Vicinity Corp. Lands Another Major Hotelier

SUNNYVALE, CA-Locally based Vicinity Corp. owns the technology of choice for the hospitality market. The provider of an online business locater service is adding yet another major hospitality player to its roster in Europe’s Accor Group, owner of more than 3,400 hotels representing 16 brands in 90 countries.

Consumers visiting any of the family of Accor Web sites will be able to locate the nearest hotel to their destination location. Vicinity already has done the same for Marriott Corp., British Airways, Bass Hotels, Starwood Hotels, Promus Hotel Corp., Hilton, Choice Hotels, Rand McNally, Alamo Rent-A-Car, Sigma (Alitalia group) and fodors.com.

Accor’s director of e-commerce Jean-Christophe Defline says he chose Vicinity for the speed and efficiency of its technology as well as the ability to integrate more capabilities at a later date. Vicinity’s president and CEO Emerick Woods says companies are looking for this service in general because “local marketing has become crucial (now that) consumers are now able to access hospitality providers, as well as merchants and service providers, in their own backyards.”