SINGAPORE and SHANGHAI – Nov. 1, 2021 – Sabre Corporation (NASDAQ: SABR), a leading software and technology provider that powers the global travel industry, today announced an enhanced distribution agreement with Huazhu Group to grow geographic reach for its upscale and luxury hotel brands and help fuel its ambitious global growth strategy.
Under the deal, the fast-growing, multi-brand company, which is currently China’s second-largest hotel group by number of rooms, will add more properties to the Sabre’s SynXis Platform in 2021, 2022 and beyond, following an initial agreement in 2019. This means more of its hotels will be connected to all major Global Distribution Systems (GDSs), including Sabre’s own, and will benefit from Sabre’s industry-leading reach to hundreds of thousands of travel agents and nearly 700 online channels across the globe, including hundreds of online travel agencies (OTAs), travel management companies (TMCs), and metasearch engines.
The group has ongoing expansion plans to continue adding properties to SynXis following the recent establishment of its new private label chain code which will help it to secure a more powerful brand presence across the GDSs. Sabre and Huazhu will also work together to streamline the traditionally manual tour operations process by introducing SynXis Tour Manager.
“As we move through the pandemic, Huazhu remains deeply focused on ensuring we are making the technological advancements needed to support our large-scale expansion plans in this competitive landscape,” said Mr. Xu Hui, VP of Sales and Marketing, Global High-end Brands, Huazhu. “Therefore, it is imperative we are working with the right technology partner with advanced, robust, reliable solutions to enable us to optimize our global distribution strategy, reach new leisure and corporate travellers across the world and support us as we aim to grow future occupancy rates and increase RevPar beyond pre-pandemic levels to allow more guests to appreciate the experience of contemporary Chinese hotel brands.”
Huazhu already operates 7,000+ hotels in 17 countries across a portfolio of more than 20 distinct hotel brands and plans to open hundreds more properties within the coming months. In particular, Huazhu Group will be leveraging the Sabre SynXis platform to distribute its luxury and upscale brands, including Joya and Blossom House, to international business and high-end leisure travellers globally.
“We’re delighted Huazhu have put their trust in Sabre’s advanced hospitality solutions to reach new market segments and achieve their next stage of growth at this exciting time for the group,” said Frank Trampert, SVP, Global Managing Director, Sabre Hospitality Solutions. “It is vital hoteliers take this time to ensure they are well positioned for the post-pandemic travel market; making certain they have robust, agile and easily scalable distribution strategies in place to significantly grow their geographic footprint while giving travel agents access to a more diverse range of hotel products and ancillaries.”
GDS users can now locate Huazhu’s properties through the dedicated chain code ‘HW’.
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About Sabre Corporation
Sabre Corporation is a leading software and technology company that powers the global travel industry, serving a wide range of travel companies including airlines, hoteliers, travel agencies and other suppliers. The company provides retailing, distribution and fulfilment solutions that help its customers operate more efficiently, drive revenue and offer personalized traveller experiences. Through its leading travel marketplace, Sabre connects travel suppliers with buyers from around the globe. Sabre’s technology platform manages more than $260B worth of global travel spend annually. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, USA, Sabre serves customers in more than 160 countries around the world. For more information visit www.sabre.com.
About Huazhu Hotels
Originated in China, Huazhu Group Limited is a world-leading hotel group. As of June 30, 2021, Huazhu operated 7,126 hotels with 692,284 rooms in operation in 17 countries. Huazhu’s brands include Hi Inn, Elan Hotel, HanTing Hotel, JI Hotel, Starway Hotel, Orange Hotel, Crystal Orange Hotel, Manxin Hotel, Madison Hotel, Joya Hotel, Blossom House, Ni Hao Hotel and CitiGO Hotel. Upon the completion of the acquisition of DH on January 2, 2020, Huazhu added five brands to its portfolio, including Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts, MAXX, Jaz in the City, IntercityHotel and Zleep Hotels. In addition, Huazhu also has the rights as master franchisee for Mercure, Ibis and Ibis Styles, and co-development rights for Grand Mercure and Novotel, in the pan-China region. Huazhu’s business includes leased and owned, manachised and franchised models. Under the lease and ownership model, Huazhu directly operates hotels typically located on leased or owned properties. Under the manachise model, Huazhu manages manachised hotels through the on-site hotel managers that Huazhu appoints, and Huazhu collects fees from franchisees. Under the franchise model, Huazhu provides training, reservations and support services to the franchised hotels, and collects fees from franchisees but does not appoint on-site hotel managers. Huazhu applies a consistent standard and platform across all of its hotels.
