Best Western adopts latest Datalex Internet booking engine technology

Best Western International Inc. and Datalex announced today an agreement in which Datalex will supply its new hospitality booking-engine solution to the world’s largest hotel brand. The technology will extend a range of online searching and booking capabilities to customers and travel professionals via Best Western’s global Web sites, connecting travel buyers directly to Best Western’s central reservations system (CRS).

Through a license agreement, Best Western will take delivery of the Datalex Internet booking-engine platform, which will provide a broad range of functionalities that allow the company to replace its current per-transaction cost base for outsourced Internet reservations services. Best Western will operate the booking engine from its center in Arizona.

The new system will provide travel buyers with powerful destination search and recommendation capabilities, dynamic links to property information content, and bookings made against real-time room availability. The system also will be linked to Best Western’s loyalty program and will enable the packaging of additional components, such as products and packages, in conjunction with hotel accommodations.

Best Western’s Web-based portals will provide functionalities required by different types of purchasers including travel agents, corporate travel planners, meetings planners and tour operators, as well as unmanaged corporate travelers and leisure guests. Bookings access will be made through browser-based technologies and mobile devices.

Ric Leutwyler, vice president e-Commerce for Best Western said, “The solution will enable Best Western to extend across all client markets a customer-oriented, feature-rich booking system that will not only deliver powerful search, information and booking capabilities, but will also enable us to distribute our inventories at a lower total cost.”

Datalex will supply its latest Web Services-based booking engine technology, designed to provide the capabilities of dynamic multi-component packaging, content management, search and recommendation, inventory system connectivity and distribution. Datalex CEO Neil Beck said, “This agreement is yet another endorsement of the Datalex direction in the growing markets among leisure, destination resort, hotel and travel distribution organizations. There are big benefits in the areas of improved service, distribution efficiency and cost-effective channel management for those organizations, like Best Western, that have the foresight to invest in this new technology.”

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