Booking Holdings' 6 Brands, Explained

25.08.2023 - 14:00 / skift.com / Rob Francis

Booking Holdings is one of the largest travel brands in the world, with business in hotels and other, accommodations, flights, holiday price comparison, car rental, travel extras, and restaurant bookings.

With a market cap of $91 billion in mid-March, Booking Holdings is one of the world’s leading online travel providers, generating a staggering $17.1 billion in revenue last year, as well as $3 billion in net income. The group’s gross travel bookings came in at $121.3 billion.

Originally founded as Priceline Inc. in 1998, a steady stream of canny acquisitions, constant expansion within the travel sector, and regular investment in technology has seen the group cement itself at the top of the travel tree.

Glenn D. Fogel, who took over as CEO in 2017, leads the company. He’s also CEO of the group’s flagship brand, Booking.com. During his tenure, Fogel has overseen a period of steady growth and steered the company to an impressive recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Active across 220 countries and territories, we take a look at the six major brands that make up the Booking Holdings empire.

Booking.com

Booking.com Take: “Booking.com seamlessly connects millions of travellers with memorable experiences, a range of transport options and incredible places to stay — from homes to hotels and much more.”

Skift Take: Available in 43 languages with more than 28 million total reported accommodation listings, Booking.com is based in Amsterdam and is the jewel in the Booking Holdings crown. While its accommodation offering is rock solid, Booking.com’s big goal is to offer users more options within the app. Airline ticket bookings continues to be a major area of interest, with more tech investment expected this year. On the topic of technology, Chief Technology Officer Rob Francis recently said that the brand was looking into the use of generative AI, without giving too much detail away — watch this space.

Priceline

Priceline Take: “Priceline provides travelers smart and easy ways to save on hotel rooms, airline tickets, rental cars, vacation packages and cruises.”

Skift Take: Fresh off the launch of its new ad campaign during the Super Bowl pre-game, Connecticut-based Priceline looks set for a big year on the marketing front. The “Get Your Happy Price” campaign stars Kaley Cuoco and is likely to push the brand further into the mainstream. On the business side of things, the brand looks set to continue its push into fresh territory, following other big travel brands into the experiences market.

Agoda

Agoda Take: “Agoda offers a global network of over 2.5 million properties in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, offering travellers easy access to a wide choice of luxury and budget hotels,