Hotelworld is one of the leading independent hotel and travel reservation businesses in the UK. We have specialized in providing clients with late availability accommodation -everything from budget to five star hotels - throughout the UK and Europe for nearly 40 years From our nationwide network of retail booking desks we also offer an extensive range of ancillary travel services including air, rail, coach and ferry tickets, car hire, travel insurance, short breaks, holidays and sightseeing tours. In addition Hotelworld provides a number of associated services including:

• Hotel and travel consultancy
• Outsourcing call centers for hotel and travel companies
• Multi-channel distribution
• Hotel brochure fulfillment
• Hotel and travel marketing

History of Hotelworld

1967 - Our Leisure retail operations began, when, known as Concordia, we provided inbound tourists and individual travelers with an accommodation service via airline booking systems and 'walk-up' Concordia sales desks at railway stations and airports. The company was a pioneer of the technology revolution, developing new reservations systems in the early 1980's and providing automation for Thomas Cook Travel Management's corporate hotel reservations service from 1986.

1992 - We became known as 'Hotel & Travel Reservations' and adopting the identity of the world's oldest travel agent, became Thomas Cook's first UK Worldwide Network member. At this point we became the UK's leading provider of late availability accommodation with each desk providing travelers with a full range of options - from guesthouses, B&B's and youth hostels to five-star hotels.

Desks also provided travel services including air, rail, coach and ferry tickets, car hire, mobile phone rental, Interflora, travel insurance, short breaks, sightseeing tours, theatre, concert and sporting event tickets. Hotel & Travel reservations ceased trading as Thomas Cook and re-brands to 'First Option Leisure Breaks'.

With hotel sales desks open for up to sixteen hours a day throughout the year we provided a unique distribution channel for hotels with unsold capacity or last minute availability - to sell rooms which would otherwise have remained empty. Reservations were made in person, by phone, fax or e-mail. Around 90% of bookings were for same-day arrival at attractive standby rates.

2004 - Hotel and Travel Reservations Ltd was purchased by Europoint Holdings Ltd. with the company maintaining its relationship with Last Minute Network Ltd. and continuing to trade under the 'lastminute.com' brand.

2006 - In September 2006 the company set up its own dedicated Call Centre providing clients with a specialist accommodation booking service. Providing all types of accommodation - from budget to 5 star deluxe - anywhere throughout the UK and Europe. In addition we also provide an extensive range of travel booking services. 2007 - Just 3 years after selling out to Lastminute.com, palm bought back the retail division and is back in the industry limelight with a series of announcements.

The launch of his new venture Hotelworld sees the team, who built First Option into the UK's 3rd largest hotel booking agency in less than 10 years, poised to return to the business sector. Hotelworld will offer a range of corporate accommodation sourcing, reservations & management services including a self-booking tool and public web site www.hotelworldplus.com. Currently Hotelworld has its sights on an international level.