Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.(NYSE:HOT) and TripAdvisor (NASDAQ:TRIP) announced today they have partnered to make Starwood’s global hotel portfolio accessible on the TripAdvisor instant booking platform. From a last-minute business trip to a special luxury getaway, customers can seamlessly book a room at participating Starwood properties through TripAdvisor’s booking platform. The unique partnership enables Starwood to market and merchandise its world-class, lifestyle brands to a unique customer base, starting in the first half of this year.

“We are excited about an enhanced relationship with TripAdvisor as it allows us to deepen our touch-points with TripAdvisor’s global community of travelers while maintaining a consistent connection with guests before, during, and after their stay at a Starwood hotel,” said Julie Atkinson, Senior Vice President of Global Digital for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “We appreciate the work TripAdvisor has done to expand upon the existing distribution models and the partnership will provide a clear benefit to our global hotel portfolio.”

With TripAdvisor instant booking, users simply click on a “Book Now” button to initiate a reservation. Travelers are reminded throughout the booking process that their reservation is powered by Starwood and are provided links and phone numbers to contact the hotel’s customer service associates directly; all support inquiries will be handled by Starwood’s award-winning customer care team.

“We look forward to expanding our relationship with Starwood, a hospitality leader and a longtime partner,” said Robin Ingle, Senior Vice President, Global Sales, TripAdvisor. “Adding Starwood’s robust brand offerings and acclaimed properties to our fast-growing instant booking platform provides the TripAdvisor community with even more choice and flexibility when booking travel.”

Source: http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/global/154000320/4073912.html