Five 2006 Awards issued for outstanding achievement in website development, including the Best Travel Website Award, for RIU Hotels & Resorts in Cancun, Mexico, for their RIU Cancun portal.  This portal provides visitors to Cancun a one-click entry to a wide range of vacation opportunities at the Riu Palace Las Americas, the Riu Caribe and the Riu Cancun. Entries were judged on top web site design, copy writing, innovation, content, interactivity, navigation, and use of technology.  

Along with Best Travel Website for 2006, HeBS received Hotel and Lodging Standard of Excellence awards for: 

• Tranquility Bay Beach House Resort, Marathon, Florida
• Historic Hotels of America, Washington, DC
• Waterstone Resorts & Vacation Hotels, Panama City Beach, Florida
• Hotel Nexus, Seattle, Washington

HeBS conceptualized the award-winning websites, created the contents, developed the strategies for the sites' user-friendliness, search-friendliness, and booker-friendliness, and provided the Internet marketing strategies, in partnership with its associated design shop Previsual, which designed the RIU Hotels and Resorts website along with the other award-winning websites.  You can read more about the awards here: www.hospitalityebusiness.com/aboutus/awards.html

Max Starkov, HeBS president and CEO, "In addition to the unique and creative design, the awards committee values usability issues like the tiered navigational structure, trust and credibility of content, website optimization, and the overall marketing messages. Hoteliers appreciate the increasing importance of these factors in ensuring that an attractive website also produces revenues and grows the direct-to-consumer online distribution strategy.  All five award winners clearly understand the competitive advantages of a well executed Internet strategy with a powerful web presence that enables them to reach out directly to their customers lessening dependence on third parties and avoiding price and brand erosion.  This award underscores the importance of how a creative, informative, visually pleasing Website can add genuine value to hotel marketing and distribution efforts."

According to Denis Strekalov, chief web designer of the award-winning sites, "Hoteliers ability to generate consumer interest in their properties relies on the successful union of an Internet marketing strategy and creative design.  We proudly develop sites that create the hotel experience, before the guest steps foot into the hotel.  This philosophy has guided our business and we are extremely proud to have our efforts recognized with RIU Hotels & Resorts and the other winners."

"We are extremely pleased that the RIU Resorts & Hotels website has won this award," noted Fernando Rodriguez, Consumer Marketing Director for RIU.  "We welcome our guests from around the world through a website that most effectively describes the quality of our properties and the best that Cancun offers.  Our web strategy is a very important component of our marketing program in reaching our audience throughout the world, enhancing our competitiveness and adding significant value to our marketing efforts."

The Web Marketing Association was founded in 1997 to help set a high standard for Internet marketing and web development on the World Wide Web.  Staffed by volunteers, this organization is made up of Internet marketing, online advertising, PR, and web site design professionals who share an interest in improving the quality of online advertising, internet marketing, and website promotion. 

The WebAward recognizes the very best of website design and development, where entries are judged on several criteria including: innovation, content, technology, interactivity, copywriting and ease of use.  Judges are comprised of marketing, advertising, public relations and Internet professionals from more than 40 countries encompassing a wide range of markets and creative and communications disciplines.  

About HeBSHospitality eBusiness Strategies, Inc. (HeBS), based in New York City, is the industry's leading Internet marketing and distribution strategy consulting firm for the hospitality and travel verticals. 

Contact HeBS by email at info@hospitalityebusiness.com 

Editorial Contact:
Max Starkov/Jason Price
Hospitality eBusiness Strategies, Inc.