Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT), a global leader specialized in business travel management, announced a new, non-GDS hotel booking solution called CRS by CWT, which acts as a hotel central reservation system (CRS), aggregating diverse hotel content in one place. Hotels not in the global distribution system (GDS) can be contracted, loaded and distributed through a client’s established online and offline booking channels. CWT travel counselors can then easily access hotels listed in CRS by CWT and online booking tools can display non-GDS hotels to travelers making reservations online. CRS by CWT is available to Carlson Wagonlit Travel’s global clients today.
 
CRS by CWT gives clients numerous benefits over their current ways of accessing non-GDS hotel content. For instance, CRS by CWT helps drive compliance to the company’s travel policy by directing travelers to company-preferred booking channels and hotels, leading to better data capture and travel program performance measurement. In Europe, the Middle East and Africa, 50 percent of all hotel bookings are for non-GDS hotels; CRS by CWT will help drive bookings within the GDS. Watch a video about CRS by CWT here.
 
CRS by CWT can also improve satisfaction for travelers who can book the hotel they want at the same time they book air travel, car rentals, etc. They no longer need to wait for a confirmation or find the non-GDS hotel themselves. Finally, as reservations are captured in the system, travelers can be tracked more accurately and contacted if need be, in a crisis for example.
 
“In the past when certain hotels were not available through the traditional GDS route - a CWT agent or traveler would have to be very resourceful to find a suitable hotel nearest to the client’s remote site. These properties are often small, local independent hotels and a phone call or email would be necessary to reserve them,” said Pauline Quere, CWT Vice President for Global Customer Product Marketing. “But CRS by CWT makes everyone’s lives easier: travelers can book hotels directly in the online booking tool (OBT) when they book other travel arrangements and travel managers have a more accurate view of hotel travel spend. In addition, as well as loading non-GDS hotels, CRS by CWT allows companies to add their own properties. For instance, energy services clients typically have company-owned properties near oilrigs or mining camps and many companies have on-site lodging for training centers. CRS by CWT will allow them to incorporate these properties into existing booking platforms.”