Online travel agency Hotel Bonanza, which offers low commissions to hotels and discounts to consumers, has secured more than 10,000 hotels to list on its site.
The platform aims to break the hold large travel companies such as Booking.com and Expedia have on the market by charging hotels a flat rate of 8% for each booking – a notable decrease compared to the 15% to 30% fee typically required by major OTAs.
Hotel Bonanza also does not have a rate parity clause, which means hotels
listed on its site are free to sell their inventory at any rate on their own
websites. Additionally, premium listings are not offered; rather, search
results are based on “a combination of proximity to search location and price.”
Hotel groups that have recently joined the site include Edwardian
Hotels London, Yotel, Corus & Laura Ashley Hotels, MGM Muthu Hotels, Crerar
Hotels, A Curious Group of Hotels and the Edinburgh Collection.
"We are thrilled with the response we've had
so far,” says Suzie Barber, co-founder of Hotel Bonanza.
“Hotels are on a major drive to reduce the true
cost of guest acquisition and are fed up with extortionate commissions and
rigid contracts imposed by the big players. We offer value for money, fairness
and transparency - a genuine alternative for both consumers and accommodation
providers."
Consumers must activate a free trial membership in the Bonanza
Club in order to see the cheapest rates. Three months after they make their
first booking, those that have not canceled are charged a £10 fee to continue
the membership for one year and receive a 5% discount on every booking.
Hotel Bonanza says its properties will also offer perks to members
such as discounted meals and complimentary drinks and spa treatments.
The company says it is undertaking an “aggressive growth strategy”
to add thousands of additional properties in the United Kingdom, Europe,
Australia, New Zealand, Asia, the United States and Canada.