SideStep continues agreement spree, to partner Hilton International

Extending its recent agreement signing spree, SideStep, Inc. has announced a distribution agreement
with Hilton International.

SideStep will be the first travel search engine with permission to search Hilton International's sites for
rates and availability.

''Hilton International has made a significant investment in its website and online distribution
capabilities. As online travel bookings continue to increase, we are confident that our carefully selected partnerships will enable us to drive growth through this channel,'' said  Jurgen Fischer, president, commercial operations group, Hilton International.

The deal, the first of its kind for the leading hotel group, will enable SideStep's 4.7 million monthly
users to get real-time information on availability and best prices across Hilton International's entire
inventory of more than 400 properties worldwide, as per the information available.

The agreement, which provides a direct link from the SideStep search engine to Hilton International's own site. 

In order to support the new agreement, Hilton International has introduced advanced new
functionality to its website. In the past, when search engines 'scanned' Hilton's website for information,
the activity generated significant levels of traffic which the site was not designed to support. To combat
this issue, Hilton International has launched a new availability engine, which will enable SideStep to
access relevant room and rate information without physically searching the Hilton website and increasing traffic levels. The introduction of the availability engine forms part of a wider programme of website improvements, which will enable Hilton International to better serve both direct customers and its online distribution partners, according to an official statement.

The latest initiative  follows last month's partnership announcement between SideStep and the
Hilton Hotels Corporation. Earlier this month, the company had also signed a multi-faceted marketing
alliance with American Airlines, and an agreement with Marriott International, Inc. signed last month.