Room Key

Room Key
Private
Industry Hospitality
Founded Dallas, Texas (2012 (2012))
Founder John Davis
Key people
 Steve Sickel, Interim CEO
Services Hotel Reservation metasearch engine
Owner InterContinental Hotels Group
Hilton Worldwide
Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Marriott International
Choice Hotels International
Wyndham Worldwide

Room Key is a hotel metasearch engine launched in January 2012.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Room Key is a joint venture founded by Choice Hotels International, Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, InterContinental Hotels Group, Marriott International, and Wyndham Worldwide or their respective affiliates.[1][2][4][5][6][7] There are over 75,000 hotels listed on Room Key, which span 159 countries and include over 100 brands.[8]

Room Key's founder, John Davis, previously founded Pegasus Solutions, the first hotel distribution switch technology which streamlined global distribution systems and Internet connectivity for hotels worldwide.[9]

The company is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.[7] Its interim CEO is Steve Sickel.[10][11][12]

History

Room Key’s history traces to 2010 with talks between hoteliers.[13] In 2011, Room Key acquired hotelicopter, a Charlottesville, VA-based firm, and its technology platform, which provided the technology foundation for Roomkey.com.[14] Room Key launched its beta site and added Best Western International as its first commercial partner in January 2012.[2][6][15][16] In March 2012, Room Key launched international websites in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.[17]

Room Key added Preferred Hotel Group as a commercial partner in March 2012 and WorldHotels in April 2012.[18][19] Room Key exited beta and fully launched in May 2012.[20]

In September 2012, Room Key added La Quinta Inns & Suites, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels and Leading Hotels of the World as commercial partners.[5] Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group was added as a commercial partner in November 2012.

In September 2014, Davis stepped down as CEO of Room Key. Steve Sickel was named interim CEO.[21][22]

Operations

Room Key is owned by its founding partners: Choice Hotels International, Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, InterContinental Hotels Group, Marriott International, and Wyndham Worldwide or their respective affiliates.[2][3] Along with its founding partners’ properties, Room Key’s website includes properties from commercial partners.[2][5][18] Commercial partners do not have an ownership stake in Room Key.[16] Room Key also has partnerships with several central reservation systems (CRS) including Sabre SynXis, Trust and TravelClick, which enable the listing of thousands of additional hotels on Room Key’s website.[10][23]

When a Room Key user attempts to book a room with any of Room Key’s founding or commercial partners, the customer is directed to the partner’s site and books a room directly with the hotel.[24]

Further reading

References

  1. 1 2 Alexandra Berzon. "Hotels Ally on Booking Site". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "In Transit; Hotels Band to Offer Their Own Search Site". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Meet Roomkey". The Economist. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  4. 1 2 "New Website RoomKey.com Competes With Online Travel Agencies". CNBC 25. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "RoomKey.com hotel search site adds more chains". USA Today. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 "Global hotel brands join forces to launch Roomkey.com". Vator News. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 "Hotel chains launch Dallas-based Roomkey.com to reclaim revenue from travel sites". Dallas News. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  8. ↑ "Euromonitor International Interview Series: John F Davis III, Chief Executive Officer of Room Key". Euromonitor International. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  9. ↑ Mike Shea (March 2000). "Room Service". Texas Monthly.
  10. 1 2 "Roomkey.com looks forward to 2nd year". Asian Hospitality. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  11. ↑ "Hotels Band to Offer Their Own Search Site". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  12. ↑ "Hospitality Majors Give Birth to New Hotel Search Engine". Fox Business. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  13. ↑ "Five minutes with John Davis, CEO, Roomkey.com". Orlando Business Journal. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  14. ↑ "Six Hotel Giants Team Up To Launch Hotel Search Engine Roomkey.com, Buy Hotelicopter". TechCrunch. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  15. ↑ "Hotel giants launch uncluttered search site". USA Today. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  16. 1 2 "Roomkey.com sets growth strategy". Dallas Business Journal. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  17. ↑ "Room Key launches its first international websites". Yahoo! Finance. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  18. 1 2 "Roomkey Adds Preferred Hotel Group as Commercial Partner". Travel Pulse. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  19. ↑ "What Else? Worldhotels-Room Key, WAYN's Number, Agents review suppliers, Facebook fact". TNooz. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  20. ↑ "RoomKey.com exits beta, fully launches". Business Traveler. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  21. ↑ "Room Key CEO to step down". Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  22. ↑ "Former IHG Executive Steve Sickel Joins Room Key as Interim CEO". Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  23. ↑ "Room Key reaches hotel CRS deal with Sabre". Travel Weekly. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  24. ↑ "Room Key launches first international sites". Gadling. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
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