AMSTERDAM, Feb. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- From apartments, boats and castles to treehouses, villas and yurts, the type of accommodation listed on Booking.com today is more diverse than ever
Today Booking.com, the world leader in booking accommodation online and part of The Priceline Group (Nasdaq: PCLN), announces the addition of its 600,000th property http://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/la-croix-farmhouse.html in Bouteilles-Saint-Sebastien, France. Giving Booking.com customers - be they solo travellers on a budget, couples, families or business travellers - even more variety and choice, this milestone marks Booking.com's increasing diversity of accommodation in locations that span the globe.
On any day, over a million people are enjoying a stay booked on Booking.com. Five years ago, the vast majority of the 100,000 properties listed by Booking.com were hotels. Two years later, in 2012, the number of properties had doubled and in July 2014 it reached 500,000. Today, a stay in one of Booking.com's 600,000 properties could take you to one of 28 different accommodation types in countries across the world including Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Mayotte, where first listings have recently been added.
70% of the accommodations listed on Booking.com now go beyond hotel properties to include vacation rentals such as villas and apartments in major cities as well as more adventurous accommodations such as tree houses, castles and light houses. With choices to suit every type of traveller and catering for today's increasing interest in 'unique' experiences, the traditional hotel stay now sits alongside a growing number of alternatives. When it comes to apartment and villa stays for example, this trend is fuelled by the traveller's desire to have more privacy, including their own kitchen.
"Reaching this milestone is proof of our commitment to ensuring our customers can find and book accommodation that fits their every need and desire, wherever in the world they want to stay," said Gillian Tans, Chief Operating Officer for Booking.com. "By expanding our global footprint, bringing guests to new places and building on our hotel heartland to provide leisure and business travellers with an unrivalled selection of accommodation types - from the traditional to the more unexpected - we're granting them the freedom and flexibility to find the accommodation that best meets their needs."
Tans continues, "As we continue to add to our accommodation inventory and as our world's largest network of more than 42 million verified guest reviews continues to grow we look forward to welcoming many more travellers to explore, find and delight in their perfect accommodation the world over."
About Booking.com:
Booking.com is the world leader in booking hotel and other accommodations online. It guarantees the best prices for any type of property - from small independents to five-star luxury. Guests can access the Booking.com website anytime, anywhere from their desktops, mobile phones and tablet devices, and they don't pay booking fees - ever. The Booking.com website is available in 42 languages, offers over 600,000 hotels and accommodations including more than 200,000 vacation rental properties and covers over 70,000 destinations in more than 200 countries worldwide. It features over 42 million reviews written by guests after their stay, and attracts online visitors from both leisure and business markets around the globe. With over 17 years of experience and a team of over 8,300 dedicated employees in 150+ offices worldwide, Booking.com operates its own in-house customer service team, which is available 24/7 to assist guests in their native languages and ensure an exceptional customer experience.
Established in 1996, Booking.com B.V. owns and operates Booking.com™, and is part of The Priceline Group (NASDAQ: PCLN). Follow us on Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest, like us on Facebook, or learn more at http://www.booking.com.
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