The Economic Development Council of Seattle and King County (EDC) is excited to welcome Booking.com's newest customer service center to King County. The company has signed a lease in the Sunset Corporate Campus in the Eastgate area of Bellevue. "We are looking forward to opening our third customer service center in the US, this time in King County. We're focused on increasing our presence in a region that reflects the technological savvy and diverse workforce that perfectly fit our company," said Todd Dunlap, Managing Director, Booking.com, North America.

The EDC provided customized research on King County covering a variety of subjects from economic statistics to language and demographic data. Additionally, the EDC provided several community briefings to the Booking.com site location team. "The EDC's work pulling together all the important facts and figures and connecting us to business leaders and the international community with which we hope to work, was critical in our site search. From the beginning this team has exceeded our expectations and played an important role in our entry into the community," said Dunlap.

Booking.com is part of Priceline (NASDAQ: PCLN) and is the world's leader in online accommodation bookings. Based in the Netherlands, the company has more than 100 offices in over 50 countries. In 2012, the company opened an office in Seattle that will ultimately grow to over 50 employees and move to downtown Bellevue later this year. Plans for the new customer service center include up to 350 new jobs for the region. The strength of the international community in King County is one of the key factors in the company's decision to locate here, as the customer service center's multilingual team will help to serve the growing markets throughout Asia and the Pacific Rim.

"This is a big win for King County and we are thrilled to have assisted the Booking.com team throughout the decision making process as they establish their new customer service center operations in King County. Not only will Booking.com be adding hundreds of fantastic jobs, they will further strengthen our reputation as a great place for international companies to set up shop," said Jeff Marcell, President and Chief Executive Officer of the EDC.

Conrad Lee, Mayor of the City of Bellevue and longstanding EDC Board Member, is equally happy that this new facility will call his city home. "We're very excited to welcome Booking.com to the Eastside," said Lee. "This fast-growing global company will add to Bellevue's reputation as an ever-increasing center for international business. Bellevue has been a steadfast member of the EDC for many years and we partner closely with them in assisting companies like Booking.com that are interested in expanding to this area. It's a win-win for everyone involved."

About the Economic Development Council Seattle and King County

Founded in 1971, the Economic Development Council of Seattle and King County (EDC) is a public-private economic development partnership encompassing King County and its 39 cities. The organization serves as the first point of contact for site selection consultants and company analysts looking to expand or relocate businesses in King County. The EDC provides one-on-one, confidential consulting services, free-of-charge, to individual businesses seeking to establish, expand or relocate to Seattle and King County. For more information, visit us online at http://edc-seaking.org/.

About Booking.com

Booking.com is the world leader in booking hotel and other accommodation online. It guarantees the best prices for any type of property - from small independents to five-star luxury. Guests can access the Booking.com website anytime, anywhere from their desktops, mobile phones and tablet devices, and they don't pay booking fees - ever. The Booking.com website is available in 41 languages, offers over 325,000+ hotels and accommodations in 184 countries, features over 22+ million reviews written by guests after their stay, and attracts online visitors from both leisure and business markets around the globe. With over 16 years of experience and a team of over 5,500+ dedicated employees in 100+ offices worldwide, Booking.com operates its own in-house customer service team who are available 24/7 to assist guests in their native languages and ensure an exceptional customer experience.

Established in 1996, Booking.com B.V. owns and operates Booking.com?, and is part of the Priceline Group (NASDAQ: PCLN). Follow us on Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, like us on Facebook, or learn more at http://www.booking.com.

Economic Development Council of Seattle and King County
Heather Engelbrecht, 206-389-8652
hengelbrecht@edc-seaking.org
Facebook: /EDCSeattleKingCounty
Twitter: @EDCseattleking
Website: EDC-seaking.org