With its first own hotel to open in April 2021, online travel agency Kayak has launched a new business travel-focused arm. The company, part of the Booking Holdings family of online travel brands, says it could not source existing tool ‘good enough’ to manage its own business travel needs.

Kayak for Business has been rolled out in 60 markets following more than a year of testing.

“We wanted a better way to plan and manage our own business travel, but we did not find a tool good enough. So we built it,” said John-Lee Saez, director of Kayak for Business.

“It’s the Kayak you know and love – with additional content and features designed specifically for the unique needs of business travellers.”

‘Hundreds’ of companies trialled the platform, which does not require a subscription, contract or commitment, and is entirely fee-free.

It differs from traditional corporate booking tools in that, like the mainstream Kayak platform, it trawls more than 1,000 booking sites “to help provide the cheapest rates” – another indication of its emphasis on costs – and does not sell or process the booking itself.

Company travel policy can be integrated into the platform and search results display out of policy options. It also incorporates an approvals system and management dashboard.

Since the platform is essentially a search engine, cancellations and refunds are handled by the trip provider, not Kayak.