Hotels.com

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Hotels.com, L.P.
FormerlyHotel Reservations Network
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryHotel booking service
Founded1991; 35 years ago (1991) in Dallas, Texas, U.S.
FounderDavid Litman
Robert Diener
Headquarters
Seattle, Washington
,
U.S.
Key people
Hari Nair (General Manager)
ParentExpedia Group
Websitehotels.com

Hotels.com, L.P.[1] is a global website for booking hotel rooms and is owned by Expedia Group. The company has 85 websites in 34 languages, and lists over 325,000 hotels in approximately 19,000 locations. Its inventory includes hotels and B&Bs, and some condos and other types of commercial lodging. Hotels.com was established in 1991 as the Hotel Reservations Network (HRN) and in 2002 changed its name to Hotels.com.

History

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File:Hotelscom logo (2002-2008).png
Old logo of Hotels.com used from 2002 to 2008
File:Rusline (Hotels.com livery), VP-BVK, Bombardier CRJ-100ER (35756857182).jpg
Hotels.com RusLine CRJ100 logojet at Pulkovo Airport (2017)

Hotels.com was established in 1991 by David Litman and Robert Diener as the Hotel Reservations Network (HRN), providing hotel booking via a toll-free phone number in the United States.[2] In 2001, the company was acquired by USA Networks Inc (USAI) which also acquired a controlling interest in Expedia, an online travel booking company.

After buying the domain name for approximately US$11 million,[3] HRN changed its name in 2002 to Hotels.com and launched the offline brand 1-800-2-Hotels as well as allowing hotel bookings on line. There followed a period of rapid international expansion with 29 sites added over the next two years. In 2003, USAI was renamed InterActiveCorp (IAC). In 2005 IAC separated its travel business under the name Expedia Inc. Hotels.com then became an operating company of Expedia Inc.[4]

In 2006, Hotels.com experienced a data breach when a laptop containing personal information of approximately 243,000 customers was stolen. The compromised data included names, addresses, and credit card information. There was no evidence of fraudulent activity.[5] In 2007, the company was found in violation of California's Unruh Civil Rights Act in a lawsuit regarding accessibility for customers with mobility disabilities.[6]

In 2011, the site launched an iPad application and updated its mobile phone product on iPhone and Android.[7]

On December 1, 2016, Hotels.com took over Venere.com (another Expedia owned company).[8]

In 2019, it was reported that the Hotels.com mobile app used session-replay technology from Israeli firm Glassbox, which recorded user activity and sent data to Expedia servers without explicit user consent.[9][10]

Loyalty program

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The first loyalty program for Hotels.com was called "Hotels.com Rewards" (formerly "Welcome Rewards") and rolled out across multiple countries from 2008 to 2011.[11] On July 6, 2023, Hotels.com replaced Hotels.com Rewards with One Key. The new program decreased rewards by 80 percent, including bookings paid in advance under the terms of the prior program. The website Frequent Miler criticized these changes as an unusually large devaluation of the program not comparable to any other loyalty program change in the hospitality industry for a company not undergoing bankruptcy proceedings.[12]

Hotel Price Index

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Starting in 2004, the site has published a review of international hotel room price trends called the Hotels.com Hotel Price Index. It is based on the prices paid per room by its customers using a weighted average based on the number of rooms sold in each of the markets in which it operates.[13] Information includes notable price changes and comparisons between destinations, hotel types, and other price-related analyses.[14] The Hotel Price Index is published both digitally and in print, and is aimed at journalists, the media, and hoteliers as part of its public relations.[citation needed]

Advertising

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Ed Helms voiced the character "Smart" in Hotels.com advertisements.[15] In 2012, the character was changed from clay animation to CGI.[16] The company's advertising slogan was originally "Smart. So Smart"[17] before being changed to "Be Smart. Book Smart".[18]

In 2014, Smart was eventually replaced by "Captain Obvious" who is portrayed by actor Brandon Moynihan. Captain Obvious makes self-evident comments with the aim of communicating that Hotels.com is the obvious choice.[19] The campaign was devised by the ad firm Crispin Porter + Bogusky.[20] Moynihan said in an interview "Hotels.com has a great self awareness and they're not afraid to push the envelope with the crazy stuff I get to do as Captain Obvious".[21] Notable advertisements include one where he runs for president,[22] a La La Land inspired ad[23] and an ad where Captain Obvious meets his future self.[24] In 2018, Captain Obvious featured in Channel 4's ad blocking campaign.[25] In 2019, Captain Obvious appeared as a DJ in an episode of Four Weddings and a Funeral.[26]

Starting in the 2018-19 season, Hotels.com became the official global sponsor of UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup along with Expedia.[27] In December 2020, it signed a partnership with the National Basketball Association, and it was named as the Official Travel Partner of the NBA.[28] In 2023, it became a multi-year sponsor of Arsenal's men's and women's teams.[29]

A new mascot, an anthropomorphic bell named Bellboy, was introduced in 2025. Billed as the first 'spokesbell', he promotes savings and tools on Hotel.com's app.[30]

See also

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References

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