GlobalStar and CCRA present new online booking portal

ROCHELLE PARK, New Jersey – GlobalStar Travel Management and CCRA Travel Solutions officially unveiled GlobalStar’s new, branded hotel online booking portal, “HotelStar,” during the Global Business Travel Association Convention 2011, marking the next milestone in the two companies’ business relationship. GlobalStar partners will now benefit from CCRA’s extensive hotel inventory, featuring competitive, real-time rates and availability at over 160,000 hotels worldwide – the most comprehensive inventory of hotel product outside the GDS.

From July 1, 2011, GlobalStar appointed CCRA as their preferred GDS Corporate Hotel Program supplier for its global partner network, as well as for the development of the HotelStar product. CCRA’s Negotiated Hotel Rate Program has already become the preferred GDS hotel program for GlobalStar partners – linking thousands of office locations across the globe to the CCRA negotiated rate in the GDS.

Since that time, CCRA has worked closely with GlobalStar on the development of GlobalStar’s proprietary hotel online booking portal, branded as “HotelStar,” which will provide GlobalStar partners in over 80 countries with access to CCRA’s extensive hotel product including all GDS content.

“CCRA’s combined offering of extensive hotel inventory of real time availability and rates along with their proprietary reservation technology, make them the ideal hotel distribution partner for our global network,” said Steve Hartwell, GlobalStar President, “We are very pleased to introduce our HotelStar booking portal to our GlobalStar partners to compliment the GDS. Our partners now have the ability to choose between five rate categories at an incredible selection of over 160,000 hotels worldwide – as well as the option to book CCRA’s negotiated hotel rates offered through the GDS and direct access to blocked space at over 60,000 hotels through CCRA’s Safety Netâprogram.”

Added Dic Marxen, President and CEO of CCRA: “We are delighted to continue building our relationship with GlobalStar Travel Management, which is a leading player in the global travel arena. One of the reasons that GlobalStar chose to partner with CCRA was the depth of both its technology products and expertise. Year over year, CCRA continues to reinvest in its technology and enjoys sharing the results with its partners. HotelStar, being developed for GlobalStar, is a prime example of this commitment.”

Concluded Mai Meyaart, CCRA Vice President of Hotel Partner Solutions: “CCRA and GlobalStar have both recognized the importance of introducing HotelStar during this year’s GBTA. As the industry moves full-swing into RFP season, hotel chains and management companies, as well as individual hotels, have many distribution and marketing programs to choose from. The CCRA GlobalStar preferred relationship delivers thousands of new agencies from around the world directly to our program partners.”

For attendees of the GBTA Conference: Representatives from each of GlobalStar’s four global regions, as well as senior executives from GlobalStar and CCRA’s corporate offices, will be available to meet with interested parties at the GlobalStar booth 591 during normal exhibition hours.

ABOUT GLOBALSTAR TRAVEL MANAGEMENT

GlobalStar Travel Management is a worldwide travel management company owned and managed by local entrepreneurs. Over 80 market leading enterprises, representing over US$13 billion in sales, combine their local expertise, strength, and commitment to deliver cohesive, multinational solutions through an innovative technology platform. For more information, go to www.globalstartravel.com or email Mr. Mark van Iersel, Executive Director of Marketing and Partner Recruitment at [email protected].

ABOUT CCRA TRAVEL SOLUTIONS

CCRA is a network of integrated travel solutions ideally positioned to meet the challenges of, and to realize the opportunities from, a global travel market.

Based in Ft. Worth, Texas, CCRA Travel Solutions includes: CCRA 24/7 Call Center Solutions, the country’s oldest emergency call center numbering over 50 of the top 100 US travel agencies as clients; CCRA Hotel Partner Solutions with over 32,000 hotels enrolled in the 2011 negotiated rate program; CCRA Travel Agent Solutions representing the travel agent industry to travel suppliers around the globe; CCRA Global Network linking international agencies and suppliers; and CCRAtravel.com, the industries’ premiere hotel booking portal for non-GDS agents with real-time rates and availability at over 160,000 hotels worldwide.

CCRA offers a variety of marketing opportunities to suppliers interested in reaching the professional travel planner. For more information, please contact Mary Wiley at (214)377-9846 or via email at [email protected].