Hotwire.com and Best Western International Announce Preferred Opaque Distribution Agreement

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. October 14, 2008

LOS ANGELES, CA, July 25, 2005. Hotwire.com(R), a U.S.-based discount travel site, today announced it has reached a global distribution agreement with Best Western International, solidifying a partnership that will allow travelers to book great rates for Best Western hotel accommodations throughout North America and Europe via the Hotwire.com web site.

"Hotwire(R) helps Best Western attract customers and revenues efficiently by offering rooms that would otherwise remain unbooked to an established network of price-conscious customers," said Beth Delci Managing Director of eBusiness at Best Western.

Hotwire helps hotels reach a new customer base through its "opaque" model, where shoppers see a discounted rate, but not the hotel brand before booking. By presenting rooms in this manner, Hotwire targets the customers who are not generally a hotel's brand-loyal customers, but rather a new traveler who likely would not have gone directly to the hotel in the first place.

"We are excited to work with Best Western as part of Hotwire's efforts to expand its offerings internationally," said Stephen Fitzgerald, Hotwire's vice president of hotel relations and operations. "Hotwire's unique model helps our hotel partners to target new customers and drive additional revenue while retaining higher-paying core customers through their own channels."

Hotwire's opaque model is posted-price, meaning hotels set the net rates. This is unlike certain sites that require the customer to bid, allowing consumers to set the net rates. Many travelers prefer a posted-price model, as it eliminates "guessing games."