SideStep Announces Partnership With Sol Melia

SideStep Announces Partnership With Sol Melia Traveler's Search Engine Promotes Direct Relationships Between Consumers and Global Hotelier SANTA CLARA, Calif., Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- SideStep, Inc. (www.sidestep.com), the traveler's search engine, today announced a marketing partnership with Sol Melia Hotels & Resorts, the leading hotel company in Spain, Latin America and the Caribbean and the third largest hotelier in Europe. Through this partnership, SideStep will drive consumers directly to Sol Melia's Web site, www.solmelia.com, to book their travel. "SideStep offers us a variety of opportunities to market to American travelers as they plan trips overseas, or to one of our Hard Rock Hotels here in the United States," said Ashwin Kamlani, Sol Melia's director of distribution. "SideStep reaches millions of avid travelers each month. By directing these prospects to the Sol Melia Web site, SideStep not only helps us to further develop our most cost-efficient sales channel, it also enables us to forge direct relationships between travelers and our brands." "From Melia Hotels to Paradisus Resorts, Sol Melia's brands are known throughout Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean," said Don Smith, SideStep's vice president, hotels. "Sol Melia is eager to extend its brand reach among Americans heading abroad. As their marketing partner, SideStep will help this hospitality industry leader to build awareness and promote its distinctive offerings to a large and valuable target audience." SideStep will exchange product, pricing and availability information with Sol Melia via SideStep TotalConnect(SM). With TotalConnect, SideStep can efficiently communicate with a partner using the travel provider's preferred protocol -- XML, SOAP, HTTP, CORBA or even EDI. TotalConnect's power and flexibility enable new partners to begin working with SideStep immediately -- without making any technical changes. Winner of the Forbes "Best of the Web" Award, SideStep helps consumers to find outstanding travel values through SideStep.com and the SideStep toolbar, as well as through TravelFinds Specials and TravelFinds Spotlight, the company's popular email newsletters. SideStep is actively hiring to support its growth. For job listings, see www.sidestep.com/jobs. About SideStep SideStep -- the traveler's search engine -- brings compelling offers from numerous travel providers to more than three million consumers each month. The company has forged alliances with leading travel marketers such as JetBlue Airways, Continental Airlines, Hyatt Corporation, Orbitz, Best Western and Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group. SideStep is privately held and has raised more than $17M in funding from Trident Capital and individual investors. For more information, visit www.sidestep.com. About Sol Melia Sol Melia Hotels & Resorts is one of the world's most successful hotel companies, managing five distinctive brands -- Melia Hotels, Tryp Hotels, Sol Hotels, Paradisus Resorts and Hard Rock Hotel -- totaling more than 350 hotels in 30 countries. Individual reservations can be made through a travel consultant, by calling 1-800-33MELIA or the nearest Sol Melia Reservation Center or on-line at www.solmelia.com. Group reservations can be made through a professional meeting and incentive planner or through Sol Melia's group desk (MSM) by calling 1-888-33-MELIA or via email: msm-usacan@sol-group.com. Source: SideStep, Inc CONTACT: David Cumpston, Senior Account Executive of Manning Selvage & Lee, +1-415-364-3846, or david.cumpston@mslpr.com, for SideStep, Inc.; or Kristen Evans, Senior Public Relations Manager of SideStep, Inc., +1-408-235-1700, ext. 126, or kristen.evans@sidestep.com Web site: http://www.sidestep.com/ http://www.solmelia.com/ ------- Profile: International Entertainment