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Hotels.com

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Hotels.com, L.P.
FormerlyHotel Reservations Network
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryHotel booking service
Founded1991; 35 years ago (1991) in Dallas, Texas, U.S.
FounderDavid Litman
Robert Diener
Headquarters
Seattle, Washington
,
U.S.
Key people
Hari Nair (General Manager)
ParentExpedia Group
Websitehotels.com

Hotels.com, L.P.[1] is a global website for booking hotel rooms and is owned by Expedia Group. The company has 85 websites in 34 languages, and lists over 325,000 hotels in approximately 19,000 locations. Its inventory includes hotels and B&Bs, and some condos and other types of commercial lodging. Hotels.com was established in 1991 as the Hotel Reservations Network (HRN) and in 2002 changed its name to Hotels.com.

History

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Old logo of Hotels.com used from 2002 to 2008
Hotels.com RusLine CRJ100 logojet at Pulkovo Airport (2017)

Hotels.com was established in 1991 by David Litman and Robert Diener as the Hotel Reservations Network (HRN), providing hotel booking via a toll-free phone number in the United States.[2] In 2001, the company was acquired by USA Networks Inc (USAI) which also acquired a controlling interest in Expedia, an online travel booking company.

After buying the domain name for approximately US$11 million,[3] HRN changed its name in 2002 to Hotels.com and launched the offline brand 1-800-2-Hotels as well as allowing hotel bookings on line. There followed a period of rapid international expansion with 29 sites added over the next two years. In 2003, USAI was renamed InterActiveCorp (IAC). In 2005 IAC separated its travel business under the name Expedia Inc. Hotels.com then became an operating company of Expedia Inc.[4]

In 2006, Hotels.com experienced a data breach when a laptop containing personal information of approximately 243,000 customers was stolen. The compromised data included names, addresses, and credit card information. There was no evidence of fraudulent activity.[5] In 2007, the company was found in violation of California's Unruh Civil Rights Act in a lawsuit regarding accessibility for customers with mobility disabilities.[6]

In 2011, the site launched an iPad application and updated its mobile phone product on iPhone and Android.[7]

On December 1, 2016, Hotels.com took over Venere.com (another Expedia owned company).[8]

In 2019, it was reported that the Hotels.com mobile app used session-replay technology from Israeli firm Glassbox, which recorded user activity and sent data to Expedia servers without explicit user consent.[9][10]

Loyalty program

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The first loyalty program for Hotels.com was called "Hotels.com Rewards" and rolled out across multiple countries from 2008 to 2011.[11] In 2023, Expedia Group launched One Key, a loyalty program for Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo, allowing members to earn OneKeyCash redeemable across the three brands.[12]

Hotels.com also offers member-only discounts for customers enrolled in the membership program, as well as price alerts and "VIP Access" properties offering additional rewards.[13][14]

Publications

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Unpack report

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The company releases an annual 'Unpack' report is a travel trend guide based on data from Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo, as well as global research.[15][16]

Hotel Price Index

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Starting in 2004, the site has published a review of international hotel room price trends called the Hotels.com Hotel Price Index. It is based on the prices paid per room by its customers using a weighted average based on the number of rooms sold in each of the markets in which it operates.[17] Information includes notable price changes and comparisons between destinations, hotel types, and other price-related analyses.[18] The Hotel Price Index is published both digitally and in print, and is aimed at journalists, the media, and hoteliers as part of its public relations.[citation needed]

Advertising

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Ed Helms voiced the character "Smart" in Hotels.com advertisements.[19] In 2012, the character was changed from clay animation to CGI.[20] The company's advertising slogan was originally "Smart. So Smart"[21] before being changed to "Be Smart. Book Smart".[22]

In 2014, Smart was eventually replaced by "Captain Obvious" who is portrayed by actor Brandon Moynihan. Captain Obvious makes self-evident comments with the aim of communicating that Hotels.com is the obvious choice.[23] The campaign was devised by the ad firm Crispin Porter + Bogusky.[24] Moynihan said in an interview "Hotels.com has a great self awareness and they're not afraid to push the envelope with the crazy stuff I get to do as Captain Obvious".[25] Notable advertisements include one where he runs for president,[26] a La La Land inspired ad[27] and an ad where Captain Obvious meets his future self.[28] In 2018, Captain Obvious featured in Channel 4's ad blocking campaign.[29] In 2019, Captain Obvious appeared as a DJ in an episode of Four Weddings and a Funeral.[30]

Starting in the 2018-19 season, Hotels.com became the official global sponsor of UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup along with Expedia.[31] In December 2020, it signed a partnership with the National Basketball Association, and it was named as the Official Travel Partner of the NBA.[32] In 2023, it became a multi-year sponsor of Arsenal's men's and women's teams.[33]

A new mascot, an anthropomorphic bell named Bellboy, was introduced in 2025. Billed as the first 'spokesbell', he promotes savings and tools on Hotel.com's app.[34]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Hotels.com, L.P." OpenCorporates. June 14, 2001. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  2. ^ "Cornell University". David S. Litman ’82 and Robert B. Diener ’82. Cornell Law School. Retrieved December 16, 2011.
  3. ^ "I bought Hotels.com name for $11m". BBC News. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  4. ^ "Hotels.com Backgrounder". Hotels.com. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  5. ^ "Hotels.com Data Breach". Wired. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
  6. ^ "Class Action". Case Summary. Lawyers & Settlements. Retrieved December 16, 2011.
  7. ^ Warman, Matt (December 15, 2011). "Hotels.com app review". London: The Telegraph. Retrieved December 16, 2011.
  8. ^ "Expedia Buying European Hotels Site Venere - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. July 15, 2008. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  9. ^ Whittaker, Zack (February 6, 2019). "Many popular iPhone apps secretly record your screen without asking". TechCrunch. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  10. ^ Clover, Juli. "Some Popular iPhone Apps Secretly Record Your Screen for Analytics Purposes". MacRumors. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  11. ^ "Hotels.com Rewards". Hotels.com. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  12. ^ Chang, Rachel (July 18, 2023). "You Can Win $60K to Spend on Travel Thanks to Expedia's New Rewards Program — Here's How". Travel + Leisure. ISSN 0041-2007. Retrieved December 20, 2025.
  13. ^ Schrodt, Paul (October 19, 2017). "7 Tips for Getting Better Hotel Rooms for Cheap". Money. ISSN 0149-4953. Websites like Hotels.com, Priceline.com, and Kayak allow you to sign up for alerts when prices on hotels drop... If you sign up for Hotels.com's membership program, you get access to Secret Prices for hotel rooms, which offer steep discounts. Basically, these are rooms that hotels are trying to fill during slower times. The listings, which aren't publicly searchable, are then offered to the site's regular users for cheap.
  14. ^ Dhanjal, Oojal (June 9, 2025). "How to find the best luxury hotel deals". MoneyWeek. Future plc. One way to do this is by staying at Hotels.com's VIP Access properties. It's a collection of some of the best hotels on the website, and you can enjoy exclusive perks and earn extra rewards from staying in one of them.
  15. ^ Kis, Eva (January 22, 2024). "The Travel Trends You Need to Know for 2024". Adweek. Shamrock Holdings. ISSN 0199-2864.
  16. ^ Silverman, Anna (October 30, 2024). "From Gen Z All-Inclusives To Chasing An Eclipse, How On Trend Are Your Holiday Plans?". Grazia. Reworld Media. ISSN 1120-5113.
  17. ^ "Hotel Price Index: Review of Global Prices, first half 2011". Hotel Price Index. Hotels.com. Archived from the original on December 23, 2011. Retrieved December 16, 2011.
  18. ^ "Hotels.com Hotel Price Index (HPI) Highlights Rising Hotel Prices in Emerging Destinations for American Travelers". Press Release. Market Watch. Retrieved December 16, 2011.
  19. ^ "Ed Helms Hotel.com ads". Officetally. June 11, 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  20. ^ "Hotels.com Gets a Makeover". Mom Central. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  21. ^ "Hotels.com (Maybe Not So) Smart". Brandaide. October 23, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  22. ^ "Hotels.com close to booking agency for social media brief". Prweek. February 6, 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  23. ^ Goldstein, Ian (May 31, 2021). "Who Plays Captain Obvious In The Hotels.com Commercials?". Looper. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  24. ^ Gianatasio, David (February 27, 2014). "Hotels.com Recruits Captain Obvious, but Is One Gag Enough for a Campaign?". AdFreak. Adweek.com. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  25. ^ McEvoy, Sophie (June 4, 2021). "Why Hotels.com's Captain Obvious Looks So Familiar". The List. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  26. ^ "Captain Obvious runs for president". Fox Business on YouTube. March 11, 2016. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  27. ^ Stuart, Rebecca (May 13, 2017). "Ad of the Day: Hotels.com mascot Captain Obvious stars in La La Land-style musical". The Drum. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  28. ^ Taylor, Heather (November 17, 2020). "Here's What Happens When Captain Obvious Meets Future Captain Obvious". Pop Icon. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  29. ^ Tan, Emily (March 7, 2018). "Hotels.com's Captain Obvious to 'block' ads on All 4". Campaign. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  30. ^ "HOTELS.COM: A FREE HONEYMOON? THERE'S JUST ONE LITTLE CONDITION". The Stable. August 16, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  31. ^ "Expedia Group To Become Official UEFA Champions League Sponsor". PR Newswire. August 15, 2018.
  32. ^ Official Release. "Hotels.com® named Official Travel Partner of the NBA". NBA Communications. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  33. ^ "Arsenal announce multi-year partnership with Hotels.com". 90min. October 11, 2023.
  34. ^ "Hotels.com returns to mascot-focused marketing with Bellboy character | Hotel Dive". www.marketingdive.com. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
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