2_0_DiscoverGermany_Issue30_September2015:Scan Magazine 1
28/8/15
10:25
Page 82
Discover Germany | Special Theme | Smart Start - Ups
Hotelcard Luxurious, chic or family friendly hotels for 50 per cent less Booking a hotel room for half the price? That sounds far too good to be actually true. But it is possible with the Hotelcard offering a 50 per cent discount with more than 530 hotels in German-speaking parts of Europe such as Switzerland, Austria, Italy and Germany.
Main image: Villa principe Above: Hotel Wetterhorn (top) Bergbach (middle) Portrait: Beatrix - a happy Hotelcard user
TEXT: JESSICA HOLZHAUSEN | PHOTOS: PRESS IMAGES
A romantic five-star hotel in the middle of the Swiss Alps or a chic design hotel in Locarno or Bern can both be found when booking with Hotelcard, paying only half as much as normal customers do. While some might choose a luxurious golf or spa hotel others might prefer a family run and reasonably priced bed and breakfast. Tourists or business travellers can book them directly at www.hotelcard.com using their previously ordered half-fare card to gain discount on the prize.
There is no minimum stay or any obligation to book additional services or to consume food or drinks. Since the hotels offer rooms for half the price on about 75 per cent of the days, there is always a suitable hotel available, advertises the provider Hotelcard AG. And what is best: Hotelcard guarantees booking to the best available price. If the normal price is cheaper on any other booking platform when choosing the same room and the same date, the Hotelcard price is adjusted accordingly.
A Hotelcard subscription for one year costs 95 CHF, a sum that might amortise with one or two stays in an outstanding hotel. The card can be used as often as the customer wishes, there is no upper limit. When booking a double room only one of the residents needs to be a Hotelcard holder.
The Hotelcard AG was founded six years ago and is based in Wettingen and Thun, Switzerland. The idea was not only to create the first half-fare card for hotels but also to support hotel businesses in Switzerland and other German-speaking regions in Europe. Both sides profit: Hotels will be
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enabled to make use of their room capacities and gain a higher occupancy rate while guests get a better price. A Company Hotelcard is also available. Contrary to the personal half-fare card, this one is transferable, so different employees can use them. Every Company Hotelcard comes with a free additional card and costs 199 CHF. www.hotelcard.com/discover