The proprietary, artificial intelligence-enabled capability
immediately connects customers to a Hotel Planner agent to book a
discounted hotel stay anywhere in the world, an industry first.
HotelPlanner, a leading travel technology platform powered by
proprietary artificial intelligence, today announced the launch of
its new Alexa-enabled hotel booking feature that immediately
connects customers to a global gig-based ‘Hotel Planner’ agent to
book a discounted hotel stay – anywhere in the world – at any time,
an industry first.
The announcement is well-timed with the rise in voice-activated
technology and the ‘Internet of Things’ revolution that is already
disrupting every industry across the globe.
How Alexa-Enabled Hotel Bookings Work
Using an Alexa device or the Alexa app, a customer must first
say “Alexa – enable the HotelPlanner skill.” Once the skill is
enabled, customers can then activate the feature any time by saying
“Alexa – open HotelPlanner” or “Alexa – ask HotelPlanner to make a
new reservation in Boston.”
Once a customer tells Alexa their travel details, the service
immediately connects the customer to a live Hotel Planner as a
priority call, which bypasses the call queue. The Hotel Planner can
then typically offer a discounted rate before completing the
booking. This is equivalent to having a personal hotel concierge at
one’s beck and call anytime help is needed with hotel bookings.
HotelPlanner’s proprietary artificial intelligence and VOIP
capabilities will also try to route customers to a gig-based Hotel
Planner who either lives in, or knows about, the customer’s desired
destination so that they can provide localized and personalized
service.
And this new booking feature is completely free of charge.
Here’s a short instructional video to learn more.
Staying Ahead of the Technology Curve
Since its founding in 2004, HotelPlanner has sought to stay
ahead of the technology curve with next generation features that
anticipate evolving customer needs to further simplify and automate
the hotel booking process.
For example, HotelPlanner pioneered the electronic Request for
Proposal (eRFP) process for group bookings in 2004, and then added
an online negotiation capability in 2009. In 2014, the company
launched its instant group booking feature. In May 2020, at the
height of the pandemic, HotelPlanner launched its global
gig-economy based reservations platform in response to an influx of
customer calls, an industry first for an online travel agency.
“We believe that adding Alexa-enabled hotel bookings is an
industry game changer,” says John Prince, Co-Founder & Chief
Information Officer, HotelPlanner. “As the Internet of Things and
smart homes, smart cars and smart offices become more ubiquitous,
HotelPlanner is ready to provide a tech-forward solution that
embraces voice activation and anticipates how consumers will
interact with technology to make travel plans. And this capability
is sustainable, scalable, and complementary with the ongoing
expansion of our gig-based Hotel Planner reservation platform.”
HotelPlanner Seeking to List on NASDAQ
In August 2021, HotelPlanner announced that it had entered into
an agreement providing for a three-way merger with Astrea
Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: ASAXU), a special purpose acquisition
company, and Reservations.com. The merger contemplates HotelPlanner
becoming a publicly listed company on NASDAQ under the ticker
symbol “HOTP.” Completion of the merger is subject to approval by
the stockholders of Astrea and other conditions. Astrea has filed a
preliminary proxy statement regarding the transaction.
HotelPlanner, with its family of brands, including
HotelPlanner.com, Meetings.com, and following the transaction,
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 reservations platform.
The transaction is expected to enable HotelPlanner to transform
into a diversified hotel and event booking platform with
complementary revenue streams, and to provide the combined company
opportunities to realize multiple operating synergies to drive
growth at scale.
Legal Disclaimer
Amazon, Alexa and all related logos are trademarks of
Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
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 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
https://www.hotelplanner.com/investors 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 has been
included in the preliminary proxy statement filed by Astrea
referred to above. Shareholders, potential investors and other
interested persons should read the proxy statement carefully 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
https://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.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211018005087/en/
Investors For HotelPlanner:
ICR – investors@hotelplanner.com For Astrea Acquisition Corp.:
info@astreaacquisitioncorp.com
Media For HotelPlanner: ICR
– media@hotelplanner.com For Astrea Acquisition Corp.:
info@astreaacquisitioncorp.com
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