Wotif.com

Last updated

Wotif
Type Public
Industry Hotel reservation service
FoundedMarch 2003
Founder Graeme Wood
Headquarters Brisbane, Australia
Key people
Daniel Finch (CEO)
Parent Expedia
Website www.wotif.com

Wotif is a website that provides a reservation service for hotels in Australia and international destinations across the globe. It was set up in March 2000 by Graeme Wood in Brisbane, Australia. It has since established offices in Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom. [1] Wotif.com was listed on the Australian Stock Exchange on 2 June 2006, but unlisted when it was acquired by Expedia. [2]

Contents

Wotif provides information for the coming three months. Originally details were provided seven days in advance, expanded to 14 days in February 2001, to 28 in September 2005 (around the time it first sought a listing on the Australian Securities Exchange), and later to 3 months. [3]

In October 2007, Robbie Cooke became CEO, taking over from founder Graeme Wood, who moved to the position of executive director. [4]

In October 2007, Wotif acquired Australian travel website Travel.com.au for $57 million. [5] [6]

In July 2014, Expedia agreed to buy Wotif for about US$657 million ($AU703 million); [7] [8] this was approved by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission on 1 October 2014. [9]

Awards

In 2009 as part of the Q150 celebrations, Wotif was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for its role as an iconic "innovation and invention". [10]

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References

  1. "About us". Wotif.com. Retrieved 15 November 2007.
  2. Wotif.com Holdings Limited Commencement of Official Quotation Australian Stock Exchange 31 May 2006
  3. "Our history". Wotif.com. Retrieved 15 November 2007.
  4. Georgina Robinson (23 October 2007). "Robbie takes the reins at Wotif". Brisbane Times . Retrieved 15 November 2007.
  5. Teresa Ooi (15 November 2007). "Webjet results ready to take off". Australian IT. News.com.au . Retrieved 15 November 2007.
  6. "Webjet backs down as Wotif.com stands to secure travel.com.au". e-Travel Blackboard. 17 October 2007. Retrieved 15 November 2007.
  7. Matthew Rocco (7 July 2014). "Expedia Scores $657M Deal for Australia's Wotif". Fox Business . Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  8. "US online travel giant Expedia to buy Wotif". ABC News. 7 July 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  9. ACCC will not oppose Expedia's proposed acquisition of Wotif Australian Competition & Consumer Commission 2 October 2014
  10. Bligh, Anna (10 June 2009). "Premier Unvels Queensland's 150 Icons". Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 24 May 2017. Retrieved 24 May 2017.