roomsXML have released a new feature called "Preferred by Agents" which makes it easier than ever for travel agents to find the right hotels and apartments worlwide.

Mark Luckey, MD roomsXML Asia Pacific says " Our  key focus in growing roomsXML has been through agent service and support, made a lot easier by the fact that with only ever dealt directly with travel agents.  We regularly hear we had a good range and prices, but finding the right hotels takes time, effort and online research. Like anything, time is money.

"There are some consumer facing sites out there that provide some of these recommendation services, but let's face it, at times they are subject to the emotional review of the traveller or the sometimes biased response of a hotel.

"So we've effectively created a nomination and rating system "by travel agents for travel agents " which allows agents to nominate those properties they know they can trust and in turn, once enough people voted, see the results of preferred by agents properties from a global network of travel agents.

Initially roomsXML manually collated feedback across the customer service systems and e-mails from agents and recently launched the nomination form.

Luckey continues with "To keep the system as reputable as possible, we are allowing agents to nominate properties they have booked through roomsXML in the past 12 months. It ensures that any recommendations we receive are real and as recent as possible."

For agents to nominate their preferred properties - in roomsXML they go to my bookings and click on the "Recommend it " link, review the list of destinations booked, click on the city, click on the hotel and then save.

Once a property has been nominated by nine or more individuals it earns the "preferred by agents" ranking and is shown prominently in the search results. For a demonstration, the feature has been made live for properties in Amsterdam and will go global early December 2012.

Luckey says "We know we have good technology, we know we mostly have the best prices and by listening to travel agents and working with them, this new feature will save agents time and make it easy for them to book the right properties for their clients. That makes using roomsXML a better overall value proposition."