Premier Travel Inn creates online savings

Business travellers using budget chain Premier Travel Inn will be able to make claimed savings of up to 60% through a new technology innovation.

The UK’s largest hotel chain with 460 properties has developed an XML interface that allows partner corporate travel agents to book directly into their property management system in real time.

The automated system is available to corporate travel agent partners and their clients 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with last room availability. 

The chain has developed the tool with corporate hotel booking agency BSI and is claimed to offer “substantial benefits” to BSI corporate clients, including Dixon’s, Marks & Spencer and The Royal Bank of Scotland Group, by reducing the time needed to book Premier hotels.

A direct link into the chain’s reservation system is also available via BSI’s online booking tool BSI Direct allowing its corporate clients to book rooms from their desktops.

The link between the two companies went live in January and Premier is working with further corporate booking agents to expand the programme. Premier claims almost half of its bookings are now made online.

Head of national accounts Luke Goggin said: “This direct link, and our partnership with BSI, is a huge step forward for PTI in delivering an enhanced, more efficient booking service for BSI’s corporate clients. By allowing BSI direct access into our property management system we can deliver greater value by reducing operating costs for both BSI and its corporate clients, all of which reinforces our position as the UK’s leading budget hotel supplier”.

BSI commercial director Trevor Elswood added: “This latest BSI connectivity with Premier Travel Inn complements one of our core strategies of delivering information and availability immediately to our clients at the lowest cost. 

“An industry first has been achieved, meaning that clients can now see the largest hotel network of properties in a corporate-controlled online or voice booking environment,” he claimed.

“This technology interface with such a significant brand will see online fees reduce by up to 60% where no agent intervention is needed to complete the reservation.

“It gives our corporate clients a full 360 degree view of the hotel market options, delivering immediate booking confirmation and a lowest rate guarantee.

“It’s one of many technology enhancements that BSI will be launching this year that will tackle some of the hotel industry’s sacred cows, which in turn will reduce hotel and meeting room costs.”

Report by Phil Davies