Banyantree.com saw its electronic channel bookings jumped 18 percent in revenue and 13 percent in terms of room nights barely six months after launching its rebuilt website boosted with real-time reservations powered by hotelBANK, FLASH animation and exclusive online promotions while traffic increased to 80,000 visits. The bulk of the bookings were for Banyan Tree Bintan. These bookings were received either through the website�s reservation engine powered by hotelBANK or through electronic mails.
The revamped banyantree.com boasts one of the shortest routes to the reservation page of any hotel website, with hot buttons on the homepage and a hyperlink on the navigation frame of each resort sub-site to hotelBANK. Instant room availability and cost are available with just one click on the hotelBANK reservations interface, which is linked to the group�s backend reservations system, thus giving consumers greater flexibility in planning their vacations. Bookings through email are confirmed within 24 hours, making this a popular booking channel as well.
�We�re very buoyant about this substantial increase in our online revenue, especially since we�ve only just launched the rebuilt site a few months ago, and there weren�t any large scale publicity campaigns to announce the revamp,� said Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts eBusiness Director Cheok Bee Ling. �As the economy slows down, companies will have to look for innovative ways to reach more consumers directly, and the Internet is the easiest and fastest way. Moreover, this is an excellent channel for us to reach out to markets that we have a weaker presence in.�
The all-new banyantree.com collects all the Banyan Tree resorts and affiliate brands under on umbrella, giving consumers more choices of accommodation and instant booking confirmation. Each resort site boasts over 25 pages of information pertinent to travelers, photographs, location guides and pop-up windows with detailed facilities, location maps and printer-friendly floor plans. Organized into easily navigable links to the various affiliate brands and special interest micro sites accessible via hot buttons on the home page, the site has been re-constructed to give consumers faster, and more direct, access to the information they need. To relive the Banyan Tree experience of romantic and exotic sensuality, consumers simply have to log on to www.banyantree.com.
About Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts The corporate mission of Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts is to develop and manage upmarket luxury boutique resorts, which are steeped in Asian traditions and are environmentally sensitive. Banyan Tree offers an intimate retreat experience featuring its own signature blend of romance, rejuvenation and exotic sensuality. The philosophy behind the resorts is based on providing a place for rejuvenation of the body, mind and soul --- a Sanctuary for the Senses. Banyan Tree�s multiple award-winning resorts are currently located in Phuket, Thailand, the Maldives and in Bintan, Indonesia. The company is embarking on a rapid expansion plan with Banyan Tree Seychelles opening in December 2001, Banyan Tree Pokhara, Nepal in 2002 and Banyan Tree Mexico in 2003. Through its sister brand Angsana Resorts & Spa, Banyan Tree offers the opportunity to sample its experience in friendly, picturesque settings ideal for both corporate retreats and family vacations. The company currently operates the Angsana Resort & Spa Bintan and Angsana Resorts & Spa Great Barrier Reef and manages the Angsana Oasis Spa & Resort Bangalore in India. The fourth Angsana Resort & Spa will open in Ihuru, Maldives in October 2001.
About hotelBANK hotelBANK was founded in 1985 and since 1993 is a subsidiary of MICROS Systems, Inc., the market leader in providing hospitality technology solutions on a worldwide basis to hotels, hotel chains, cruise ships and restaurants. MICROS Systems, Inc., (www.micros.com) is a member of NASDAQ, the American technology market, and in 1999 achieved a turnover of US$335million with over 2500 employees in 140 countries.
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