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	Jason Soss takes on the role of Global Head of Strategic Partnerships.
	Team forms part of Commercial Strategy &amp; Strategic Partnerships, reporting into Asi Ginio.
	Key regional team reporting to Soss also confirmed.


&nbsp;

Orlando, FL 13 November 2018. Hotelbeds, the world’s leading bedbank, has announced today a further senior management appointment, naming Jason Soss as the new Global Head of Strategic Partnership for Hotelbeds.&nbsp;

The newly created Strategic Partnerships team forms part of the Commercial Strategy &amp; Strategic Partnerships function of Hotelbeds and will report directly to functional director Asi Ginio.&nbsp;

The Strategic Partnerships team led by Jason Soss focuses on analysing and generating major business opportunities, developing and implementing new market initiatives, and managing Hotelbeds largest partnerships, particularly in the airline, loyalty, and online travel agency space.

Soss, who has over 20 years of experience in the travel space, was previously the president of Global Business Development for Travel Holdings – which formed part of Tourico Holidays and was subsequently acquired by Hotelbeds in 2017 – where he was responsible for creating and managing the company’s largest partnerships, including American Airlines, Priceline, JetBlue, IHG, Google, and many others.

In this new role, Jason will take over the company’s largest partnerships, at a global scale, coming from the legacy Tourico Holidays, GTA, and Hotelbeds businesses, allowing Hotelbeds to benefit from Jason’s specialized and high-level experience in travel verticals such as global airline distribution, online travel agencies, point redemption businesses, vacation rental space, online advertising sales, and travel technology platforms.

Reporting to Jason within the Strategic Partnerships team will be Jon French as the Director of Strategic Partnerships for EMEA &amp; APAC, Bruna Buiatti as the Director of Strategic Partnerships in Latin America, Ronald Chan as the Head of Holidays APAC, and Camilla Riccardi as the Manager of Strategic Partnerships in EMEA.

Asi Ginio, Commercial Strategy &amp; Strategic Partnerships Director at Hotelbeds commented, “I am pleased to see Jason taking the lead over our hugely important Strategic Partnerships function – I feel confident that Jason will not only nurture our existing partnerships, but that he will play a crucial role in generating outstanding new ones. His previous experience as the former President of Global Business Development for Travel Holdings makes him the best person to be taking over this role. Currently, we are in business with a great number of strategic partnerships of which Jason has been involved with, including Google, American Airlines Vacations, Jetblue Getaways, Airmiles, MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment, Loyalty Travel, and many others. I am positive that with his experience and dedication, we will continue to grow our number of strategic partnerships.”

Jason Soss, Global Head of Strategic Partnerships at Hotelbeds commented, “More than anything, I am proud and excited to have such a talented team to support me in this new chapter of Hotelbeds’s history, Jon, Bruna, Ronald, and Camilla, will all definitely play crucial roles for our business to flourish – together we will strive to better our strategic partnerships in any way we can.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Today’s news follows the recent consolidation of Hotelbeds, GTA, and Tourico Holidays operations under the Hotelbeds name, with the gradual phasing out the GTA and Tourico Holidays brands. Additionally, Hotelbeds Group and its commercial Bedbank brand, will both now be branded as ‘Hotelbeds,’ to place a bigger emphasis on the company’s sole focus of the bedbank sector.

Following the integration of Tourico Holidays and GTA into Hotelbeds last year its new combined offer now has well over 170,000 hotels, 24,000 transfers, and 18,000 activities available to over 60,000 travel intermediaries globally through the Hotelbeds platform.

&nbsp;

About Hotelbeds 

Hotelbeds is the world´s leading bedbank.

The company’s proprietary technology helps providers of travel services distribute their offering to travel sellers globally via an easy-to-use, advanced technology platform that increases reach, revenue and yield for both the provider and the seller.

Operating under the Hotelbeds brand in the wholesale channel and the Bedsonline brand in the travel agents channel, the company connects over 60,000 travel intermediaries across more than 140 source markets globally with travel providers in over 185 countries representing more than 170,000 hotels, 24,000 transfer routes and 18,000 activities.

In September 2016, the company became independent under the ownership of Cinven and the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). In June 2017, Tourico Holidays became part of Hotelbeds, followed by GTA also joining the company in October of the same year.

The company is headquartered in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

Follow us on:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hotelbeds-group

Twitter: @Hotelbeds

Facebook: Hotelbeds

&nbsp;

Hotelbeds Media contacts

Media Relations &amp; Corporate Affairs

Alicia Orta Stanford · alicia.ortastanford@hotelbeds.com


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Hotelbeds provides an update on its Strategic Partnerships team 

Earthquakes in Los Angeles are not infrequent, only in April this year a quake in a nearby city rocked buildings in downtown L.A. area. But not everyone seems to have noticed the silent earthquake that took place in this destination’s hospitality industry recently.

If you are attending the Phocuswright Conference in Los Angeles this week – held in the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE&nbsp;in the downtown district from Tuesday to Thursday – you might notice that Chinese travelers have become the number one international visitor. According to the Los Angeles Tourism &amp; Convention Board, 1.12 million Chinese tourists visited L.A. in 2017.

This makes the destination the first ever US city to exceed 1 million tourists a year from China – and therefore probably the most popular destination in America for Chinese tourists. Just as importantly, Chinese visitors spent an average of 7.2 nights in what is also referred to as the City of Angels – this is not a short-break or multi-city destination for them.&nbsp;

As a hospitality center, needless to say Los Angeles ranks on a global scale. Precisely 1,023 hotels with a capacity for 102,338 rooms helped the city to welcome 48.3 million visitors in 2017.

So how do travellers choose a hotel from the over one thousand on offer? How do they make sure their activities fulfill their needs and budget? To answer those questions for our clients, Hotelbeds is loaded with information on things to do, great places to stay and more. Hotelbeds will demonstrate our solution in hotel distribution at Phocuswright conference this week in Los Angeles.

What comes to your mind when you think of Los Angeles? From the beautiful weather, star-studded Beverly Hills, the iconic landmark Hollywood sign, amusement parks, and recreational beaches, to the various museums and exhibitions, it's a dynamic city worth a visit.

In this respect, Chinese travellers are just like those visiting from so many other countries. They’ve seen the films and TV shows featuring the city and want to enjoy the tons of fun stuff to do and see, delicious treats to eat and drink, and comfortable hotels to stay in and experience.

With over 170,000 hotels in our portfolio, including many in and around the Los Angeles area, Hotelbeds is dedicated to provide high quality service and local insights to clients. So whether your clients are traveling for business or leisure, after a 12 hours trek from China to Los Angeles we are sure we have the answer to a happy trip for them.

The city is constantly evolving and expanding. Currently 45 hotel projects are under development, which will deliver more than 9,500 rooms to area by 2020. But even at that rate of growth, will it keep up with demand?

It will be interesting to note if the new openings will be planned with Chinese audiences in mind. Successfully attracting Chinese travellers is not just about having Chinese language speakers or even food options. It extends to understanding the search engines they use, the different reservation needs and booking processes, preferred payment options, the configuration and features of a room, and so much more.

It might seem a cliché, but this week at Phocuswright ask at your hotel if you can pay using Alipay or WeChat. If you can then it might be a good sign that local hospitality sector has begun to recognize its number one international customer.


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If you are coming to Phocuswright in L.A. this week watch out for an unnoticed earthquake rocking the local hospitality scene 

In the English dictionary the word technology follows long after product. As so it was in the world of travel until very recently. But now that every company is a technology business, does this mean us travel professionals should all move to Silicon Valley?

In our sector one thing is for certain: even if we´re not uprooting ourselves to work near to Apple’s head offices, we´re definitely looking there for inspiration – and most importantly to recruit talent.

Already local companies such as Google and Tesla are intent on revolutionizing the transport experience, working on driverless cars (and even helicopters). Uber is based in the city too, along with countless other travel tech start-ups.

This week for sure San Francisco will qualify for global travel industry hub status: on Tuesday Skift is holding its first ever Skift Tech Forum in the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Given the line-up and turnout, almost certainly this will become a fixture in the calendar.

Speakers will include the President &amp; CEO of Sabre Corporation, Sean Menke, the Chief Technology Officer &amp; SVP of Expedia, Tony Donohoe, and the President &amp; CEO of Travelport, Gordon Wilson. They´ll all be on stage alongside senior technology, revenue management and digital leaders from Accor Hotels, Southwest Airlines, Hilton, Uber, Amadeus, Air Canada, United Airlines and Kayak.

We at Hotelbeds Group are proud to sponsor this event. If you are attending look out for the Hotelbeds Group area where you can charge your mobile phone or laptop. I´ll be there too and would be delighted to meet you all.

When Scott McKenzie sang his 1967 hit San Francisco (be sure to wear flowers in your hair) he sang “there's a whole generation / with a new explanation”: what started as talking about peace and love converted into the revolution of microchips and computer software.

Tuesday’s talks won´t convert the city into the premier travel industry hub overnight, but it seems that Silicon Valley is already an important destination on the travel industry map. Who knows what journey lays ahead?


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Silicon Valley as the new global hub for the travel industry? Tuesday marks the day


	Joaquín García and Luis Miguel Vázquez appointed as Directors of Wholesale Sales for Europe
	Regional management teams reporting to Joaquín and Luis Miguel also confirmed
	Hotelbeds strengthening its European region leadership team in line with expansion plans


Palma, 6 November 2018. Hotelbeds, the world’s leading bedbank, has today provided another update on further senior management appointments across its company. Joaquín García has become the Regional Director of Wholesale Sales for Northern, Central &amp; Eastern Europe and Luis Miguel Vázquez, has become the Regional Director for South&nbsp;Europe. Both will report directly to Sam Turner, the Wholesale Sales and Sourcing Director with global responsibility.

In their new roles they will be responsible for managing relationships and driving growth with wholesale clients, including tour operators, airlines, points redemption schemes, resellers and online travel agents.

Both Joaquin and Luis Miguel have an extended career within the travel industry and, specifically, in Hotelbeds, where they have undertaken different leadership roles within the company for over 10 years each.

Additionally, Hotelbeds has confirmed the line-up of the teams who will report to both Joaquín and Luis Miguel, combining existing internal talent from across the three bedbanks, Hotelbeds, GTA, and Tourico Holidays.

Sam Turner, Wholesale Sales &amp; Sourcing Director at Hotelbeds, said, “I am delighted to see Joaquín and Luis Miguel take on their roles as Regional Directors for Wholesale Sales in Europe to help us realise the further potential that this important region holds. As seasoned leaders with 20 plus years of experience and together with talented and dedicated teams reporting into them, I am confident that they will solidify our leadership position in the region.”

Luis Miguel Vázquez, Regional Director of Wholesale Sales for South&nbsp;Europe said, “This is a hugely exciting time for our clients, suppliers and industry. We already have positive results from the integration of our three bedbanks to benefit our clients and suppliers, with cross-selling already underway. We are proud to say we are now able to connect over 60,000 travel intermediaries with over 170,000 hotels, 24,000 transfer routes, and 18,000 activities worldwide via our enlarged Hotelbeds’ leading technology platform.”

Joaquín García, Regional Director of Wholesale Sales for Northern, Central &amp; Eastern Europe added, “It is an exciting and thrilling opportunity to take on this role overseeing the European region, together with my colleague Luis Miguel, identifying the huge opportunities within the industry, maintaining long term and key commercial partnerships, and further strengthening the company’s leading regional presence. The result of the integration of our three bedbanks is equally exciting; this allows us to offer best-in-class products, services and solutions to our customers, driving more value in our partnership and continue the positive trajectory of our success story in Europe- Despite being an established market, Europe has a long journey of growth ahead of it still.“

Since January, the company has been identifying top employee profiles from the three companies, at both the senior management and management levels, in order to better respond to the needs of the company’s expanded operations following the integration of Tourico Holidays and GTA last year.&nbsp; Already over 350 appointments have been made in the year-to-date.

&nbsp;

About Hotelbeds 

Hotelbeds is the world´s leading bedbank. The company’s proprietary technology helps providers of travel services distribute their offering to travel sellers globally via an easy-to-use, advanced technology platform that increases reach, revenue and yield for both the provider and the seller.

Operating under the Hotelbeds brand in the wholesale channel and the Bedsonline brand in the travel agents channel, the company connects over 60,000 travel intermediaries across more than 140 source markets globally with travel providers in over 185 countries representing more than 170,000 hotels, 24,000 transfer routes and 18,000 activities.

In September 2016, the company became independent under the ownership of Cinven and the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). In June 2017, Tourico Holidays became part of Hotelbeds, followed by GTA also joining the company in October of the same year.

The company is headquartered in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

&nbsp;

Follow us on:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hotelbeds-group

Twitter: @Hotelbeds

Facebook: Hotelbeds

&nbsp;

Hotelbeds Media contacts

Arenalia Comunicación&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Laia Jardí · ljardi@arenalia.com

Cristina Vilà · cvila@arenalia.com

Tel. +34 660 201 020&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Hotelbeds 

PR, Media Relations &amp; Corporate Affairs

Antonia Aguiló · a.aguilo@hotelbeds.com


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European Wholesale Sales team confirmed for Hotelbeds


	Hotelbeds Group and its commercial Bedbank brand, Hotelbeds, both now branded simply as ‘Hotelbeds’ underlining core focus on the bedbank sector.
	Following the acquisition of Tourico Holidays and GTA last year, the world’s leading bedbank announces the consolidation of its combined operations under the Hotelbeds name.
	Launch of refreshed Hotelbeds identity to phase out the brands of GTA and Tourico Holidays.


Palma, 31 October 2018. Hotelbeds, the world’s leading bedbank, has announced today a consolidated and refreshed identity, under the Hotelbeds brand following the acquisitions last year of Tourico Holidays and GTA.

Both ‘Hotelbeds Group’ and its commercial Bedbank brand, ‘Hotelbeds’ will both now be branded simply as ‘Hotelbeds’ in a move that further reinforces its core focus and position as the world’s leading bedbank, following the sale earlier this year of its Destination Management division.

The company also announced a refreshed brand identity for Hotelbeds that will be gradually introduced across all of its combined operations over the coming weeks and months, phasing out the GTA and Tourico Holidays brands.

Additionally, the company has decided to rename its ancillary product line, which Hotelbeds commercialises via its distribution channels, as ‘Beyond the Bed’. This includes the sourcing and distribution of transfers, activities, tickets,&nbsp;theme parks, car hire,&nbsp;travel insurance&nbsp;and specialist&nbsp;tours.

Joan Vilà, Executive Chairman, Hotelbeds said: “Today’s announcement underlines our commitment and core focus to continue building our position as the world’s leading Bedbank. Both our Group and our main commercial brand will both be known from now on under one simple name, Hotelbeds.

The launch of a bold, refreshed identity for Hotelbeds under which we are combining the operations of Hotelbeds, GTA and Tourico Holidays, forms part of our clear strategy and roadmap to combine these top three leading players into one company and redefine the travel distribution landscape for the benefit of our partners.

“Much progress has already been made to integrate the three businesses at a commercial, operational and technological level, with cross-selling and technological solutions already in place.

“As we work our way through the final stages of the integration, we are in continual contact with all our partners to explain how these changes are benefiting them. In the meantime, we remain focused on business-as-usual and you´ll notice the brand changes mentioned today rolling out gradually over the coming weeks and months.”

TO WATCH A VIDEO ABOUT TODAY’S NEWS CLICK HERE.

Today’s news follows an extensive consultation with our partners to establish the best fit for their needs. As a result of the integration of Tourico Holidays and GTA into Hotelbeds last year, the combined company now offers over 170,000 hotels, 24,000 transfers and 18,000 activities to over 60,000 travel selling intermediaries globally – including airlines, points redemption schemes, bricks-and-mortar travel agents, tour operators and online travel agencies.

This news also follows the decision announced in September to combine the various retail travel agent offerings of the company into one brand, Bedsonline. Already a process is underway to migrate the TravelBound, TravelCube and GTA retail customers onto the Bedsonline platform over the coming months and a new Bedsonline brand image has already been launched.

&nbsp;

About Hotelbeds 

Hotelbeds is the world´s leading bedbank.

The company’s proprietary technology helps providers of travel services distribute their offering to travel sellers globally via an easy-to-use, advanced technology platform that increases reach, revenue and yield for both the provider and the seller.

Operating under the Hotelbeds brand in the wholesale channel and the Bedsonline brand in the travel agents channel, the company connects over 60,000 travel intermediaries across more than 140 source markets globally with travel providers in over 185 countries representing more than 170,000 hotels, 24,000 transfer routes and 18,000 activities.

In September 2016, the company became independent under the ownership of Cinven and the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). In June 2017, Tourico Holidays became part of Hotelbeds, followed by GTA also joining the company in October of the same year.

The company is headquartered in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

Follow us on:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hotelbeds-group

Twitter: @Hotelbeds

Facebook: Hotelbeds

&nbsp;

Hotelbeds 

PR, Media Relations &amp; Corporate Affairs

Antonia Aguiló · a.aguilo@hotelbeds.com

&nbsp;


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World’s leading bedbank launches consolidated brand identity

Palma, 30 October 2018. Hotelbeds Group, the world’s leading bedbank, announces today a new strategic affiliation with Millennium Hotels and Resorts.

The agreement powers up all of the Hotelbeds Group brands – including Hotelbeds, Bedsonline, Tourico Holidays, and GTA&nbsp; - with direct real-time access to MHR’s 1.4 million-plus annual room nights in over 60 leading global business and leisure travel destinations.&nbsp;&nbsp;

MHR’s hotels range from the grand and iconic, such as Grand Millennium Dubai and the Millennium Biltmore Los Angeles, to the cosy, such as The Bailey’s Hotel London.&nbsp; At the close of 2017, MHR’s offering included just under 40,000 rooms in 136 hotels across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, the United States and Australasia.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The agreement will strengthen MHR’s distribution through Hotelbeds’ presence in more than 140 markets, covering a wide range of channels including airlines, MICE operators, point redemption schemes, retail travel agencies and tour operators representing, in total, over 60,000 travel distributors. These channels of distribution help hotels access a wider international reach and end customers’ profiles who typically reserve with longer lead times and have lower cancellation rates.

The agreement underlines the commitment of both parties to using innovative technology in order to deliver competitive and effective customer service.

Mark Redmond, Head of Global Chains at Hotelbeds Group, says: “We are delighted to be connecting to MHR’s global hospitality offering.&nbsp; This will be a strong relationship delivering special rates and availability across the MHR portfolio to our 60,000 plus clients, while giving MHR access to higher-margin, niche segments of the travel market.”

Nayan Peshkar, Senior Vice President Digital, Distribution &amp; Revenue Strategy, Millennium Hotels and Resorts, adds: “We are very pleased to be working with Hotelbeds.&nbsp; This supports the Group’s wider distribution strategy of reducing reliance on static rate &amp; room agreements in the leisure segment. Our guests are now able to get the best rates at all times across all channels.&nbsp;&nbsp; Deeper penetration of Hotelbeds’ client base will support higher margins and propel a more dynamic customer relationship.”

&nbsp;

About Hotelbeds Group

Hotelbeds Group is a leading supplier of services to the global hospitality industry.

The Group’s proprietary technology helps providers of travel services distribute their offering to travel sellers globally via an easy-to-use, advanced technology platform that increases reach, revenue and yield for both the provider and the seller.

Operating mainly under the Hotelbeds, Bedsonline, Tourico Holidays and GTA brands, the company connects over 60,000 travel intermediaries across more than 140 source markets globally with travel providers in over 185 countries representing more than 170,000 hotels, 24,000 transfer routes and 18,000 activities.

In September 2016, the company became independent under the ownership of Cinven and the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). In June 2017, Tourico Holidays became part of Hotelbeds Group, followed by GTA also joining the Group in October; both companies remain independent brands whilst they are being integrated into the Group. The Group is headquartered in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

Follow us on:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hotelbeds-group

Twitter: @HotelbedsGroup

Facebook: HotelbedsGroup

&nbsp;

About Millennium &amp; Copthorne Hotels Plc

Millennium Hotels and Resorts is the umbrella brand of Millennium &amp; Copthorne Hotels plc, a global hospitality management and real estate group, listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: MLC).

The company owns and/or manages a worldwide portfolio of more than 136 hotels, offering over 40,000 rooms in business and leisure destinations in Asia, Australasia, Europe, the Middle East and North America. Millennium Hotels and Resorts consists of 4 brand collections: Leng’s Collection, M Collection, Millennium Collection and Copthorne Collection.

MHR is a dynamic hospitality group with an outstanding reputation for excellence and taking pride in exceeding the needs of business and leisure travellers. Its properties are well located in the world’s most attractive destinations, including New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Auckland and Beijing.&nbsp; Millennium Hotels and Resorts offers its guests the perfect address for business and leisure alike.

For more information about Millennium Hotels and Resorts visit www.millenniumhotels.com

&nbsp;

Hotelbeds Group 

PR, Media Relations &amp; Corporate Affairs

Antonia Aguiló · a.aguilo@hotelbeds.com


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Millennium Hotels and Resorts signs new strategic partnership with Hotelbeds Group

A road warrior without a final destination is simply lost, no matter how fast or far he or she travels. But what if that final destination were to find, rather ironically, a road map?

When I started in this role around one year ago, I set myself the objective of getting round all our major offices and meeting all our major clients. No small feat given our epic scale and geographic diversity.

Since then I have made&nbsp;almost 20 international long haul journeys, including crossing the Atlantic three times, two visits each to Australia, Dubai, Singapore, China and Japan, plus a host of other countries within both Europe and Asia Pacific.

Along the way I´ve been listening to our customers – who are made up solely of travel agents (contrary to the belief of some, we do not work with consumers in the direct channel and nor do we plan to!) – to find out more about their needs in this rapidly evolving market.

In response to this I have been reflecting – in my role as the Director of all the retail brands that Hotelbeds Group has: Bedsonline, GTA, TravelBound and TravelCube – on what kind of road map can best serve all of our travel agent customers globally.&nbsp;

The first decision related to our technology platform. It made sense for us to operate one technology platform only, not least as customers would benefit most. Due to the fact that Bedsonline had such a strong platform and that the feedback from travel agents was overwhelmingly positive, it seemed the obvious choice. Already we are gradually moving all our travel agent customers onto the platform, region by region.

The second decision stemed directly from the first and seemed an obvious choice. As a result of gradually shifting everyone onto the Bedsonline platform, region by region we are also moving to one brand identity only, that of Bedsonline.

The third decision also led from the first two and in many cases has already been implemented. As some of you may have recently noticed in the news, we have recently refreshed the Bedsonline brand. This includes an updated website and new imagery. We are currently hosting a series of events globally to update our travel agent customers on our new enhanced offering.

All three of these decisions are about enhancing the offering for our travel agency customers by taking it to the next level. In fact the word ´road´ doesn´t sufficiently describe the path needed, perhaps better to call it an ‘information superhighway’ map.

For example, for customers of TravelBound or TravelCube, this means that the number of hotels available to them has now increased from 55,000 up to 170,000. A significant increase, I´m sure you’d agree? Meanwhile we’ve cherry-picked the best technology functions from across the brands to create one super-charged platform. For example we’ve improved search parameters such as districts, hotel standards, ‘distance from’, points of interest, and so on; this allows for filtering functionality, integrating ancillaries and much, much more.

We’ve also put together a great leadership team for Bedsonline, combining the best talent from across Hotebelds Group, following Tourico Holidays and GTA joining the Group last year. These positions have now all been closed and you´ll be seeing more news soon in the media confirming more about who is covering each region.

For the coming months we´ll be busy supporting customers as they migrate onto the new Bedsonline platform; but after that we´ll be busier still helping them to sell more hotels, at higher margins, as well as cross-sell products such as tours and transfers.

And where does the road map lead after that? Look out for more exclusively negotiated prices and content not available elsewhere, more local hotels through partners, greater rewards to thank you for your loyalty, and a continually enhanced service.

Perhaps one of the best things about the travel industry is that the journey never ends – but for sure our journey will involve only and solely travel agents, who for us are the only destination worth visiting.


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What’s the best way to create a road map? Start with a road trip 


	
	Group confirms double-digit growth in wholesale room nights for the 2017/18 year1
	
	
	China remains the number one source market in the wholesale channel for Hotelbeds Group in Asia Pacific
	
	
	China is now the 4th biggest source market for the Group globally, up from 5th last year
	


Singapore – October 17, 2018&nbsp;-&nbsp;Hotelbeds Group, the world’s leading bedbank, has today confirmed ahead of the launch of ITB Asia the continuation of strong growth in wholesale sales in the Chinese source market.

According to Hotelbeds Group’s&nbsp;booking data for the full 2017 / 18 financial year, the Group grew the number of room nights sold from the China source market by double digits year-on-year.

As a source market China remains the Group’s largest wholesale market in APAC for the third year running. Additionally, it has now become the 4th&nbsp;biggest source market for the Group globally in the wholesale channel, up from 5th&nbsp;place only last year – and from 22nd place in only 2011.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Group sells in the wholesale channel – via its Hotelbeds, Tourico Holidays, and GTA bedbank brands – to B2B buyers such as airlines, points redemption schemes, and MICE operators, as well as online travel agents and tour operators.

The top 10 international destinations booked via the Group’s platform this year remain all Asian, with each destination registering double digit growth. The list was topped by Hong Kong, followed in descending order by Bangkok, Phuket, Singapore, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Bali, Osaka, and Beijing. Paris is the top destination outside of Asia, with strong growth year-on-year.&nbsp;

ITB Asia is held in Singapore this week and representatives of the Group will be attending the show to meet with travel intermediary sellers and hotel partners to discuss the upcoming year’s priorities. Booking data from the Group’s platform has positioned the city as amongst the fastest growing destinations within the region.

Sam Turner, Wholesale Sales &amp; Sourcing Director at Hotelbeds Group, said, “I am very proud to see that – once again – during the last financial year we have achieved outstanding sales growth in China. Of course, this is in part a reflection of the fact that Chinese travelers have now become the world’s number one travel segment, spending one in five of all dollars spent on outbound tourism globally.&nbsp;

“But this success is also a reflection of our hard work and persistence, having been in the market for well over ten years and dedicated ourselves to creating a product tailored to the needs of the local market – not least on the sourcing side, where we look for Chinese-friendly hotel accommodation and negotiate exclusive deals for Chinese B2B buyers.”

Hui-Wan Chua, APAC Regional Director for Wholesale Sales at Hotelbeds Group, said, “We are thrilled to confirm that we grew room nights by double digits year-on-year this year in China – and in this new year, which we started back on 1 October, we are confident to experience the same growth or more. The demand for travelling continues to grow in China as many Chinese people take their first overseas trips.

“Since Tourico Holidays and GTA joined our Group last year we now have over 170,000 hotels available – many of them sourced with Asian travelers in mind, and many of those contracted with exclusive rates and unique content. I am looking forward to another busy and exciting edition of ITB Asia this week as I meet with our B2B clients to tell them more about the latest deals and offers we have available for their consumers.”



1&nbsp;All figures quoted in this press release refer to bookings made via Hotelbeds Group’s bedbank platform – which includes the Hotelbeds, Tourico Holidays and GTA brands – during the 2017 / 18 financial year, which closed on 30 September.

&nbsp;


About Hotelbeds Group

Hotelbeds Group is the world´s leading bedbank.

The Group’s proprietary technology helps providers of travel services distribute their offering to travel sellers globally via an easy-to-use, advanced technology platform that increases reach, revenue and yield for both the provider and the seller.

Operating mainly under the Hotelbeds, Bedsonline, Tourico Holidays and GTA brands, the company connects over 60,000 travel intermediaries across more than 140 source markets globally with travel providers in over 185 countries representing more than 170,000 hotels, 24,000 transfer routes and 18,000 activities.

In September 2016, the company became independent under the ownership of Cinven and the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). In June 2017, Tourico Holidays became part of Hotelbeds Group, followed by GTA also joining the Group in October; both companies remain independent brands whilst they are being integrated into the Group.

The Group is headquartered in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

&nbsp;

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hotelbeds-group

And twitter: @HotelbedsGroup

Follow APItude on twitter: @Hotelbeds_API

&nbsp;

Hotelbeds Group Media contact

Instinctif Partners

Laura Yao · laura.yao@instinctif.com

Dolores Shi · dolores.shi@instinctif.com

Tel: +86 21 6441 6701 / 6702

Hotelbeds Group Media 

Media Relations &amp; Corporate Affairs

Wei Wang · whitney.wang@hotelbeds.com



&nbsp;




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Hotelbeds Group confirms strong China sales growth ahead of ITB Asia 


	Bedsonline hace cierre de Embajadores, el evento premier para agentes de viaje en todo México, con la publicación de sus destinos turísticos más importantes durante 2018
	La minorista ha confirmado que para Bedsonline México a nivel internacional Paris, Madrid, Orlando, Nueva York y Las Vegas son los&nbsp;destinos&nbsp;más populares
	Bedsonline revela el ranking de atracciones más importantes para el mercado mexicano
	El proveedor líder para agencias de viaje continúa la expansión de su portafolio tras la integración de Tourico Holidays y GTA


Playa del Carmen, 16 de octubre, 2018. Bedsonline, el proveedor global líder de acomodación y productos complementarios exclusivo para agencias de viaje, ha anunciado durante Embajadores los destinos más importantes para el mercado emisor mexicano durante el 2018.[1]

A nivel internacional, Bedsonline ha reconocido que los destinos más importantes para sus clientes en México este año son Paris, Madrid, Orlando, Nueva York y Las Vegas, en orden descendiente.

A su vez, la minorista reveló que los destinos más visitados, teniendo a México como mercado emisor, para la marca se encuentran dentro del mercado local, teniendo a Cancún, Riviera Maya, Puerto Vallarta, Ciudad de México y Mazatlán como destinos principales, en orden descendiente.

La minorista confirma que, dentro de México, las atracciones más importantes con respecto al número total de reservas realizadas para este año en el mercado local son: la visita a las Pirámides de Teotihuacán y Basílica de Guadalupe, el tour Xcaret plus, la excursión Taxco y Cuernavaca, el paquete de visita a Pirámides de Teotihuacán y Basílica de Guadalupe con tour de la ciudad, y, por último, el espectáculo la Joya Cirque du Soleil, en orden descendiente.

En respuesta de la popularidad de la reserva de atracciones y excursiones a través agentes de viaje, recientemente se incorporó el Tour histórico en bicicleta e ida al parque Chapultepec del Emperador como nueva actividad, disponible exclusivamente a agentes de viaje dentro de la plataforma de Bedsonline.

Por otra parte, Bedsonline hace cierre de Embajadores, el evento premier para agentes de viaje a lo largo de México, que tuvo lugar entre el 27 y 30 de septiembre en Riviera Maya, el cual atrajo a más de 300 clientes y 30 patrocinadores alrededor de todo México.

Juan Carlos Caamal-Jimenez, Area Sales Manager en México para Bedsonline, comento: “Estamos viviendo un momento muy positivo para México – en el último año hemos visto un crecimiento del 11% en reservas de hotel, logrando así que México sea el segundo mercado más importante para el grupo Bedsonline a nivel internacional, no conforme con eso, todos nuestros destinos top dentro de México, han visto un crecimiento positivo.”

“También ha sido un gusto haber presenciado la novena edición de nuestro evento premier para agentes de viaje – todos estamos muy agradecidos por la participación sinigual de nuestros sponsors, Hotel Xcaret, The Fives Downtown, Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, Playa Hotels &amp; Resorts, Marival Resorts, Universal Studios, Oasis Hotels &amp; Resorts y Palladium Hotel Group, y la asistencia de nuestros valiosos clientes, este evento es dedicado a ustedes. Esperamos siempre poder ofrecerles la mejor opción y ser su aliado de viajes a 360 grados.”

Tras la integración de GTA y Tourico Holidays al grupo al que Bedsonline pertenece, los clientes de la minorista ahora pueden beneficiarse de una cartera de hoteles más extensa – llegando a 170.000 hoteles, la gran parte contratada directamente bajo términos exclusivos – y altamente mejorada, dentro de una plataforma diseñada específicamente para impulsar el crecimiento del sector de las agencias de viajes.

La mejorada plataforma y oferta Bedsonline ofrece a sus clientes una cartera de productos variada y competitiva, con una tecnología potente y de fácil uso, sumado con un conocimiento local y combinada con una oferta global. Esta nueva propuesta de la minorista ahora le permite proporcionar una oferta de 360 grados, la cual es sumamente competitiva y completamente centrada en el cliente.

&nbsp;

Sobre Bedsonline

Bedsonline es el proveedor global líder de acomodación y productos complementarios exclusivo para agencias de viaje. A través de su plataforma online distribuye su producto -acomodación, excursiones, tickets y traslados- entre una cartera de clientes compuesta por más de 50.000 agencias repartidos entre 40 países.

La compañía destaca por su extenso portfolio –más de 170.000 hoteles en 200 destinos, 24.000 rutas de traslados en 140 países y 18.000 actividades en 185 países–, por un servicio personalizado local y una herramienta de reserva online intuitiva y fácil de usar. De esta manera, Bedsonline garantiza una alta disponibilidad, precios competitivos y una elevada satisfacción de sus clientes.

La mayorista, líder de la distribución online, ha centrado su estrategia en los últimos años en la expansión por nuevos mercados de Europa, América y Asia, como Alemania, República Checa, México, Estados Unidos, Colombia, China, Japón o Filipinas. Esta visión estratégica ha llevado a la compañía a ocupar una posición de ventaja en la industria.

Bedsonline forma parte de Hotelbeds Group, el proveedor global de servicios para la industria del turismo a nivel mundial que tiene su sede en Palma de Mallorca.

Síguenos en Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/bedsonline

Twitter: @Hotelbeds_Group

y Facebook: facebook.com/BedsonlineEs/

CWW&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 

Marcella Corona Morales

marcella@cww.travel

Media Relations &amp; Corporate Affairs

Alicia Orta Stanford

alicia.ortastanford@hotelbeds.com

&nbsp;


[1] Esta información proviene del reporte de reservas de hotel realizadas durante el año fiscal actual (empezando 1 octubre, 2017) dentro de la plataforma Bedsonline, la cual pertenece a Hotelbeds Group.




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Bedsonline revela durante el evento Embajadores sus destinos más importantes para el mercado mexicano en el año actual


	
	Maarten Bot joins the Ancillary Bank team as Sales Manager for Retail Continental Europe, Greece and Turkey
	
	
	Previous experience as Senior Sales Executive at Bedsonline for the Dutch market and more than seven years in the sales industry
	


Palma, 16th October 2018. Hotelbeds Group, the world’s leading bedbank, has announced today the appointment of Maarten Bot as the new Sales Manager for Retail Continental Europe, Greece and Turkey for the Group’s Ancillary Bank – working with retail clients.

Hotelbeds Group’s Ancillary Bank distributes ancillary products (excursions, event tickets, theme parks, cruises and car rental products) to retail travel agents, wholesalers, tour operators, airlines, online travel agencies, hotel industry partners, activity providers, tourism boards and other points of sale.

Maarten Bot, who has more than seven years of experience in the sales industry, had previously worked as a Senior Sales Executive at Bedsonline for the Dutch market (The Netherlands and Flanders). As part of this move, he has been relocated to the Group’s headquarters in Palma (Spain) and will become part of a growing team for the European Ancillary Bank Sales team that is led by Peter Jones, the Head of Sales for Europe.

In his new role, Maarten will be responsible for Ancillary Bank’s sales and business development for the retail business in the following markets: France, Belgium, Netherlands, DACH countries (Switzerland, Germany and Austria), Poland, Greece and Turkey.

Peter Jones, Head of Sales Europe at Hotelbeds Group Ancillary Bank, commented “We are glad to welcome Maarten to our Ancillary Bank Europe sales team. The previous experience of Maarten in our retail division of Bedsonline will be key for our team. He will work very closely with his former colleagues across the Continental Europe countries, along with Greece and Turkey to support our customers with guidance and advice on how to take advantage of selling the over 24,000 transfer routes and 18,000 activities that we now have on our platform. I am sure his knowledge and enthusiasm will help us grow and develop the sale of ancillaries within our extended retail client portfolio.”

&nbsp;This news comes one month after the appointment of Tracey Bartlam as the new Sales Manager covering the UK &amp; Scandinavian market. Thus, the enhanced Ancillary Bank Sales Team will now consist of five dedicated regional Sales &amp; Sourcing roles all of them reporting directly to Jones.

This follows the introduction of a new Ancillary Bank business structure a few months ago – following the integration of Tourico Holidays and GTA into the Group last year – to ensure the optimization of cross-selling opportunities generated through the company’s diverse and global bedbank client base of more than 60,000 travel intermediaries around the world.

&nbsp;

About Hotelbeds Group

Hotelbeds Group is the world´s leading bedbank.

The Group’s proprietary technology helps providers of travel services distribute their offering to travel sellers globally via an easy-to-use, advanced technology platform that increases reach, revenue and yield for both the provider and the seller.

Operating mainly under the Hotelbeds, Bedsonline, Tourico Holidays and GTA brands, the company connects over 60,000 travel intermediaries across more than 140 source markets globally with travel providers in over 200 countries representing more than 170,000 hotels, 24,000 transfer routes and 18,000 activities.

In September 2016, the company became independent under the ownership of Cinven and the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). In June 2017, Tourico Holidays became part of Hotelbeds Group, followed by GTA also joining the Group in October; both companies remain independent brands whilst they are being integrated into the Group.

The Group is headquartered in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

&nbsp;

Follow us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hotelbeds-group

And Twitter: @HotelbedsGroup

Follow APItude on Twitter: @Hotelbeds_API

Follow us on Facebook: @HotelbedsGroup

&nbsp;

Hotelbeds Group Media contacts

Arenalia Comunicación&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 

Laia Jardí · ljardi@arenalia.com

Cristina Vilà · cvila@arenalia.com

Tel. +34 660 201 020&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Hotelbeds Group 

PR, Media Relations &amp; Corporate Affairs

Antonia Aguiló · a.aguilo@hotelbeds.com

Tel. +34 638 874 038


Marteen-edited.jpg

Further enhancements to Hotelbeds Group’s Ancillary Bank sales team


	
	Third consecutive year the Group has won the award
	
	
	Follows a year in which Tourico Holidays and GTA have joined the Group to expand the portfolio of hotels to over 170,000
	


Singapore – October 16, 2018&nbsp;-&nbsp;Hotelbeds Group, the world’s leading bedbank, has taken the ‘Best Online Travel Wholesaler’ award at Travel Weekly Asia’s 2018 Readers Choice Awards, one of the most prestigious awards in the travel industry.

This is the third time in a row that Hotelbeds Group has won this award, which was voted for by readers of Travel Weekly Asia, consisting of professionals within the travel industry.

The Readers Choice Awards serve to recognize and acknowledge the very best professionals who have pushed the boundaries of, and brought hospitality to, whole new heights.

Hui-Wan Chua, APAC Regional Director for Wholesale at Hotelbeds Group, said, “We are simply overwhelmed to have consecutively won the ´Best Online Travel Wholesaler´ award for the third year running from the readers of Travel Weekly Asia!”

“Our success in the market has been driven by the strong relationships with our partners and the wholehearted dedication of our team across Asia Pacific. We are very pleased that our peers and clients – who include airlines, points redemption schemes, and MICE operators, as well as tour operators and online travel agents – &nbsp;can recognize our efforts, in what is such a dynamic and competitive industry.

“Since the introduction of Tourico Holidays and GTA into our Group last year, we have been seeking innovative ways to provide best online experience for all our customers. I´m certain that our enhanced best-in-class B2B technology platform will help our commercial partners everywhere increase revenues and reduce costs, not least as we can now connect over 170,000 hotels worldwide to over 60,000 travel intermediaries around the globe.” Travel Weekly Asia is a well-respected resource that industry professionals turn to for the latest market intelligence in the dynamic world of travel. The Travel Weekly Asia portfolio includes websites, e-newsletters and print publications that cover the Asia Pacific region. The brand is part of the Northstar Travel Group.

&nbsp;

About Hotelbeds Group

Hotelbeds Group is the world´s leading bedbank.

The Group’s proprietary technology helps providers of travel services distribute their offering to travel sellers globally via an easy-to-use, advanced technology platform that increases reach, revenue and yield for both the provider and the seller.

Operating mainly under the Hotelbeds, Bedsonline, Tourico Holidays and GTA brands, the company connects over 60,000 travel intermediaries across more than 140 source markets globally with travel providers in over 185 countries representing more than 170,000 hotels, 24,000 transfer routes and 18,000 activities.

In September 2016, the company became independent under the ownership of Cinven and the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). In June 2017, Tourico Holidays became part of Hotelbeds Group, followed by GTA also joining the Group in October; both companies remain independent brands whilst they are being integrated into the Group.

The Group is headquartered in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

&nbsp;

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hotelbeds-group

And twitter: @HotelbedsGroup

Follow APItude on twitter: @Hotelbeds_API

&nbsp;

Hotelbeds Group Media contact

Instinctif Partners 

Laura Yao · laura.yao@instinctif.com

Dolores Shi · dolores.shi@instinctif.com

Tel: +86 21 6441 6701 / 6702

&nbsp;

Hotelbeds Group Media 

Media Relations &amp; Corporate Affairs

Wei Wang · whitney.wang@hotelbeds.com

&nbsp;


Hotelbeds (Stage).jpg

Hotelbeds Group wins ‘Best Online Travel Wholesaler’ at Travel Weekly Asia’s 2018 Readers Choice Awards

Ever found it hard to get a decent hotel room located near to a major travel trade show event? Most of you would be happy to find just one good room, at a fair price. But when I go to a travel trade show my objective is to find thousands of hotels rooms and then occupy them as often as I possibly can.

Who needs thousands of rooms? At Hotelbeds Group that’s our raison d'etre: we consolidate hotel accommodation and I´m in charge of contracting the right hotels, at the right rates across Asia Pacific.

If you want to find out more about how we go about doing that, this Thursday at ITB Asia I will be participating in a panel discussion called The future of travel distribution. The debate will be hosted by Duncan Horton, CEO of Travel Weekly Group – part of Jacobs Media Group – &nbsp;and participating will be industry colleagues from Booking.com, KAYAK, Skyscanner, and Triptease.

We’ll be discussing what it takes to succeed, and how to keep succeeding as the industry continues to move forward. What do you think will be the next big thing? Come along and join the debate, we´ll be taking questions from the audience; it kicks off at 10am in the Knowledge Theatre at Sands Expo Convention Center B2.

During the rest of the three day conference – starting Wednesday and finishing Friday – my colleagues and I will be busy meeting with our hotel partners, who now number over 170,000 globally since both Tourico Holidays and GTA joined our Group last year.

In particular, I´m going to be speaking with hotels about how we can help them boost incremental sales by reaching niche B2B buyers such as airlines or points redemption schemes. Additionally, I´ll be speaking with them about how to increase margins on those B2B sales by finding customers that cancel less, return more often, and spend more whilst in destination.

As always, this week we are also looking to negotiate more exclusive and unique deals with hotel partners, especially helping partners to stand out from the crowd. This is very important for the over 60,000 travel intermediary subscribers to our platform who crave differentiated content for their customers. What better way to attract special B2B buyers than by offering them something special for their customers? &nbsp;

For many hoteliers around the globe, but particularly those based in Asia Pacific, a significant part of their growth strategy going forward is focused on capturing Chinese travellers. For us at Hotelbeds Group we´ve been deeply involved in the Chinese market for many years and already it is our fourth biggest source market globally.

We´ve achieved success in the Chinese source market by embracing technology changes and working with our hotel supplier partners globally to help them adjust their offering accordingly.

For example, Chinese travellers require certain types of information about a hotel room – such as the room size or whether or not it has a kettle – that most hoteliers don’t display; Chinese travellers also book much more last minute than hoteliers are familiar with. It’s just as important to make sure that we have the right content on our platforms in the Chinese language.&nbsp; We achieve this by translating our hotel descriptions on our Bedsonline retail platform, as well as working through distribution partners.

As Chinese travellers increasingly travel less in groups and slowly become fully independent travellers, technology becomes more important still. At a moment when Chinese travellers are still having their first tentative experiences – ones they could repeat with the same destinations and brands – it will be technology that either makes or breaks hotels in capturing them. Is your technology up to the job? Only time will tell, but in the meantime meet up with us and we can share our experiences.

&nbsp;


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Finding hotels at ITB Asia this week is about more than just a place to stay for some 

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