hotel members to submit responses to corporate and travel agency RFP bids online. Lanyon's Web-based PropertyVault(TM) and RFPpublisher(TM) applications allow hotel members to easily update descriptions and rates, eliminating redundant data entry and costly manual processing. The speed and concise nature of the system helps raise the profile of member hotels by delivering prompt responses to global and regional corporate bids.

HPL properties will be under the core Superior category in Utell's Selections program. Introduced in the summer of 2001, Selections makes it easier for agents to direct clients to appropriate properties. The program segments hotels into well-defined categories that both novice and veteran agents can quickly use to find the perfect Utell property. Hotels are identified by one of three core categories (luxury, superior or value), or by one of four niche categories (style, resort, apartment, or airport).