TMCnet News

GuestCentric-Powered Hotel Aiken Increases Direct Online Bookings by 200% in 30 Days
[November 10, 2008]

GuestCentric-Powered Hotel Aiken Increases Direct Online Bookings by 200% in 30 Days


(Marketwire Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) STAMFORD, CT, November 10 / MARKET WIRE/ --

Looking to optimize their online presence and
to increase direct revenue, Hotel Aiken (www.hotelaiken.com), an
independent 64-room hotel located in South Carolina, has created a new
website and booking platform using GuestCentric 's online service. This
newly revamped site will allow Hotel Aiken to offer customers online
real-time availability and pricing, exclusive hotel
discounts, and an overall fluid shopping experience.

Despite the economic downturn hotels are facing, Hotel Aiken managed to
improve their online revenue with this hotel software. Within two weeks of the
introduction of their booking engine, their online bookings had increased
by 200%. By the end of the 30-day free trial and with GuestCentric
guidance, Hotel Aiken was able to create a very successful online marketing
campaign that increased the number of visitors to the website by 560% and
be ranked first in Google organic search.

"At Hotel Aiken, we want to be able to offer our guests an unforgettable
online experience by providing them with a user-friendly website and a
secure and easy-to-use booking engine to speed up the reservation process
and most importantly receive instant confirmation of their reservation,"
said Lindsey Wise, Sales Coordinator and Customer Care Director of Hotel
Aiken. "GuestCentric really understood the challenges that independent
hotels like us face and made the entire process easy for us. Now we can
keep the hotel's website looking fresh by updating content at anytime from
anywhere."

About the GuestCentric Service

The GuestCentric online service provides smaller independent hotel managers
with an affordable yet powerful online marketing and distribution tool to
drive more bookings using the Internet channel. Previously only available
for hotels with big budgets through expensive and time consuming custom
development, GuestCentric is leveling the playing field for these smaller
hotel players by offering a sophisticated online user experience at a
fraction of the cost of traditional solutions. Using only a web browser,
its one-screen interface makes it possible for smaller hoteliers to:

-- Easily create a new impact website with the hotel branding where
managers can always keep the site fresh by updating content at anytime from
anywhere and create online promotions in minutes.

-- Utilize a best-in-class booking engine on one screen to simplify and speed up the
booking process.

-- Integrate GuestCentric's reservation software platform to manage online and offline
reservations to avoid double bookings.




-- Keep track of the website performance in one place using the service's
Online
marketing performance tools and interactive dashboard.


About Hotel Aiken

Located in the heart of South Carolina's historic downtown Aiken, Hotel
Aiken is the perfect place for both leisure and business travelers alike,
described as Aiken's truly "Grand Hotel." Originally built in 1898, the Aiken hotel has
gone through a series of major and continuous renovations since 2001, with
the accent on retaining the historical feel of this landmark building
whilst providing all the modern amenities one would expect from a
contemporary hotel. The main bar, The Polo Tavern, is one of downtown Aiken's most
popular watering holes. The Tiki Tavern, located on the back patio, has
been awarded the title of "Best New Bar" in Aiken.

About GuestCentric

Headquartered in Stamford, CT with offices in UK and Portugal, GuestCentric
Systems (http://www.guestcentric.com) is a hospitality software -as-a-service
(SaaS) provider that helps independent hotels revolutionize the way independent hotel operators are
able to compete for customers with larger players in the travel industry.
Its online marketing and booking platform offers a simple and
cost-effective way for hoteliers to create a professional web display of
the hotel property, integrate direct booking and online marketing
capabilities to increase online bookings, lower expenses and develop
long-standing relationships with guests.

Add to Digg Bookmark with del.icio.us Add to Newsvine

For media inquiries, please contact:
Dana Harris
Red Javelin Communications, Inc.
+1 (978) 440-8392Email Contact

Copyright ? 2008 Marketwire

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]