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Groople promises new agent tool
Agents are already using Groople to search for group hotel rates, but the company promises to have a new booking tool just for agents by the end of the year, says president and CEO David Loy.
“We are creating an agent product where travel agents will have a desktop that can access the group inventory of many of the brands through our system,” he said.
Agents will be able to make all of the commission on the transactions, with Groople only collecting a small processing fee, according to Mr Loy.
He said Groople is not a GDS, but is structured along similar lines.
Groople announced the public launch of its online travel technology for leisure groups in early July.
Groople features more than 56,000 hotels, including several thousand in real time group sales.
Groople generates hotel bookings, but plans to add air, cruise, bus and rail later this year.
Among its partners that are still unannounced: Travelocity. Travelocity users can make group bookings from the primary booking path on the main hotel page, but details are still being worked out.
For suppliers, Groople’s technology allows hotels and suppliers to dynamically change rates and availability so customers know which rates apply for a group their size; they also can determine what hotels and travel products are suited for them.
Groople simplifies arrangements for group leaders heading up members who are coming from different origination points. Mr Loy said Groople simplifies the effort by allowing a group leader to manage and organize the entire event, and its timeline. The system also allows each person to handle their own payment.
Groople is said to offer the first online travel technology allowing consumers to book more than four hotel rooms at a time with a system that also features group coordinator tools to help users manage various aspects of group bookings.
Report by David Wilkening
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