Hotels, Resorts, Casinos and Spa/Wellness Programs

?   Accor Hotels – A global hospitality leader based in France, Accor boast 10 brands from which every type of traveler can find an accommodation option that fits their taste and budget: Sofitel Hotels for the upscale traveler; Pullmon, Novotel, Adagio and Mecure (each has properties in the upscale and midscale traveler segments); Ibis, AllSeasons for economy minded travelers; and Motel 6, Etap and Formule! brands for those on a low budget.
Accor has some 3,982 hotels in its portfolio, representing 478,975 available nightly rooms, so there’s lots of inventory for affiliates to sell. For details about their generous travel affiliate program, see Accor’s website.

?   Best Western Hotels – The largest hotel chain in the world in terms of number of properties flagged with the same brand (more than 4,000 independently owned hotels in 80 countries carry the Best Western moniker), this hotel chain offers hotel properties generally targeted at the budget – economy traveler segment (though they also have a few upscale properties in their collection as well).  Check the Best Western website for complete details of their affiliate program.

?   Choice Hotels – Similar to Best Western in that Choice Hotels focuses on the budget / economy / midscale hotel segments, Choice Hotels differs in that its franchised hotels operate not under just one brand, but 11 different brands: Cambria Suites, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Sleep Inn, Clarion, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn, and its arguably best known brand, Quality Inns.

You can join Choice Hotels’ travel affiliate program here.

?   Epoque Hotels – During the last 5-10 years, there has been a huge surge in the development of what’s been called ‘boutique hotels’, and everyone from the large chains like Marriott and Starwood to individual (though generally well-heeld) investors, have built some very impressive and snazzy boutique properties around the world.  Epoque Hotels represents perhaps one of the finest collections of these one-off boutiques; here’s how they describe their value proposition on their website:

“If you are looking for a perfect getaway, look no further. With boutique, hip and cutting edge hotels, you’re sure to find something that pleases. Inside these pages you’ll find charming, quiet hotels; romantic getaways; the perfect wedding destination; a truly unforgettable honeymoon idea; ancient castles; fantastic beach resorts, stunning city center and downtown boutique hotels; and hotels located in the perfect powder ski resort. We have a passion for hotels with style.

Dream vacations come in all styles and durations. Stay in one of our boutique, luxury hotels and discover what others already know: smaller, more personal hotels offer bigger, more exciting vacations. You will find that when a hotel knows, really knows, who you are, you never want to travel any other way. Packages designed just for you become the norm – how will you ever stay at another huge, impersonal hotel that could be in any city in the world.”

A couple of other features in their affiliate program caught Travel Dividend’s eye, and we believe both are worth highlighting in our overview:

“XML Connection – Available Soon

Do you have a travel related website and you have some programming knowledge. Sign in to our affiliate program through XML. This will allow you to sell our hotels as if it where yours. You will get updated information and a lot of flexibility. We offer a $15 commission on each reservation arrived to the hotel.  This form of agreement needs a separate contract where we can be flexible on the terms, conditions and the commission structure on an individual basis.”

White Labeled Booking Engine

You do not have a lot of programming knowledge but you are interested in selling our hotels as if they were in our site? Take advantage of our fully labelable booking engine. We can match the colors of your website (and even load your logo in the system) in such a manner that clients will think that they are booking through your site. This not only enhances your website’s image but also improves conversion rates.
This form of agreement needs a separate contract where we can be flexible on the terms, conditions and the commission structure on an individual basis.”

Pretty nifty stuff, eh? We think any one of these three propositions alone would merit our readers’ attention and interest…If you sell to the upscale traveler segment, then Epoque Hotels could be a real winner for you…view their travel affiliate program here.

?   Hilton Hotels Corporation – Arguably one of the best known hotel brands with worldwide cachet, Hilton Hotels has an extensive array of hotels located in the top business and tourist destinations around the world.  Among its more than 500 hotels can be found marquee properties like the Cavalieri Hilton in Rome (one of our favorite hotels any where in the world), and the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island of Hawaii (it was the first resort hotel in the world to feature ‘swimming with the dolphins’), Hilton Hotels remains a top choice for discerning business and leisure travelers the world over.

To sign-up for the affiliate programs for any of Hilton’s seven brandsConrad Hotels, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels,  Hampton Inn and Hampton Inns & Suites, Hilton Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood by Hilton click here.

?   Hotetur Hotels – If you are a US-based travel affiliate, you’re unlikely to recognize this hotel company, but most of your European colleagues are quite familiar with this hotel and resort chain. Hotetur Hotels and its sister company,  BlueBay Resorts, are part of the Marsans Group, one of the top 2 travel/tourism holding companies in Spain.

Besides Spain, their resorts can be found in many of the top leisure destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico, Europe and Africa. To find out if Hotetur and BlueRay Resorts would make a good travel partner for you, check out their affiliate page at Affiliate Future, Hotetur’s preferred affiliate network.

? Global Hyatt Corporation – Another lodging firm with a stellar reputation and strong brand, Hyatt has long been a leader in the upscale and luxury travel segment. Operating some 365 hotels and resorts in 45 countries on 5 continents under the Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Resorts, Grand Hyatt, Park Hyatt, Hyatt Place, Hyatt Summerfield Suites and Andaz brands, discriminating travelers choose Hyatt properties because of their consistent quality, something that few chains of similar (or smaller) size can also claim.

Global Hyatt Corporation is also offers Hyatt Vacation Ownership and Hyatt Vacation Club, a vacation club/timeshare program Hyatt offers at many of its hotels and resorts worldwide.

For full details about their travel affiliate program, visit Hyatt Hotels.

?   Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG) – Another umbrella hospitality company with seven well known brands under its belt – Intercontinental Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inns, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Express, Indigo Hotels, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites IHG’s hotel portfolio includes an impressive 4,150 hotels located in more than 100 countries. In aggregate, IHG offers more than 620,000 available daily rooms, which, according to IHG, effectively translated into more than 160 million hotels stays in 2008!

Those are some pretty impressive numbers, as are those in IHG’s travel affiliate program. Check them out!

?   Marriott – One thing that stands out about Marriott is that though they are not the largest chain or franchisor in the hospitality industry, they certainly seem to be everywhere.  Maybe it’s because they seek to balance their portfolio with properties in business, commercial and meeting & convention markets, as well as top resorts in destinations around the world.  In that respect, they have done a very good job, as today, the 13 Marriott brands have a portfolio of more than 3,100 lodging properties (hotels, resorts, timeshare and executive stay apartments) located in 65 countries and territories around the world.

A big proponent of affiliate marketing, Marriott Lodging offers the following hotel and resort brands in their travel affiliate program:

Marriott Hotels & Resorts; JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts; Renaissance Hotels & Resorts; Courtyard by Marriott; Residence Inn by Marriott; Fairfield Inn by Marriott; Marriott Conference Centers; TownePlace Suites by Marriott; SpringHill Suites by Marriott.

In addition, they also operate and offer affiliates the opportunity to sell the Marriott Vacation Club, a major player in the timeshare industry; and Marriott ExecuStay, a corporate housing solution for  business executives and travelers who need temporary, fully furnished accommodations for periods of a month or longer.

You can tap into the complete Marriott travel affiliate program here.

?   Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc – A global hotel company based out of the UK, under the banners of its 3 hotel brands – Millennium Hotels, Copthorne Hotels and Kingsgate Hotels and Resorts, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels manages and/or operates more than 120 hotels in 19 countries around the world.

Each brand is positioned to attract a specific traveler segment:

Millennium Hotels and Grand Millennium Hotels are 4 and 5 deluxe properties located “in premier locations in major international gateway cities or prominent business locations around the world.”

Copthorne Hotels play in the mid-scale arena, and are also located “in major regional business centres or resort locations in the UK, Germany, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore.”

Kingsgate Hotels is “New Zealand’s largest leisure hotel group with properties in all major cities and across both islands.”

You can read all about Millennium’s travel affiliate program at Affiliate Future, their preferred affiliate network of choice.

?   RIU Hotels & Resorts – One of the top European hotel chains, RIU has won many industry accolades over the years for its terrific at-property customer service. Today RIU offers more 100 3-5 star hotels nestled in the top vacation destinations in Spain, Portugal, the Caribbean, Africa and the eastern Mediterranean. With more than 35,000 total nightly rooms available daily, RIU serves more 2 million customers annually.

If you are not familiar with this little gem of a hotel company, we suggest you check out their affiliate program at Affiliate Future.

?   Sandals Resorts – When it comes to all inclusive resort hotels, Sandals has mastered both the critical product features and their delivery.  Here’s a sampling of what’s included with the Sandals travel experience:

– Luxurious accommodations
– All meals, anytime snacks and fine dining
– Scuba diving (if certified)
– Sailing, water skiing, snorkeling & more
– Land sports
– Golf in Jamaica and St. Lucia
– Airport transfers
– Tips & gratuities
– Hotel Taxes

Sandals offers a collection of 12  resorts on Jamaica, Antigua, St. Lucia and the Bahamas, and each is a romantic vacation for couples who “want to get away from it all and to just be with each other.”

Although Sandals is focused only on adults (no kids allowed), their sister company, Beaches Resorts, is very much family and kid friendly, and offers great all-inclusive packages at 4 resorts in the Caribbean.

For Sandals travel affiliate program, click here
For Beaches Resorts offering, visit here.

?   Starwood Hotels – Another of the large hotel umbrella brands, Starwood has a portfolio of brands and properties that are the envy of many in the hospitality industry.  Here are the brands in Starwood’s portfolio and Starwood’s description of what the brand’s target audience:

St. Regis: … “luxury full-service hotels, resorts and residences…for connoisseurs who desire the finest expressions of luxury.”
The Luxury Collection:a group of unique hotels and resorts offering exceptional service to an elite clientele.”
W Hotels: …”luxury and upscale full service hotels, retreats and residences…that feature world class design, world class restaurants and “on trend” bars and lounges and its signature Whatever\Whenever® service standard.  It’s a sensory multiplex that not only indulges the senses, it delivers an emotional experience.”
Westin: …”luxury and upscale full-service hotels, resorts and residences…a lifestyle brand competing in the upper upscale sector in nearly 30 countries around the globe.”
Le Méridien: …”luxury and upscale full-service hotels, resorts and residences… a European-inspired brand with a French accent.”
Sheraton: …”luxury and upscale full-service hotels, resorts and residences… our largest brand serving the needs of luxury and upscale business and leisure travelers worldwide.”
Four Points: …”select-service hotels…delights the self-sufficient traveler with a new kind of comfort, approachable style and spirited, can-do service – all at the honest value our guests deserve.”
Aloft: …”select-service hotels…a brand introduced in 2005 with the first hotel opened in 2008, provides new heights, an oasis where you least expect it, a spirited neighborhood outpost, a haven at the side of the road. Bringing a cozy harmony of modern elements to the classic American on-the-road tradition…”
Element: …”extended stay hotels)…a brand introduced in 2006 with the first hotel opened in 2008, provides a modern, upscale and intuitively designed hotel experience that allows guests to live well and feel in control.”

Get the picture?  Starwood, like Marriott, has segmented the hotel market, and has attempted to put together a product that suits everybody’s taste and budget.

Interestingly enough, unlike most of their competitors which offer a one-time affiliate sign-up that gives affiliates access to all of the brands in the Company’s portfolio, Starwood requires affiliates to execute an affiliate agreements with each subsidiary chain.

Here are the individual chain affiliate program home pages:

Westin Hotels, Four Points, Le Méridien, Sheraton, W Hotels.  As best as we can determine, the remaining brands have yet to offer a travel affiliate program, or affiliates may be able to sell these chains through the Westin or Sheraton travel affiliate programs.

?   Thistle Hotels Thistle is one of the UK’s leading hotel companies, with 32 hotels located largely in business and commercial centers in cities throughout the country, including nine properties in central London. If you have considerable traffic to the UK, Thistle’s program may be a good addition to your current offering.

Click here for Thistle’s travel affiliate program.

?   Wyndham Hotel Group – Another brand behemoth, Wyndham boasts 12 brands –  Wyndham, Ramada, Days Inn, Super 8, Wingate by Wyndham, Baymont Inn & Suites, Microtel Inns and Suites, Hawthorn Suites, Howard Johnson, Travelodge, Knights Inn and AmeriHost Inn.

This collection of upscale to budget hotels number about 7,000 properties, with an aggregate room count of nearly 583,000 available on a daily basis. Operating in some 67 countries on six continents, you are unlikely not to find a Wyndham property in most business and resort destination worldwide.

For more information about Wyndham Hotels and its various hotel brands, visit here.

Casino Hotel Programs

?   MGM Mirage – As one of the world’s largest gaming, hospitality and entertainment companies, MGM Mirage owns and operates sixteen properties located in Nevada, Mississippi and Michigan, and has joint ventures in four other properties located in Nevada, New Jersey, Illinois and Macau, China.

Among its Las Vegas holdings are some of the most prestigious casinos and hotels; these include: The Bellagio Hotel/Casino, The Mirage, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, the MGM Grand Las Vegas, the Monte Carlo Hotel/Casino, the New York-New York Hotel/Casino, Excalibur and Circus Circus.

This list is augmented with other casino and resort properties like the MGM Grand at Foxwoods, a joint venture with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, who are principal owners of the Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Connecticut, and the MGM Grand Macau, Macau, China, another JV project with Chinese magnate Pansy Ho Chio-king, to name just two.

When it comes to casino hotel affiliate programs, MGM Mirage is the undisputed industry heavyweight.  Click here for more information on MGM Mirage’s travel affiliate program.

?   Wynn ResortsWynn Las Vegas’ travel affiliate program is one of the more generous programs we’ve come across in the lodging / hospitality space, paying up to 10% commission on the sale of hotel rooms and suites for both Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Casinos, the sale of entertainment show tickets at either property, and soon to be offered gift certificates and travel packages.

Not bad for starters, right? There is a lot more once you dig into their travel affiliate program. Click here to learn more about Wynn Las Vegas.

Spa and Wellness Programs

?   SpaFinder – The recipient of many awards and accolades, including being named ‘Best Website for Spa Travel’ by Forbes and USA Today, SpaFinder is the world’s largest spa resource and gifting program.  As they state on their website: “We promote well-being experiences through vertical search, magazines/directories, reservation technology and gift programs. We stimulate industry growth by connecting consumers and providers everywhere, everyday.”

Travel Dividends couldn’t agree more; they are the undisputed leader in the Spa niche, and its well worth the time for every travel affiliate to assess if SpaFinder’s affiliate program makes for a good product addition to their travel portfolio. To determine if it’s right for you, check out SpaFinder’s travel affiliate program here.