Unlock third-party content to elevate your hotel program

When it comes to managing business travel accommodations at your company, it may seem like there's a tug-of-war: Business travelers want choices, and travel managers want savings. When you team up with American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT), both can win.

That's because we offer millions of accommodation choices, many available at deep discounts, in over 180 countries worldwide.¹

One way we've been able to offer travelers such a wide range is by partnering with Expedia and Booking.com. By integrating their content into our booking systems, we bring travelers more options, more value, and more ways to customize their experience. No matter where travelers are heading, they'll find something that suits them.

For travel managers looking to round out their hotel program, content from Egencia and Booking.com can be the perfect complement to your existing lodging options. When you give traveling employees the choices they want, there's no need for them to book their overnight stay anywhere else.

Accommodations options in every corner of the globe - and neighborhood

From midtown Manhattan to Manhattan Beach, from Berlin to Beijing, travelers can find what they're looking for - whether your preferred supplier is there or not. All thanks to Expedia and Booking.com content.

Does one type of traveler prefer traditional business hotels with concierge service and meeting rooms while another favors apartment-style rentals with dedicated workspaces? With our partner content, there's no need to cater to just one style. Whether your employees prefer a budget-friendly hotel with city views, a property in the financial district, or an aparthotel within walking distance of their business meeting, we've got you covered.

Here are some numbers that may impress you. When turning on both Expedia and Booking.com, your travelers can access:

• 2+ million different properties.¹
• Many different accommodation types, including branded hotels (like Hyatt, Marriott, and IHG), apartments, motels, and bed and breakfasts.
• Hundreds of thousands of properties not available in the global distribution systems (GDSs).

That last point is important. Sometimes employees must travel to remote locations where accommodation options are limited. Both Expedia and Booking.com offer properties outside of major areas not serviced by the GDSs, significantly increasing global availability. This content can also be ideal for filling in gaps when there's not enough volume to warrant a client-negotiated rate.

And here's a great hack: Be sure Expedia and Booking.com is turned on in your booking tool during peak demand when everyone is searching for a hotel room in the same city for the same check-in date. On average, third-party content provides availability 10% of the time when it's not shown by the GDS.²

By expanding the variety of accommodations in your company's program, travelers can effortlessly find options they love, which encourages them to book through approved channels. When they do, you have easy access to the data you need for duty of care and reporting, making your job much simpler.

With our partner content, there are so many ways to save

Some travelers mistakenly believe they can find better prices when they go outside the booking tool and search on their own. Here's something they should know: They'll struggle to find a cheaper price elsewhere.

In fact, when you book Expedia and Booking.com content through our channels, you can often get 10%-15% off compared to best available rates.³ Special amenities and perks - such as complimentary breakfast, Wi-Fi, parking, and late checkout - are also included in select content. Plus, some deals can be combined, leading to even greater savings.

There's no minimum volume commitment necessary - your travelers can take advantage of these budget-friendly hotel rates so long as this part content is enabled in your booking tool. So go ahead and turn it on!

Make our partner content work for you

By now, you may be wondering if it's safe from a duty of care perspective for travelers to reserve Expedia and Booking.com content. It is - so long as they do so within the protected environment of the approved channels and not directly on the consumer sites.

Amex GBT makes that possible. Travelers can browse and book Expedia and Booking.com listings across the main booking tools. They can even book options through the Amex GBT Mobile app and our travel counselors.

Travelers can also enjoy flexible payment options, choosing to settle their bills at the time of booking or upon departure. Most properties also offer both refundable and lower-priced nonrefundable rates, giving travelers even more freedom and flexibility.

With all this content, you can customize settings to meet your business needs and employees' preferences so that specific search results appear at the top.

For instance, you can configure content based on:

• Property types (e.g., hotels, apartments, alternative accommodations).
• Hotel chain.
• Payment options (e.g., prepaid vs. after hotel departure).

Additionally, we've set up filters so you can remove options not suitable for business trips to further reduce safety concerns, such as:

• Non-corporate accommodations.
• Risk-averse and US-sanctioned locations.

Travelers will love reading the detailed property descriptions and viewing the high-quality photos on Expedia and Booking.com listings. They can browse high-res photos of guest rooms, the fitness center, business center, and conference rooms to make sure everything meets their standards. With clear information on amenities, they can feel confident they're choosing the property and perks that match their tastes.

And that's when the magic happens. With travelers easily finding the choices they want within approved channels, hotel attachment rates climb and program leakage drops -effortlessly. Travel managers can gain peace of mind knowing the travel program is more effectively managed with one simple step: activating content from these two popular platforms.

Want to find out about how you can bring Expedia and Booking.com options to your travelers? Let's connect.

And if you're an existing Amex GBT client and would like access to Expedia or Booking.com content, reach out to your Amex GBT account manager.

^{1 Amex GBT internal reporting, as of December 2024. Includes properties with rates from third-party partners (e.g., Expedia and Booking.com) that are available to book in our marketplace. Subject to availability. Some property exclusions by customer solution and preference.
2 Data provided by third-party partner, based on comparisons where either the third-party or GDS had availability. Anonymity provided at the request of partner.
3 Data provided by third-party partners, based on the discount versus the public price on at least one room type (the most popular room type) at participating properties. Comparisons where either the third-party or GDS had availability, as of January 2025.}