Signature Travel Network on Thursday said it launched a consumer-facing
hotel booking engine in April.
The platform is designed to be placed on agents' websites,
so clients can book their own hotels if they wish, but will still guarantee
amenities and commission for agents.
Signature partnered with Freedom Travel Technologies to
introduce the platform, which features Signature's preferred hotel and resort
partners. The consortium has more than 1,000 preferred properties; amenities
include things like breakfast for two daily, spa credits, airport transfers,
dining or resort credits, and more.
According to Signature, the tool was developed because of
the consumer trend to book travel online themselves through third parties.
"For those who opt to use the booking engine, it will
be embedded within their own sites so consumers are not redirected to a
third-party site," Karen Yeates, executive vice president of information
technologies at Signature, said in a statement. "Everything will be right
at their clients' fingertips."
Members of the network can opt in for an annual fee of $1,500.
Signature announced it was introducing a hotel booking platform
during its annual sales meeting last December.