Booking.com News

As a global leader in online accommodations and travel services, Booking.com continues to shape the digital travel experience through innovation, platform evolution, and strategic partnerships. PhocusWire delivers the latest Booking.com news to keep industry professionals informed on how this travel giant is adapting to shifting market dynamics and consumer expectations.

Key Booking.com updates, partnerships, and market trends

Follow developments in Booking.com’s core technology, loyalty strategies, and supplier relationships, along with its expansion into flights, experiences, and payments. Our reporting covers how the brand is responding to competitive pressures, regulatory environments, and the increasing demand for seamless, personalized travel.

Not content with hotel domination, Priceline Group now wants to push car rental services
News / Distribution
Not content with hotel domination, Priceline Group now wants to push car rental services
By Kevin May | May 7, 2015
It was only a matter of time before the Priceline Group realised there was an opportunity to take on the B2B car rental market. The company has quietly made a move this week to challenge car rental Read More
Small hotels can get sites from BookingSuite for a 10% cut of direct
News / Distribution
Small hotels can get sites from BookingSuite for a 10% cut of direct
By Sean O'Neil | April 29, 2015
Online hotel distribution behemoth Booking.com last week formally debuted BookingSuite, its new business-to-business arm, derived from its acquisition of digital marketing firm Buuteeq. Today the c Read More
Travel startups: Don't bring a knife to a gunfight
News
Travel startups: Don't bring a knife to a gunfight
By Alex Bainbridge | April 28, 2015
The travel industry has not been very receptive recently to digital travel startups. Yes, articles are written, conference startup pitch invites are received, but generally the incumbents, or digit Read More
Hoteliers claim Booking.com parity agreement still wrong and anti-competitive
News / Distribution
Hoteliers claim Booking.com parity agreement still wrong and anti-competitive
By Kevin May | April 24, 2015
Booking.com's move to appease regulators over rate parity agreements with hotels has not been met with universal applause. Far from it, in fact. The Priceline Group-owned accommodation giant cla Read More
Just in time: Booking.com brings Now to Apple Watch
News / Technology
Just in time: Booking.com brings Now to Apple Watch
By Linda Fox | April 23, 2015
Tomorrow Booking.com launches its Booking Now service for Apple Watch, coinciding with the launch of the device in Apple stores. It's one of a string of travel companies that have announced service Read More
As rate parity falters, what OTAs and hotels may do next
News / Distribution
As rate parity falters, what OTAs and hotels may do next
By Sean O'Neil | April 21, 2015
In Europe, rate parity is a piñata that everyone's taking a whack at. But not everyone in the industry agrees about what they'll find inside. Probes in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Irel Read More
Booking.com makes changes to rate parity clauses in Europe
News / Distribution
Booking.com makes changes to rate parity clauses in Europe
By Kevin May | April 21, 2015
Booking.com says it will support changes put on it by regulators to amend hotel price agreements. The Priceline Group-owned accommodation booking giant will "abandon its price, availability and boo Read More
Google defence against regulator exposes weak performance of its travel products
News / Online
Google defence against regulator exposes weak performance of its travel products
By Kevin May | April 16, 2015
Google may have mounted a robust defence of its search practices, but at the same time showed how far it has to go with its travel products. The European Union put forward a so-called "statement of Read More
Some lessons learned from user testing hotel websites
News / Distribution
Some lessons learned from user testing hotel websites
By Martin Cowen | April 16, 2015
To highlight how user-testing can be useful in finding opportunities to improve, three of the most popular sites in hospitality were submitted for a Peek User Testing program. NB: This is an analys Read More
Amid acquisitions, can smaller online travel agencies in Europe survive?
News / Distribution
Amid acquisitions, can smaller online travel agencies in Europe survive?
By Viewpoints | April 9, 2015
An array of prominent purchases has helped Expedia and Priceline cement their spots as the world’s largest online travel agencies (OTAs) as the opportunity for others narrows. NB: This is an analys Read More
Booking.com and TripAdvisor reviews appear on Apple Maps
News / Technology
Booking.com and TripAdvisor reviews appear on Apple Maps
By Kevin May | April 7, 2015
Yelp has lost its exclusivity on providing reviews for hotel properties on Apple Maps. Entering the fray now will also be reviews from Booking.com and TripAdvisor. No official announcement has b Read More
The unspoken reality of the online travel agency sector (hello, frenemies)
News / Distribution
The unspoken reality of the online travel agency sector (hello, frenemies)
By Kevin May | April 2, 2015
Should Booking.com and Expedia be worried about the formation of what is being touted as a "shift in the hierarchy" of the online travel agency world in Europe? The short answer: no. The merger Read More
Making foreign sites work in China, technically, commercially
News / Distribution
Making foreign sites work in China, technically, commercially
By Viewpoints | March 5, 2015
Website performance, particularly site speed, is something for foreign operators to consider. NB: This article is written by Ritesh Gupta, a reporter at Chinatravelnews. Capturing the attention Read More
CMO of Booking.com becomes CEO of Priceline brand
News / Online
CMO of Booking.com becomes CEO of Priceline brand
By Sean O'Neil | February 27, 2015
Paul Hennessy, the chief marketing officer (CMO) of Booking.com for the past three years, will step up to become chief executive officer of the Priceline brand at the start of April, said the Pricelin Read More
Franchise hotels and the framing of online travel agencies
News
Franchise hotels and the framing of online travel agencies
By Viewpoints | February 27, 2015
For more than a decade, online travel agencies such as Expedia or Booking.com have been demonized by franchise chains for being too expensive. Is the criticism true, or is it possible that the OTAs Read More
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