Portugal’s largest international tourism and leisure group and the 25th largest in Europe, Pestana Hotel Group, has completed a global rollout of SiteMinder’s online distribution platform across the majority of its properties. The enterprise rollout sees SiteMinder’s Channel Manager integrated with OPERA, the hotel management system for 65 of Pestana’s properties located in Europe, Africa and North America.

João Machado, the executive committee member for IT & Business Intelligence at Pestana, says the group-wide implementation of SiteMinder’s technology will provide the data and efficiencies needed to support the group’s growth in international markets.

“Pestana’s growth strategy is focused on diversifying outside of its established markets, into the United States and further into Europe, with hotels that can meet both corporate and leisure demand. This diversification in feeder markets will allow us to expand more effectively across the world’s top travel destinations, and the global reach provided by SiteMinder is fundamental to supporting that growth.

“The Pestana properties already live with the integration are reporting very positive results, and we ourselves can see that through the enterprise features of SiteMinder’s Channel Manager. This is a major competitive advantage; having full transparency over the revenue and reservations coming through to our business, and where they are coming from, so we can adapt in an informed way.”

With its growing portfolio of more than 11,000 rooms, Pestana Hotel Group today generates over €400 million in annual revenue and is the only Portugal-headquartered hotel group to feature in HOTELS’s Corporate 300 list. Each year, Pestana attracts more than three million travellers to its four and five-star hotels in 14 countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Venezuela, Portugal, Germany, the UK, Cape Verde, Morocco, Mozambique, Spain, São Tomé and Príncipe, South Africa and the USA. Its collection of hotels is underway to grow to 100 properties in 16 countries within the next two years.

“We are pleased to have Pestana join SiteMinder’s fast-growing travel network. Pestana is a thriving, respected brand the world over, with a clear desire to diversify its online presence beyond traditional channels and into newer distribution verticals. We are delighted to be able to provide these, and to support Pestana through our local teams in Europe and the United States,” says Filipa Campos, director of enterprise – EMEA at SiteMinder.