Amsterdam: Online travel agency Booking.com has announced a year-long partnership with Google Nest in order to build a more connected and seamless trip experience for travellers and hosts.
The partnership will encompass offers and incentives for Booking.com customers as well as enhancements for partners that will facilitate a premium experience for guests.
U.S. based travellers will be the first to benefit from the partnership as those that book a stay in a property through the OTA before 5 January 2020 will be provided with a minimum spend of $150 and receive a free Google Nest Mini by using the promo code GOOGLENEST. Bookers will be able to use the Google Nest Mini as a travel tool that provides specific information including flight times, weather and translation.
Booking.com has an offering of more than 29 million listings on its platform, comprising homes, apartments and other unique destinations, and through the partnership, it aims to make hosting even easier. Programmes will specifically focus on allowing partners to access product and installation services with Google Nest devices for their properties.
Internal insights shared by Booking.com and Google respectively suggest that guests and hosts are increasingly seeking out enhancements in the alternative accommodation segment as it relates to the safety, security and ease of the experience. Smart products including keyless locks, energy-saving thermostats and voice assistant devices are ways of improving the guest’s stay and delivering greater value to the homeowner.
The partnership will also complement existing product features that can be found on Booking.com such as its recently-announced quality ratings product. Ratings allow guests to make even more informed choices about the properties they book, stay at and enjoy.
Booking.com senior vice president and CMO, Arjan Dijk, said: “Booking.com and Google have been strategic partners for many years, and we are delighted to deepen our relationship further with such an integrated partnership that will help build an even more connected guest and host experience on Booking.com.
“The partnership will not only provide consumers with incentives to book a stay on Booking.com, but will also provide our partners with access to product and installation services that include Google Nest devices, to help their property deliver an amazing experience for Booking.com guests,” he added.
Booking.com and Google Nest will both be announcing further elements of the partnership in due course.
For more information, visit the Booking.com website here.
