Travel agents and online booking sites have a new competitor as TripAdvisor Australia launches an instant booking function for hotel rooms.
The move comes after rolling out the function in the US and the UK last year, allowing holidaymakers to research properties, read reviews, compare prices and then secure a booking without leaving the TripAdvisor website.
Bookings, while made on the review site will be brought to consumers by online travel agency partners.
Consumers will have access to eight of the top 10 hotel brands to offer online shoppers access to properties under brands like Accor, Best Western International, Carlson Rezidor, Choice Hotels, Hyatt Hotels, Langham Hospitality, La Quinta Inns & Suites, Mandarin Oriental, Marriott International, Priceline Group, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Wyndham Worldwide.
TripAdvisor’s CEO, Stephen Kaufer, said the company is building ‘remarkable’ momentum, and hopes to continue expanding throughout 2016.
“We’re excited to help even more travellers around the world conveniently plan and book the perfect trip on our site as we rollout instant booking to more global markets.”
Stephen Kaufer, TripAdvisor President and CEO
In addition to launching in Australia, TripAdvisor has started rolling out the instant booking button in seven other English-speaking countries, Canada, India, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore and South Africa.
The website aims to have the function powered worldwide by the end of the year.
Partnerships with the Priceline Group and subsequent integration of its Booking.com inventory have helped accelerate TripAdvisor’s instant booking expansion due to the online travel agency’s extensive global property listings, localised content and customer care.
TripAdvisor is working to integrate inventory from its other valued instant booking partners so that their supply is available to book on the platform in the near future.