Omni Hotels & Resorts Adds Conferma Payments System to the Lineup

Business travel can be a deeply unpleasant thing, especially to hear the Dilbert strip talk about it. Travel that’s been streamlined and improves the user experience, however, can make a whole lot of difference in the typical traveler’s day. Recently, Omni Hotels and Resorts announced a move that might make some of that difference, thanks to a new arrangement with Conferma for its virtual payment solution.

Now, all properties under the Omni brand umbrella will use the Conferma Connect system for corporate travel payments. Conferma Connect is a system that uses several proprietary tools to find the best means to transmit virtual credit card data, while at the same time making the user-facing process as simple and easy to work with as possible.

It’s convenience and security all in one package, and it allows travel managers to get almost immediate, real-time updates about overall travel spending. It also replaces the previous title-holder for the only Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliant means to transmit virtual credit card data: fax machines. While it was secure enough for PCI, most agreed that it wasn’t particularly convenient or useful for managers.

Omni Hotels and Resorts’ global director of travel industry partnerships Kelly Gagne commented “Our partnership with Conferma, a first of its kind for a North American hotel brand, is important as it provides another layer of security and eases reconciliation for our partner travel management companies and their clients.”

A better customer experience is the first step to success for just about any firm; the easier it is for the customer to get what they want—whether that be a good or service, information about a good or service or satisfaction when a good or service doesn’t live up to standards—the more likely that customer is to come back for more. By taking this approach, Omni has improved the chances that business travelers will head there for their stays, thanks to a more streamlined approach that improves expense management at the corporate level.

That’s good news for business travelers—not so much for regular travelers—but in so doing, Omni has paved the way to be one major player in a significant market niche.