Agoda
Agoda is an internet company which provides online hotel reservations services for properties focused primarily in the Asia Pacific Region[1], with offices in Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Phuket, Bali, Sydney, Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, and Manila.
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[edit] History
The company was created by founder Michael Kenny in the late 1990’s under the name PlanetHoliday.com. The initial concept was to use the burgeoning power of search engines to fill a perceived void of hotel and travel information. PlanetHoliday was one of the first hotel reservation websites in an industry which has subsequently grown into a multi-billion dollar business.
Kenny, originally from Long Island, New York, migrated to Thailand in the early 90’s and set up the website with a small operation on the island of Phuket.[2] In 2002, operations moved from Phuket to Bangkok and in 2003 PrecisionReservations.com was added as a partner website designed to sell reservations through affiliate websites. Later in 2005 PlanetHoliday.com and PrecisionReservations.com were combined under Agoda Company Pte. Ltd.
[edit] Acquisition
In November 2007 Agoda Company was acquired by Priceline.com (NASDAQ: PCLN) becoming their third international acquisition.[3] It now has approximately 600 employees and offers users search availability services in 37 languages including Chinese (Traditional & Simplified), English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and Thai, among others.
[edit] Awards
Agoda has won the Best accommodation site category in the Travelmole Web Awards Asia 2008.[4]
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ "Priceline acquires Asian online hotel reservation service Agoda". http://www.domain-b.com/industry/Tourism/20071112_acquires.html. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
- ^ "Michael Kenny ’89 Heads Travel Company in Thailand". http://www.lafayette.edu/news.php/view/11385. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
- ^ "Agoda acquisition by Priceline". Reuters. 2007-11-08. http://www.reuters.com/article/inPlayBriefing/idUSIN20071108160105PCLN20071108. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
- ^ "Travelmole 2008 Web Awards". http://www.travelmole.com/webawards_asia2008.php. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
