More news, can't believe no one else put it up here earlier today.
Leisureplanet Enters Into Agreement With
Lexington-r- Services, Largest US Hotel
Representation Company
-- 3,000 Lexington Properties Added to Leisureplanet's Pictorial
Database, Increasing the Number of Contracted Hotels to More Than 15,000 --
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 8, 1999-- Leisureplanet, a Internet-based travel services provider, today
announced the signing of an agreement with Lexington® Services to add all hotels represented by Lexington to the
Leisureplanet online pictorial hotel database.
Lexington is the largest provider of global hotel reservations services in the United States and the second largest in the
world. The transaction adds nearly 3,000 hotels to Leisureplanet's and gives the company a substantial foothold in the US
hotel market. Under the agreement, each Lexington member hotel will be published on the Leisureplanet Web site and,
therefore, available for online booking through the site (www.leisureplanet.com) and all Leisureplanet shop fronts, including
the Leisureplanet international portals on Yahoo! in France and Germany, Lycos throughout Europe and InfoSpace.
The addition of Lexington's hotels brings the total number of hotels with pictorial availability and on-line booking capabilities
through Leisureplanet to over 15,000, giving visitors to any of the Leisureplanet shop fronts a vast range of hotel choice
worldwide. Visitors will have access to detailed information about each Lexington hotel, as well as pictures of the property
to help them make their online hotel bookings.
''We are delighted to welcome Lexington Services to the Leisureplanet's international hotel database,'' said Pierre
Kleinhans, Leisureplanet's Chief Executive Officer. ''This agreement further endorses Leisureplanet's position as the
preferred option for independent hotels and their representation companies to gain premium quality distribution of their hotel
information on the Internet. The number of hotels that have chosen Leisureplanet as their Internet distribution gateway is
unrivalled by any other Internet travel services company. We regard the contractual relationships with our independent hotel
partners as a key asset that differentiates us from most online and traditional travel service companies. Our business model
calls for building on this asset base to create further value for the hotels, Leisureplanet and our shareholders.''
''Our commitment to our hotel members is to provide high-quality customer service, marketing and reservation distribution
on a global basis,'' said Zolon A. Wilkins III, Lexington's Chief Operating Officer. ''This agreement with Leisureplanet,
whose strength is Internet distribution and marketing, fits perfectly within that strategy.''
About Lexington:
Lexington Services, a subsidiary of The Travel Company (NASDAQ: TRVL - news) provides reservation services for
3,000 independent hotels, resorts, inns, suites and chains with over 390,000 rooms in more than 60 countries. Lexington's
central reservations office, located in Irving/Las Colinas, Texas, is connected to all major Global Distribution Systems and
the world's leading Internet Sites. Accessible by travel agents under the access code LM in the GDSs as well as by home
and business computers via the Internet (through TravelWeb, Microsoft Expedia and now, Leisureplanet). Lexington's
proprietary in-house reservations system was designed, developed and is maintained by Lexington Services. Lexington has
development representatives located in Dallas, Geneva, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Rome, and Sydney.
More information about Lexington Services is available at www.lexres.com
About Leisureplanet:
Leisureplanet is the leading European-based on-line travel services company, providing travel booking and customer
services to major international portals including Yahoo!, Lycos and InfoSpace. The service features the world's largest
image-rich hotel database; low-cost flight, car and hotel reservation facilities; package holidays and cruises, plus
comprehensive proprietary travel guides on more than 180 travel destinations. Leisureplanet is committed to achieving
leadership in global travel e-commerce through offering tailored services in European and international markets. Operations
include a multi-lingual 24-hour call center and e-mail customer support facilities, two electronic publishing units, an
information system and Web site development unit, a hotel recruitment center and an international travel agency partner
network.
Leisureplanet offers choice, competitive price and customer service. The company has localised Web sites supported by
local customer service agents throughout Europe and other international markets. Each local Web site provides a
comprehensive selection of competitively priced travel products for local consumers, presented in local language.
Leisureplanet is 81%-owned by Leisureplanet Holdings, Ltd. (NASDAQ: LPHL - news), a publicly traded investment
company whose holdings also include businesses in various industries, including value-added convenience foods and leisure
products.
The statements which are not historical facts contained in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve
certain risks and uncertainties including but not limited to risks associated with the uncertainty of future financial results,
additional financing requirements, development of new products, regulatory approval processes, the impact of competitive
products or pricing, unpredictability of patent protection, technological changes, the effect of economic conditions and other
uncertainties detailed in the companies' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. |
