[May 10, 2013] Choice Hotels International and buuteeq Form Qualified Vendor Agreement Tweet May 10, 2013 (Close-Up Media via COMTEX) -- Choice Hotels International, Inc., a lodging franchisor, announced that it has entered into a relationship with buuteeq, a cloud-based digital marketing provider for lodging operators. According to a release, the new qualified vendor agreement gives 5,000 Choice Hotels franchisees in the United States access to buuteeq's products and services that provide the capability to create and manage their own property-level websites with direct booking capabilities. Now, franchisees can have access to tools designed to maximize their online marketing efforts and streamline the booking experience for their guests. The company noted that the new platform, called the Digital Direct Program, features a direct integration between the Choice Hotels central reservation system and the buuteeq Cloud Digital Marketing System (CloudDMS). Franchisees who take advantage of the program will be able to deploy and manage their own SEO-optimized websites seamlessly across Web, mobile, and social channels. The direct booking capability function is expected to be made available this summer. Once implemented, guests will be able to book directly and book smart from a franchisee's property-level website using up-to-the-minute information on room availability and rates. Additionally, the Digital Direct integration will arm franchisees with digital marketing insights delivered through buuteeq's 360 Analytics dashboard. "With the ever-changing landscape of online marketing, booking and property management, it's crucial for Choice Hotels to stay ahead of the game and deliver experiences that meet the needs of our franchisees and their guests," said Robert McDowell, senior VP, global distribution and loyalty for Choice Hotels. Further, more than 25 Choice franchisees have already launched property-level websites through a pilot version of the program. The formal Digital Direct Program that buuteeq custom-designed for Choice Hotels will be available to all the 5,000 Choice brand hotels in the United States beginning May 14 and will become available for international properties later this year. Choice Hotels and buuteeq crafted Digital Direct subscription tiers to serve marketing needs of Choice Hotels franchisees, ranging from jumpstarting the online presence of entrepreneurial properties to supporting savvy marketers looking to boost their digital footprint. "As the provider of the leading digital marketing system for hotels, buuteeq is thrilled to be working with Choice Hotels to help keep their brand at the forefront of technology in the hospitality sector," said buuteeq CEO Forest Key. "The Digital Direct Program provides the opportunity for a much needed direct marketing benefit to Choice Hotels franchisees. Plus, with each property site that goes live, the Choice Hotels footprint on the Internet grows." buuteeq is a Digital Marketing System (DMS) for hotels. More information: www.choicehotels.com www.buuteeq.com ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]