Major League Table Tennis (MLTT), the first professional table tennis league in the United States, today announced HotelPlanner as its Official Online Booking Platform Partner, helping streamline travel and lodging for athletes, staff, and fans across the league’s national event calendar.

HotelPlanner, is a leading travel technology company and hotel booking platform that combines proprietary artificial intelligence and a 24/7 global gig-based reservations and customer service network.

Founded in 2023, Major League Table Tennis (MLTT) is the first professional table tennis league in the United States, featuring ten teams from cities across the country competing in an innovative, team-based format that includes singles, doubles, and the Golden Game. Beyond pro competition, MLTT is helping modernize the sport through technology and media, including SPINDEX, its free global table tennis rating system built on a universal scale for players of all levels, and Table Tennis TV, a dedicated digital platform delivering live matches, on-demand content, and original programming to fans worldwide.

The partnership connects MLTT’s rapidly expanding live-event footprint with HotelPlanner’s technology-driven booking platform, offering access to discounted hotel rates, simplified planning tools, and around-the-clock customer support as MLTT continues building a modern professional league experience around competition, media, and technology

“We’re proud to support MLTT as it continues elevating the sport in the U.S.,” said Tim Hentschel, Co-CEO of HotelPlanner. “By delivering great hotel choices at great rates, we’re helping make travel easier for players, staff, and fans, while supporting the league’s continued growth nationwide.”

As part of the partnership, HotelPlanner will provide MLTT with access to its booking platform, including hotel savings of up to 70%, travel-planning tools, and 24/7 U.S.-based member support. The collaboration will also include digital integration across MLTT platforms, including website visibility, social promotion, and presence at select league events.

“MLTT is growing quickly, and our event weekends bring together elite athletes, staff, families, and fans from across the country,” said Mimi Bosika, VP of Operations for Major League Table Tennis. “HotelPlanner gives our community a reliable, easy-to-use platform to book travel with confidence.”

Fans can book accommodations through MLTT’s official portal here.

HotelPlanner CEO Tim Hentschel and Dr. Claudia Green, Professor of International Tourism and Events at Pace University tell how to have the smoothest experience while record numbers are traveling for the holiday season. Both Hentschel and Green answered questions from NewsMax2 presenters John Burnett and Krysia Lenzo on December 23, 2025.

AAA says a record 122 million Americans are traveling for Christmas and New Year’s, with more than eight million flying. What are hotel bookings telling you about this holiday rush?

Tim Hentschel- It’s another record-breaking year — the fourth in a row. Travelers should brace for extremely high volumes everywhere: airports, highways, hotels. Delays are inevitable, not just from weather but from mechanical issues and cancellations. My advice is simple: have a Plan A and a Plan B, bring patience, and budget a little extra. This is shaping up to be a wild holiday travel season.

With disruptions likely, what practical steps can travelers take if they can’t afford expensive travel insurance?

Dr. Claudia Green - Planning is key. Always have alternatives, whether you’re flying or driving. On the road, know a backup route. At airports, early departures make a huge difference — before 10 a.m. is best. The 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. window is peak congestion. Early flights also give you more recovery options if something goes wrong.

Any advice for getting through airport security more smoothly?

Dr. Claudia Green - Dress for efficiency — avoid belts and excess jewelry. Minimize wrapped gifts, which can slow down TSA screening. Gift bags are much easier. The goal is to eliminate anything that could delay you or others.

Transportation officials are urging better behavior in the skies this season. What does that mean for travelers?

Tim Hentschel - It really comes down to courtesy and preparation. Don’t block aisles reorganizing carry-ons. Avoid strong-smelling food. Wear headphones. Travel as light as possible so you don’t have to check bags. Pre-check in on your phone, keep liquids and prohibited items out of carry-on, and use a bag that fits under the seat. When one person isn’t prepared, it slows everyone down.

[caption id="attachment_306295" align="aligncenter" width="437"] Tim Hentschel and Dr. Claudia Green on NewsMAX2 (Screenshot: video)[/caption]

TSA expects to screen about 44 million passengers through early January, with nearly three million in one day alone. Are airports ready?

Dr. Claudia Green - TSA PreCheck is a game changer. It can mean the difference between a 45-minute wait and walking straight through. Packing light also reduces stress — no waiting at baggage claim, no worrying if your bag made it. Lost luggage can ruin a holiday.

Airfares are nearing $900 on average. Are travelers adjusting how they book hotels or trips?

Tim Hentschel - Prices are rising because demand is strong. One way Americans can save is by traveling in larger groups, something Europeans have done for years. Multiple families traveling together can split costs on larger accommodations and vehicles. Small, intimate trips come with a premium. If you’re not traveling for romance, there’s no reason to pay that “honeymoon premium.”

Are advertised travel deals really worth it, given restrictions and add-ons?

Dr. Claudia Green - Travelers need to read the fine print carefully. Airfare deals often come with add-ons that drive up the final price. Check whether taxes, resort fees, and hotel charges are included. Sometimes a deal isn’t a deal once everything is added.

What destinations are most popular this holiday season?

Tim Henschel - Las Vegas is at the top of the list, along with Washington, D.C., and New York City — all seeing record rates. My advice is to stay just outside city centers. Areas like Queens, Brooklyn, Bethesda, or hotels near major airports can cost a fraction of downtown prices. You might pay $100 a night instead of $1,000, and still get easy access by public transit or rideshare. City-center hotels are increasingly for the ultra-wealthy — for most travelers, they’re just not worth it.

HotelPlanner is a leading travel technology platform specializing in hotel bookings, while its sister brand, Meetings.com, focuses on meetings, events, and group accommodations worldwide. Together, the companies leverage advanced AI and real-time pricing to simplify travel planning at scale.

Tim Hentschel is the co-founder and CEO of HotelPlanner and Meetings.com and a recognized expert on global travel trends. He spoke on U.S. TV network News Nation over the travel boom in the holiday season. 

Travel demand is projected to be more than 2% higher than last year. How much of this growth is driven by pent-up demand?

Tim Hentschel - This is actually the fourth consecutive year of record-breaking travel numbers, so I see it less as pent-up demand and more as a long-term trend. A big driver is the baby boomer generation—they have accumulated wealth and now have more leisure time. That’s especially evident during the holidays, when we consistently see bigger and bigger travel volumes. This year will be no exception.

Weather disruptions are already affecting parts of the U.S. How much does that factor into holiday travel stress?

Tim Hentschel - It’s interesting because while the Northeast and Northwest are getting significant snowfall, I’m currently in Oslo, Norway—just a couple of hours north—and Europe is unseasonably warm. Scandinavia is actually making artificial snow right now, and it’s barely holding. Weather always complicates travel, but demand remains strong regardless.

AAA estimates about eight million Americans will fly domestically this holiday season. What practical advice would you give travelers dealing with congestion and possible delays?

Tim Hentschel - Flying out of secondary airports rather than major hubs can make a big difference. International travel is up sharply, and airports like JFK, Heathrow, and Dulles are extremely busy right now.

Getting to the airport early is critical. Programs like TSA PreCheck or CLEAR in the USA help a lot, as does lounge access through credit cards or airline status. Anything that allows you to skip lines reduces stress. Security remains the biggest bottleneck, and late arrivals trying to rush through tend to slow everyone else down.

There are reports of able-bodied travelers abusing disability assistance to board early. What are you hearing about this trend?

Tim Hentschel - It’s definitely a sensitive issue. Airlines emphasize that not all disabilities are visible, and that’s absolutely true. But we are seeing situations where honeymoon couples, champagne in hand, are boarding early under the “needs assistance” category. It’s becoming an operational challenge, similar to what Disneyland has faced with disability access passes.

Do you think airlines need to rethink their boarding procedures?

Tim Hentschel - Possibly. My wife actually suggested an interesting idea—let everyone board first, and then allow passengers with disabilities and families to board last with extra assistance once the plane is mostly seated. In theory, that achieves the same goal without creating incentives to game the system. I’m not sure if airlines will adopt it, but it’s worth discussing.

How do you balance compassion with fairness in these situations?

Tim Hentschel - I try to err on the side of compassion. That said, after a five-hour delay with a screaming one-year-old, seeing 25 people in wheelchairs—half of whom appear perfectly fine—can be difficult to reconcile.

That said, the travel boom is being fueled in part by aging baby boomers, so we should expect more passengers genuinely needing assistance. Overall, record travel numbers are a positive sign for the industry, and as a travel CEO, I see that as encouraging.

The relationship expands Hotel Planner’s investment in the next generation of British Tennis stars

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla, August 11, 2025 Hotelplanner, a leading travel technology platform and hotel booking engine, today announced that the Progress Tour (the UK’s leading independent transitional tour for new Tennis stars) will be renamed the HotelPlanner Tour.

The five year agreement will see a £250,000 annual increase to the tours prize fund with Great Britain Davis Cup Winner and ATP World Top 20 professional player Dan Evans, acting as The Hotelplanner Tour’s brand ambassador.

This extends Hotel Planner’s existing investment in tennis and will enable the Tour to provide an improved service to its members, fans and athletes across the network.

Hotelplanner will provide participants with great hotel rates for national and international travel, player hospitality and voucher prizes.

“Hotelplanner’s tech opens hotel doors for millions of travelers each year. It’s great to be opening the doors for the best up and coming Tennis players” Tim Hentschel, CEO, Hotelplanner.

“I’m excited to welcome HotelPlanner on board as title sponsor of the tour as we embark on this new chapter” Barry  Fulcher, Founder and Director of the Tour, said. “As with the Progress Tour, the newly named HotelPlanner tour will continue to provide first class playing experiences and earning opportunities for those players looking to progress their tennis careers and transition to the professional game.”

ABOUT HOTELPLANNER

 HotelPlanner is a leading travel technology company and hotel booking platform that combines proprietary artificial intelligence, and a 24/7 global gig-based reservations and customer service network. HotelPlanner is one of the world’s leading providers of individual, group and corporate travel bookings. Founded in 2003, HotelPlanner has enduring partnerships with the world’s largest online travel agencies, well-known global hotel chains, individual hotels, online wedding providers, ancillary lodging providers, corporations, sporting organizations from youth to professional, universities, and government agencies. HotelPlanner’s family of brands includes its flagship site HotelPlanner.com, its meetings & events-focused sites Meetings.com; EventConnect.com; and Venuexplorer.com; Lucid Travel, which focuses on sports team travel; and its most recent acquisition Eventsquid, which focuses on corporate and association event registration. Learn more at https://hotelplanner.com/.

ABOUT THE HOTELPLANNER TOUR

The Progress Tour was set up in 2017 to give aspiring British players more earning opportunity on home soil. Since its inception, the tour has seen over 6,000 players take part in over 18,000 level-based and progressive matches, and paid out over £1.3m in prize money, all of which has been independently sourced, and privately funded. This years Wimbledon Championships saw over 30 former Progress Tour players and champions compete across Men’s and Women’s events.

The motivation for the tour stems from a belief that we need to provide more and better opportunities for transitioning players to earn prize money and player support whilst competing domestically.

Tim Gunstone Chief Communication Officer HotelPlanner [email protected]

Inside the journey to the HotelPlanner EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 award

HotelPlanner founders recognized for innovation and growth in travel tech

John Prince and Tim Hentschel, co-founders and co-CEOs of HotelPlanner, have been named winners of the HotelPlanner EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 Florida Award. The prestigious recognition, announced on June 16, celebrates their leadership in developing one of the most innovative platforms in travel technology. [caption id="attachment_300038" align="alignnone" width="300"] Tim Hentschel, co-founder and CEO of HotelPlanner. He was recently named EY Entrepreneur of the Year for Florida.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_300040" align="alignnone" width="300"] John Prince, co-founder and CEO of HotelPlanner. Honored with the 2025 EY Entrepreneur of the Year award for Florida.[/caption]

The award is part of EY’s long-standing program recognizing business leaders who demonstrate excellence in areas such as innovation, long-term growth, and value creation. Winners are selected through an independent panel of judges, based on entrepreneurial spirit, financial performance, and impact.

A Business Built on Innovation and Scale

Founded in 2003, HotelPlanner has grown into a global platform for hotel bookings, specializing in group, corporate, and event-based travel. The company has gained industry attention through its use of AI-driven booking tools and a global network of travel experts. This model has helped HotelPlanner achieve strong growth while maintaining a lean and scalable structure.

The HotelPlanner EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 recognition highlights how the company has navigated industry shifts with agility, integrating technology to simplify complex booking processes and improve the customer experience.

In a joint statement, Prince and Hentschel acknowledged the work of their global team and emphasized the importance of innovation in shaping the company’s success.

Looking Ahead

As winners of the Florida award, the HotelPlanner leadership team will now be considered for the national Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 title in November. Finalists from across the country will compete at the Strategic Growth Forum, with national winners moving on to the global competition in 2026.

The HotelPlanner EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 award confirms the company’s position at the forefront of travel technology—and positions its founders among the most respected entrepreneurs in the industry today.

  UPA Asia is pleased to announce HotelPlanner as the Official Accommodation Partner for the Trailblazers Program in 2025.   HotelPlanner is a leading travel technology company that leverages AI and a global customer service network to transform hotel bookings across individual, group, and corporate travel segments. Founded in 2003, the company provides unique discount rates through an innovative booking engine that connects travelers with an extensive network of hotel partners and institutions.   Through the partnership, HotelPlanner will provide accommodation support to the Trailblazers during their time competing throughout the USA as well as at PPA Tour Asia stops in 2025.   The UPA Asia Trailblazers Program is set to elevate talent across Asia and establish the region as a force in the global pickleball landscape. The Trailblazers will spend 3-months in the USA, receiving expert coaching, media training as well as competing on the PPA Tour.   The UPA Asia Trailblazers immediately benefited from the support of HotelPlanner during their attendance at Baton Rouge PPA Challenger, from 4-6 April in Louisiana. There the Trailblazers claimed four medals, including Yufei Long (CHN) winning the gold over Ken Tam (VIE) in the Pro Women’s Singles.   For fans wanting to follow the Trailblazers on their journey, book your accommodation here.

Travel technology platform HotelPlanner has served up a new partnership with the UK’s Lawn Tennis Association (LTA.) The Hotelplanner tie up will enable the LTA’s 1.5 million members to source hotels at special rates in the UK and globally. It will enable the LTA to manage their accommodation needs more profitably and provide a better service to its members and players. Hotelplanner will provide great hotel rates for national and international travel and for the many events the LTA organizes. The LTA is the sport’s governing body and has been overseeing the development of tennis in the UK for over 130 years. It oversees the grassroots such as after-school training sessions up to major international tournaments on all tennis court surfaces. It’s a nationwide organization of coaches, administrators and volunteers. “It’s such a pleasure to look after the hotel needs of some of the world’s greatest tennis players,” said Tim Hentschel, CEO, Hotelplanner. HotelPlanner is pleased to support the LTA’s mission of making tennis welcoming, enjoyable and inspiring to everyone. The LTA’s ultimate goal is to create opportunities for more people to play and enjoy tennis. The HotelPlanner hotel booking platform combines proprietary artificial intelligence, and a 24/7 global gig-based reservations and customer service network. It has established partnerships with the largest OTAs, global hotel chains, individual hotels, online wedding planning providers, ancillary lodging providers, corporations, and numerous sporting organizations from youth to professional level. HotelPlanner’s brands include flagship site HotelPlanner.com, meetings and events-focused sites Meetings.com; EventConnect.com; and Venuexplorer.com; sports team travel provider Lucid Travel, and its most recent acquisition Eventsquid, which focuses on corporate and association event registration.

Golf’s Challenge Tour has appointed HotelPlanner as title partner in a multi-year deal. The travel technology company is the Tour’s first title partner, from the start of the 2025 season. HotelPlanner combines proprietary AI agents (HotelPlanner.ai) and a 24/7 global gig-based reservations and customer service network. The sports sponsorship will help grow the Tour through increased prize funds while helping to elevate the standard of golf events on the Road to Mallorca. The 2025 HotelPlanner Tour schedule begins in South Africa next week, with the SDC Open taking place at Zebula Golf Estate & Spa from January 23-26. Players will compete for a record total prize fund of over €9,000,000 on the HotelPlanner Tour this season, with each European event having a minimum prize fund of €300,000. The prize fund increases for 16 events in total in 2025. The schedule will consist of 29 tournaments staged across three continents in 18 different countries. It concludes at the Rolex Grand Final supported by The R&A in Mallorca. In addition to their title partnership, HotelPlanner will provide additional investment into six events on the 2025 HotelPlanner Tour schedule, and a total of 40 tournaments throughout the multi-year partnership. HotelPlanner will use their assets, connectivity and people to help grow the Tour and open doors for the game of golf through global travel. Jamie Hodges, HotelPlanner Tour Director, said: “Today’s announcement is undoubtedly a momentous one in the proud history of our Tour. It will be strengthened because of this hugely significant deal. “ “This new partnership will increase prize funds for our membership and elevate the standard of our events. The global reach of HotelPlanner is also aligned with the diversity of our membership and the places and cultures we visit.” Tim Hentschel, HotelPlanner Chief Executive Officer, added: “We are delighted to become the title partner. This partnership provides an excellent platform to engage with customers, prospects, and stakeholders, and build our brand.” “The Challenge Tour has been the foundation of so many great golfing names and we are excited to see the HotelPlanner Tour continue to open doors for the next generation of superstars.” Founded in 2003, HotelPlanner has partnerships with the world’s largest online travel agencies, sports franchises, hotel chains, individual hotels, online wedding providers, ancillary lodging providers, corporations, universities and government agencies.

HotelPlanner’s new call handler team are not your average AI bots answering simple, stock questions. Having used eight million recorded phone calls made by human call center agents, the firm’s AI powered customer agents are as human as the tech gets. In fact, HotelPlanner says many customers don’t even realize they’re not actually speaking to a human. During its first month, the AI powered team has handled about 40,000 inquiries. UK newspaper The Times tested the service to see whether artificial intelligence compared with real time human interactions. Its initial reaction – there was no discernable indication that AI bot Cassandra wasn’t a real person. The service is as advanced as it gets; Cassandra and the other AI entities can make recommendations, check for room availability, quote prices, and give room type explanations with ease. Its quite a feat with 1.4 million hotels on its site. Overall, HotelPlanner has created 20 AI agents able to converse in 15 languages. There are two specific AI characters which have gained media attention. One is called Santa for the festive season, while another is called Donnie. The latter promises to make a stay in America great (again) complete with similar verbal mannerisms of the President-elect. The Times staffer’s interaction with Donnie went as follows: “This hotel is great, it’s tremendous, absolutely tremendous … it’s a beautiful thing, believe me.” “How many nights would you like to make America — I mean make your stay — great?” HotelPlanner’s CEO Tim Hentschel, said the volume of : calls has doubled since the AI platform fully rolled out. “This year we’ve had to curtail the capacity on our site, when fewer call handlers were available, but now we can now scale much faster,” he said. “We have calls recorded of people saying ‘Hey, James, will you be at the hotel when I get there?’, who responds, ‘Sorry, no — I’m an automated agent’.” Of course, sometimes an inquiry is too nuanced or complex for AI, such as ‘Does your breakfast have poached eggs?’ In that case we’ll transfer the call either direct to the hotel or to one of our human agents,” Hentschel added.  

HotelPlanner has announced a world’s first of its kind AI powered hotel booking assistant. HotelPlanner.ai is the first end-to-end AI hotel booking assistant, with fluency in 15 languages. The AI Assistant will take a call, respond to customer requirements, check the availability and price out suitable rooms. It can explain the unique nature of the room type, the booking terms and respond to detailed questions. It can also process a credit card booking. Then the guest will receive confirmation by text and/or email. The AI Assistant is able to book prepaid rooms or a pay at hotel rate. “We launched our gig economy call center during Covid. It’s been incredibly successful with over 7,000 active salespeople but the number of available agents limited our growth,” said Tim Hentschel, Co-CEO, HotelPlanner. “We used data from over 8,000,000 reservation calls to train AI Voice assistants to not only look after our customers many queries but sell rooms in a streamlined, enjoyable and efficient experience that has never been seen before.” With access to HotelPlanner’s inventory of over one million properties worldwide. HotelPlanner’s AI Assistants are already looking after the hotel needs of customers that speak English (in multiple variants), Hindi, Mandarin, French, German Spanish and Portuguese. Greek, Turkish and many more languages will be added soon. The Assistant can deal with complex queries such as “Hi James, I’m looking for a family friendly hotel, within a 4-hour flight of West Palm Beach, FL. I live on the beach, so I don’t want a beach resort, and I want it to be 4 or 5 stars and have an indoor pool.” Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with praise for its ease of use. Customers also have the option to talk to a human agent, but this is rare, the company says, due to the quality of service. Below is an actual transcript from a customer at the end of a booking process:   Customer:  Will you be there when I check in? AI Assistant James: I appreciate you asking, I apologize for the confusion, Derek. I should have been clearer. I'm a virtual assistant. Customer: And I want to know your name so I can leave a….. Oh, sXXXt! Okay. I was gonna give a great review for you. AI Assistant James:  Really appreciate your kind intention Derek!   “We are incredibly excited to lead the charge in integrating AI into the travel booking experience,” added John Prince, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of HotelPlanner. “HotelPlanner.AI not only simplifies the booking but as our AI Assistants continue to learn they will only get better. Now our human call center team can look after customers with the more complicated and higher value bookings.” Ahead of the holiday season, HotelPlanner announced that proceeds generated from any booking taken by special AI Assistant Santa Claus will be donated to Toys for Tots, ensuring that children in need receive gifts this season. “We believe that technology should serve a greater purpose,” added Hentschel. “By connecting travelers with Santa and supporting a wonderful cause, we are excited to make this holiday season memorable for all.” HotelPlanner.AI is now live. For more information, or to talk to the AI Assistant: Hotelplanner.ai 

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  Planning an event like a wedding, meeting, or sports team travel can be time-consuming, costly, and stressful, especially when booking hotel rooms. HotelPlanner.com simplifies the process by allowing hotels to come directly to you. With HotelPlanner, you can get instant quotes from top hotels competing for your business, ensuring you find the best rates—guaranteed savings of up to 77%. Just fill out a request with your event details, compare offers, negotiate online, and select the best deal, all in one convenient platform. HotelPlanner.com is committed to making group bookings easy, efficient, and affordable.  

  The American Group Travel Awards charity gala hosted by HotelPlanner took place on November 12, 2023 at the Boca Raton Resort to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and to celebrate HotelPlanner’s 20th Anniversary and HipHop50.   Grammy Award nominee and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Flavor Flav was honored as the World Hospitality Award winner, with Hip Hop legends Rob Base and Grandmaster Flash performing, and a special appearance by Cuba Gooding, Jr.