A chain of nine hotels in Iceland has signed with international online distributor, SiteMinder, to broaden their web distribution amid predictions by SiteMinder that the proportion of hotels in Europe using channel management will double over the next two years.

Foss Hotels - which runs nine 2-3-star tourist hotels from 25 to 120 rooms in Reykjavik and across Iceland, has partnered with SiteMinder to distribute its inventory to third party booking websites around the world, with Foss Hotels Online Marketing Manager, Noelia Magnusson, commenting: “If a hotel is serious about making the most of online sales, channel management software such as SiteMinder’s is crucial to its success.”

SiteMinder’s Senior Business Development Manager in Europe, Bernhard Ballin, said Foss Hotels was the latest in a growing number of European hotel groups to use SiteMinder’s Channel Manager to expand their online efficiencies. “We offer efficient, two-way integration to the world’s top booking websites,” Mr Ballin said. “SiteMinder’s unique pooled inventory model means all rooms in Foss Hotels’ nine properties in Iceland will be available on all the major booking sites they want to be listed on. And SiteMinder also automatically adjusts Foss Hotels’ inventory each time a booking is taken on any online channel, which cuts out the risk of overbooking.”

SiteMinder Managing Director, Mike Ford, said in London recently that an estimated 40 per cent of hotels in the UK and Europe currently use channel management technology but this was tipped to double to 80 per cent within two years, to match the current penetration of channel management software in the Asia Pacific hotel industry where there is a proliferation of last-minute deal sites.

The nine properties in the Foss Hotels portfolio include Fosshotel Lind and Fosshotel baron in Reykjavik, Fosshotels Reykholt in West Iceland, Fosshotel Dalvik, Fosshotel Laugar and Fosshotel Husavik in North Iceland, Fosshotel Vatnajokull and Fosshotel Skaftafell in East Iceland and Fosshotel Mosfell in South Iceland.

SiteMinder’s software distribution platform enables hotels to sell more rooms on dozens of accommodation booking sites around the world. From offices in Sydney and London, SiteMinder’s channel management technology allows accommodation providers to manage room availability and rates across a multitude of online channels from a single interface. More than 5000 accommodation providers in over 70 countries now use SiteMinder as their preferred solution for online distribution. SiteMinder’s flat monthly rate - as opposed to a per-reservation delivery fee - helps properties streamline business efficiencies at an affordable cost.