Amazon launches new hotel booking service
Online retail giant Amazon has started taking hotel bookings at published rates for the first time in a move which could threaten established online travel agents such as Booking.com and Expedia.
It has launched a new brand, Amazon Destinations, which sits on the main Amazon website.
So far, it is only offering hotel breaks in three regions of the US: the Pacific Northwest, California and the Northeast.
The service features the tagline ‘Hit the road: Book local getaways.’
There are about 150 hotels listed on Amazon.com, mostly within driving distance of the Los Angeles, Seattle or New York metro areas.
For the time being, Amazon Destinations sits within the existing Amazon Local brand, which has featured discounted accommodation deals for some time. However, Destinations offers published rates, not just deeply discounted deals, and works directly with hotels.
Amazon spokesman Tom Cook says the service hopes to focus on the short getaway market offering quality accommodation.
"These are all handpicked properties that have been visited by someone at Amazon to make sure they meet our quality," said Cook.
He declined to divulge how much commission Amazon would charge to hoteliers but said t would be ‘competitive’ compared to other online travel agents.
To date, Amazon does not offer travel or any other services on its UK site, only a wide range of products. When asked if it intended to offer hotel bookings in the UK, a spokeswoman said the company does not comment on future plans.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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