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Google has launched a paid placement tool on its Hotel Finder product which will allow advertisers to be featured at the top of search results.

The move indicates Google’s growing interest in the hotel sector and will increase the concerns of others in the market that the group will start to abuse its power and influence and further drive up the costs of distribution.

Hotel Tonight has secured USD23m in funding, which it will use to further expand its international presence, following its April launch in Canada last year.

The brand has so far raised a total of USD35.85m in funding , illustrating not only the belief of investors in the product, but support for the ongoing role that both mobile and last-minute booking have to play in the travel sector...

Sabre Holdings has reported an increase in total group revenue for 2011, but a drop at its Travelocity business as it suffers from “intense competition” from within the travel sector.

The company remains buoyed by its GDS business, this week signing a deal which will allow it to expand in China.

Tripadvisor and other social media-driven websites have seen their popularity grow in tandem with the growth of reputation managers ensuring that brands don’t suffer in the face of too much honest, direct contact with the consumer.

This has lead to accusations of bland, cut-and-paste responses defeating the object of a direct line of communication. Recent weeks have seen the rants...

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