| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 26/06/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 34 |
| Copyright: Other |
Sales reach £500,000
Travelodge boosted by on-line booking facility
Report by TANYAJEFFERIES
BUDGEThotel chain Travelodge claims to have generated £500,000 in sales since it introduced an on-line booking facility on its Web site two months ago.The real-time facility connects Internet users directly to Travelodge’s central reservations system.
General manager of sales and marketing Peter Halsey said:”We expect our new seamless on-line booking facility to be delivering 20% of all accommodation sales within the next 12 months. This will equate to more than £5m of turnover and will increase further as we evolve the Web site.”
Travelodge, which operates nearly 200 hotels in the UK, first launched a Web site in 1995. Two years ago it launched an e-mail enquiry and booking facility, which guaranteed a call back on the same day.
The company claims it received 5m hits in March this year – a figure which rose to 7m in May.
It also estimates that 50% of its total business enquiries now come through the site.
“Hits on the site have increased five-fold over the last 12 months since we began including the site in our advertising activity,” said Halsey. “We will be focusing more on the new service in dedicated national advertising campaigns.”
The company believes that channelling bookings through its site will cost less than processing reservations over the telephone.
The Travelodge site allows users to search for Travelodges on their travel route or near to their destination. It also gives details of nearby restaurants and runs competitions and offers exclusive on-line deals.
www.travelodge.co.uk.
Travelodge: estimates that 50% of enquiries are through the Web