Booking.com Reveals Winners of #BookingHero Competition

Booking.com uncovers unforgettable travel experiences in Scotland, New York and Sri Lanka that highlight acts of extraordinary hospitality

LONDON, UK — MARCH 21, 2018 — What do a dream wedding in New York, an adventure through the mountains of Sri Lanka and a family’s search for their roots in Scotland all have in common? All saw a hospitality professional going out of their way to make or save someone’s trip and today Booking.com, the global leader in connecting travelers with the widest choice of incredible places to stay, is sharing their stories with the world as the winners of its first-ever Booking Hero competition.

Following thousands of submissions via social media, Booking.com have selected the three most touching and inspiring accounts of hospitality professionals going above and beyond to create unique and unforgettable travel experiences for their guests. The customers were then flown back to surprise their Heroes in person and to say thank you for making (and saving) their trips, with all the emotional reunions caught live on camera.

Booking.com is now showcasing these stories and sharing them with the world: including a B&B owner in Scotland who helped a Canadian customer find the house where his father was born before immigrating to North America; a hotel receptionist who came to the rescue and saved a Belgian bride’s dream photo shoot in Central Park; and a pregnant host about to give birth in Sri Lanka who kept her homestay open to care for an injured hiker from the Netherlands.

Booking Hero grand prize winners of €25,000 in travel credit on Booking.com

Karen, Owner of Blackburn Villa B&B in Ayr, Scotland

Nominated by David and Virginia from Canada

https://youtu.be/qtQiC2CnBiA

Booking Hero runners-up winning €5,000 in travel credit on Booking.com

Sudarshi, Owner of Tunnel Gap Homestay in Ella, Sri Lanka

Nominated by Harry and Nienke from the Netherlands

https://youtu.be/syDo8QjI-14

Booking Hero runners-up winning €5,000 in travel credit on Booking.com

Alina, Receptionist at citizenM Hotel in New York City, USA

Nominated by Els and Kevin from Belgium

https://youtu.be/pDKOOB8MUxs

“These stunning stories are testament to the incredible dedication, commitment and passion that our partners put into creating truly memorable experiences for travelers day in and day out,” said Pepijn Rijvers, CMO, Booking.com. “They beautifully demonstrate that an amazing trip is about more than simply finding the right destination or the perfect accommodation—it’s also about the people you meet along the way which truly make for an unforgettable journey. And that’s what travel is all about.”

According to recent research conducted by Booking.com across 25 markets in 2017, a personal connection is essential for many travelers with 29% saying that an accommodation feeling like home is key and 24% sharing that a welcoming host is a make or break factor during the first 24 hours of their trip.

Here is what our grand prize nominees and winner had to say:

“We were looking for the house where my dad was born, with the aim of finding some living Alexanders and stayed at the Blackburn Villa. We’d been there for two weeks and didn’t realise how close we were to our roots.” – David and Virginia, Canada

“I don’t think what I did was that special, but I made them really happy and that made me happy. You really do make friends in this business - you might think it’s all just people through the door, but it’s not.” – Karen, Owner of Blackburn Villa B&B in Ayr, Scotland

Booking.com is launching these winning Booking Heroes stories today as the heart of a new campaign on social media with long-form video content that extends the #BookingHero message, with TV to follow.