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| The following are the last Press Releases : | |
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| The MINOTEL Chain on the Upswing |
All of the hotel group’s activities henceforth controlled by the
Lausanne based head office – web-site sales boosted by leading-edge
technology – launching of new products – the international hotel
network emphasizing quality – upcoming change of management at the
Purchasing Office.
The association’s good results were recently approved in Aarau by a
satisfied Minotel General Assembly. The takeover of Minotel
International by Minotel Suisse having weighed on the 2005
financial year, business definitely returned back to normal with
increased performance throughout the chain’s different divisions.
Brand image, hotel network, reservation system and Internet server
are henceforth controlled by the Lausanne based head office.
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Booming Internet Reservations
The company web-site www.minotel.com that was also
acquired from Minotel International is thriving in line with a
spectacular growth rate of electronic portals (virtual tour
operators). The most important internet wholesalers welcomed
Minotel on board. This can be seen as a result of the group’s ever
more performing technology and web server both of which prevailed
in strict, international tests. At the Minotel head office, based
in Chemin Renou in Lausanne, a staff of 5 out of 23 is dedicated
full-time to the electronic distributors.
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Launching New Products
A new bargain price that applies to the family segment, namely to
the constellation one adult / one child (under 12), is announced
for 1 January 2008. The new price is part of a strategy related to
the chain’s motto „moderate first-class hotels“.
Launching the Electronic Minotel-Voucher, is another example of the
group’s innovation capacity. This voucher includes the same
services as does the paper version, i.e. accommodation, breakfast,
taxes and service. The big difference is that one single Electronic
Minotel-Voucher, regardless of the number of booked nights, may
also include the reservation of one, two or three room types
(single, double or triple).
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| Reservation Boost for the First Half Year
The strong increase in room reservations ending 30 June 2007
primarily reflects an overall prosperous economic situation as well
as the company’s important electronic assets. Minotel reservations
are up 15.2% on the first half year 2006 and up 45.3% compared to
2005. As to Switzerland, the group so far booked an average 414
rooms per hotel in 2007. This figure increases when factoring in
the reservations received directly by the hotels.
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| A Network Undergoing Major Changes
Minotel is committed in improving its performance per hotel. Over
the years, the group put greater emphasis on the quality of its
hotel network rather than settling for a mere expansion strategy.
The Swiss chain, which has a capacity of 60 hotels, is now ready to
reinforce its offer. The international network counts worldwide 250
hotels in 30 countries. The group’s 2008 hotel guide will feature
25 new addresses in Germany as well as new hotels in Quebec,
Cameroon, Tokyo and in the very heart of Canton (China).
Furthermore, Minotel has secured an important agreement with
Booking.com, the biggest room supplier in the world (30'000 hotels,
8'000 destinations).
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| Purchasing Office : Pleasing Results and a Change of Management
Some 300 members are affiliated to the Minotel Purchasing Office,
also based in Lausanne. In 2006, they realized a turnover of 47
million Swiss Franks, a 0.8 million Swiss Franks more than during
the previous year. With the Purchasing Office’s current director,
Claude Marty, retiring, Roger Zimet will take over from 1 August
2007 on.
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Legend of the above picture : Training of the Tour Operator
Collyer’s / Pacific Arena reservation team (Singapore).
Press contact :
MINOTEL
Chemin Renou 2
CH - 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
Tel. +41 (0)21 310 0 800
Fax +41 (0)21 323 59 38
Pierre Goy or Marielle Goy
info@minotel.com
Lausanne, 11 July 2007
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A leading European Hotel Chain
MINOTEL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM |
Lausanne-based Minotel, a voluntary grouping of several hundred
independent moderate first-class hotels around the world, is
seeking to expand its network in North America. One of the main
attractions for new members is its exclusive Minotel Distribution
System (MDS), which provides an automatic link to all hotel portals
and other global distribution systems (Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre,
Worldspan). Minotel is the only hotel chain in the world offering
such a system which provides each electronic partner every day with
the hotel’s full room allotment. It costs only $ 150 per month to
be a Minotel member and gain access to the MDS. Minotel’s own
highly efficient web site reaches 150 tour operators, 1,890 travel
agencies and several thousand privileged and preferred customers.
Since the launching of the chain in Switzerland and the rest of
Europe more 25 years ago, Minotel has continually adapted its
marketing and promotion practices to the demands of the market and
of its varied clientele which includes business men, vacationers
and travelers in transit.
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But there is one constant in this equation: Minotel’s dynamic
policy of offering the best quality as well as being the best in
the market ! This policy is based on lodging vouchers of $ 60 on
average per person including accommodation (double occupancy), a
plentiful and typically local breakfast, taxes and service charges.
All this means that today, more than ever, from Paris to Shanghai
and from Stockholm to Peking, guests can find hospitable family-
owned and run hotels applying a set price and a duly structured yet
warm welcome.
Over the years, Minotel has improved its productivity by putting
greater emphasis on quality and by centralizing the administrative
control of its members at its headquarters in the western-Swiss
city of Lausanne. At the end of November this year, reservations
for 2007 were up by 63% over the same period in 2006 and by 110%
over 2005.
Benny B. Epstein
Toll free 1-800 365 3346
Tel. + 1 954 964 54 90
E-mail benny@minotel.com
Lausanne, 21 November 2006
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| Full Steam ahead for MINOTEL in 2006 |
Good first-quarter results for 2006 confirm that the purchase of
Minotel International by Minotel Suisse at the beginning of 2005
has had a positive effect by creating a more compact structure with
improved performance. Pierre Goy, the president of Minotel, says
that the move has overcome problems raised by the integration of
foreign hotel groups. “Healthy synergies have developed,” he
says, “particularly on the promotional and reservations levels and
have replaced previous uncontrollable and even insolvable
problems.” Mr. Goy says that the structural changes resulted in a
cutback in staff at Minotel headquarters in Lausanne to 25 from 35.
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New hotels in Beijing and elsewhere
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| | At the end of March, Minotel had 322 hotels around the world, 72 of
them in Switzerland. These figures will increase this year with new
hotels being added both in Switzerland and abroad. These are
independent establishments, unaffiliated with chains, and are the
first fruits since the restructuring of the group internationally.
Among them is a four-star, 400-room hotel in Beijing with the only
outdoor pool in the city. Other establishments in China to carry
the Minotel insignia will be in Shanghai, Canton, Macao and Hong
Kong. Contacts have already been made with independent hotels in
the United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Bahrain, Jeddah and Istanbul.
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| Recovery of the tourist industry
The chain thrives on its ability to sell in the tourist market. In
2005, Minotel recorded an increase in reservations which continued
strongly in the first quarter of 2006 with an increase of 43.3%,
especially on its Internet site. This increase has come in spite of
the reduction in the number of hotels and a related drop in the
number of rooms to 12,000, including 3,000 in Switzerland. The
positive showing of Minotel is reflected on the hotel level since
the average number of reservations per hotel in comparison to 2004
has tripled in Switzerland and almost quadrupled abroad. *
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A shift in sales over the past 10 years
In 1995, almost 100% of Minotel sales were made through tour
operators. Today, these represent only about half with 25% coming
from the public and another 25% from electronic distributors.
However the chain continues to work in the tour operator sector,
notably overseas. This can be seen in the hiring of a
representative in China who is responsible both for sales in the
travel sector and the search for hotels to flesh out the Minotel
network. Another sales representative works part-time in the
Japanese market.
The growth in the number of electronic distributors is an important
factor which has not escaped the attention of Minotel management:
Marielle Goy, the managing director at Minotel says, “We are in a
position to rationalise operations and to ensure the efficacy of
cooperation with these valued intermediaries by virtue of our being
the sole representative for all our hotels.” Marielle Goy adds, “So
the quality of the maintenance of the offer in this respect is a
considerable argument for us.” The chain also enjoys a high
standing in the networks of several major distributors such as HRS
Hotel Reservation Service (180,000 hotels), Bookings (10,000
hotels) owned by Priceline, and TransHotel (30,500 hotels).
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Possible lower membership fees
The smooth and controlled development of the chain and the strong
increase in reservations has encouraged management to look into the
possibility of reducing membership fees by 10%. The idea will be
proposed at the annual Minotel General Assembly 9 May in Interlaken.
* Absolute figures not given for reasons of competition
Legend of the above pictures :
1) First hotel of the Minotel group in Asia, the Minotel Sino-
Swiss - very nice 4-star property - has the only outdoor pool in
Beijing. More information on
www.minotel.com/cn101.
2) On request, the Minotel AlaGare serves a copious Chinese
breakfast buffet in its lovely "Swiss Chalet" dining room (from 6
persons). More information on
www.minotel.com/ch144.
MINOTEL
Chemin Renou 2
CH - 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
Tel. +41 (0)21 310 0 800
Fax +41 (0)21 323 59 38
Pierre Goy ou Marielle Goy
info@minotel.com
Lausanne, 9 May 2006
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| MINOTEL Launches International Franchising System |
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The Minotel hotel chain is going into franchising with a view to
raising its profile by expanding its network outside Europe. The
goal: 2,500 establishments around the world in the next 10 years.
Minotel was created in 2004 through the fusion of Minotel Suisse
and its international consortium.
The Minotel group was established in 1983 as a voluntary
collaboration with the philosophy of bringing together independent
establishments to become «the chain of all chains». Since that
time, Minotel has worked with 25 hotel groups in around 30
countries in Europe with a maximum of 700 member hotels. For
various reasons depending on their location, certain hotel groups
had only a short lifespan while others remained dependent on
internal preferential systems which could not be influenced from
outside. This prompted headquarters in Lausanne with its founder
Pierre Goy to concentrate exclusively on the single «Minotel»
trademark. Since 2004, the Swiss office has handled the promotion
of establishments which now number around 500 in Europe, of which
about 100 are in Switzerland where the chain has overcome the
effects of an economic and tourist downturn.
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2,500 hotels around the World with a Swiss Label ?
Now, Minotel plans to develop its network outside Europe, where,
despite a good customer base in the United States and Asia in
particular, its presence has been more symbolic. Its expansion
plans are based on franchising. The chain sees a potential sale of
between 15 and 20 national licences in North, Central and South
America, Russia, the Middle East, North Africa, India, China, Japan
and Australia. The licences would be sold to hotel groups
integrated into the chain, but completely autonomous on the
national level.
«The desired development would have a Swiss label and in the next
10 years Minotel is counting on around 2,500 hotels around the
world, 500 of them in Europe and 100 in Switzerland,» says Mr. Goy.
Among the advantages of the franchise system, Mr. Goy cites a
common web site offering first-class leasing conditions and high
efficiency, a proven and well-known international brand name, an
undeniably good reputation as a chain «which is working well» and
whose economic heart is the Purchasing Office in Switzerland with
more than 300 members. The Minotel licence will enable future
partners to participate in the continuing growth of the chain and
to increase their exposure on several Internet search engines.
Press contact :
MINOTEL
Chemin Renou 2
CH - 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
Tel. +41 (0)21 310 0 800
Fax +41 (0)21 323 59 38
Pierre Goy or Marielle Goy
info@minotel.com
Lausanne, 11 October 2005
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Switzerland, Builder of an International Group
MINOTEL ANNOUNCES AN IMPORTANT EVOLUTION |
Minotel Suisse and Minotel International will merge into one single organization called MINOTEL from 1st January 2005 on. The necessary decisions were taken by the members of the two old companies and the new one on 9th December during a triple general assembly being held at the Museum of Transport in Lucerne (Switzerland). In a 2nd step and not before 1st January 2007, the non-profit making organization MINOTEL, could be transformed into a share company. The association’s head office remains in Lausanne (Switzerland) from where the worldwide hotel group is managed by Marielle Goy and her team of 25 employees.
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An Ever More Dynamic Brand
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| | The brand’s name originates in Switzerland where the two companies were founded in 1980. The recently published hotel guide 2005 for Switzerland features the hundred moderate first class hotels represented by the voluntary chain Minotel Suisse in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, whereas the hotel consortium Minotel International united around 700 members in 30 countries. The new structure put in place allows to take over the activities of both organizations. Pierre Goy, founder of MINOTEL who will be presiding the new association and its six board members in 2005 and 2006, explains that the joined forces will allow for new synergies as well as a rationalized and simplified work process while maintaining a top quality service level. MINOTEL’s activities include the joint promotion of all member hotels, online reservations and sales as well as a very competitive purchasing office for Switzerland.
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Direct Web Sales
The multiplication of reservations and direct sales via the website
MINOTEL profoundly influenced the company’s strategy which used to
be essentially based on tour operator sales and has become more and
more orientated towards the needs of an individual clientele. As a
result, the presence of the Swiss properties on the web increased
considerably. The phenomenon is amplified by the fact that 62 Swiss
Minoteliers joined the distribution program through the GDS (Global
Distribution Systems). Reconline, a Swiss company based in Zermatt,
is in charge of this operation.
The geographic development and the international situation in the
aftermath of 2001 might have slowed the expansion of the MINOTEL
network a bit down; it should nevertheless be able to count on 1250
hotels (of which 200 outside of Europe) within the next ten years.
Thanks to the reservation boost via the website, the future
couldn’t be brighter for MINOTEL as reveals a more than promising
reservation forecast for 2005.
Legend of the above picture :
These 10 persons form the essential part of the chain’s managing
team:
From left to right :
Claudia Gallotti, Michel Lasserre, Gabriel Taugwalder, Lilian
Perriard, Marielle Goy, Claude Marty, Pierre Goy, Christine Favre,
Chantal Mermod.
Absent on the picture : Giancarlo Torriani.
Press contact :
MINOTEL
Chemin Renou 2
CH - 1005 Lausanne, Suisse
Tel. +41 (0)21 310 0 800
Fax +41 (0)21 323 59 38
Pierre Goy or Marielle Goy
info@minotel.com
Lausanne, 9th December 2004
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| Internet Award and Spectacularly Rising Bookings |
Travel & Tourism Web Award is the name of the trophy which Minotel International, with presently 700 hotel members, carried proudly home to its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. This first prize in the category "Hotels and Accommodation" was presented during the annual congress of the tourism industry "Enter 2001" with its venue in Montreal, Canada. This specific award acknowledges innovative efforts focusing on online information, online services and online transactions in the electronic tourism marketplace. This worldwide competition is divided in eight business categories among which is listed "Hotels and Accommodation". The contest is open to any company or association active in tourism which generates business with an interactive site on the Internet.
Below:
Pierre Goy, Marielle Goy and Herbert Esser receiving the Enter Award 2001.
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| | An international jury of prominent members from the tourism and
travel industries and academia as well as members of the WTO (World
Tourism Organization) and the WTTC (World Travel and Tourism
Council) evaluated the entries competing in the eight categories,
selected the finalists and ranked the winners in each category. The
evaluation of each entered site was done by appraising its general
aspect, content, accessibility, marketing value, transactional
process and most important, the technical performance.
The already nominated president for 2002 of Minotel International,
Herbert Esser, owner of the Minotel Esser in Cologne, considers the
award as the result of the efforts invested to perfect the
organization’s Internet site. To quote him: "Marketing and sales
without additional reliance on the Internet belong to the past. Our
bookings via Internet increase with each passing year — and that in
considerable numbers".
For example, on the international level Minotel International
listed in the first half of 2001 an increase of 230% of bookings by
independent travelers. Also tour operators utilize the Internet
services. For the same period, an increase of 20% was noted, which
amounts to the fact that worldwide almost 100'000 bookings were
done via Internet. Mr. Esser comments: “We are proud of this
result, which not only justifies the effort and expenses invested
in the continuous updating of our site, but virtually demands it.
The success of our approach demonstrates that we are on the right
road and that is underlined by the Award we received in Montreal
and the rapidly rising numbers of bookings".
Press Contact:
Minotel Deutschland
Georg Glas
Konrad-Adenauer Str. 14
DE - 85221 Dachau
Tel +49 (0)8131 338 380
Fax +49 (0)8131 338 38 38
Georg.Glas@minotel.de
Munich/Germany, September 2001
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| Minotel Penetrates the Great Wall of China |
During the collective "Switzerland Travel Experience" trip by
Switzerland Tourism, Minotel was the only hotel chain among the
organizations who, in March, travelled to five Chinese towns:
Hong Kong, Guangzhou (formerly Canton), Chengdu (the country's most populous state), Shanghai and Beijing.
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The Swiss delegation of some twenty people was made up mainly of
managers of tourist offices and transport organizations. "Representing our 114 establishments in Switzerland and some 700 for Minotel Europe, we are seeking to sell our basic product in this type of emerging market. It's the Minotel-Voucher, exclusively bed and breakfast," explained Marielle Goy, the manager of Minotel Suisse.
Interesting contacts with Chinese journalists and tour operators were made; it should be stressed in this respect that in China, the mechanisms of marketing tourism (technologies of dealing with reservations, methods of payment etc.) are quite different from those practised here... Nevertheless, certain tour operators sometimes come to Europe, just as they can have (screened) access to the Internet.
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Switzerland has an excellent image
Chinese people are very upbeat and well connected, particularly in the cities. It is worth pointing out that there are at least 7'000 cyber cafes in Shanghai alone ! Marielle Goy, who was on her second trip to China, notes that Switzerland enjoys a very positive image there: "The urban Chinese, who are environmentally conscious, are astounded by the air and water quality, the beauty of nature and the landscapes of our country".
Of course, the Chinese authorities only authorize travel to the West for professional or quite specific reasons (such as parents visiting their children studying here). However, many Chinese people travel for business reasons, "joint ventures" agreed with European companies, diplomatic trips, company visits; in this regard, one can simply suggest them some activities connected to technical tourism (visiting a chocolate factory or a watchmaking company, for example) to give the trip a professional dimension. On the other hand, thanks to their special status, the residents of Hong Kong don't need a visa to travel to Switzerland. Furthermore, many professionals (artists, chefs etc.) can nowadays more easily leave their country.
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This campaign targeted at a selection of travel agents and journalists with the aim of raising awareness of Switzerland as a destination involved the same programme in each town: a presentation of tourism in Switzerland by Switzerland Tourism (which has an office in Beijing), introducing each Swiss participant in Chinese, a question and answer
session and a Chinese buffet !
In 2000, Minotel Suisse, which has edited a brochure in Chinese,
recorded a total of 3'000 overnight stays from China, Hong Kong and
Taiwan, compared to 100'000 overnight stays by Chinese guests in
Switzerland, an increase of 20% over the previous year.
Head Office:
Minotel Suisse
Chemin Renou 2
CH - 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
Contacts: Pierre Goy or Marielle Goy
solutions@minotel.ch
Lausanne/Switzerland, 8 June 2001
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| Minotel International: Positive Development by Innovative Marketing |
The Minotel International hotel consortium, with its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, reported for the past year significant increases in turnover for its member hotels throughout Europe.
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The average occupancy rate for the total of 27,300 available rooms of the 700 Minotels in 30 countries rose from 67% in 1999 to 69%. This, coupled with moderate average price increases, proved that the Minotel concept is on the right track to continued success. Summed up, this international cooperation of privately owned, comfortable hotels achieved a turnover of some 800 million euro, which means for the single hotel an average turnover of 1.150 million euro. A workforce of 13,650 employees, i.e. 19.5 per hotel, made the guests feel at home.
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Numerous innovative marketing initiatives contributed to attract
tourist groups, business travellers and other individual guests to
book their rooms at Minotel hotels. This trend was enhanced by
improving business conditions in Europe and the comparatively low
European currency rates for guests from other continents.
According to reliable estimates, the generally increasing tourist
and business travel activities will benefit Minotel International
also in the current year.
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The Internet website www.minotel.com represents the visual evidence how professionally some 700 independent hotel owners display the unique characteristics of their continually modernized hotels and services. The attractiveness of the offers is enhanced by their individuality which, to the benefit of the hotel owner and his guests, is contained within the framework of the name of Minotel and its associated partnership and cooperation concept. This joint marketing effort is strengthened by special actions on the national and international level.
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Important parts of these promotional activities are regional gastronomic programmes, special offers for bus tours and travel groups, a steady-customer programme for Austria, Germany, and Italy, or bicycle and motorcycle trips.
The recently introduced Stay for 3 - Pay for 2, programme offers the guest in some 100 hotels attractive reductions after a sojourn of three consecutive nights and more in the same hotel.
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Individual guests as well as contract partners can plan their travel online by booking via the Minotel-Voucher programme. The Minotel-Voucher is a method to pay hotel bills which is well liked and consequently highly successful. The vouchers are sold for reasonable prices. In particular for trips abroad, they greatly facilitate travel planning. During the past year a considerable 40% of the total bookings were done with vouchers. In 2000 it was used equally by contract partners from Asia, South America and the USA as well as individual guests worldwide. The trend to use the voucher programme is on the upswing.
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The resulting options offered by Minotel guides, participation in fairs and Internet allow the national hotel owner to present the attractive features of his hotel globally and to generate simultaneously bookings via the World Wide Web or the Global Reservation Systems.
All Minotels are present in the Minotel Internet system and rooms can be booked instantly via the Minotel-web pages. A further benefit for the guest travelling through several countries is the customary referal from Minotel to Minotel which for many years has already become a matter of course.
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Marketing Activities:
- European guide in six languages
- Internal online reservation system
- Internet presentation and online booking
- Association to GDS
- Minotel-Voucher system
- Contracts with worldwide tour operators and agencies
- Cooperation with other associations on a national and internatioal basis
- Contracts with credit card companies
- Contracts with car rental agencies
- Advertising and PR
- Allotment of rooms at each hotel
Detailed information about each single hotel of the cooperation in 30 countries is found in the Internet under www.minotel.com and in the Europe guide 2001.
Munich, Germany, February 2001
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