A Conversation with Neha Parikh, VP of Hotels.com on The Perks of Traveling and a Passionate Career Choice

Traveling for business can be seen as an inconvenient necessity at times, but for Neha Parikh, travel is her business, and something she loves.  As Vice President and General Manager of Hotels.com North America, headquartered in Dallas, Parikh has spent the last six years building her career in the travel and hospitality industry.  She has also learned a travel tip or two along the way.

A Houston native and a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Parikh earned her MBA at Northwestern University and was living in Chicago, working in consulting, when the opportunity arose to connect with associates at Hotels.com, owned by Expedia, the world’s largest online travel company. This chance meeting allowed her to eventually shift gears and move back to Texas, a change she didn’t see coming, but has since happily embraced.

Parikh says she doesn’t believe in the standard “1-3-5-year” career plans, but simply follows her own plan for success, which is: find your passion; surround yourself with amazing people; work for someone from whom you can learn; and make sure you have more good days than bad.

Hotels.com: An Innovative, Customer-Centric Focus

In her position at Hotels.com, one of her more recent achievements has been “The Obvious Choice” marketing campaign,  featuring Captain Obvious.

““We wanted a fresh, fun, engaging way to present this concept to consumers,” Parikh said. “The premise of the campaign is that if you are looking for a dot-com to book hotels, the obvious choice is Hotels.com. Our TV spots and integrated marketing creative are all focused on showing customers why Hotels.com is The Obvious Choice.”

She goes on to note that no other online travel site rewards people with a free night for every 10 nights they stay (Welcome Rewards);  offers an award-winning mobile booking app with exclusive deals; reassures people with an 800-number “front and center” on the homepage; has award-winning customer service; and provides genuine guest reviews.

Parikh and her team understand the power of user-generated content, like real reviews from travelers with the similar interests and preferences, so Hotels.com also recently launched a Hotel Guest Review guide, which leverages travelers’ reviews to identify top hotel selections.  The site also offers daily, weekly and seasonal travel promotions.

While Hotels.com customers are demographically diverse and almost equally split between the genders, Parikh notes that for female travelers in particular, there are hotel and resort options that keep that demographic group in mind, such as additional security, female-oriented interests or all-female floors.  “In Vancouver, the Georgian Court Hotel offers a “females-only” floor with special amenities,” Parikh said. “And several hotels cater to girls’ getaways, like the Hilton Grand Vacations Suites in Las Vegas and the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Palace Resort in the Dominican Republic.”

And with the rise of solo female Baby Boomer (45+) travelers, more hotels and resorts are beginning to offer prices based on single occupancy, which has more affordable pricing than the traditional double occupancy.  “Hotels.com has a marketing relationship with Solo Traveler and has offered tips for their most recent that includes helpful information for single travelers and solo female travelers,” Parikh said.

A Travel Expert Offers Laid-Back, Practical Advice

As befits someone with her job, Parikh loves to travel and explore new places : “I’ll share the ways I love to enjoy travel.  Try to have local experience;, don’t worry about sticking to a schedule; say ‘yes’ to unexpected experiences; and don’t rush from place to place. I love to soak up local culture (whether I’m in Athens, Ohio or Athens, Greece), linger a little too long over a bottle of wine, and get lost in the streets. It’s the only way to explore in my books!”

She says it’s always hard to pick a favorite place, but finds that her best travel experiences are associated with favorite memories. So she chooses South Africa (“great trip with great friends”), Thailand (her honeymoon location) and Barcelona (one of her favorite European cities) to share the top spots. As for hotels, Parikh likes Bora Bora Nui Resort and Spa (it offers the unique experience of overwater bungalows on a private island), Seven Stars Resort Turks and Caicos (“amazing service”) and Hotel Excelsior Parco in Capri, Italy (“a wonderfully charming small hotel where you feel like you’re family!”).

Traveling, in essence, means moving forward — a positive thing — but  both business and leisure travel can leave even the most enthusiastic traveler weary at times. However, Parikh has sage advice to keep in mind for all travelers:  “The only constant in life is the passage of time. Know this and plan accordingly!”