NEWTON, Mass., Nov. 5, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TripAdvisor^®, the world's largest travel site*, today announced that 31hotel connectivity providers have already achieved premium certification by offering TripConnect instant booking to independent hotels and B&Bs. Sabre Hospitality Solutions, Innlink, SiteMinder, Freetobook, TourOnline, Cubilis and WebHotelier were among the first to come on board as Premium Partners.

Initial commitment for TripConnect instant booking has been strong, with Premium Partners extending their existing TripConnect certification to allow independent hotels to participate in TripConnect instant booking on the site. This new development builds on the TripAdvisor-wide initiative to introduce instant booking in an effort to make it easier for travelers who want to make a hotel booking without leaving the TripAdvisor site experience.

"It's very encouraging to see the interest and commitment from so many booking engines, central reservation systems and channel managers who recognize the opportunity that TripConnect instant booking presents for hoteliers," said Marc Charron, president, TripAdvisor for Business. "We're helping hotels get more out of their presence on TripAdvisor, where their property pages are optimized in 28 languages and across all platforms to reach a huge international audience of ready-to-book travelers. The connectivity partners also add to the simplicity of TripConnect, allowing hotels to leverage their existing technology providers."

Instant booking on TripAdvisor is currently available for U.S. travelers with a gradual roll out to additional markets expected in the coming months. At the moment, TripConnect instant booking is in beta, with 31 connectivity providers certified as TripConnect Premium Partners, which will make the service available to more than 50,000 independent hotels and bed & breakfasts at launch.

A full list of Premium Partners can be found here: www.tripadvisor.com/connectivitypartners.

What is TripConnect:

TripConnect allows hotels and B&Bs to participate in the Hotel Price Comparison on TripAdvisor, providing their real-time rates and availability via certified connectivity providers.

The new TripConnect instant booking functionality enables travelers to book the hotel of their choice directly on the TripAdvisor site, delivering the reservation to the hotel through their certified connectivity providers, allowing them to establish a relationship with the customer from the outset. Connectivity providers must be certified as Premium Partners by TripAdvisor to provide TripConnect instant booking to independent hotels and B&Bs.

About TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor^® is the world's largest travel site*, enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, reaching 315 million unique monthly visitors**, and more than 190 million reviews and opinions covering more than 4.4 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions. The sites operate in 45 countries worldwide, including China under daodao.com. TripAdvisor also includes TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to millions of monthly TripAdvisor visitors.

TripAdvisor, Inc. (Nasdaq:TRIP) manages and operates websites under 24 other travel media brands: www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.everytrail.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.gateguru.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.independenttraveler.com, www.jetsetter.com, www.lafourchette.com, www.niumba.com, www.onetime.com, www.oyster.com, www.seatguru.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.tingo.com, www.travelpod.com, www.tripbod.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com, www.viator.com, www.virtualtourist.com, and www.kuxun.cn.

 *Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, worldwide, August 2014

 **Source: Google Analytics, average monthly unique users, Q3 2014; does not include traffic to daodao.com

CONTACT: Kevin Carter

         (617) 795-7577

         kcarter@tripadvisor.com