Tripadvisor has partnered with a handful of hotel technology providers so that hotels using their services can easily join the Tripadvisor Plus platform.
The company is now working with SiteMinder, Roiback, Derbysoft and WebHotelier. Their hotel clients can now connect with Tripadvisor Plus, whereas previously individual hotels could only connect with the platform via some GDS providers. Tripadvisor has also partnered with discount and perk aggregators to build its available supply.
Tripadvisor Plus is the company's subscription program, offering members access to discounted hotel rates and perks. Members pay $99 annually.
Hotels are asked to pass along what they would normally pay as a commission to the consumer, providing savings in that way. Tripadvisor does not collect commissions, only the annual subscription fee. Hotels can join the platform for free.
Daniel Mitchell, vice president of Tripadvisor Plus supply, said the new partnerships address a problem: There are hoteliers who wanted to join the platform but could not, based on the connectivity solutions previously used.
"Working directly with some of the biggest connectivity partners in the world will fix that for thousands of hotels," Mitchell said.
Tripadvisor expects to form more technology partnerships in the future.