Skift Take
Consider Tripadvisor's excruciating marketing decisions: It wants to shout to the world that travelers can save hundreds of dollars on a Hilton or Marriott booking for their next trip when enrolled in the subscription program, Tripadvisor Plus. But that's going to piss off Hilton and Marriott.
Dennis' Online Travel Briefing
Editor’s Note: Every Wednesday, Executive Editor and online travel rockstar Dennis Schaal will bring readers exclusive reporting and insight into the business of online travel and digital booking, and how this sector has an impact across the travel industry.
Online Travel This Week
It is early days for Tripadvisor's new subscription offering, Tripadvisor Plus. The company announced three chain-wide participation agreements last month with Barceló Hotels, Millennium Hotels and Pestana Hotel Group, but all of the larger brands, ranging from InterContinental to Marriott, Hilton, and Accor were missing.
Still, if you peruse Tripadvisor, you'll find plenty of Hyatt, Hilton and InterContinental properties offering rooms through the Tripadvisor discount program.
Why? Assuming Tripadvisor doesn't have deals with chains that it hasn't revealed yet, properties such as Crowne Plaza Orlando — Lake Buena Vista, Doubletree by Hilton Rome Monti, and Hyatt House Mexico City/Santa Fe, for example, are offering stays directly to Tripadvisor Plus or through a global distribution system, channel manager, or another aggregator.
The idea behind Tripadvisor Plus is to provide consumers, who subscribe for $99 per year, substantial discounts on hotels and activities, as well as a variety of perks such as room upgrades or free parkin