TTE Preview: World’s third biggest hotel joins SiteMinder

One of the world’s largest hotels aims to expand its web presence by signing with international online distributor SiteMinder.

One of the world’s largest hotels aims to expand its web presence by signing with international online distributor SiteMinder.

The 6,118-room First World Hotel is one of a family of large hotels and resorts in Malaysia which have signed up to expand their online booking presence.

Genting Malaysia, which owns the First World Hotel at the Resorts World Genting in the Malaysian Highlands, is to use SiteMinder to distribute a combined 10,000-room inventory to third party booking websites to generate online bookings and optimise global distribution.

The First World Hotel, with twin 28-storey towers, is ranked as the world’s third largest hotel after Moscow’s 7,500-room Izmailovo Hotel and the 6,582-room MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Located 55km from Kuala Lumpur and drawing 20 million visitors a year, Resorts World Genting boasts five hotels, a casino, 50 theme park rides, 100 restaurants, a shopping centre, stage productions, a convention centre and a 3.4km long cable car.

Other Genting properties using SiteMinder are its two Malaysian resorts – Awana Porto Malai in Langkawi and Awana Kijal Golf, Beach & Spa Resort in Terengganu.

SiteMinder senior business development manager for Asia Kevin Tatem said: “Genting properties in Malaysia will benefit enormously by automating their distribution process with two-way integration to the world’s top booking websites via The SiteMinder channel manager.

“This connection will dramatically reduce the time it takes to update live rates and availability and reduce the risk of overbookings via our unique pooled inventory model, which automatically adjusts Genting’s hotel inventory each time a booking is taken on any online channel.”

Genting Malaysia sales and marketing vice president Rocky Too said: “SiteMinder is a trusted site and with this agreement, we hope our customers will be able to make bookings efficiently and speedily.

“We believe in technology and with SiteMinder having what it takes in online worldwide reservation, we also hope to expand our business on a wider global market.”