Fit for the Future
Major investment in tech partnerships is ensuring that Travelodge meets the needs of its corporate clients and travel management companies, says Sales Director Nick Jacobs
Filling the gap
Business travellers make up half of our customer base and we are perfectly positioned for corporate guests and mobile workforces, with hotels in key business hubs and major transport corridors. But while we have the right product, we saw a critical gap in the corporate travel market relating to how our inventory is distributed.
That’s why, over the last year, we have significantly accelerated our distribution strategy for travel management companies (TMCs) and for our corporate clients.
Digital drive
One of the standout developments has been our direct integration with Spotnana, announced in May. This partnership provides TMC partners with direct, efficient access to our full portfolio of over 600 hotels across the UK, Ireland and Spain.
It follows earlier integrations with Katanox and Vibe, which marked the start of this digital distribution push, allowing us to offer richer content and more streamlined booking capabilities directly to the corporate market.
Building on our decade-long partnership with Travelfusion we have looked at additional tech partnerships. A significant development has been our recently completed integration with HotelHub, a leading provider of hotel booking solutions to global TMCs, and we are currently integrating with TripStax and Derbysoft.
Developing these tech-focused partnerships allows us to solve two main issues: expanding our reach to more business travellers who rely on TMCs and, crucially, moving away from the static, limited content that has historically defined indirect channel bookings.
We are committed to enabling frictionless travel by ensuring that our partners have the content and functionality they need to offer a superior booking experience.
By investing in modern distribution, we are future-proofing our business, ensuring that our inventory is not just available, but also easy to use for corporate travel managers.
It’s about being ‘The Brilliant Base’ for everyone, ensuring that efficiency at the point of sale matches the consistency of the stay.
Breaking it down
For TMCs, the primary benefit is direct access to our full inventory. Many now benefit from improved rates, richer content (such as property imagery and detailed descriptions), ancillaries (including breakfast and early check-in options), amend functionality, and streamlined payment and invoicing capabilities.
For corporates and travel managers, this tech integration significantly simplifies the booking process, providing more transparency, greater convenience, and consistent access to our diverse range of properties.
It removes complexity for travel managers and ensures corporate clients have access to competitive rates and service levels as direct bookings.
Meanwhile, business travellers get a more straightforward and intuitive booking experience.
Whether working away from home or travelling for a business trip, our guests get the reliability and value they expect, now seamlessly integrated into their preferred booking platforms.
Travelodge is committed to making it as easy as possible for TMCs and corporate travel partners to access our hotels, and will continue to invest in digital distribution solutions that help create ‘The Brilliant Base’.
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