SiteMinder partnership showcases authentic Italian experiences for travellers

The global hotel industry's leading cloud platform, SiteMinder, has partnered with one of Italy's longest-standing hotel booking providers and consultancies, Charming Italy, to provide travellers "a truly authentic Italian experience".

Beginning in 1974 as a tour operator in Sardinia before launching a collection of regional hotel booking websites – CharmingSardinia.com, CharmingPuglia.com, CharmingCampania.com, CharmingSicily.com and CharmingTuscany.com – and finally CharmingItaly.com in 2010, Charming Italy today showcases the country's most luxurious hotels as bases for creating unforgettable local experiences.

"Many travellers today are quite savvy, so they already have a preconceived notion of what is 'standard' and standard, to them, isn't okay anymore. They are looking for something more personal and tailored. If they come to Italy, they want to live like an Italian. They want to experience something authentically and that's what Charming Italy offers. Where previously the hotel was the destination, itself, hotels are now simply an important starting point for many travellers," says Gianluca Atzeri, General Manager of Charming Italy.

Among those hotels is Locanda Gulfi in Sicily's countryside, which has been listed on Charming Italy for many years.

Locanda Gulfi's managing director, Carmelo Floridia, says, "The integration between SiteMinder and Charming Hotel has definitely made our lives easier. Not only has it saved us significant costs and time; it has optimised our booking and inventory management process to enable more bookings."

Charming Italy features a curated list of nearly 500 boutique and luxury hotels that are 'Made in Italy' and personify Italian hospitality. Each property is selected for its uniqueness as well as its proximity to the country's best food and wine, design, traditions, fashion and lifestyle.

According to Italy's national tourism agency, Enit, Italy is the most desired tourism destination in the world. Its tourism industry is worth more than €70 billion to represent over four percent of the country's GDP. The country was also recently named the most Instagrammed country of all time, with more than 50 million posts.

"SiteMinder is pleased to partner with Charming Italy, an esteemed brand for hoteliers and travellers alike, and a wonderful advocate for true Italian hospitality," says Simona Melone, Country Manager – Italy at SiteMinder.

About SiteMinder

As the leading cloud platform for hotels, SiteMinder allows hotels to attract, reach and convert guests across the globe. We serve hotels of all sizes with award-winning solutions for independents and groups alike, wherever they are in the world.

SiteMinder's products include The Channel Manager, the industry's leading online distribution platform; TheBookingButton, a wholly-branded booking engine for direct bookings via the web, mobile or social; Canvas, the intelligent website creator for independent hoteliers; Prophet, the real-time market intelligence solution that takes the guesswork out of pricing rooms; and GDS by SiteMinder, a single-point of entry to a six-figure network of travel agents and the world's major global distribution systems. With more than 27,000 hotel customers and 550 of the industry's top connectivity providers as our partners, today we have presence in more than 160 countries on six continents.

For more information, visit www.siteminder.com.

About Charming Italy

Users of Charming Italy don't settle for common tips; they look for travel professionals and experts of the Italian hospitality. The Atzeri Family, active in the travel industry since 1975, selects only the best of the 'Made in Italy' hospitality. They constantly search for exclusive accommodations, where charm does not necessary means opulence. The accommodations are chosen for two reasons: they represent a true piece of Italy, and they give travellers the keys to enter and to discover it first-hand.

For more information, visit www.charmingitaly.com.

Property Technology Travel Technology Online Travel Agencies (OTA) Partnerships, Mergers & Acquisitions