Hotels.com#Advertising

{{short description|Website for booking hotel rooms online and by telephone}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Hotels.com, L.P.

| former_names = Hotel Reservations Network

| logo = Hotels.com Logo 2025.svg

| type = Subsidiary

| industry = Hotel booking service

| founded = {{Start date and age|1991}} in Dallas, Texas, U.S.

| founder = David Litman
Robert Diener

| location_city = Dallas, Texas

| location_country = U.S.

| area_served =

| key_people = Hari Nair (General Manager)

| products =

| owner =

| num_employees =

| parent = Expedia Group

| website = {{URL|hotels.com}}

}}

Hotels.com, L.P.{{Cite web |date=2001-06-14 |title=Hotels.com, L.P. |url=https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_tx/0015269810 |access-date=2023-08-22 |website=OpenCorporates}} is a global website for booking hotel rooms online and by telephone. The company has 85 websites in 34 languages, and lists over 325,000 hotels in approximately 19,000 locations. Its inventory includes hotels and B&Bs, and some condos and other types of commercial lodging. Hotels.com was established in 1991 as the Hotel Reservations Network (HRN). In 2001, it became part of Expedia, Inc. and in 2002, changed its name to Hotels.com. The company is operated by Hotels.com LP, a limited partnership subsidiary located in Dallas, Texas, in the United States.

History

File:Hotelscom logo (2002-2008).png

File:Rusline (Hotels.com livery), VP-BVK, Bombardier CRJ-100ER (35756857182).jpg CRJ100 logojet at Pulkovo Airport (2017)]]

Hotels.com was established in 1991 by David Litman and Robert Diener as the Hotel Reservations Network (HRN), providing hotel booking via a toll-free phone number in the United States.{{cite web|title=Cornell University|url=http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/spotlight.cfm?pageid=53873|work=David S. Litman ’82 and Robert B. Diener ’82|publisher=Cornell Law School|access-date=16 December 2011}} In 2001, the company was acquired by USA Networks Inc (USAI) which also acquired a controlling interest in Expedia, an online travel booking company.

After buying the domain name for approximately US$11 million,{{cite web|title=I bought Hotels.com name for $11m|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9765000/9765923.stm|publisher=BBC News|access-date=3 July 2015}} HRN changed its name in 2002 to Hotels.com and launched the offline brand 1-800-2-Hotels as well as allowing hotel bookings on line. There followed a period of rapid international expansion with 29 sites added over the next two years. In 2003, USAI was renamed InterActiveCorp (IAC). In 2005 IAC separated its travel business under the name Expedia Inc. Hotels.com then became an operating company of Expedia Inc.{{cite web |title=Hotels.com Backgrounder |url=http://press.hotels.com/en-us/company-overview/hotels-com-backgrounder/ |access-date=30 December 2016 |work=Hotels.com}}

In 2011, the site launched an iPad application and updated its mobile phone product on iPhone and Android.{{cite news|title=Hotels.com app review|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8958024/Hotels.com-app-review.html|publisher=The Telegraph|access-date=16 December 2011|location=London|first=Matt|last=Warman|date=15 December 2011}}

On December 1, 2016, Hotels.com took over Venere.com (another Expedia owned company).{{Cite web |date=2008-07-15 |title=Expedia Buying European Hotels Site Venere - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/expedia-buying-european-hotels-site-venere/ |access-date=2024-05-06 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}

=U.S. disability rights infringement=

In May 2007, Hotels.com was subject to a class action complaint (Smith v. Hotels.com L.P., California Superior Court, Alameda County, Case No. RG07327029) brought against them for “ongoing discrimination against persons with mobility disabilities who desire to, but cannot, use Hotels.com’s worldwide reservation network to make reservations for hotel rooms”.{{cite web|title=Class Action|url=http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/case/hotels_com.html|work=Case Summary|publisher=Lawyers & Settlements|access-date=16 December 2011}} The company denied the accusation and opposed the action, but was found guilty on one count of infringing California's Unruh Civil Rights Act, and on one count in violation of Unfair Competition Law. It was agreed that the company would provide suitable accessibility information about hotels sold on its website.{{cite web|title=Settlement Agreement |url=http://www.dralegal.org/cases/private_business/Smith_v_Hotels_com.php |work=Court proceedings |access-date=16 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111122142738/http://www.dralegal.org/cases/private_business/Smith_v_Hotels_com.php |archive-date=22 November 2011 }}

=Privacy concerns=

In February 2019, TechCrunch reported that the Hotels.com mobile app in the Apple App Store was using session-replay functionality from Israeli firm Glassbox, to record users' activities and send the data to Expedia servers without users' informed consent, compromising users' privacy and contravening the rules of the iOS App Store.{{Cite web|website=TechCrunch | url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/06/iphone-session-replay-screenshots/|title=Many popular iPhone apps secretly record your screen without asking | access-date=2019-02-08 | first=Zack | last=Whittaker | date=2019-02-06 |url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190206230056/https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/06/iphone-session-replay-screenshots/ | archive-date=2019-02-06}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.macrumors.com/2019/02/06/iphone-apps-screen-recordings-analytics/|title=Some Popular iPhone Apps Secretly Record Your Screen for Analytics Purposes|website=MacRumors | access-date=2019-02-08 | first=Juli | last=Clover | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190206234723/https://www.macrumors.com/2019/02/06/iphone-apps-screen-recordings-analytics/ | archive-date=2019-02-06}}

Loyalty program

The first loyalty program for Hotels.com was called "Hotels.com Rewards" (formerly "Welcome Rewards") and rolled out across multiple countries from 2008 to 2011.{{cite web|title=Hotels.com Rewards|url=https://www.hotels.com/hotel-rewards-pillar/hotelscomrewards.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406190938/https://www.hotels.com/hotel-rewards-pillar/hotelscomrewards.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2023-04-06|publisher=Hotels.com|access-date=6 April 2023}} On July 6, 2023, Hotels.com replaced Hotels.com Rewards with One Key. The new program decreased rewards by 80 percent, including bookings paid in advance under the terms of the prior program. The website Frequent Miler criticzed these changes as an unusually large devaluation of the program not comparable to any other loyalty program change in the hospitality industry for a company not undergoing bankruptcy proceedings.{{cite web|url=https://frequentmiler.com/huge-devaluation-of-hotels-com-rewards-new-one-key-program-only-giving-2-back/|title=Huge Devaluation Of Hotels.com Rewards; New One Key Program Only Giving 2% Back|work=Frequent Miler|last=Pepper|first=Stephen|date=26 April 2023|access-date=14 July 2023}}

Hotel Price Index

Starting in 2004, the site has published a twice-yearly review of international hotel room price trends called the Hotels.com Hotel Price Index. It is based on the prices paid per room by its customers using a weighted average based on the number of rooms sold in each of the markets in which it operates.{{cite web|title=Hotel Price Index: Review of Global Prices, first half 2011|url=http://www.hotel-price-index.com/2011/first-half/|work=Hotel Price Index|publisher=Hotels.com|access-date=16 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223031827/http://www.hotel-price-index.com/2011/first-half/|archive-date=23 December 2011|url-status=dead}} Information includes notable price changes and comparisons between destinations, hotel types, and other price-related analyses for the previous six months.{{cite web|title=Hotels.com Hotel Price Index (HPI) Highlights Rising Hotel Prices in Emerging Destinations for American Travelers|url=http://www.marketwatch.com/story/hotelscom-hotel-price-index-hpi-highlights-rising-hotel-prices-in-emerging-destinations-for-american-travelers-2011-11-08|work=Press Release|publisher=Market Watch|access-date=16 December 2011}} The Hotel Price Index is published both digitally and in print, and is aimed at journalists, the media, and hoteliers as part of its public relations.

Advertising

Ed Helms voiced the character "Smart" in Hotels.com advertisements.{{cite web|title= Ed Helms Hotel.com ads|url= https://www.officetally.com/ed-helms-new-hotelscom-ad |website=Officetally|date=11 June 2009|access-date=21 August 2021}} In 2012, the character was changed from clay animation to CGI.{{cite web|title=Hotels.com Gets a Makeover|url= http://momcentral.com/hotelscom-gets-makeover/ |website=Mom Central|access-date=21 August 2021}} The company's advertising slogan was originally "Smart. So Smart"{{cite web|title= Hotels.com (Maybe Not So) Smart |url= https://brandaide.com/enforceable-domain-name/ |website=Brandaide|date=23 October 2011|access-date=21 August 2021}} before being changed to "Be Smart. Book Smart".{{cite web|title=Hotels.com close to booking agency for social media brief |url= https://www.prweek.com/article/1672895/hotelscom-close-booking-agency-social-media-brief |website=Prweek|date=6 February 2020|access-date=21 August 2021}}

In 2014, the site introduced the character "Captain Obvious" who is portrayed by actor Brandon Moynihan. Captain Obvious makes self-evident comments with the aim of communicating that Hotels.com is the obvious choice.{{cite web|first= Ian| last= Goldstein|title= Who Plays Captain Obvious In The Hotels.com Commercials? |url= https://www.looper.com/424845/who-plays-captain-obvious-in-the-hotels-com-commercials/ |website=Looper|date=31 May 2021|access-date=21 August 2021}} The campaign was devised by the ad firm Crispin Porter + Bogusky.{{cite web|first= David| last= Gianatasio|title=Hotels.com Recruits Captain Obvious, but Is One Gag Enough for a Campaign?|url=http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/hotelscom-recruits-captain-obvious-one-gag-enough-campaign-155987|work=AdFreak|publisher=Adweek.com|date=27 February 2014|access-date=16 December 2015}} Moynihan said in an interview "Hotels.com has a great self awareness and they're not afraid to push the envelope with the crazy stuff I get to do as Captain Obvious".{{cite web|first= Sophie| last= McEvoy|title= Why Hotels.com's Captain Obvious Looks So Familiar |url= https://www.thelist.com/428856/why-hotels-coms-captain-obvious-looks-so-familiar/ |website=The List|date=4 June 2021|access-date=21 August 2021}} Notable advertisements include one where he runs for president,{{cite web|title= Captain Obvious runs for president |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i40S0iJiDKw |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/i40S0iJiDKw| archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live|website=Fox Business on YouTube|date=11 March 2016|access-date=22 August 2021}}{{cbignore}} a La La Land inspired ad{{cite web|first=Rebecca| last=Stuart|title= Ad of the Day: Hotels.com mascot Captain Obvious stars in La La Land-style musical |url= https://www.thedrum.com/news/2017/05/13/ad-the-day-hotelscom-mascot-captain-obvious-stars-la-la-land-style-musical |website=The Drum|date=13 May 2017|access-date=21 August 2021}} and an ad where Captain Obvious meets his future self.{{cite web|first=Heather| last=Taylor|title= Here's What Happens When Captain Obvious Meets Future Captain Obvious |url= https://popicon.life/future-captain-obvious/ |website=Pop Icon|date=17 November 2020|access-date=22 August 2021}} In 2018, Captain Obvious featured in Channel 4's ad blocking campaign.{{cite web|first=Emily| last=Tan|title= Hotels.com's Captain Obvious to 'block' ads on All 4 |url= https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/hotelscoms-captain-obvious-block-ads-4/1458829 |website=Campaign|date=7 March 2018|access-date=21 August 2021}} In 2019, Captain Obvious appeared as a DJ in an episode of Four Weddings and a Funeral.{{cite web|title= HOTELS.COM: A FREE HONEYMOON? THERE'S JUST ONE LITTLE CONDITION |url= https://www.thestable.com.au/hotels-com-a-free-honeymoon-theres-just-one-little-condition/ |website=The Stable|date=16 August 2019|access-date=21 August 2021}}

Starting in the 2018-19 season, Hotels.com became the official global sponsor of UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup along with Expedia.{{cite web|title= Expedia Group To Become Official UEFA Champions League Sponsor |url= https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/expedia-group-to-become-official-uefa-champions-league-sponsor-300697532.html |work=PR Newswire|date=15 August 2018}}

In December 2020, Hotels.com signed a partnership with the National Basketball Association, and it was named as the Official Travel Partner of the NBA.{{cite web |last1=Official Release |title=Hotels.com® named Official Travel Partner of the NBA |url=https://pr.nba.com/hotels-com-named-official-travel-partner-of-the-nba/#:~:text=NEW%20YORK%20and%20DALLAS%20%E2%80%94%20Hotels,Travel%20Partner%20of%20the%20NBA. |website=NBA Communications |access-date=17 April 2023}}