Press Releases

HotelPlanner and Reservations.com, industry leaders in travel technology and online hotel bookings, today announced a three-way merger agreement with Astrea Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: ASAXU), a special purpose acquisition company, that will result in their combining as a publicly listed company on NASDAQ under the new ticker symbol "HOTP."

The combined company will keep the HotelPlanner name after consummation of the merger. HotelPlanner, with its family of brands including HotelPlanner.com, Meetings.com and now Reservations.com, will offer individual, group and corporate booking access to more than 1 million global properties, enabled by a proprietary, cloud-based, artificial intelligence technology platform, and a 24/7 global gig-based customer service platform.

The merger transaction is expected to enable HotelPlanner to transform into a diversified hotel and event booking platform with complementary revenue streams, and provide the combined company opportunities to realize multiple revenue and cost synergies to drive faster growth at scale.

HotelPlanner was able to prove its resilience during the height of the pandemic in 2020, experiencing only an estimated 23% decline in revenue. By contrast, the world’s largest OTAs experienced a 2020 revenue decline of approximately 50%. Moreover, HotelPlanner expects its 2021 revenue to exceed 2019 revenue, which was a record year, by approximately 31%.

The combined company has a forecasted 2022 revenue of approximately $170 million and is expecting a three-year revenue CAGR (2020 to 2023) of approximately 42%.

The transaction values the combined company at an enterprise value of $567.1 million, plus additional consideration should it achieve market-based milestones.

HotelPlanner intends to use most of the anticipated net proceeds to accelerate organic growth by continuing to increase effectiveness in marketing spending, and accelerating investments in artificial intelligence, machine learning, onboarding of gig-based travel agents, innovations and API services. HotelPlanner also plans to seek growth through potential future acquisitions in adjacent or complementary markets.

WEST PALM BEACH & KEY BISCAYNE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HotelPlanner, a hotel and event booking technology platform, Reservations.com, a premier online travel agency, and Astrea Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: ASAXU), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, announced today that they have entered into a definitive three-way merger agreement for a business combination. Through this transaction, HotelPlanner, with its family of brands including Meetings.com and Reservations.com, plans to leverage its 1+ million hotel room and alternative accommodation inventory and proprietary booking engine to unlock synergies across the travel ecosystem. The transaction is expected to position the combined company to capitalize on expected increased demand for individual, group, and corporate travel and to invest to drive accelerated growth, expand internationally and pursue attractive, well-timed, high-return M&A opportunities. Upon completion of the business combination, which is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2021, the combined travel technology company will operate as HotelPlanner, and will be listed on NASDAQ under the new ticker symbol "HOTP."

A key business differentiator is HotelPlanner’s ability to deliver unique "Closed User Group" rates to customers. Closed User Group discounted rates are offered in unpublished, private sale environments and are available to members within groups such as weddings, reunions, tour groups, pro and amateur sports teams and leagues, private clubs, associations, business meetings and corporate travel. Closed User Group rates are complementary, not competitive, with Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) and deliver a larger proportion of higher-margin “Merchant of Record” transactions with fewer cancellations.

"As worldwide leisure and business travel demand rebounds in the coming months and years, we are in a prime position to rapidly grow our user base and revenue,” said Tim Hentschel, Co-Founder and CEO of HotelPlanner. “We see opportunities for accelerating growth both in the U.S. and globally as we unite two of the largest online booking websites on one highly efficient tech-forward platform, and combine it with the power of our Closed User Group rates. HotelPlanner is a dynamic and cycle-tested company with proven management, scalable proprietary technology, strong profitability, and preferred partnerships built over nearly two decades with 50,000 individual hotels, plus access to more than 1 million accommodation options we make available to our customers. Our technology investments have enabled us to remain ahead of the curve in the rapidly changing travel industry. Reservations.com is a leading global hotel booking website, with more than 1 million stays booked each year. Together, with our combined user base, global gig-based travel agents, brand reach, organizational efficiencies, and significant capital, we are in a prime position to shape the future of online travel booking."

Felipe Gonzalez, CEO of Astrea Acquisition Corp., said "We are thrilled to partner with HotelPlanner and Reservations.com. We analyzed a lot of companies as part of our investment process, and HotelPlanner stood out to us as a unique platform with tremendous potential to benefit from access to public markets. In its nearly two-decade run, HotelPlanner.com has proven to be one of the most innovative, successful, and resilient travel technology companies in the industry, with steady growth nearly every year. In 2020, they successfully navigated through the pandemic and are now positioned to capitalize on the increasing demand for global travel. The combined HotelPlanner is on track to achieve record revenue in 2021, and we believe this transaction will provide the scale and capital to help further accelerate their growth trajectory and deliver exceptional shareholder value for decades to come."

HotelPlanner.com

HotelPlanner.com launched in 2004 with a simple yet profound idea: to fundamentally transform the hotel booking space. Through organic growth and strategic acquisitions, HotelPlanner has consistently grown revenues and successfully managed through the COVID-19 pandemic, and is expected to be on pace to hit record revenues in 2021. Based on gross booking volume as of July 31, 2021, HotelPlanner is one of the world’s largest global providers of online group hotel bookings and a leading provider of individual hotel bookings.

Meetings.com

In 2013, HotelPlanner.com acquired Meetings.com, which successfully diversified the growing company into the online meeting and event booking market. Meetings.com focuses on business travel and helping corporate event planners book meeting space plus hotel rooms. Through direct relationships with leading meeting and banquet venues around the world, Meetings.com quickly finds clients the perfect space for the best value.

Reservations.com

Reservations.com launched in 2014 and has quickly grown into one of the most recognized hotel booking brands in the U.S., with more than 1 million hotel stays booked on their site in 2019. Led by an experienced management team of hospitality and technology industry veterans, Reservations.com offers competitive deals to leisure and business travelers.

Once combined with HotelPlanner, Reservations.com will continue to scale its platform to provide a highly personalized booking experience by utilizing HotelPlanner’s global gig-based customer service platform. Additionally, the shift of Reservations.com’s offline bookings to HotelPlanner’s higher margin Closed User Group rates is expected to create additional revenue opportunities.

Transaction Overview

The transaction implies a pro forma company’s enterprise value of $567.1 million, or 3.3x HotelPlanner’s estimated 2022 revenue of approximately $170 million, and an implied equity market capitalization of approximately $687.9 million. The transaction is expected to provide HotelPlanner with more than $120 million in cash proceeds to its balance sheet, assuming no redemptions, to drive business performance and accelerate organic growth through investments and technology developments in artificial intelligence, machine learning, onboarding of gig-based travel agents, innovations and API services, and selective acquisitions.

Existing HotelPlanner and Reservations.com owners have agreed to roll-over approximately 93% of its ownership and expect to retain approximately 68% ownership following consummation of the business combination. Secondary proceeds of $35 million are primarily intended to effectuate the transaction between Reservations.com and HotelPlanner.

The transaction will require the approval of the stockholders of Astrea, and is subject to other customary closing conditions, including the receipt of certain regulatory approvals. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Additional information about the transaction, including a copy of the investor presentation that will be used by the parties to describe the transaction during the conference call discussed below, will be provided in a Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed by Astrea with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and available at www.sec.gov.

Management and Board of Directors

Upon completion of the transaction, the management of the combined company will be led by Tim Hentschel, HotelPlanner’s Co-Founder & CEO, who will also serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors, and HotelPlanner’s Co-Founder John Prince, who will serve as Chief Information Officer. The senior management team will also include Joe Groglio, Chief Financial Officer, Bruce Rosenberg, Chief Operating Officer, Leticia Piloto-Rodriguez, Chief Legal Officer, and Philip Ballard, Chief Communications Officer & Head of Investor Relations.

Reservations.com Co-Founders Yatin Patel and Mahesh Chaddah will also become part of HotelPlanner’s management team and will be instrumental to the merged company going forward.

Upon completion of the transaction, the surviving company’s non-employee Board of Directors is expected to also include:

Gianno Caldwell, Fox News political analyst

Jeff Goldstein, former President of Pricegrabber

Dieter Huckestein, former Chairman/CEO of Conrad Hotels and former Chairman of the American Hotel & Lodging Association

Mohsen Moazami, former President of Cisco Systems

Dylan Ratigan, former MSNBC host of "The Dylan Ratigan Show"

Kate Walsh, Dean of the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration

Jim Wilkinson, Chairman/CEO, TrailRunner International

Tim Hentschel, John Prince, Yatin Patel, and Mahesh Chaddah will also serve on the Board.

Advisors

EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. are serving as financial advisor to Astrea Acquisition Corp and Graubard Miller as its legal advisor.

Perella Weinberg Partners are serving as financial advisor to HotelPlanner, and Gunster Yoakley & Stewart, P.A. and Latham & Watkins LLP as legal advisors to HotelPlanner.

Katz Teller Brant & Hild, LPA and Stradley Ronan Stevens & Young, LLP are serving as Reservations.com’s legal advisors.

Investor Webcast and Conference Call

HotelPlanner, Reservations.com, and Astrea Acquisition Corp. will host a joint investor webcast and conference call to discuss the proposed transaction on Aug 10, 2021, at 8:00 am ET. A link to the webcast will be available on the Company’s website at hotelplanner.com/investors.

To listen to the prepared remarks via telephone, dial 1-877-300-8521 (U.S.) or 1-412-317-6026 (international) and an operator will assist you. A webcast replay will also be available on the Company’s website at the same link as above.

Astrea Acquisition Corp. will file an investor presentation with the SEC at the time of the webcast related to the proposed transaction

Additional Information and Where to Find It

The transaction referred to in this press release, as well as detailed financial and business information concerning HotelPlanner and Reservations.com and other information will be contained in proxy materials to be filed with the SEC by Astrea Acquisition Corp., and definitive proxy materials will be sent to all Astrea shareholders. Before making any voting decision, Astrea’s stockholders are urged to carefully review the proxy materials and all other relevant documents filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction as they become available.

Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the proxy materials and all other relevant documents filed or that will be filed by the SEC by Astrea through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. Copies of the proxy materials can also be obtained, when available, without charge, from HotelPlanner’s website at www.hotelplanner.com and https: //www.astreaacquisitioncorp.com/.

Participants in the Solicitations

Astrea, HotelPlanner, Reservations.com and certain of their respective directors, executive officers and other members of management and employees may, under SEC rules, be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from Astrea’s shareholders in connection with the proposed transaction. You can find more information about Astrea’s directors and executive officers in Astrea’s final prospectus dated February 3, 2021 and filed with the SEC on February 4, 2021. Additional information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests will be included in the proxy statement when it becomes available. Shareholders, potential investors and other interested persons should read the proxy statement carefully when it becomes available before making any voting or investment decisions. You may obtain free copies of these documents from the sources indicated above.

No Offer or Solicitation

This press release shall not constitute a solicitation of a proxy, consent, or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the proposed business combination. This press release shall also not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any states or jurisdictions in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws with respect to the proposed transaction between HotelPlanner, Reservations.com and Astrea Acquisition Corp., including statements regarding the anticipated benefits of the transaction, the anticipated timing of the transaction, future financial condition and performance of HotelPlanner and Reservations.com and expected financial impacts of the transaction (including future combined revenue, equity value and cash balance), the satisfaction of closing conditions to the transaction, the level of redemptions of Astrea’s public stockholders and the products and markets and expected future performance and market opportunities of HotelPlanner and Reservations.com.

These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: (i) the risk that the transaction may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, which may adversely affect the price of Astrea’s securities, (ii) the risk that the transaction may not be completed by Astrea’s business combination deadline and the potential failure to obtain an extension to the business combination deadline if sought by Astrea, (iii) the failure to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the transaction, including the approval of the merger agreement by the stockholders of Astrea, the satisfaction of the minimum trust account amount following any redemptions by Astrea’s public stockholders and the receipt of certain governmental and regulatory approvals, (iv) the lack of a third party valuation in determining whether or not to pursue the proposed transaction, (v) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement, (vi) the effect of the announcement or pendency of the transaction on the business relationships, operating results, and business generally of HotelPlanner and Reservations.com, (vii) risks that the proposed transaction disrupts current plans and operations of HotelPlanner and/or Reservations.com, (viii) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against HotelPlanner, Reservations.com, or Astrea related to the merger agreement or the proposed transaction, (ix) the ability to maintain the listing of Astrea’s securities on NASDAQ or another national securities exchange, (x) changes in the competitive and regulated industries in which HotelPlanner and Reservations.com operate, variations in operating performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting the business of HotelPlanner and Reservations.com and changes in the combined capital structure, (xi) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations after the completion of the proposed transaction, and identify and realize additional opportunities, (xii) the risk of downturns and a changing regulatory landscape in the highly competitive online travel booking industry, and (xiii) costs related to the transaction and the failure to realize anticipated benefits of the transaction or to realize projected results and underlying assumptions, including with respect to anticipated shareholder redemptions.

The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of the proxy materials discussed above, and other documents filed by Astrea from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and HotelPlanner, Reservations.com, and Astrea assume no obligation and do not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. None of HotelPlanner, Reservations.com, or Astrea gives any assurance that HotelPlanner, Reservations.com, or Astrea, or the combined company, will achieve its expectations.

About HotelPlanner

HotelPlanner is a leading travel technology company that combines proprietary artificial intelligence capabilities with a 24/7 global gig-based reservations and customer service network. HotelPlanner travel agents can customize all traveler hotel & accommodation needs from a single platform while providing localized advice. HotelPlanner is one of the leading providers of individual, group and corporate travel bookings, specializing in unique “Closed User Group” discounted rates offered in unpublished private sale environments. Founded in 2004, HotelPlanner has enduring partnerships with many of the world’s largest OTAs, well-known hotel chains, individual hotels, online wedding providers, ancillary lodging providers, corporations, professional and amateur sports teams and franchises, universities and government agencies.

For more information, please visit www.hotelplanner.com

About Reservations.com

Reservations.com is an award-winning online travel company on a mission to bring the human-touch back to travel. Founded in 2014 with a focus on helping consumers create memorable travel experiences, Reservations.com has experienced rapid growth. Reservations.com's user-friendly website offers unparalleled visibility into hotels, including: descriptions, pricing information, and reviews of nearly 500,000 properties globally. The company is on a journey to enable customers to not only reserve hotels, but to create memories.

For more information, please visit www.reservations.com

About Astrea Acquisition Corp.

Astrea Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: ASAXU) is a blank check company organized for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. While we intend to evaluate opportunities in many industries, we are targeting technology-enhanced high-growth companies that have clear differentiated business models suited for disruption in their sectors. The diverse experience, extensive relationship network, and successful SPAC experience of our management team and board of directors make Astrea an ideal partner for businesses that have the potential to become outstanding public companies.

Published:
Business Wire, August 10th, 2021

Reservations.com has been named a bronze winner in the Company of Year – Business to Consumer category in Best in Biz Awards 2019. Best in Biz Awards is the only independent business awards program judged by prominent editors and reporters from top-tier publications in North America.

Reservations.com has also received a 2019 Great Place to Work™ Certification, a 2019 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 award, an Inc 5000 award, a 2019 Comparably award for Best Work-Life Balance, four 2019 International Best in Biz awards, a 2019 Orlando Business Journal Golden 100 and Fast 50 award, a 2018 Best in Biz award, and a 2017 Bronze Stevie Award for best hospitality and leisure website.

Since starting in 2011, Best in Biz Awards' entrants have spanned the spectrum, from the most innovative local companies and start-ups to some of the most recognizable global brands. With more than 700 entries, the 9th annual program attracted a record number of entries from an impressive array of public and private companies of all sizes and spanning all geographic regions and industries in the U.S. and Canada. Best in Biz Awards 2019 honors were conferred in 80 different categories, including Company of the Year, Fastest-Growing Company, Most Innovative Company, Best Place to Work, and Executive of the Year among others.

"It's extremely exciting to be included alongside so many great companies in the 9th annual Best in Biz Awards. This is our second year participating in the awards program and we deeply appreciate the recognition. We look forward to furthering our founding mission of bringing the human touch back to online travel while continuing to scale the company to ever greater heights," said Yatin Patel, Co-Founder at Reservations.com.

Each year, winners in Best in Biz Awards are determined based on scoring from independent judging panels assembled from some of the most respected newspapers, TV and radio outlets, and business, consumer, technology and trade publications in North America. Combining top editors' and reporters' unparalleled expertise and experience with the objectivity inherent in the journalistic ethos and further enhanced by the breadth and variety of outlets and reporters represented on the panel, Best in Biz Awards is uniquely able to determine the best of the best from among the hundreds of entries. The 2019 judging panel included, among others, writers from Accounting Today, AdWeek, Associated Press, Barron's, Consumer Affairs, eWeek, Healthcare Innovation News, Inc., Investment Advisor Magazine, USA Today and Wired.

"It seems to get harder each year to select the best of the best in Best in Biz Awards," said Mark Huffman, Consumer Affairs, returning to judge Best in Biz Awards for the sixth year. "As a consumer reporter, it is particularly gratifying to me to see so many businesses striving to enhance the customer experience."

For a full list of gold, silver and bronze winners in Best in Biz Awards 2019, visit: http://www.bestinbizawards.com/2019-winners.

About Reservations.com
Reservations.com is an award-winning online travel company on a mission to bring the human-touch back to online travel. Founded in 2014 with a focus on helping consumers create memorable travel experiences, Reservations.com has experienced rapid growth. Reservations.com's user-friendly website offers unparalleled visibility into hotels, including: descriptions, pricing information, and reviews of nearly 500,000 properties globally. The company is on a journey to enable customers to not only reserve hotels, but to create memories.
For more information, please visit www.reservations.com.

About Best in Biz Awards
Since 2011, Best in Biz Awards has maintained its premier status as the only independent business awards program judged by a who's who of prominent reporters and editors from top-tier publications from North America and around the world. Over the years, Best in Biz Awards judges have ranged from Associated Press to the Wall Street Journal and winners have spanned the spectrum, from blue-chip companies that form the bedrock of the world economy to local companies and some of the most innovative start-ups. Each year, Best in Biz Awards honors are conferred in two separate programs: North America and International, and in 80 categories, including company, team, executive, product, and CSR, media, PR and other categories. For more information, visit: http://www.bestinbizawards.com.

Published:
PRNewswire, December 2, 2019

Reservations.com today announced that it is Great Place to Work-Certified™. Certification is a significant achievement. Using validated employee feedback gathered with Great Place to Work's rigorous, data-driven "For All" methodology, Certification confirms 7 out of 10 employees have a consistently positive experience at Reservations.com. Great Place to Work is the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience and leadership behaviors that are proven to deliver market-leading results and increased innovation.

"We are thrilled for our 2019 Great Place to Work™ recertification," said Mahesh Chaddah, Co-Founder at Reservations.com. "We strive to make employee experience a priority every day. While there is always progress to be made, it means a lot that our employees have reported a consistently positive experience with their coworkers, their leaders, and with their jobs. We look forward to continuing to improve our employee experience to retain top performers, attract excellent new talent, and provide superior service to our customers."

"We congratulate Reservations.com on their Certification," said Sarah Lewis-Kulin, Vice President of Best Workplace List Research at Great Place to Work. "Organizations that earn their employees' trust create great workplace cultures that deliver outstanding business results."

In addition to its second annual Great Place to Work Certification, Reservations.com has also received a 2019 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 award, an Inc 5000 award, a 2019 Comparably award for Best Work-Life Balance, four 2019 International Best in Biz awards, a 2019 Orlando Business Journal Golden 100 and Fast 50 award, a 2018 Best in Biz award, and a 2017 Bronze Stevie Award for best hospitality and leisure website.

About Reservations.com
Reservations.com is an award-winning online travel company on a mission to bring the human-touch back to online travel. Founded in 2014 with a focus on helping consumers create memorable travel experiences, Reservations.com has experienced rapid growth. Reservations.com's user-friendly website offers unparalleled visibility into hotels, including: descriptions, pricing information, and reviews of nearly 500,000 properties globally. The company is on a journey to enable customers to not only reserve hotels, but to create memories.
For more information, please visit www.reservations.com.

About Great Place to Work®
Great Place to Work® is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, they have surveyed more than 100 million employees around the world and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. Great Place to Work helps organizations quantify their culture and produce better business results by creating a high-trust work experience for all employees. Emprising®, their culture management platform, empowers leaders with the surveys, real-time reporting, and insights they need to make data-driven people decisions. Their unparalleled benchmark data is used to recognize Great Place to Work-Certified™ companies and the Best Workplaces™ in the US and more than 60 countries, including the 100 Best Companies to Work For® and World's Best list published annually in Fortune. Everything they do is driven by the mission to build a better world by helping every organization become a Great Place to Work For All™.

Additional Info:
Great Place To Work - Certified Company Page

Published:
PRNewswire, November 15, 2019

Starting your own company always involves taking a risk. Launching a new venture without any outside capital means taking an even bigger leap of faith.

While would-be entrepreneurs are often dazzled by stories of large venture capital investment, those Silicon Valley fairy tales are the exception not the norm. According to Fundable, only .05 percent of startups are funded by venture capital, and only .91 percent receive angel investment. In fact 57 percent of new companies are funded by the founder.

While bootstrapping your own startup might be harder and decidedly less glamorous, it does afford a level of autonomy and freedom you wouldn’t get with investors involved. As a self-funded startup you’ll have less money to work with and need to do more with limited resources.

As co-founder of a self-funded e-commerce business, I found that four things led to our ability to be successful without any initial outside investment capital.

Relentless Focus on ROI
In all businesses, cash is king and even more so for a bootstrapped startup. Without outside investment, you need each of your decisions to be ROI positive or you won’t be able to scale properly. In the beginning many owners lose sight of ROI as they pursue their dream, but this is the time to refine your concept because you’re still small and nimble enough to pivot if necessary. This is the time to experiment with different strategies to identify the formulas that work best for your business. Remember, if you can’t make the economies work at a small scale, there is little likelihood it will fall into place as the company grows. In E-commerce companies you are fortunate to have plenty of data at your disposable to help identify what things you’re doing that are truly ROI positive.

Quality Over Quantity
When startups get an infusion of outside cash, one of the first things they do is ramp up employees in order to facilitate the growth investors expect. Often though this leads to rash hiring decisions. When you’re self-funded, you must be much more judicious in your hiring. You need to not only look at what a candidate brings to the table for a specific initial role, you need to be able to forward-think in how that person can grow with you as the company expands. In the early stages, having generalists and people who can multi-task are imperative.

Slow and Steady
While outside investors want quick growth, it can often be better in the long-term to grow at a slow and steady pace. This measured approach will put less of a strain on people, processes and systems associated with your business. For self-funded companies it’s important to not benchmark your growth with businesses that have raised millions in venture capital. Don’t compare apples to oranges.

Be Flexible
All entrepreneurs better get ready to embrace the fact that getting from point A to point B rarely involves a straight line. You may have founded your business focusing on a product or service you believed in, but once in the real world, it was actually something else that the market was demanding. Successful entrepreneurs don’t take challenging market feedback personally, instead they listen to what the market is saying and pivot their products and services to meet demand. Without outside investors to answer to, bootstrapped startups can react to what the customer is saying quicker, providing a competitive advantage.

Starting a business is exciting. Don’t let the lack of outside funding keep you from pursuing your entrepreneurial dreams. Most businesses don’t have the luxury of venture or angel capital, so invest your equity and your sweat equity and take the plunge.

Yatin Patel is the cofounder of Reservations.com.

About Reservations.com
Reservations.com is an award-winning online travel company on a mission to bring the human-touch back to online travel. Founded in 2014 with a focus on helping consumers create memorable travel experiences, Reservations.com has experienced rapid growth. Reservations.com's user-friendly website offers unparalleled visibility into hotels, including: descriptions, pricing information, and reviews of nearly 500,000 properties globally. The company is on a journey to enable customers to not only reserve hotels, but to create memories.
For more information, please visit www.reservations.com.

Published:
Small Biz Daily, October 7, 2019

Due to the tight labor market, more small companies are offering perks like flexible work schedules to hire top talent.

Some small companies do a better job with their perks than others: job-listing site Comparably released its annual ranking of the 25 companies where employees have the best-work life balance.

Comparably analyzed anonymous employee feedback on their website to measure fair pay, perks, benefits, and work environment to find out what companies are the best at offering employees flexible schedules.

Many small and midsize companies in California dominated the ranking, as did computer software or information technology companies. Computer software company BambooHR, for instance, took the top spot, and seven of the top 10 small businesses were based in California.

About Reservations.com
Reservations.com is an award-winning online travel company on a mission to bring the human-touch back to online travel. Founded in 2014 with a focus on helping consumers create memorable travel experiences, Reservations.com has experienced rapid growth. Reservations.com's user-friendly website offers unparalleled visibility into hotels, including: descriptions, pricing information, and reviews of nearly 500,000 properties globally. The company is on a journey to enable customers to not only reserve hotels, but to create memories.
For more information, please visit www.reservations.com.

About Comparably
Comparably is a workplace culture and compensation monitoring site with a mission to provide more transparent and rewarding workplaces.Employees can access salary data and rate their companies, CEOs, and work experiences through the lens of specific demographics including gender, ethnicity, age, tenure, industry, location, and education. With nearly10 million ratings from employees at over 50,000 U.S. companies,Comparably has become one of the most used SaaS solutions for employer branding and trusted third party sites for salary and workplace culture data. For more information on Comparably, go to www.comparably.com. For workplace culture and compensation studies, including Comparably’s annual Workplace Culture Awards, log onto www.comparably.com/blog.

Published:
Business Insider, October 3, 2019

Reservations.com was recently named to the 2019 Orlando Business Journal Golden 100 list. The list recognizes the largest private companies in the Central Florida region. Inclusion on the list comes just months after Reservations.com was recognized by the Orlando Business Journal as one of the fifty fastest growing companies in the Central Florida region.

Awardees were ranked based on their most recent year-end revenue and each was required to submit a letter of verification for the past three years' revenue. To be eligible, the firms must be headquartered in Orange, Seminole, Lake or Osceola counties. In addition, they must be at least 51% privately-owned and operated in Central Florida, they cannot be a subsidiary of another company, majority owners must reside in one of the four Central Florida counties, and companies with private equity partners owing more than 49% were not considered.

Commenting on the recognition, Reservations.com Co-Founder Mahesh Chaddah stated, "We are always delighted to be recognized by local publications like the Orlando Business Journal. When we founded Reservations.com in 2014, we knew Central Florida was a great place to grow our company. After five years, we are proud to be able to claim we are one of the 100 largest private companies in the region. We are excited about the future of the business and look forward to continuing to grow alongside all of the other companies recognized in the Golden 100."

In addition to the Golden 100, Reservations.com also recently received four 2019 International Best in Biz Awards, recognition as a 2019 Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Company, a 2019 Central Florida Fast 50 award, a Great Place to Work® certification, a 2018 Best in Biz award, and a 2017 Bronze Stevie Award for best hospitality and leisure website.

This year's rankings by revenue will be revealed and the honorees will be recognized at an event held Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019, at the Hilton Orlando. More information on the awarded firms can be found here.

About Reservations.com
Reservations.com is an award-winning online travel company on a mission to bring the human-touch back to online travel. Founded in 2014 with a focus on helping consumers create memorable travel experiences, Reservations.com has experienced rapid growth. Reservations.com's user-friendly website offers unparalleled visibility into hotels, including: descriptions, pricing information, and reviews of nearly 500,000 properties globally. The company is on a journey to enable customers to not only reserve hotels, but to create memories.
For more information, please visit www.reservations.com.

About the Orlando Business Journal
The Orlando Business Journal ("OBJ") delivers the latest breaking business news from Central Florida. OBJ is owned by American City Business Journals ("ACBJ"), the largest publisher of metropolitan business newsweeklies in the United States. ACBJ consists of 43 business publications across the country reaching more than 3.6 million readers each week. For more information about the OBJ, please visit https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/ and for ACBJ, please visit https://acbj.com

Published:
PRNewswire, August 29, 2019

Reservations.com (the "Company") was recently recognized across multiple categories in the 2019 International Best in Biz awards. Honors included a Silver Award for Best Social Media Channel, a Silver Award for Consumer Service of the Year, a Bronze Award for Best Place to Work, and a Bronze Award for HR Department of the Year. The Company's awards across four categories positioned it as the second most awarded participant behind only IBM.

Reservations.com Co-Founder Mahesh Chaddah commented on the award, "It's an honor to be recognized by the Best in Biz Awards. We are extremely proud of everything the Reservations.com family has been able to accomplish thus far. We appreciate the panel of Best in Biz judges for recognizing our achievements and look forward to continued success in the future."

Winners in the 7th annual program were determined based on scoring from an independent panel of judges hailing from a wide spectrum of top-tier publications and media outlets from 11 countries. Each year, only editors, writers and contributors to business, consumer, financial, trade and technology publications, as well as broadcast outlets and analyst firms, are invited to serve as judges in Best in Biz Awards. The program's uniqueness stems, in part, from this distinct composition of its judging panels, enabling it to best leverage the judges' unparalleled expertise, experience and objectivity to determine award winners.

This year's judging panel included writers and contributors to such publications as Computer Hoy (Spain), Data Breach Today, HT Mobile (Israel), Huffington Post, IAA Magazine (United Arab Emirates), NDR (Germany), Small Business IT (Canada), TechRadar (UK), as well as other outlets from Australia, Canada, India, Indonesia and United Kingdom.

In addition to the Best in Biz Award, Reservations.com also recently received recognition as a 2019 Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Company, a 2019 Central Florida Fast 50 award, a Great Place to Work® certification, a 2018 Best in Biz award, and a 2017 Bronze Stevie Award for best hospitality and leisure website.

You can see more information and the full list of gold, silver and bronze winners in Best in Biz Awards 2019 International, visit: http://intl.bestinbizawards.com/intl-2019-winners.

About Reservations.com
Reservations.com is an award-winning online travel company on a mission to bring the human-touch back to online travel. Founded in 2014 with a focus on helping consumers create memorable travel experiences, Reservations.com has experienced rapid growth. Reservations.com's user-friendly website offers unparalleled visibility into hotels, including: descriptions, pricing information, and reviews of nearly 500,000 properties globally. The company is on a journey to enable customers to not only reserve hotels, but to create memories.
For more information, please visit www.reservations.com.

About Best in Biz Awards
Since 2011, Best in Biz Awards has made its mark as the only independent business awards program judged each year by a who's who of prominent reporters and editors from top-tier publications from North America and around the world. Best in Biz Awards honors are conferred in two separate programs: North America and International, and in more than 80 categories, including company, team, executive, product, and CSR, media, PR and other categories.
For more information about the International program, see: http://intl.bestinbizawards.com.

Published:
PRNewswire, August 20, 2019

Inc. magazine revealed on Wednesday, August 14th that Reservations.com is No. 1,715 on its annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment—its independent small businesses. Microsoft, Dell, Domino’s Pizza, Pandora, Timberland, LinkedIn, Yelp, Zillow, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000.

“It’s an incredible honor to be recognized on the Inc. 5000 list among so many other disruptive and innovative companies,” said Reservations.com Co-Founder Mahesh Chaddah. “I’m extremely proud of the Reservations.com team for all of their dedication and hard work to continually propel the company to ever greater heights. We are so excited for the future of our business and appreciate recognition for our achievements thus far.”

Not only have the companies on the 2019 Inc. 5000 (which are listed online at Inc.com, with the top 500 companies featured in the September issue of Inc., available on newsstands August 20) been very competitive within their markets, but the list as a whole shows staggering growth compared with prior lists. The 2019 Inc. 5000 achieved an astounding three-year average growth of 454 percent, and a median rate of 157 percent. The Inc. 5000’s aggregate revenue was $237.7 billion in 2018, accounting for 1,216,308 jobs over the past three years.

Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000.

“The companies on this year’s Inc. 5000 have followed so many different paths to success,” says Inc. editor in chief James Ledbetter. “There’s no single course you can follow or investment you can take that will guarantee this kind of spectacular growth. But what they have in common is persistence and seizing opportunities.”

The annual Inc. 5000 event honoring the companies on the list will be held October 10 to 12, 2019, at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Phoenix, Arizona. As always, speakers include some of the greatest innovators and business leaders of our generation.

About Reservations.com
Reservations.com is an award-winning online travel company that is on a mission to bring the human-touch back into the world of online travel. Founded in 2014 with a mission to help consumers create memorable booking experiences, Reservations.com has seen rapid online growth in its hotel archives. Reservations.com's user-friendly website offers unparalleled visibility into hotels, including: descriptions, pricing information, and reviews of over 200,000 properties globally in its database. The company is on a journey to change the way the world books hotels. For more information, please visit www.reservations.com.

In addition to Inc. 5000 recognition, Reservations.com has also received a 2019 Central Florida Fast 50 award, three 2019 International Best in Biz awards, a Great Place to Work® certification, a 2018 Best in Biz award, and a 2017 Bronze Stevie Award for best hospitality and leisure website.

More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000
Methodology
The 2019 Inc. 5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2015 and 2018. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2015. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2018. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2015 is $100,000; the minimum for 2018 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Companies on the Inc. 500 are featured in Inc.’s September issue. They represent the top tier of the Inc. 5000, which can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000.

About Inc. Media
Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures, Inc. is the only major brand dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies, with the aim to deliver real solutions for today’s innovative company builders. Inc. took home the National Magazine Award for General Excellence in both 2014 and 2012. The total monthly audience reach for the brand has been growing significantly, from 2,000,000 in 2010 to more than 20,000,000 today. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com.

The Inc. 5000 is a list of the fastest-growing private companies in the nation. Started in 1982, this prestigious list has become the hallmark of entrepreneurial success. The Inc. 5000 Conference & Awards Ceremony is an annual event that celebrates the remarkable achievements of these companies. The event also offers informative workshops, celebrated keynote speakers, and evening functions.

For more information on Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Conference, visit http://conference.inc.com/.

Published:
PRNewswire, August 15, 2019

Mahesh Chaddah, Co-Founder of Reservations.com, has been accepted into Forbes Technology Council, an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs, and technology executives.

Mahesh Chaddah was vetted and selected by a review committee based on the depth and diversity of his experience. Criteria for acceptance include a track record of successfully impacting business growth metrics, as well as personal and professional achievements and honors.

"We are honored to welcome Mahesh into the community," said Scott Gerber, founder of Forbes Councils, the collective that includes Forbes Technology Council. "Our mission with Forbes Councils is to bring together proven leaders from every industry, creating a curated, social capital-driven network that helps every member grow professionally and make an even greater impact on the business world."

As an accepted member of the Council, Mahesh has access to a variety of exclusive opportunities designed to help him reach peak professional influence. He will connect and collaborate with other respected local leaders in a private forum. Mahesh will also be invited to work with a professional editorial team to share his expert insights in original business articles on Forbes.com, and to contribute to published Q&A panels alongside other experts.

Finally, Mahesh will benefit from exclusive access to vetted business service partners, membership-branded marketing collateral, and the high-touch support of the Forbes Councils member concierge team.

"It is an honor to be a part of Forbes Technology Council," said Reservations.com Co-Founder Mahesh Chaddah. "I look forward to sharing our vision at Reservations.com with other tech industry leaders."

About Reservations.com
Reservations.com is an award-winning online travel company that is on a mission to bring the human-touch back into the world of online travel. Founded in 2014 with a mission to help consumers create memorable booking experiences, Reservations.com has seen rapid online growth in its hotel archives. Reservations.com's user-friendly website offers unparalleled visibility into hotels, including: descriptions, pricing information, and reviews of over 200,000 properties globally in its database. The company is on a journey to change the way the world books hotels. For more information, please visit www.reservations.com.

About Forbes Council
Forbes Councils is a collective of invitation-only communities created in partnership with Forbes and the expert community builders who founded Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC). In Forbes Councils, exceptional business owners and leaders come together with the people and resources that can help them thrive.

Published:
PRNewswire, July 10, 2019

Reservations.com Co-Founder and CEO Yatin Patel was recently recognized for his business and philanthropic contributions in the 2019 Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business awards. "It is humbling to be recognized alongside such an accomplished group of professionals who are playing a pivotal role in driving sustained economic growth and job creation in the United States. I want to personally thank Mr. Wang and the entire Asian American Business Development Center for the honor," said Mr. Patel.

The Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business Awards Gala Dinner was first established in 2001 by the Asian American Business Development Center, which has remained the most prestigious forum to highlight the achievements of Asian Americans business professionals across the U.S. The award recipients represent a microcosm of the best of Asian American entrepreneurs, professionals, and corporate executives who are engaged in a wide range of business interests, and all of whom have a role in driving the U.S. economy.

Mr. Patel's business partner and Reservations.com Co-Founder Mahesh Chaddah added, "I want to congratulate Yatin on this terrific honor. It's been a pleasure to work alongside him in growing our business since 2014. His entrepreneurial spirit, passion for the company's mission, and commitment to the Orlando community deserve recognition."

In addition to Mr. Patel's "Outstanding 50" recognition, Reservations.com also received a 2019 Central Florida Fast 50 award, a Great Place to Work® certification, a 2018 Best in Biz award, and a 2017 Bronze Stevie Award for best hospitality and leisure website.

The 2019 "Outstanding 50" will be honored at a Gala Awards Dinner on Thursday, June 20th. The event is being held at Cipriani Wall Street and attendees will include over 600 government, business, and civic leaders.

About Reservations.com
Reservations.com is an award-winning online travel company that is on a mission to bring the human-touch back into the world of online travel. Founded in 2014 with a mission to help consumers create memorable booking experiences, Reservations.com has seen rapid online growth in its hotel archives. Reservations.com's user-friendly website offers unparalleled visibility into hotels, including: descriptions, pricing information, and reviews of over 200,000 properties globally in its database. The company is on a journey to change the way the world books hotels. For more information, please visit www.reservations.com.

About the Asian American Business Development Center
The Asian American Business Development Center, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization established in 1994. It assists Asian American businesses in strengthening their capacity to compete in the mainstream market, to expand business opportunities and to promote recognition of Asian American businesses' contributions to the general economy. For more information about the AABDC, please visit www.aabdc.com and for the Outstanding 50 Awards, please visit www.outstanding50award.com.

Published:
PRNewswire, May 17, 2019

Reservations.com was recently recognized as one of the 50 fastest growing businesses in Central Florida by the Orlando Business Journal. The 50 firms included in the list were chosen based on the rate of revenue growth from 2016 to 2018.

“We are honored to be included in the Fast 50 alongside other companies driving economic growth in the Central Florida region we call home,” said Mahesh Chaddah, Co-Founder of Reservations.com. “We are proud of what we have accomplished and always appreciate recognition from trusted publications like the Orlando Business Journal. We look forward to being named to the list for many years to come as we continue to execute on our vision.”

In addition to the 2019 Central Florida Fast 50 award, Reservations.com has also received a Great Place to Work® certification, a 2018 Best in Biz award, and a 2017 Bronze Stevie Award for best hospitality and leisure website.

The full rankings will be revealed at a June 6th event in Orlando, Florida.

About Reservations.com
Reservations.com is an award-winning online travel company that is on a mission to bring the human-touch back into the world of online travel. Founded in 2014 with a mission to help consumers create memorable booking experiences, Reservations.com has seen rapid online growth in its hotel archives. Reservations.com's user-friendly website offers unparalleled visibility into hotels, including: descriptions, pricing information, and reviews of over 200,000 properties globally in its database. The company is on a journey to change the way the world books hotels. For more information, please visit www.reservations.com.

About the Orlando Business Journal
The Orlando Business Journal (“OBJ”) delivers the latest breaking business news from Central Florida. OBJ is owned by American City Business Journals (“ACBJ”), the largest publisher of metropolitan business newsweeklies in the United States. ACBJ consists of 43 business publications across the country reaching more than 3.6 million readers each week. For more information about the OBJ, please visit https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/ and for ACBJ, please visit https://acbj.com



Published:
PRNewswire, May 7, 2019

The Business Intelligence Group today announced that it has awarded Reservations.com a Best Places to Work award. The organization sought to identify companies that are actively working to improve their own performance through efforts to challenge employees in environments that make work fun and engaging.

"We are honored to receive this award," said Yatin Patel, Co-Founder of Reservations.com. "We recognize that our employees drive the company's growth and success. We will continue to invest in building a stellar pool of talent." "Congratulations to Reservations.com for building an organization focused on employee engagement and performance," said Maria Jimenez, Chief Nominations Officer of Business Intelligence Group. "It was clear from analyzing the employee survey data that this is a great place to work and employee feedback is not only listened to, but acted upon. Congratulations to the entire team."

About Reservations.com
Reservations.com is an award-winning online travel company that is on a mission to bring the human-touch back into the world of online travel. Founded in 2014 with a mission to help consumers create memorable booking experiences, Reservations.com has seen rapid online growth in its hotel archives. Reservations.com's user-friendly website offers unparalleled visibility into hotels, including: descriptions, pricing information, and reviews of over 200,000 properties globally in its database. The company is on a journey to change the way the world books hotels. For more information, please visit www.reservations.com.

About Business Intelligence Group
The Business Intelligence Group was founded with the mission of recognizing true talent and superior performance in the business world. Unlike other industry and business award programs, business executives—those with experience and knowledge—judge the programs. The organization's proprietary and unique scoring system selectively measures performance across multiple business domains and then rewards those companies whose achievements stand above those of their peers.



Published:
PRNewswire, February 21, 2019

Reservations.com was certified as a great workplace by the independent analysts at Great Place to Work®. Reservations.com earned this credential based on extensive ratings provided by its employees in anonymous surveys.

"We are thrilled to be recognized as a great workplace," said Mahesh Chaddah, Co-Founder of Reservations.com. "We are committed to creating an environment that fosters employee engagement and growth. We truly value the employee feedback received from Great Place to Work."

"According to our study, 82 percent of Reservations.com employees say it is a great workplace," says Sarah Lewis-Kulin, Vice President of Great Place to Work Certification & List Production.

The full results of the Review can be found at https://reviews.greatplacetowork.com/reservations-com

About Reservations.com
Reservations.com is an award-winning online travel company that is on a mission to bring the human-touch back into the world of online travel. Founded in 2014 with a mission to help consumers create memorable booking experiences, Reservations.com has seen rapid online growth in its hotel archives. Reservations.com's user-friendly website offers unparalleled visibility into hotels, including: descriptions, pricing information, and reviews of over 200,000 properties globally in its database. The company is on a journey to change the way the world books hotels. For more information, please visit www.reservations.com.

About Great Place to Work®
Great Place to Work® is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Through proprietary assessment tools, advisory services, and certification programs, including Best Workplaces lists and workplace reviews, Great Place to Work® provides the benchmarks, framework, and expertise needed to create, sustain, and recognize outstanding workplace cultures. In the United States, Great Place to Work® produces the annual Fortune "100 Best Companies to Work For®" list and a series of Great Place to Work® Best Workplaces lists including lists for Millennials, Women, Diversity, Small and Medium Companies and over a half dozen different industry lists. Follow Great Place to Work online at www.greatplacetowork.com



Additional Info:
Great Place To Work - Certified Company Page

Published:
PR Newswire, Dec 14, 2018

Reservations.com won awards in five categories in Best in Biz Awards, the only independent business awards program judged each year by prominent editors and reporters from top-tier publications in North America.

Reservations.com won awards in multiple categories including Company of the Year - Small, Most Innovative Product of the Year, Founding Team of the Year, and Executive of the Year.

Each year, Best in Biz Awards' entrants span the spectrum, from some of the most recognizable global brands to the most innovative local start-ups. The 8th annual program proved to be a particularly tough competition, garnering close to 700 entries from an impressive array of public and private companies of all sizes and from a variety of geographic regions and industries in the U.S. and Canada.

"Receiving the Best in Biz Awards is a tremendous honor for Reservations.com," said Yatin Patel, Co-Founder of Reservations.com. "The awards are a testament to the collective efforts of the Reservations.com team both domestically and internationally."

Since 2011, winners in Best in Biz Awards have been determined based on scoring from independent judging panels. The 2018 judging panel included, among others, panelists from Associated Press, Barron's, Consumer Affairs, eWeek, Forbes, Healthcare Innovation News, Inc., Investment Advisor Magazine, MediaPost, New York Post, New York Times, Ottawa Citizen and Wired.

"In today's world, regardless of the industry you're in, striving to innovate should be the baseline," said Andrew Seale, Globe and Mail, joining the Best in Biz Awards judging panel for the first time. "The standouts amongst this year's entrants for the Most Innovative Company of the Year push beyond that, bringing a new perspective altogether. From tackling a myriad of verticals with simple, sustainable design, to rethinking how companies and consumers keep information and personal data safe – this year's winners aren't just innovating, they're redefining their industries."

For a full list of award winners in Best in Biz Awards 2018, visit: https://www.bestinbizawards.com/2018-winners

About Reservations.com
Reservations.com is an award-winning online travel company that is on a mission to bring the human-touch back into the world of online travel. Founded in 2014 with a mission to help consumers create memorable booking experiences, Reservations.com has seen rapid online growth in its hotel archives. Reservations.com's user-friendly website offers unparalleled visibility into hotels, including: descriptions, pricing information, and reviews of over 200,000 properties globally in its database. The company is on a journey to change the way the world books hotels. For more information, please visit www.reservations.com.

About Best in Biz Awards
Since 2011, Best in Biz Awards has made its mark as the only independent business awards program judged each year by a who's who of prominent reporters and editors selected from top-tier publications from North America and around the world. Over the years, Best in Biz Awards judges have ranged from Associated Press to the Wall Street Journal and winners have spanned the spectrum, from blue-chip companies that form the bedrock of the world economy to local companies and some of the most innovative start-ups. Best in Biz Awards honors are conferred in two separate programs: North America and International, and in 70 categories, including company, team, executive, product, and CSR, media, PR and other categories. For more information, visit: https://www.bestinbizawards.com.



Published:
Business Insider, Nov 30 2018
Market Watch, Nov 30, 2018

On June 20, 2017 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City, Reservations.com won a bronze Stevie Award for the best hospitality and leisure website. The Stevie Awards are the United States premier business awards. And past winners include companies such as PayPal, Marriott, and Cisco.

“This award motivates us to work really, really hard to bring the human element back to travel with a single focus to provide the best experience to our consumers” says Chaddah, Co-Founder of Reservations.com.

The Stevie Awards have a committee of 10 to 20 judges where they rate each entry and the average score determines the winners. The awards are held once a year and pits small companies against global markets. Winning a Stevie can really boost a company’s reputation and sends a message to clients.

Chaddah accepted the award on behalf of the company and said “more than anything else it’s a recognition and a motivation for us. I think it’s a vote of confidence to our consumers, it’s a reflection on the hard work we’ve been doing. It helps us establish the fact that we are dedicated to our consumer and to a good service.”

About Reservations.com
Reservations.com is an award-winning online travel company that is on a mission to bring the human-touch back into the world of online travel. Founded in 2014 with a mission to help consumers create memorable booking experiences, Reservations.com has seen rapid online growth in its hotel archives. Reservations.com's user-friendly website offers unparalleled visibility into hotels, including: descriptions, pricing information, and reviews of over 200,000 properties globally in its database. The company is on a journey to change the way the world books hotels. For more information, please visit www.reservations.com.

Published:
Reservations.com Youtube Channel

Hotel booking platform Reservations.com has announced its travel trend predictions for 2017. By analyzing industry developments, and taking factors into consideration such as the demographics of travelers, current events, new and advanced booking options and more, the Reservations.com's team is expecting noteworthy findings for 2017.

According to Reservations.com, in 2017, the industry will experience a retro-trend as live travel agents are becoming increasingly popular again. With a new generation of travelers seeking to curate one-of-a-kind trips with the guidance of a travel expert, online travel agencies are offering access to live customer service agents to assist. Additionally, OTAs are enabling data persistence across all booking channels, to provide a seamless and efficient interaction, whether travelers choose to book solely with a live agent or across a variety of channels.

Below is the full list of predictions for upcoming 2017 travel trends:

Live Travel Agents: Although there has been enormous advancement in automation, the industry is seeing a trend to bring back the human element for more curated bespoke experiences and provide on-demand personal travel services.

Data Persistence: As many travelers are still hesitant to book solely on mobile, major brands are enabling data persistence across all their booking channels and devices with the goal of making the booking process natural, smooth and seamless. Travelers can start a personalized booking process on a third-party widget, continue it on the desktop website and finalize on a mobile device all while maintaining their preferences and information to complete the booking process effortlessly.
Points PLUS Cash: Mixing points and cash is becoming increasingly popular as many companies are opting to move away from traditional loyalty programs to give the traveler more options on how to pay for an upcoming trip.

Personalized Travel: Personalized travel planning experiences will be on the rise. While they have been promised for years, with new platforms like Reservations.com changing offering personalized recommendations based on a user's travel behavior, travel brands will have to shift to this custom-made mode to attract and accommodate savvy travelers.

Bleisure Travel: Bleisure travel, the newly coined term for the rising trend business and leisure travel, is here to stay. Expect to see a rise in high-tech and other trendy amenities in what were previously considered business-only hotels.

Full-Circle Booking: Hotel-only booking sites are soon to become a thing of the past. New services offering online itinerary building in addition to hotel booking, such as activity and tour reservations, car rentals and travel insurance options, are becoming the standard in new booking platforms.

For more information on 2017 travel trends or booking, please visit Reservations.com.

About Reservations.com
Reservations.com is an award-winning online travel company that is on a mission to bring the human-touch back into the world of online travel. Founded in 2014 with a mission to help consumers create memorable booking experiences, Reservations.com has seen rapid online growth in its hotel archives. Reservations.com's user-friendly website offers unparalleled visibility into hotels, including: descriptions, pricing information, and reviews of over 200,000 properties globally in its database. The company is on a journey to change the way the world books hotels. For more information, please visit www.reservations.com.

Published:
PR Newswire, Dec 20 2016
The Street, Dec 20 2016

Hotel booking platform Reservations.com, today announces the launch of its Customer Success Center to offer customers 24/7 access to live customer service agents. The center will support all of Reservations.com's current offerings, which include hotel, car rental, tour and activity planning and travel insurance.

According to TalkDesk, 61% of customers prefer phone calls as the best means to reach customer service, yet 75% feel that they do not speak to a live agent in a timely manner. Reservations.com's Customer Success Center is responding to these customer needs by directly connecting travelers with live support agents to quickly and efficiently assist with questions and provide guidance during the planning process.

"Our customers are our top priority," said Reservations.com Co-Founder Yatin Patel. "We are committed to investing our time and effort into the Customer Success Center to provide an elite level of service dedicated to improving customer satisfaction and confidence during their booking and trip planning experience."

Patel's partner, Mahesh Chaddah continues, "Our highly trained support staff is prepared to guide customers through the travel booking process and provide them with the support they need when planning a trip. By offering our customers a more traditional travel agent experience with live support, we are offering them a level of service that is impossible to match with an automated support center."

"Instead of letting our customers waste time waiting for email responses or leaving them to comb through FAQ sections, we have dedicated this center to help our customers avoid unnecessary frustration and give them the opportunity to speak to an agent directly, to answer any questions at anytime via telephone," added Patel.

Customers can reach the Customer Success Center by calling 1-800-916-4339. For more information on the Customer Success Center or for securing tours and activities, travel insurance, booking hotel accommodations or reserving a rental car, please visit Reservations.com.

About Reservations.com
Reservations.com is an award-winning online travel company that is on a mission to bring the human-touch back into the world of online travel. Founded in 2014 with a mission to help consumers create memorable booking experiences, Reservations.com has seen rapid online growth in its hotel archives. Reservations.com's user-friendly website offers unparalleled visibility into hotels, including: descriptions, pricing information, and reviews of over 200,000 properties globally in its database. The company is on a journey to change the way the world books hotels. For more information, please visit www.reservations.com.

Published:
PR Newswire, Dec 08 2016
Auto Rental News, Dec 09 2016

Hotel booking platform Reservations.com, announced today its partnership with Viator, a TripAdvisor company, to offer tour and activity bookings to customers. This is the latest extension of Reservations.com's current offerings of hotel, car rental and travel insurance deals.

Through this new affiliation, Reservations.com customers will have access to a global selection of tours and activities run by Viator's network of pre-screened tour operators and attraction providers. Customers are able to research and book local activities based on their destination of choice, preferences and travel needs.

"This partnership was the natural next step in our growth process," said Reservations.com Co-Founder Yatin Patel. "Now, we can offer our customers the option to book every step of their travel experience through our platform, to create a seamless one-stop-shop interaction."

Patel's partner, Mahesh Chaddah continues, "We want to go beyond offering our customers just a place to stay. We want to offer them access to the adventures they can have once they reach their destination, to provide them with the ultimate travel experience."

"Viator offers a wide variety of things to do from traditional sightseeing tours to once-in-a-lifetime exclusive adventures," said Ken Frohling, Vice President of Business Development for Viator. "We are excited to be working with Reservations.com to help their customers experience more of their destination – wherever they're traveling to."

Customers can book their activity reservations directly on Reservations.com or after confirming a hotel booking. For more information on securing tours and activities, travel insurance, booking hotel accommodations or reserving a rental car, please visit Reservations.com.

About Reservations.com
Reservations.com is an award-winning online travel company that is on a mission to bring the human-touch back into the world of online travel. Founded in 2014 with a mission to help consumers create memorable booking experiences, Reservations.com has seen rapid online growth in its hotel archives. Reservations.com's user-friendly website offers unparalleled visibility into hotels, including: descriptions, pricing information, and reviews of over 200,000 properties globally in its database. The company is on a journey to change the way the world books hotels. For more information, please visit www.reservations.com.

About Viator
Viator, a TripAdvisor company, is the leading global tours and activities provider for travelers, delivering online and mobile access to thousands of trip activities including tours, attractions, shore excursions and private guides, in more than 2,000 destinations worldwide. In-house travel experts work with trusted local operators to ensure the quality and value of every experience, all backed by Viator's 24/7 customer service and global low-price guarantee. With more than 1 million verified reviews and photos, plus exclusive videos and insider travel tips, Viator has everything a traveler needs to find and book the best things to do. In addition to the flagship site – Viator.com – travelers can book in advance or in-destination via the Viator Tours and Activities App, as well as local-language sites for European, Latin American and Asian travelers. Viator also provides tours and activities to more than 3,000 affiliate partners including some of the world's top airlines, hotels and online travel agencies. Viator is headquartered in San Francisco with regional offices in Sydney, London and Las Vegas. Viator – travel with an insider.

Published:
PR Newswire, Sep 13 2016
Yahoo! Finance, Sep 13 2016

5W Public Relations, one of the 20 largest independently owned PR firms in the US, is pleased to announce the addition of Reservations.com to its diverse roster of consumer and travel brands.

"5WPR is delighted to be working with Reservations.com," said Ronn Torossian, CEO of 5W Public Relations. "We are looking forward to positioning Reservations.com as a leading hotel booking site, by showcasing its mission of creating curated hotel experiences for users to top consumer, travel and trade media."

Reservations.com is a booking site dedicated to creating experiences for today's passionate and adventurous generation, making sure each experience uniquely reflects who they are. Reservations.com offers a user-friendly design, with features including descriptions, deals, pricing information, reviews and instant booking confirmation. The booking site started with a mission to help create memorable experiences, and since 2014 has seen rapid growth, with more than 150,000 hotel partners worldwide and more than two million room nights booked. 5W Public Relations will execute a comprehensive public relations program to position Reservations.com as an innovator within the travel and consumer space.

About Reservations.com
Reservations.com is an award-winning online travel company that is on a mission to bring the human-touch back into the world of online travel. Founded in 2014 with a mission to help consumers create memorable booking experiences, Reservations.com has seen rapid online growth in its hotel archives. Reservations.com's user-friendly website offers unparalleled visibility into hotels, including: descriptions, pricing information, and reviews of over 200,000 properties globally in its database. The company is on a journey to change the way the world books hotels. For more information, please visit www.reservations.com.

About 5W Public Relations
5W Public Relations, a full-service PR Agency, helps some of the world's most admired brands, corporations and personalities achieve more. 5W's bold, resourceful and thoroughly modern approach has measurably increased the positive results of their clients' communication efforts.

5WPR's diverse roster of client experience includes Welch's, Walgreens, Sparkling ICE, Medifast, L'Oreal, T-Fal, KRUPS, Zeta Interactive, Unilever, Ultra Mobile, ROBLOX, Santa Margherita, Camp Bow Wow, JetSmarter and All-Clad. Its roster also encompasses clients from government organizations to leading technology startups and businesses.

MEDIA CONTACT
5WPR / Autumn Thu
Athu@5wpr.com
212-999-5585


Published:
PR Newswire, Sep 08 2016
Yahoo! Finance, Sep 08 2016

Hotel booking platform Reservations.com, announced today its partnership with leading travel insurance provider Allianz Global Assistance to offer a variety of travel insurance* options for Reservations.com customers. This is a seamless extension of Reservations.com's current offering of hotel and car rental deals across the country.

According to the U.S. Travel Insurance Association, about 30 percent of American leisure travelers purchase travel insurance, and the majority of those who don't are only familiar with flight and trip cancellation protection and are unaware of the options for emergency medical and evacuation coverage as well as coverage for misdirected baggage.

"We wanted to create a simple and hassle-free booking experience where our customers can easily choose from different services, including travel insurance, should they need to cancel or interrupt their trip for a reason covered by their policy," said Reservations.com Co-Founder Yatin Patel.

Patel's partner, Mahesh Chaddah continues, "Our customers already know that they can rely on us for the best choices in hotel and car rental deals. Now, we want to make sure they know they can purchase travel protection, not only for trip cancellation or interruption, but for coverage that includes emergency medical situations, as well as more common circumstances like baggage delay."

"As Reservations.com continues its journey to become one of the leading online booking services for all travel needs, we are thrilled to be a part of their growth by offering their customers easy access to our travel insurance options as they plan their trip," said Pat Young, Vice President of Sales at Allianz Global Assistance USA.

For more information on securing travel insurance, booking hotel accommodations or reserving a rental car, please visit Reservations.com.

About Reservations.com
Reservations.com is an award-winning online travel company that is on a mission to bring the human-touch back into the world of online travel. Founded in 2014 with a mission to help consumers create memorable booking experiences, Reservations.com has seen rapid online growth in its hotel archives. Reservations.com's user-friendly website offers unparalleled visibility into hotels, including: descriptions, pricing information, and reviews of over 200,000 properties globally in its database. The company is on a journey to change the way the world books hotels. For more information, please visit www.reservations.com.

About Allianz Global Assistance USA
Allianz Global Assistance USA (AGA Service Company), part of Allianz Worldwide Partners, is a leading consumer specialty insurance and assistance company. We provide insurance to 21 million customers annually and are best known for our Allianz Travel Insurance plans. In addition to travel insurance, Allianz Global Assistance USA offers tuition insurance, event ticket protection, registration protection for endurance events and unique travel assistance services such as international medical assistance and concierge services. The company also serves as an outsource provider for in-bound call center services and claims administration for property and casualty insurers and credit card companies.

To learn more about Allianz Travel Insurance, please visit allianztravelinsurance.com or Like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/AllianzTravelInsuranceUS.

* - Terms, conditions, and exclusions apply to all plans. Plans are available only to U.S. residents. Not all plans are available in all jurisdictions. For a complete description of the coverage and benefit limits offered under your plan, carefully review your plan's Letter of Confirmation/Declarations and Certificate of Insurance/Policy. Insurance coverage is underwritten by BCS Insurance Company (OH, Administrative Office: Oakbrook Terrace, IL), rated "A-" (Excellent) by A.M. Best Co., under BCS Form No. 52.201 series or 52.401 series, or Jefferson Insurance Company (NY, Administrative Office: Richmond, VA), rated "A+" (Superior) by A.M. Best Co., under Jefferson Form No. 101-C series or 101-P series, depending on state of residence. Allianz Global Assistance and Allianz Travel Insurance are brands of AGA Service Company. AGA Service Company is the licensed producer and administrator of these plans and an affiliate of Jefferson Insurance Company. The insured shall not receive any special benefit or advantage due to the affiliation between AGA Service Company and Jefferson Insurance Company. Non-insurance benefits/products are provided and serviced by AGA Service Company.

** - For specific benefit limits, see your plan for details.

Published:
PR Newswire, Aug 23 2016
eHotelier, Aug 24 2016

Hotel booking platform Reservations.com announced today its partnership with Rentalcars Connect, to expand its offerings to include the world's largest car rental booking service, Rentalcars.com. Reservations.com provides its customers with hotel deals across the world, and will now provide the opportunity to further expand traveler's needs with car rentals at their convenience.

Since 2014, car rental sales have grown due to an increase in domestic travel flow, with US travelers accounting for the majority of sales, according to the 2015 EuroMonitor International Car Rentals in the US report. Through Reservations.com's expanded services, the growing need for rental services will be fulfilled as customers will have access to best car rental deals powered by Rentalcars.com.

"Car rental is a natural extension of our offerings, and is the next step in our journey to provide a one-stop-shop for our customers' travel needs," said Reservations.com Co-Founders Yatin Patel & Mahesh Chaddah. "Now our customers can be confident that they are selecting from the largest choice and best rates for both their hotel and car needs, through the hassle-free process on Reservations.com."

Through this partnership with Rentalcars Connect, Reservations.com will now offer customers the ability to rent from all car groups, ranging from compact and economy, to luxury vehicles and SUVs. "We are excited to partner with Reservations.com and to offer the Rentalcars.com global inventory of car rental products to their customers, as they continue to grow as a top online hotel booking platform for travelers," said Patrick Dowling, Regional Director at Rentalcars Connect.

Customers can book their car rental reservations directly at Reservations.com or after confirming a hotel booking, they will be presented with car rentals available in their destination of choice. For more information, please visit Reservations.com.

About Reservations.com
Reservations.com is an award-winning online travel company that is on a mission to bring the human-touch back into the world of online travel. Founded in 2014 with a mission to help consumers create memorable booking experiences, Reservations.com has seen rapid online growth in its hotel archives. Reservations.com's user-friendly website offers unparalleled visibility into hotels, including: descriptions, pricing information, and reviews of over 200,000 properties globally in its database. The company is on a journey to change the way the world books hotels. For more information, please visit www.reservations.com.

About Rentalcars Connect
Rentalcars Connect is the B2B end-to-end car rental solution that is powered by the world's largest online car rental service – Rentalcars.com. Enabling over 3,000 partners, Rentalcars Connect provides innovative solutions that have the best conversion, revenue generation and customer loyalty for airlines, online travel agencies, and many other travel businesses globally. Each solution is available in 40 languages, across 46,000 locations and 169 countries worldwide. Customers can easily access over two million verified local supplier reviews by real travellers and book with confidence. Rentalcars Connect also operates an expert in-house customer service team providing 24/7 multilingual support to customers around the world. For more information, visit www.rentalcarsconnect.com. Rentalcars.com is part of The Priceline Group [NASDAQ: PCLN], the world leader in online travel, which serves consumers and partners through six primary brands – Booking.com, priceline.com, KAYAK, Agoda.com, Rentalcars.com and OpenTable. For more information, visit www.PricelineGroup.com.

Published:
PR Newswire, Aug 4 2016
Tnooz, Aug 4 2016

Reservations.com has partnered with Get Satisfaction in the creation of a support platform for online consumers. Get Satisfaction is an open and transparent space where companies can support customers, allow the exchange of ideas, and get feedback about their products and services. Get Satisfaction is fully integrated into Reservations.com's website, an industry-leading online booking service that delivers verified descriptions and information on over 200,000 hotels.

Reservations.com consumers are now able to easily search and archive previously asked questions, submit questions to the organizations customer support team, actively monitor and participate in the support community, increase responsiveness, and continuously enhance their repository of knowledge. Within the software, the organization is able to access an organized system of their ticketed times, increasing productivity and rapid response rates.

Reservations.com already offers superior customer service and support to consumers through phone and email support. The addition of this new online support community only emphasizes Reservations.com's strong commitment to customer success as a user-friendly and well-organized platform.

About Reservations.com
Reservations.com is an award-winning online travel company that is on a mission to bring the human-touch back into the world of online travel. Founded in 2014 with a mission to help consumers create memorable booking experiences, Reservations.com has seen rapid online growth in its hotel archives. Reservations.com's user-friendly website offers unparalleled visibility into hotels, including: descriptions, pricing information, and reviews of over 200,000 properties globally in its database. The company is on a journey to change the way the world books hotels. For more information, please visit www.reservations.com.

About Get Satisfaction
Based in San Francisco, Get Satisfaction provides an online community platform connecting companies with customers to foster relationships that unlock new value for both sides. Companies of all sizes and industries like from Kellogg's and P&G rely on Get Satisfaction to deliver online communities that modernize customer support and differentiate their brand and inspire new innovations. Get Satisfaction's community platform offers the fastest time to value for companies ready to embrace the way today's customers want to engage. For more information, please visit www.getsatisfaction.com

Published:
PR Newswire, Jun 24 2016
Forward Geek, Jun 24 2016

Reservations.com and TrustYou collaborate to create a highly interactive, analytical, and sophisticated website that will help consumers make better booking decisions.

Reservations.com partners with TrustYou – the world's largest feedback platform – to analyze and benchmark the online reputation of their own hotel brands across the entire web. TrustYou collects and evaluates feedback for 500,000 hotels worldwide and displays well-structured data by means of a sophisticated tool.

Reservations.com utilizes TrustYou's technology TrustYou's "Meta-Reviews" as an aid to travelers. Content will now provide in-depth insight into consumer selected hotels by use of summarized review content. TrustYou's "Meta-Reviews" are the summary of verified hotel reviews and are integrated into numerous sites like Google Search and Maps, TUI, and Hotels.com. This information influences millions of booking decisions from travelers worldwide. Not only are Meta-Reviews the easiest and most structured way to review content, but they also remarkably improve the search-shop-buy experience for travelers, particularly on mobile devices. Reviews have become a vital part of the search-shop-buy process. 95 percent This underlines the importance of featuring review data in hotel descriptions alongside the price and amenities to boost bookings.

About Reservations.com
Reservations.com is an award-winning online travel company that is on a mission to bring the human-touch back into the world of online travel. Founded in 2014 with a mission to help consumers create memorable booking experiences, Reservations.com has seen rapid online growth in its hotel archives. Reservations.com's user-friendly website offers unparalleled visibility into hotels, including: descriptions, pricing information, and reviews of over 200,000 properties globally in its database. The company is on a journey to change the way the world books hotels. For more information, please visit www.reservations.com.

About TrustYou
TrustYou is the world's largest guest feedback platform. It provides hotels with insights that are needed to improve their hotel product and market their value and features to future guests. TrustYou analyzes hundreds of millions of hotel reviews, surveys, and social comments scattered across a vast, fragmented market, and transforms this content into actionable insights for 500,000 hotels.

Some of the products the organization offers include "TrustYou Analytics" and TrustYou's "Meta-Review." TrustYou Analytics is the world's leading online reputation management tool that allows hotels to analyze and influence their online reputation. TrustYou Meta-Reviews are global review summaries of all verified reviews written worldwide, which are displayed on hundreds of sites including Google, KAYAK, and Reservations.com, as well as on hotel's own brand websites. For more information on this organization, please visit www.trustyou.com.

Published:
KLTV (abc), Jun 24 2016
Orlando Business Journal, Jun 24 2016

Reservations.com collaborates with HotelPlanner offering competitive advantages in group online bookings.

HotelPlanner.com has become an official online travel accommodation partner for Reservations.com, one of the world's leading online hotel booking platforms. As the leading group sales marketing partner for Reservations.com, HotelPlanner will deliver quality hotels accommodations at the lowest negotiated rates guaranteed. This collaboration reinforces the company's position as the leading group hotel sales provider, who has also experienced exponential growth since HotelPlanner's inception in 2002. HotelPlanner.com specializes in group-bookings across the globe. This partnership will better serve the needs of the company's direct clients and market leading affiliates on a global scale.

United by a common business culture, the partnership mutually benefits both organizations, strengthening focused growth strategy and expanding presence; not just in the online group travel marketplace, but also within the individual and leisure travel markets. Reservations.com greatly benefits with HotelPlanner's products for individual bookings, flexible event packaging, bringing the biggest selection of group rates, and hotel room packaging technology.

About Reservations.com
Reservations.com is an award-winning online travel company that is on a mission to bring the human-touch back into the world of online travel. Founded in 2014 with a mission to help consumers create memorable booking experiences, Reservations.com has seen rapid online growth in its hotel archives. Reservations.com's user-friendly website offers unparalleled visibility into hotels, including: descriptions, pricing information, and reviews of over 200,000 properties globally in its database. The company is on a journey to change the way the world books hotels. For more information, please visit www.reservations.com.

About HotelPlanner.com
HotelPlanner.com was founded in 2002 by Tim Hentschel and John Prince, and have since achieved a global portfolio of 50,000 hotels. According to Experian, the company is a top 50 travel site. HotelPlanner.com focuses its efforts on the "group" market. They help clients select the right property for their event. HotelPlanner.com combines technology with a highly experienced staff of professional meeting planners to deliver outstanding service. The company recently opened its European Headquarters in London, United Kingdom and is rapidly expanding its team of planners globally. For more information, please visit www.hotelplanner.com

Published:
PR Web, Jun 24 2016
Orlando Business Journal, Jun 24 2016