World Rainbow Hotels (WRH), the gay & lesbian travel organization which made the headlines two years ago as the first ever supplier of gay-friendly hotels on the GDS, launched an online booking platform for travel agents on Oct. 1, 2012.
WRH’s website, www.worldrainbowhotels.com, which was unveiled earlier this year as a consumer portal allowing LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) consumers to find and book genuinely gay and lesbian-welcoming hotels, now also offers travel agencies the possibility to book online more than 850 gay & lesbian-welcoming hotels in 129 of the world’s most popular destinations.
This new online portal for travel agents is the latest addition to WRH’s current distribution channels: the four GDSs (WHR reach out to 60,000 agencies monthly), WRH’s consumer portal and 100 affiliated websites.
Travel agents using WRH’s online booking platform earn up to 12% commission, have access to exclusive discounted and promotional rates, can create their own agency profile as well as personalize and brand their agency confirmation emails.
WRH’s website features image and content-rich information on hotels and destinations, aimed to help agents and consumers fully understand what makes a hotel gay-friendly and appealing to this niche market.
Other features have also been added, helping users make an informed decision when it comes to choosing a gay-friendly hotel:
Your Voice – An interactive section of the website in which LGBT consumers post their comments and suggestions about member hotels, destinations and their local gay scene.
Out & About – A recommendations list of local bars, restaurants, clubs and events of appeal to gay & lesbian guests, created by each hotel. These guides, named “Out & About”, can be downloaded directly from the hotel profile on the website, giving consumers and travel agents’ an insider’s look into the local gay and lesbian scene.
Additionally, WRH’s website now features a members’ portal, enabling member hotels to edit their own profiles (i.e. descriptions, pictures and amenities) and giving them access to information on gay & lesbian trade organisations, events, exclusive advertising offers and additional marketing opportunities.
Amongst World Rainbow Hotels’ most recent and prestigious new member hotels are: the entire Dorchester Collection (including The Dorchester, London – Le Meurice, Paris – Hotel Plaza Athénée, Paris – Le Richmond, Geneva – Hotel Beverly Hills, Los Angeles – Hotel Principe di Savoia, Milan), 16 Fairmont & Raffles hotels (including The Savoy, London) and other iconic properties such as the OUT NYC (New York) and the Hotel De la Letras (Madrid).
About World Rainbow Hotels
World Rainbow Hotels is a carefully chosen collection of more than 850 gay & lesbian-welcoming hotels located in over 129 destinations worldwide. Hotels are approved into the program based on World Rainbow Hotels’ acceptance criteria, which analyze:
• Hotel’s location
• Hotel’s characteristics and category
• Hotel’s knowledge of local gay-scene
• Hotel’s current involvement with the LGBT community
• Hotel’s compliance with non-discrimination policies and same sex benefits for their staff
Hotels belonging to more than 175 hotel brands have already signed up to the World Rainbow Hotels program including:
• Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts
• Kempinski Hotels
• Langham Hotels
• Design Hotels
• Taj Hotels, Resorts & Palaces
• Fairmont Hotels
• Raffles Hotels
• The Peninsula Hotels
• Thompson hotels
• Morgans Hotels group
• Kimpton Hotels
• Langham Hotels
• Joie de Vivre Hotels
• Preferred Hotels & Resorts
• Small Luxury Hotels of the World
• The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company
• Rocco Forte Hotels
• The Leading Hotels of the World
• Hyatt Hotels & Resorts
• Hilton Hotels & Resorts
• InterContinental Hotels Group
• André Balazs Properties
• Caesars Entertainment
A number of iconic hotels in the LGBT community have also joined the program including:
• The Lords South Beach Hotel, Miami Beach
• The Standard Spa, Miami Beach
• The Elysium Hotel, Mykonos
• The Mondrian Hotel, New York
• St Martins Lane Hotel, London
• Hotel Cram, Barcelona
For information about World Rainbow Hotels or to request a meeting during WTM (London), please visit www.worldrainbowhotels.com or call us on 44 (0)845 004 9393 – ext 6523
To see examples of Out & About guides, check: www.worldrainbowhotels.com/Why-Book-With-Us/Out-and-About/
Interested affiliates can find out more information on: www.worldrainbowhotels.com/affiliates and hoteliers interested in joining can find out more via www.worldrainbowhotels.com/hoteliers
