Agoda
Encyclopedia
Agoda is an internet company which provides online hotel reservations
services for properties focused primarily in the Asia Pacific Region, with offices in Singapore
, Bangkok
, Hong Kong
, Kuala Lumpur
, Phuket, Bali
, Sydney
, Tokyo
, Seoul
, Beijing
, Shanghai
, and Manila
.
and travel information. PlanetHoliday was one of the first hotel reservation websites in an industry which has subsequently grown into a multi-billion dollar business.
Kenny, originally from Long Island, New York
, migrated to Thailand
in the early 90’s and set up the website with a small operation on the island of Phuket.
In 2002, operations moved from Phuket
to Bangkok and in 2003 PrecisionReservations.com was added as a partner website designed to sell reservations through affiliate websites. Later in 2005 PlanetHoliday.com and PrecisionReservations.com were combined under Agoda Company Pte. Ltd.
(NASDAQ: PCLN) becoming their third international acquisition. It now has approximately 450 employees and offers users search availability services in 32 languages including Chinese, English, French, Spanish, Japanese and Thai, among others.
Online hotel reservations
Online hotel reservations are becoming a very popular method for booking hotel rooms. Travelers can book rooms from home by using online security to protect their privacy and financial information and by using several online travel agents to compare prices and facilities at different hotels.Prior...
services for properties focused primarily in the Asia Pacific Region, with offices in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Phuket, Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, and Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
.
History
The company was created by founder Michael Kenny in the late 1990’s under the name PlanetHoliday.com. The initial concept was to use the burgeoning power of search engines to fill a perceived void of hotelHotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
and travel information. PlanetHoliday was one of the first hotel reservation websites in an industry which has subsequently grown into a multi-billion dollar business.
Kenny, originally from Long Island, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, migrated to Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
in the early 90’s and set up the website with a small operation on the island of Phuket.
In 2002, operations moved from Phuket
Phuket City
Phuket is a city located in the southeast of Phuket Island, Thailand. It is the capital of the Phuket Province, covering all of the island. As of 2007 the city has a population of 75,573 people...
to Bangkok and in 2003 PrecisionReservations.com was added as a partner website designed to sell reservations through affiliate websites. Later in 2005 PlanetHoliday.com and PrecisionReservations.com were combined under Agoda Company Pte. Ltd.
Acquisition
In November 2007 Agoda Company was acquired by Priceline.comPriceline.com
Priceline.com is a company and a commercial website that helps users obtain discount rates for travel-related purchases such as airline tickets and hotel stays. The company is not a direct supplier of these services; instead it facilitates the provision of travel services by its suppliers to its...
(NASDAQ: PCLN) becoming their third international acquisition. It now has approximately 450 employees and offers users search availability services in 32 languages including Chinese, English, French, Spanish, Japanese and Thai, among others.