[Shannon_CJ]

Commission Junction is proud to announce the launch of Starwood Hotels & Resorts - Le Meridien.

URL: http://lemeridien.com

Joined Network: 14-May-2008

Category: Hotel

Description: Become an affiliate of Le Méridien today!

By referring your customers to Le Méridien you will earn generous commissions when they book hotel rooms. With over 120 luxury and upscale hotels in over 50 countries all over the world, with a stay at Le Méridien your customers will explore new perspectives on original design, engaging art, inspiring cuisine, and sophisticated accommodations.

Le Méridien Affiliates Receive
- Competitive compensation package: 3% on the completed stay.
- Effective creative placements
- Dedicated team to respond to your every need


Le Méridien Customers Enjoy
- Guaranteed best online rates
- No online booking fees
- Starpoints(r) for every stay that can be used for FREE hotel nights

Join today and start earning commissions.

Log into your Commission Junction account http://www.cj.com and join the Le Meridien affiliate program today. If you are not currently a Commission Junction publisher, please apply here https://signup.cj.com/member/publisherSignUp.do.

[Bill]

I notice you have a toll-free number in the upper right corner of your home page and a "local" number on each of the hotel detail pages. Are phone bookings commissionable or do they represent "lost" commissions? If they are commissionable, how do you track them?

[Snowman]

Phone bookings are not commissionable. I've never seen any major travel supplier through a network commission affiliates on phone sales/bookings.

[Bill]

Phone bookings are not commissionable. I've never seen any major travel supplier through a network commission affiliates on phone sales/bookings.Thank you Snowman, I appreciate your quick response. But that is, indeed, a shame. I would sorely like to try retasking a couple of my sites to booking directly with the "source." I feel conversions might be a little higher to offset the lower commissions; but to give away phone bookings completely would not be good. :(

[MichaelColey]

How about cross-brand tracking? If I link to a Sheraton hotel and someone books and stays at a Westin (both are Starwood hotels), will it track? I know this is a feature CJ now supports. With such a broad selection of properties as Starwood has, something like this is very beneficial.

[Kevin]

Was curious as to how pertinent phone tracking would be in this vertical (I've never worked in it).

On one hand, I've always completed hotel reservations online, with perhaps a follow up call from the hotel to confirm in some cases.

At the same time, I can see some folks wondering if the weekend they are looking for is REALLY booked, and calling to grease some wheels, so to speak.

[Snowman]

How about cross-brand tracking? If I link to a Sheraton hotel and someone books and stays at a Westin (both are Starwood hotels), will it track? I know this is a feature CJ now supports. With such a broad selection of properties as Starwood has, something like this is very beneficial.
No it won't and this is something I've been complaining about for years. It is very unfair and a huge leak.

All of the other major brand hotel affiliate programs cross-track.

[Bill]

Was curious as to how pertinent phone tracking would be in this vertical (I've never worked in it).

On one hand, I've always completed hotel reservations online, with perhaps a follow up call from the hotel to confirm in some cases.

At the same time, I can see some folks wondering if the weekend they are looking for is REALLY booked, and calling to grease some wheels, so to speak.Phone bookings (for me) depend on the the nature on the site and the way in which hotels are "sold" on the site. For example, on a "national" site, with no particular focus - just hotels "everywhere," I have less than a 10% phone booking rate. However, on a more focused "resort" town site (so far this month) I have a 21.8% phone booking rate. In addition to that, the phone bookings generally produce a "longer stay."

As far as "greasing the wheels," I do think that matters in the more sought-after areas. Funny thing is though that the call centers have access to the same database(s) that my site(s) use. On the other hand, because of the various ways in which hotel rooms are "sold" the availability for a particular property may appear different through different sources. For example, I may be able to score a room through one of my suppliers when a "front desk" will say, "Sorry, sold out." Or, maybe not.

Another variable is "fall out" - cancellations, no-shows, properties that do not pay (for whatever reason). :(

On another note, we are working on a "tool" that will help us display particular hotels in particular areas within a tabbed widget. For example: Here in Baltimore I may build a feature page on a local site about the Preakness. On one widget tab I can show the two Starwood hotels "closest" to the track. On another tab I might show two Starwood properties closest to the downtown waterfront, and a third tab might show two of the same brand next to the airport. A portion of that widget can display an "availability" form and a phone number. That should be a winning combination - but first, the phone tracking has to "pay."