First real-time conference and event booking website launched
Marston Hotels has launched a real-time conference and event booking website that it claims is the world’s first.
The website – www.marstonvenues.com – allows conference booking agents and consumers to check availability and make a provisional or confirmed online booking within minutes.
The chain of 12 four-star hotels said it received £22,000 worth of bookings in the first day of launch.
The fully automated system was developed and is operated in partnership with Kinetic Solutions, of Cranfield University.
Marston Hotels director John Cotter said: “This is going to revolutionise the way we do business. When you’ve got almost 70 staff amending bookings and availability for 223 meeting rooms throughout the year, it’s almost impossible to keep track of everything.
“Now we have one access point gathering and feeding new requests and information to the whole company.”
Plans are now also in place to launch ‘MeetingShop’, an umbrella portal which will enable customers and agents to do a ‘live’ search for conference facilities nationwide, initially at 500 venues.
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Skyscanner reveals major travel trends 2026 at ITB Asia
In Italy, the Meloni government congratulates itself for its tourism achievements