Benzinga | Oct 18, 2021 08:40AM EDT

EXCLUSIVE: Astrea Acquisition M&A Partner, HotelPlanner To Launch Alexa Enabled Booking Feature

WEST PALM BEACH, FL, Oct 18, 2021 - HotelPlanner, a leading travel technology

platform powered by proprietary artificial intelligence, today announced the launch of its new

Alexa-enabled hotel booking feature that immediately connects customers to a global gig-

based 'Hotel Planner' agent to book a discounted hotel stay -- anywhere in the world -- at any

time, an industry first.

The announcement is well-timed with the rise in voice-activated technology and the 'Internet

of Things' revolution that is already disrupting every industry across the globe.

How Alexa-Enabled Hotel Bookings Work

Using an Alexa device or the Alexa app, a customer must first say "Alexa -- enable the

HotelPlanner skill." Once the skill is enabled, customers can then activate the feature any

time by saying "Alexa -- open HotelPlanner" or "Alexa -- ask HotelPlanner to make a new

reservation in Boston."

Once a customer tells Alexa their travel details, the service immediately connects the

customer to a live Hotel Planner as a priority call, which bypasses the call queue. The Hotel

Planner can then typically offer a discounted rate before completing the booking. This is

equivalent to having a personal hotel concierge at one's beck and call anytime help is needed

with hotel bookings.

HotelPlanner's proprietary artificial intelligence and VOIP capabilities will also try to route

customers to a gig-based Hotel Planner who either lives in, or knows about, the customer's

desired destination so that they can provide localized and personalized service.

And this new booking feature is completely free of charge.

Here's a short instructional video to learn more.

Staying Ahead of the Technology Curve

Since its founding in 2004, HotelPlanner has sought to stay ahead of the technology curve

with next generation features that anticipate evolving customer needs to further simplify and

automate the hotel booking process.

For example, HotelPlanner pioneered the electronic Request for Proposal (eRFP) process for

group bookings in 2004, and then added an online negotiation capability in 2009. In 2014, the

company launched its instant group booking feature. In May 2020, at the height of the



pandemic, HotelPlanner launched its global gig-economy based reservations platform in

response to an influx of customer calls, an industry first for an online travel agency.

"We believe that adding Alexa-enabled hotel bookings is an industry game changer," says

John Prince, Co-Founder & Chief Information Officer, HotelPlanner. "As the Internet of

Things and smart homes, smart cars and smart offices become more ubiquitous, HotelPlanner

is ready to provide a tech-forward solution that embraces voice activation and anticipates

how consumers will interact with technology to make travel plans. And this capability is

sustainable, scalable, and complementary with the ongoing expansion of our gig-based Hotel

Planner reservation platform."

HotelPlanner Seeking to List on NASDAQ

In August 2021, HotelPlanner announced that it had entered into an agreement providing for

a three-way merger with Astrea Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ:ASAXU), a special purpose

acquisition company, and Reservations.com . The merger contemplates HotelPlanner

becoming a publicly listed company on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol "HOTP."

Completion of the merger is subject to approval by the stockholders of Astrea and other

conditions. Astrea has filed a preliminary proxy statement regarding the transaction.

HotelPlanner, with its family of brands, including HotelPlanner.com, Meetings.com, and

following the transaction, Reservations.com, will offer individual, group, and corporate

booking access to more than 1 million global properties, enabled by a proprietary, cloud-

based, artificial intelligence technology platform, and a 24/7 global gig-based reservations

platform.

The transaction is expected to enable HotelPlanner to transform into a diversified hotel and

event booking platform with complementary revenue streams, and to provide the combined

company opportunities to realize multiple operating synergies to drive growth at scale.

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Legal Disclaimer

Amazon, Alexa and all related logos are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

The transaction referred to in this press release, as well as detailed financial and business

information concerning HotelPlanner and Reservations.com and other information will be

contained in proxy materials filed with the SEC by Astrea Acquisition Corp., and definitive

proxy materials will be sent to all Astrea shareholders. Before making any voting decision,

Astrea's stockholders are urged to carefully review the proxy materials and all other relevant

documents filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction as they become

available.

Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the proxy materials and all

other relevant documents filed or that will be filed by the SEC by Astrea through the website

maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. Copies of the proxy materials can also be obtained,



when available, without charge, from HotelPlanner's website

at https://www.hotelplanner.com/investors and https://www.astreaacquisitioncorp.com/.

Participants in the Solicitations

Astrea, HotelPlanner, Reservations.com and certain of their respective directors, executive

officers and other members of management and employees may, under SEC rules, be deemed

to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from Astrea's shareholders in connection with

the proposed transaction. You can find more information about Astrea's directors and

executive officers in Astrea's final prospectus dated February 3, 2021 and filed with the SEC

on February 4, 2021. Additional information regarding the participants in the proxy

solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests has been included in the

preliminary proxy statement filed by Astrea referred to above. Shareholders, potential

investors and other interested persons should read the proxy statement carefully before

making any voting or investment decisions. You may obtain free copies of these documents

from the sources indicated above.

No Offer or Solicitation

This press release shall not constitute a solicitation of a proxy, consent, or authorization with

respect to any securities or in respect of the proposed business combination. This press

release shall also not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any

securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any states or jurisdictions in which such

offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the

securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the

federal securities laws with respect to the proposed transaction between HotelPlanner,

Reservations.com and Astrea Acquisition Corp., including statements regarding the

anticipated benefits of the transaction, the anticipated timing of the transaction, future

financial condition and performance of HotelPlanner and Reservations.com and expected

financial impacts of the transaction (including future combined revenue, equity value and

cash balance), the satisfaction of closing conditions to the transaction, the level of

redemptions of Astrea's public stockholders and the products and markets and expected

future performance and market opportunities of HotelPlanner and Reservations.com.

These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words "believe," "project,"

"expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "strategy," "future," "opportunity," "plan,"

"may," "should," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," and similar

expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements

about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result,

are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ

materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited

to: (i) the risk that the transaction may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, which

may adversely affect the price of Astrea's securities, (ii) the risk that the transaction may not

be completed by Astrea's business combination deadline and the potential failure to obtain an



extension to the business combination deadline if sought by Astrea, (iii) the failure to satisfy

the conditions to the consummation of the transaction, including the approvalof the merger

agreement by the stockholders of Astrea, the satisfaction of the minimum trust account

amount following any redemptions by Astrea's public stockholders and the receipt of certain

governmental and regulatory approvals, (iv) the lack of a third party valuation in determining

whether or not to pursue the proposed transaction, (v) the occurrence of any event, change or

other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement, (vi) the

effect of the announcement or pendency of the transaction on the business relationships,

operating results, and business generally of HotelPlanner and Reservations.com, (vii) risks

that the proposed transaction disrupts current plans and operations of HotelPlanner and/or

Reservations.com, (viii) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against

HotelPlanner, Reservations.com, or Astrea related to the merger agreement or the proposed

transaction, (ix) the ability to maintain the listing of Astrea's securities on NASDAQ or

another national securities exchange, (x) changes in the competitive and regulated industries

in which HotelPlanner and Reservations.com operate, variations in operating performance

across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting the business of HotelPlanner

and Reservations.com and changes in the combined capital structure, (xi) the ability to

implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations after the completion of the

proposed transaction, and identify and realize additional opportunities, (xii) the risk of

downturns and a changing regulatory landscape in the highly competitive online travel

booking industry, and (xiii) costs related to the transaction and the failure to realize

anticipated benefits of the transaction or to realize projected results and underlying

assumptions, including with respect to anticipated shareholder redemptions.

The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing

factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" section of the

proxy materials discussed above, and other documents filed by Astrea from time to time with

the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could

cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-

looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made.

Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and

HotelPlanner, Reservations.com, and Astrea assume no obligation and do not intend to

update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,

future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. None of

HotelPlanner, Reservations.com, or Astrea gives any assurance that HotelPlanner,

Reservations.com, or Astrea, or the combined company, will achieve its expectations.

About HotelPlanner

HotelPlanner is a leading travel technology company that combines proprietary artificial

intelligence capabilities with a 24/7 global gig-based reservations and customer service

network. HotelPlanner travel agents can customize all traveler hotel & accommodation needs

from a single platform while providing localized advice. HotelPlanner is one of the leading

providers of individual, group and corporate travel bookings, specializing in unique "Closed

User Group" discounted rates offered in unpublished private sale environments. Founded in

2004, HotelPlanner has enduring partnerships with many of the world's largest OTAs, well-

known hotel chains, individual hotels, online wedding providers, ancillary lodging providers,

corporations, professional and amateur sports teams and franchises, universities and

government agencies.



For more information, please visit https://www.hotelplanner.com

About Reservations.com

Reservations.com is an award-winning online travel company on a mission to bring the

human-touch back to travel. Founded in 2014 with a focus on helping consumers create

memorable travel experiences, Reservations.com has experienced rapid growth.

Reservations.com's user-friendly website offers unparalleled visibility into hotels, including:

descriptions, pricing information, and reviews of nearly 500,000 properties globally. The

company is on a journey to enable customers to not only reserve hotels, but to create

memories.

For more information, please visit www.reservations.com

About Astrea Acquisition Corp.

Astrea Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ:ASAXU) is a blank check company organized for the

purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition or other similar

business combination with one or more businesses or entities. While we intend to evaluate

opportunities in many industries, we are targeting technology-enhanced high-growth

companies that have clear differentiated business models suited for disruption in their sectors.

The diverse experience, extensive relationship network, and successful SPAC experience of

our management team and board of directors make Astrea an ideal partner for businesses that

have the potential to become outstanding public companies.