Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts and Okura Hotels & Resorts have announced a strategic joint marketing alliance.

The partnership between the two leading Asian players will generate greater brand awareness and enhance global network benefits for clients and guests.

The joint marketing alliance takes effect from November 1, 2006 to December 31, 2009, for an initial period of three years, where all hotels and resorts from the two groups enjoy aligned marketing services such as joint directory production and cross-website hyperlinks.

The agreement can be extended with the consent of both parties. Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts will participate in the Okura loyalty programme, known as Okura Club and Okura Club International, awarding the 210,000 Okura members points upon Banyan Tree consumption, as well as offering Banyan Tree products for the Okura point redemption programme. Banyan Tree currently operates 19 resorts primarily in Asia-Pacific and Okura operates 24 member hotels both inside and outside of Japan, ensuring a geographically complementary partnership.

Under the Joint Marketing Agreement, Banyan Tree and Okura undertake to offer cross-reservation services at their respective central reservations office in Singapore and Japan for four nominated properties from each group. The nominated hotels will be expanding shortly. The properties under Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts include Banyan Tree Bangkok and Banyan Tree Phuket in Thailand; and Banyan Tree Lijiang, and Banyan Tree Ringha in Yunnan, China. Okura Hotels and Resorts has nominated Hotel Okura Tokyo, Hotel Okura Kobe and Hotel Okura Fukuoka in Japan and Okura Garden Hotel Shanghai in China.

With branding synergy, both Banyan Tree and Okura practice corporate social responsibility as a priceless value for shareholders and stakeholders. While Banyan Tree practices sustainable tourism and responsible development in the destinations where it operates, Okura practises fundamentally similar "mecenat" philosophy, which is a French word denoting support of arts and culture activities.

As the industry's thought leaders in their own ways, both groups seek to encourage an exchange of ideas and knowledge in spa and food and beverage operations after the initial stage of the alliance. Banyan Tree Spa pioneers the tropical garden spa experience and its Spa Academy is based in Phuket. Japan-based Okura is expanding management properties in major overseas cities and some of those may be planned under the cooperation with Spa operations by Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts. Banyan Tree can also seek expertise on sophisticated Japanese cuisine, popular amongst well-heeled travellers.