Expedia and Hotels.com Renew and Expand Relationship with Interstate Hotels & Resorts

Article: Expedia, Inc. and Hotels.com(TM) today announced a renewed agreement with Interstate Hotels & Resorts (IHR) to extend the reach of Interstate-managed properties via Expedia.com(R) and Hotels.com. This agreement with the nation's largest independent hotel management company continues to emphasize the added value Expedia(R) and Hotels.com bring to suppliers by showcasing their properties to 30 million unique travel shoppers each month.

Expedia and Hotels.com have already established direct connectivity with the reservations systems of about 100 Interstate properties. As part of this agreement, the parties will continue to direct connect to additional properties over the coming months. Direct connectivity makes it easier and more cost-effective for hotels to manage the inventory and rates on the two Web sites, while customers benefit from real-time information on room availability.

"Expedia and Hotels.com offer the broadest reach of any third party online Web site, and our portfolio of hotels will immediately benefit from exposure to an expanded base of customers that would be otherwise difficult to reach," said Pam Streeter, vice president of electronic distribution and marketing for Interstate Hotels & Resorts. "Leveraging this important relationship will help to boost occupancy rates during periods of both low and high demand. This is a testament to the valuable partnership that working with Expedia and Hotels.com brings us."

As part of the agreement, the hundreds of hotels operated by Interstate will be able to efficiently market to the 30 million active travel shoppers that visit Expedia and Hotels.com each month.

About Interstate Hotels & Resorts
Interstate Hotels & Resorts operates approximately 270 hospitality properties with more than 60,000 rooms in 40 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, Russia, and Portugal. BridgeStreet Corporate Housing Worldwide, an Interstate Hotels & Resorts' subsidiary, is one of the world's largest corporate housing providers. BridgeStreet and its network of Global Partners offer more than 8,500 corporate apartments located in 84 MSAs throughout the United States and internationally. For more information about Interstate Hotels & Resorts, visit the company's Web site: www.ihrco.com.
About Expedia, Inc.
Expedia, Inc. is the world's leading online travel service and the fourth largest travel agency in the U.S. Expedia's award-winning Expert Searching and Pricing (ESP) technology delivers the most comprehensive flight options available online. ESP also allows customers to dynamically build complete trips that combine flights, Expedia(R) Special Rate hotels and other lodging, ground transportation, and destination services and activities. Expedia's quality and leadership have been recognized in awards such as PC Magazine's "Editors' Choice" and Forbes' "Favorite General Travel Site." Expedia is an operating company of IAC/InterActiveCorp (IACI).
About Hotels.com
Hotels.com is a leading provider of lodging worldwide, offering reservation services through its own websites (including www.hotels.com and others), its interactive affiliate network (www.IAN.com), and its toll-free call centers (1-800-2-HOTELS). Hotels.com gives travelers the widest selection of lodging accommodations from traditional hotels to vacation rentals at over 12,000 properties in more than 400 cities in North America, Europe, the Caribbean and Asia. The company is a one-stop shopping source for hotel pricing, amenities and availability, and also specializes in providing travelers with accommodations during sold-out periods. Hotels.com is an operating business of IAC/InterActiveCorp.
NOTE: Expedia, Expedia.com, and the airplane logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the United States, Canada and/or other countries. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.