Concur Welcomes InterContinental Hotels Group as New Partner for Concur® Open Booking

2013-03-26 — /travelprnews.com/ — Powerful new option gives businesses the ability to connect every hotel booking made directly on IHG sites to their expense reporting and corporate travel program

Redmond, Wash., March 26, 2013 – Concur (Nasdaq: CNQR), a global leader in integrated travel and expense management, today announced that IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) (LON: IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)), one of the world’s leading global hotel companies, signed as a Concur® Open Booking partner. Concur Open Booking enables transactions booked through travel supplier web sites to automatically appear in Concur, delivering complete visibility, streamlined expense reporting and enhanced duty of care data back to corporate clients, regardless of where travel was booked.

With the integration of Concur Open Booking, travelers whose profiles are linked with their IHG loyalty program account will be able to book directly on IHG’s seven brand websites – which include InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, the Holiday Inn® brand family and two extended stay brands – and still get their company’s negotiated rates. They’ll also enjoy a personalized web experience that includes e-receipts directly from the hotel that automatically pre-populate their expense report. Best of all, Concur clients get more visibility into employee travel spend and enhanced duty of care capabilities across all employee travel. These new capabilities are expected to be available for corporate clients beginning in 2013.

“We are pleased to join the Concur Open Booking solution to create a new and enhanced booking experience for business travelers, who are among the more than 71 million frequent guests worldwide loyal to the IHG family of hotel brands,” said Andrew Rubinacci, vice president, Distribution & Intermediary Sales, IHG. “We are excited to provide Concur corporate clients with direct access to book their lodging accommodations on IHG’s branded websites, while earning and tracking their loyalty points and special promotions. This new partnership with Concur now makes corporate travel and expense management more seamless, connected and collaborative than ever for IHG and our guests.”

“Direct supplier integration for Concur Open Booking from leading companies like IHG makes life so much better for travelers and their employers,” said Michael Koetting, EVP of Supplier Management at Concur. “Companies get the data they need to make smart decisions about travel spend, policy compliance and duty of care. Travelers spend less time managing expenses and get the perks from their loyalty programs, while still being able to book at their corporate rate.”