AWARD-winning Lumley Castle hotel has become the first in the region to sign up for an online service marketing hospitality venues.

The North-East Chamber of Commerce has added NECC Business Travel, a free online travel booking facility, to its membership package.

Working in partnership with Item Consulting and Services, NECC Business Travel has been set up to make booking travel arrangements and accommodation as easy as possible.

It offers low-cost packages and a range of facilities to reduce travel costs and expenses.

Lumley Castle joined the scheme, which combines the travel package with NECC Hospitality and Conferencing, a marketing service for companies working in the conferencing or hospitality industry.

An area of the travel site has been reserved to include special offers from a number of subscribing hotels, restaurants and other venues.

Services will be advertised through the site to North-East and UK businesses to help increase hotel, event, conference and hospitality bookings.

Lumley Castle marketing manager Peter Darrant said: "This is an exciting venture and we are thrilled to be the first hotel to team up with NECC.

"It is a highly cost-effective advertising method, reaching its target audiences and with information posted on the site for a year."

Advertising costs for the website range from £200 up to £600, plus VAT, depending on the size and rating of the establishment.

NECC member support centre manager Claire Warren said: "The new travel service is free to our members and provides the range, quality and price of business travel usually only available to larger corporates."