agoda.com offers Super Summer Savings for Europe

SINGAPORE (June 22, 2011) – Agoda.com, Asia’s global hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group of Companies. (Nasdaq: PCLN), has teamed up with resort operator Sol Meliá to offer discounted room rates across Europe this summer. 

Sol Meliá is one of the world's largest hospitality chains, with more than 350 hotels in 35 countries, and properties in all major European cities. Agoda.com has secured special hotel rates at selected Sol Meliá properties, offering customers significant summer savings during Europe's peak travel period.

Summer across Europe heralds the festival season, when live concerts transform empty paddocks into mosh pits and historic town squares into theaters. One major event this summer is Berlin's Classic Open Air in the Gendarmenmarkt. This July, the orchestral extravaganza celebrates its twentieth year with a program of German and Italian opera, jazz, and pop, plus fireworks and laser light shows.

In London, more outdoor music awaits with Notting Hill Carnival in August. Filling the streets with music and colorful costumes, this is London's biggest street parade. Also in London: Hampton Court Festival with Bryan Adams, James Blunt and more, plus Hard Rock Calling in Hyde Park with Rod Stewart, Bon Jovi, and The Killers.

Paris, as always, is a must-see summer destination. The warm weather is perfect for cruising down the Seine River, while June ignites the fervor of the Paris summer sales. Athens, too, comes to life in the summer months, especially during the Athens Festival, Greece's biggest celebration of the arts, with music, theater, and culture-filled events.

As far as European destinations go, Spain is literally a hot destination. Summer in Madrid sees the temperature climb, providing the perfect conditions for street-side tapas and cold cervecas. Special summer events in Madrid include the Vallecas Naval Battle – a high-spirited water fight that whips the Vallecas district into a frenzy – and White Night in Madrid when live music, food stalls, theater productions, and public art fill the streets from sunset to dawn.

To celebrate these unforgettable European events this summer, agoda.com customers can book a special rate at the following Sol Meliá properties.

agoda.com European Super Summer – 20%-Off Sale

Meliá Berlin – 4 stars
Central location, riverfront position close to S- and U-Bahn stops. From USD 272 per night.
Agoda.com customer rating: 9.0

Tryp Cibeles Madrid – 4 stars
Historic hotel on the Calle Gran Via. Close to metro, museums and shopping. From USD 131 per night. Agoda.com customer rating: 8.1

Meliá Colbert Boutique Hotel Paris – 4 stars
Chic, historic hotel in the 5th arrondissement, close to the Seine River and the Notre Dame Cathedral. From USD 328 per night. Agoda.com customer rating: 8.2

TRYP Francois Paris – 3 stars
Affordable hotel in the 2nd arrondissement, close to metro and Haussmann Boulevard. From USD 193 per night. Agoda.com customer rating: 8.2

Meliá Vendome Boutique Hotel Paris – 4 stars
Modern hotel close to the Louvre Museum, the Champs Elysees and the Seine River. From USD 359 per night. Agoda.com customer rating: 8.1

Tryp Ambassador Madrid – 4 stars
Stunning historic hotel next to the royal palace and gardens. From USD 145 per night.
Agoda.com customer rating: 6.5. 

Meliá Madrid Princesa – 5 stars
Bright modern city center hotel close to metro and the Parque de la Montana. Rates from USD 182 per night. Agoda.com customer rating: 7.7.

Meliá White House London – 4 stars
Classically-styled hotel adjacent to Regent's Park and tube station. Rates from USD 253 per night. Agoda.com customer rating: 8.3. 
 

agoda.com partners with Cathay Pacific's Cathay Holidays Ltd

SINGAPORE (June 23, 2011) – Agoda.com, Asia’s global hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq: PCLN), today announced a partnership with Cathay Holidays Limited, the travel agency arm of Cathay Pacific Airways through which Cathay Holidays will distribute agoda.com's hotel product.

Cathay Holidays provides inventory to CathayPacific.com and creates tailored package trips that showcase the carrier's key destination cities, including Hong Kong, Japan, Seoul, Beijing and Shanghai. Travelers booking a ticket through the CathayPacific.com website will have access to agoda.com's worldwide instantly-confirmable inventory, with a wide selection of properties on offer throughout the Asian continent and in Cathay Pacific's route hubs.

By partnering with agoda.com, Cathay Holidays will be able to provide up-to-the-minute rates and promotions in more than 100 countries. Coupled with Cathay Pacific's 65 years' of industry experience and coverage of 114 cities, travelers can enjoy great savings in the world's top destinations plus instant confirmation on hotel rooms.

Mr. Wilfred Fan, Managing Director – North Asia at agoda.com commented, "This partnership is a natural fit for both companies. Agoda.com's wide footprint of global hotels overlaps with Cathay’s extensive international routes and both our companies can service customers in many languages. We hope this ongoing partnership will make travelling easier and offer greater opportunities to the millions of international travelers who currently book trips through the Cathay Pacific network.”

Mr. Vincent Li, Managing Director of Cathay Holidays Limited, said, “Cathay Holidays is committed to offering customers a full-service travel experience with great deals and quality service through our network both offline and online. Agoda.com's global coverage, promotions and instant confirmation will help us continue to add value for our loyal customers.”

 
 

agoda.com celebrates concert season in Berlin

SINGAPORE (June 29, 2011) – Agoda.com, Asia’s global hotel booking site and part of the Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq: PCLN), celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Classic Open Air 2011 with a host of great hotel deals.

The Berlin Classic Open Air is a string of classical concerts that takes place every year during summer. Featuring a range of different performances, the program this year runs from July 7 to 12 and includes Italian opera and operetta, German opera, and crossover productions that incorporate pop, rock, soul, and jazz.

The site of the Classic Open Air is Berlin’s majestic Gendarmenmarkt. Built in the 17th century, this former marketplace is home to some of Germany’s most stunning architecture and is rightly regarded as one of the most Europe's most beautiful squares. Among its treasures are the much-photographed twin churches of Franzoesischer Dom (French cathedral) and Deutscher Dom (German cathedral), and the splendid Konzerthaus, which is home to the Berlin Symphony Orchestra.

To celebrate the anniversary, the comedian Herbert Feuerstein – a drop-out of the Mozarteum University of Salzburg – will present a retrospective incorporating 20 of the event's previous performances. Other highlights include a recital of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, plus performances by Argentinean tenor José Cura, and German soprano Barbara Krieger.

Mixing classical music with popular culture, the UK's Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing movie medleys in the Complete James Bond concert. Representing the rock genre, the Scorpions will perform rearrangements of their own hits accompanied by the German Film Orchestra Babelsberg. This cross-genre concert will be followed by a fireworks and lightshow extravaganza.

To celebrate the Berlin Classic Open Air's 20th Anniversary, agoda.com's got great deals for travelers at a range of Berlin hotels.

Agoda.com Berlin Classic Open Air Hotel Deals

Eurostars Berlin 5*
Mitte. Rates from USD 291 per night. Save 10%. Valid until May 29, 2012.

Axel Hotel 4*
Schöneberg. Rates from USD 244 per night. Save 12%. Valid until December 31, 2011.

Berliner Hof 3*
Schöneberg. Rates from USD 108 per night. Book at least  7 days in advance and save 12%. Valid until January 6, 2012.

INNSIDE by Melia Berlin 4*
Friedrichshain. Rates from USD 84 per night. Book at least 3 days in advance and save 20%. Valid until September 11, 2011.

Angleterre Hotel Berlin 4.5*
Kreuzberg. Rates from USD 108 per night. Stay at least 4 nights and save 10%. Valid until December 13, 2011.

Best Western Kanthotel 4*
Charlottenburg, close to U-Bahn. Rates from USD 199 per night. Book now – limited rooms left!

Hotel City Gallery Berlin 3*
Schöneberg. Rates from USD 80 per night. Book now – limited rooms left!

Hotel Pension Arche 2*
Charlottenburg. Rates from 86 per night. Book now – limited rooms available!

andel's Hotel Berlin 4.5*
Prenzlauer Berg. Rates from USD 202 per night. Book at least 14 days in advance and save 10%. Valid until July 18, 2011.

Park Inn Berlin City West 4*
Wilmersdorf. Rates from USD 146 per night. Stay at least 3 nights and save 15%. Valid until May 31, 2012.