Hotel commerce platform SiteMinder and travel marketplace Hopper have partnered to bring online commerce and travel finance technology to the hospitality sector.
Through the partnership, SiteMinder’s more than 33,000 hotels in 150 countries will be able to reach travelers by directly accessing Hopper’s 70 million users, 70 percent of whom classify as Generation Z and millennials.
“This partnership brings together two aligned visions for the opening up of every hotel’s access to the world of online commerce and the transformation of travel through technology," said James Bishop, senior director of global ecosystem at SiteMinder, in a statement. "We know through our research that today’s traveler is more tech-savvy than ever before and demands greater flexibility. Through Hopper’s innovative technology, we are pleased to be able to bring more of today’s dynamic travelers to the doorstep of hotels.”
Hopper’s mobile-first travel app uses approximately one trillion price points per month, over eight years of historical data and trillions of archived prices to create several "travel fintech" products that aim to improve the customer journey. This data lets Hopper offer its users algorithm-based tips on when to book a room or when to wait, as well as the opportunity to "freeze" a room rate for a small deposit. To enable the latter feature, Hopper guarantees its users the "frozen" rate and pays the difference if the rate goes up, and offers alternatives if the room becomes unavailable.
Additionally, where online travel agencies commonly use search engines and metasearch to acquire users, Hopper expands its reach among younger travelers by almost exclusively using social media, especially newer platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram.
Today’s partnership with SiteMinder forms Hopper’s first since its recent fundraise of $175 million. Hopper’s revenues grew more than 300 percent year-on-year.
"Our customers are young, app-first and brand agnostic, but they will become the corporate travelers of tomorrow which gives our hotel partners a great opportunity to establish brand loyalty now," said David Lewis, head of hotel supply at Hopper. "In addition to our app business, we’re now seeing significant sales volume from our Hopper Cloud partnerships—a B2B initiative where other travel brands can seamlessly integrate and distribute Hopper’s fintech and travel agency content. Through these partnerships, Hopper is reaching new demographics such as older consumers with more discretionary spending.”