Groups360 launches direct booking solution for group room blocks with Hilton

Nashville, Tenn.--(Antara/Business Wire)- Groups360 and Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announced the launch of GroupSync Engage, the hospitality industry’s first integrated direct booking solution for group room blocks, across the majority of the Hilton portfolio. Incorporated into Hilton’s central reservation system, GroupSync, which will begin rolling out globally this month, will provide event planners with the ability to view real-time availability and book guest room blocks for small groups at 5,000 hotels within Hilton’s global portfolio.

“This integrated booking solution is resolving a long-standing frustration among event planners — the inability to see at-a-glance whether a hotel has the guest room capacity to accommodate their group. By expanding direct online booking for small group room blocks to nearly all of our properties around the world, we are creating a more seamless and reliable group booking experience for everyone,” said Oral Muir, vice president, Global Distribution, Hilton. “At Hilton, we’ve always been in the business of people serving people, creating innovative solutions with strategic partners to advance the overall experience to meet the evolving needs of our customers.”

Hotel companies that deploy GroupSync Engage offer a breakthrough instant booking solution for meeting and event planners to book guest rooms and event space at their properties. By giving group organizers a view into real-time inventory availability and group room rates, GroupSync simplifies the experience for approximately two-thirds of the RFPs seeking basic information for event planning purposes. GroupSync Engage also provides planners with the opportunity to book guest rooms, event space - or both - securely online.

“GroupSync Engage is reshaping the hospitality industry in a way that makes booking small groups simple, transparent and efficient for both hotels and event planners,” said Kemp Gallineau, CEO, Groups360. “Our company exists to empower event planners with integrated supplier technology that simplifies group bookings. We are pleased to partner with Hilton as an industry leader in the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions space.”

Planners can book Hilton room blocks directly in GroupSync or evaluate availability prior to sending an RFP for guest rooms and event space.

Thanks to rapid adoption of the recently launched GroupSync Engage technology, Groups360 anticipates that approximately 20,000 of the nearly 200,000 properties in GroupSync will be equipped to offer online group booking by the end of 2021, while all 200,000 properties can receive electronic RFPs through GroupSync.

Groups360 was created with a singular goal — to empower meeting planners by bringing innovation, transparency and simplicity to the decades-old problem of booking groups. The company’s integrated technology solution, GroupSync™, enables suppliers to distribute inventory, engage with planners, and optimize group revenue. GroupSync also equips planners to search and shop hotels worldwide and to book rooms and space directly, online or through a simplified RFP process. GroupSync is the first distribution channel to offer online booking for both group hotel rooms and meeting space.

Groups360 has offices in Nashville, London and Singapore. Learn more at groups360.com.

Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 18 world-class brands comprising more than 6,500 properties and more than one million rooms, in 119 countries and territories. Dedicated to fulfilling its founding vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality, Hilton has welcomed more than 3 billion guests in its more than 100-year history, earned a top spot on the 2020 World’s Best Workplaces list, and was named the 2020 Global Industry Leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices. In 2020, Hilton CleanStay was introduced, bringing an industry-defining standard of cleanliness and disinfection to hotels worldwide. Through the award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors, the more than 115 million members who book directly with Hilton can earn Points for hotel stays and experiences money can’t buy. With the free Hilton Honors mobile app, guests can book their stay, select their room, check in, unlock their door with a Digital Key and check out, all from their smartphone. Visit newsroom.hilton.com for more information, and connect with Hilton on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

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Hal Hassall, VP Marketing

Groups360

Hal.hassall@groups360.com

Colleen Hart

Director, Enterprise Communications

Hilton

Colleen.hart@hilton.com