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eRevMax integrates with Moroccan PMS Pluri-Hotel


eRevMax has become the first connectivity provider to complete 2-way integration with Moroccan PMS company Pluriel. The strategic partnership between the two leading hospitality software specialists will allow hotels to manage their revenue and online distribution with only one application.

Pluriel is one of the upcoming PMS providers in the Maghreb region currently serving over 150 hotels.  Accommodation providers using the tool can leverage RateTiger and RTConnect to distribute availability and pricing to a variety of third party booking sites and receive reservations directly. 
“Lower tier accommodation providers within developing countries have been facing challenges trying to strive for business in the online world. Through this partnership, we are solving properties and hotel owners’ problems with technology that is simple and easy to operate. eRevMax’s connectivity with 300+ online channels will allow them to expand their online visibility,” said Idriss Rahmani, General Manager, Pluriel.
“Our interface with Pluri-Hotel PMS provides hoteliers an option to manage online channels cost effectively without worrying about maintaining online inventory manually across each booking website. The secure XML connection ensures live rate and inventory updates as well as booking data retrieval, thereby keeping the hotel PMS updated at all times,” said Ashis Saha, SVP – Project Management, eRevMax. 

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Malaysian Arenaa Star Hotel Kuala Lumpur improves online sales through efficient rate distribution


Arenaa Hotel, one of the popular hotels in Kuala Lumpur, has improved its online business with eRevMax solution. The 3-star property has been using RateTiger’s cloud based channel manager to manage their room availabilities and rates across multiple online sales channels and increase revenue.
Located in Kuala Lumpur’s famous China Town, Arenaa Star is a three-star property with around 250 rooms. The property has been leveraging RateTiger’s real-time connectivity with over 300 online sales channels to connect to the better producing OTAs, resulting in an increase in occupancy and profit.
“RateTiger is more than just a channel manager. It’s a powerful tool for the ease of connectivity and making quick updates across all channels. The helpful pace report guides and enables us to plan and meet our monthly sales target. The detailed demand information and scores ensures our selling strategies work more effectively. On top of that, the excellent support from RateTiger team is what makes it the perfect partnership,” said Nicholas Asam, Executive E-Commerce Marketing & Communications, Arenaa Star Hotel.
“At eRevMax, the focus has always been on providing hotel partners stable connection with a bouquet of choices for making the best use of their distribution mix. RateTiger and LIVE OS have been built with a vision to make online sales simpler for hotels, and Arenaa Star’s recommendation is a testimony to that,” said Ram Manohar Dubey, Sales Manager, eRevMax.
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How to Increase Guest Satisfaction with Messaging?

  
Travellers become guests as soon as they click the “book now” button. At this point, travellers open the line of communication between themselves and your hotel. But how do guests want to be communicated with, and what messages do they really want? Recently, we published the findings of a travel industry study, which identified a gap between how customers expect to communicate with hotels, and the experiences that hotels are actually providing. 
 
Clear communication between a hotel and its guests has a major influence on guest satisfaction, which can be measured by the difference between guest expectations and their actual guest experience. In our research, we wanted to identify the guest’s expectations in order to help hotels achieve this reality for their guests.

For the study, we surveyed 920 adults over the age of 18, all of whom travelled and booked an accommodation online within the past 12 months for business, leisure, or both. Here are some of the key findings:

●     The majority (80%) of hotel guests expect that the accommodation provider will initiate communication regarding their booking, and 80% also expect this to be sent via email.

●     73% of guests communicate through online communication channels, combining emails, social media, and text messaging; additionally, two-thirds say they prefer to communicate through written electronic means rather than by phone.

●     Guests who communicate through text messaging services and through social media report statistically significantly higher satisfaction levels over those who do not.

●     A large majority (75%) of guests want to communicate one-to-one with representatives on location and 91% would communicate issues during their on-site experience.

These findings indicate that hotels must begin communicating right at the moment of booking, and keep it up throughout the entire guest journey. By investing in guest messaging solutions, hoteliers can improve the guest experience, leading to higher satisfaction rates, increased guest loyalty, and ultimately, more hotel revenue.

To download the full study or to know how you can improve guest experience, fill up the form below –

This is a guest post by Valerie Castillo, Senior Director of Marketing at TrustYou.
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Grupo Real Turismo chooses RTConnect for maximising online revenue for additional properties


Mexican hospitality major Grupo Real Turismo has chosen to expand its partnership with eRevMax to centrally manage online distribution for 9 additional properties taking the total to 38. The group found RTConnect to be the perfect 2-way connectivity solution between its property management system and online sales channels to increase online visibility and revenue.
Headquartered in Mexico City, Grupo Real Turismo has 40 properties across 27 locations in Mexico, totalling over 6,885 rooms. The group, which operates three brands, receive 3 million guests annually. To ensure the group’s visibility is maximised across multiple sales channels, the revenue management team relies heavily upon the strong connectivity and secure updates offered by eRevMax through its ISO and PCI certified solutions.
“Our synergy with eRevMax has been wonderful. RTConnect’s expansive channel network gives us direct access to new, important source markets, and greater visibility in existing ones, to significantly lower our cost of acquiring guests. Our entire distribution process is centralized thus making it easier to monitor how we are performing against targets and manage accordingly. Secure channel connections and immediate updates help us implement strategic decisions instantly thus helping maximise group revenue effectively,”said María Sandoval, Gerente E-commerce, GRUPO REAL TURISMO. 
“Being trusted by a prestigious hospitality company like Grupo Real Turismo is a testament to eRevMax’s strong focus on product innovation and seamless distribution connectivity. The significant improvement in their operational efficiency through RTConnect prompted the revenue management team to implement it in 9 additional properties, further centralising their sales and distribution efforts to optimize costs and increase booking revenue through eRevMax,” said Julian Lindt, Regional Sales  Director – Mexico, eRevMax.
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DusitPrincess Srinakarin Bangkok Hotel recommends RateTiger for channel management and rate data


DusitPrincess Srinakarin Bangkok Hotel, a part of Thai Hospitality Brand “Dusit International”, has improved its online business leveraging eRevMax solutions. The hotel is using RateTiger Channel Manager to update rates and availability across connected channels and receive reservations. The property is also leveraging RateTiger Shopper to monitor competitor rates across channels.
Located in a prime business district in Bangkok, DusitPrincess Srinakarin Bangkok Hotel caters to business and leisure travellers. RateTiger’s seamless connectivity with all leading OTAs and meta-sites allow them to be visible in all relevant channels for maximum exposure. The in-built booking trends and business analytics data give the hotel key market insights to make informed decision.
“We have been using RateTiger Channel Manager and Shopper for online distribution and rate benchmarking. The products are very simple and easy to use. We can manage all our channels in real-time and ensure we are not losing business to competitors. I can recommend this tool for any hotel that wants to effectively manage online revenue,” said Kanokwan Opassakulchai, Assistant Revenue Manager atDusitPrincess Srinakarin Bangkok Hotel.
“Making online distribution management easy for hoteliers has remained our mission for the last 15 years. We have invested in building stable connectivity with over 350 OTAs and technology providers. Our solutions simplify operations, improve efficiencies and give hoteliers time to focus on strategy,” said Ram Mohan Dubey, Regional Sales Manager at eRevMax.
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Hospitality Technology leaders announce networking event for hoteliers in Toronto


Hospitality connectivity expert, eRevMax has teamed up with industry leaders including Fornova, HRS, Sojern, TrustYou and Vizergy, to host an exclusive gathering for hoteliers on 27th June 2017 in Toronto, Canada. The event, to be held on a yacht at the harbour front, will bring together peers from the hospitality industry to unwind and network over cocktails.
The event is aimed at providing hoteliers and technology providers an interactive platform to exchange ideas and explore collaboration possibilities. The luxurious Miss Toronto, moored at the Toronto harbour front, is just a short walk from the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, providing a perfect venue for an evening of fun. 
There are some cool state-of-the-art hospitality technology products worth thousands up for grabs. Aptly titled ‘An Evening of Fun in Toronto’ – this is an Invitation Only event. For more details about the event, please contact marketing@erevmax.com.

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Hotel sáv improves efficiency with real-time channel management


Hotel sáv, an up-and-coming business hotel in Hong Kong has improved its online bookings with eRevMax’s solution. The two-year-old property has been using RateTiger channel manager since its opening to manage their room availabilities and rates across multiple online sales channels and increase revenue.
    
Headquartered in Hong Kong, sáv Hospitality is a new lifestyle hotel brand operating four hotels and serviced apartments in Hong Kong, Taipei and Philippines. Two hotels managed by the group are presently using RateTiger for improving their online visibility and occupancy.
 “I have been using RateTiger Channel Manager for a couple of years now and can confidently say it’s the best solution in the market. While the product makes real-time rate and inventory updates on all my connected channels, the Customer Support team is very professional and respond to queries efficiently. I am very happy to use RateTiger for online distribution and cannot ask for more,” said Terrence Chan, Assistant Director of Revenue & Reservation, Hotel sáv, Hong Kong.
“ Hong Kong’s extremely dynamic hospitality market demands hotels to offer updated rates and availabilities across relevant global, regional and meta search channels.  Hotel sáv has been leveraging our channel ecosystem which offers seamless connectivity with key channels like Booking.com, Expedia, Ctrip, Agoda to improve their online exposure and tap new markets,” said Ram Mohan Dubey, Sales Manager, eRevMax.
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5 Online Distribution hacks for hotels to get more business

Many hotels today are not happy with their sales as they are facing a lot of competition and are struggling to manage a variety of online channels and technology solutions. In this article, I will talk about some tips to overcome these inconveniences and increase profits for your property.

The fundamental thing is to connect to the right channels based on the markets that book your hotel, and of course apply revenue management strategies to offer the right prices to the right customer segment.


In a highly fluctuating market, online visibility has become essential, and having a booking engine on the hotel brand website is a key to drive direct business.

This needs to be complemented with a Channel Manager so that you can manage all your connected sales channels easily and efficiently. Further, to know what rates you should charge for different room types for different time periods, you need to know your competitors rates as a benchmark. Hence having a rate shopping tool has become a must to get real-time rate reports.

To ensure you have a clear picture of your availability and occupancy status, it is important to have everything linked to your property management system to make updates and reporting seamless.

Here are some distribution hacks you can implement to get more online bookings –


Tip #1: Research and select some high-performing OTAs and travel sites to promote your property. The commission you pay will be partially offset by additional business on your website. 
Suggestion – Google Local Business: it’s free. Studies have shown that clients look for hotels in different OTAs but also decide to investigate the hotel’s own page. In this case, the booking engine is of fundamental importance. Having a brand website with all the information is key. Fortunately, Google AdWords allows your hotel to be localized with keywords. And do not forget the location and Google maps since the apps on the smartphones are the order of the day. In case you are looking for a booking engine or connecting with Google, let us know and we can help.


Tip #2: Do not forget to watch your competitors. It is important to have a defined set of competitors, not just who you presume is your competitor by star category, but also keep in mind factors like proximity to your location. An interesting strategy is to create a rate equal to or slightly lower than the competitor and another with a slightly higher value – this way you can attract guests looking for economic options while at the same time target the next segment. Get real-time competitor rate reports through RateTiger Shopper.

Tip #3: With online travel booking growing every year, it is important to have correct rates and inventory displayed on the online channels – it can become very difficult to handle if done manually leading to costly mistakes due to errors in rate updates. Hence is it important to have the channel manager to ensure updates are smooth. Further, 2-way connectivity provides reservation delivery flow into the PMS thereby providing correct inventory status at all time. RateTiger channel manager offers the maximum number of channel connections with maximum uptime ensuring all your updates are immediate, thus helping maximize online revenue.

Tip #4: Know and penetrate the market that books your property – find out the key source markets for your city and region. Create special promotions and offers to target these source markets to attract guests to your property. These promotions can be based on different parameters – long stay, lead time, early booking, etc.  In this way, you can apply the correct promotion for each destination. You can leverage Demand Central on LIVE OS to get all this valuable information and create specific campaigns accordingly.


Tip #5: Be visible on TripAdvisor and other travel review sites – encourage your guests to leave comments and reviews to gain more visibility. Sign up for metasearch engines and drive direct traffic to your hotel website. Beyond the searches for room rates, the opinion of guests who have stayed at your hotel hugely influences booking decisions of prospective guests. Track your reviews on multiple sites to know your strengths and also areas for improvement as it presents a unique opportunity to improve and grow. Use platforms like LIVE OSthat aggregate these reviews in a single platform for you to track, monitor and respond to guests.

There is no easy way to success – it is important to understand your guests and their preferences. Being available at relevant touch points will help improve your hotel’s visibility and booking conversion. It is important to encourage change, and seek strategic partners to do so, and remember the right partner will not be a cost center, infact they can be a valuable investment.

Offering a unique product or creating a differentiated service is not impossible, using value additions and experiential marketing techniques to rise above your competition can show improved results.

Julian Lindt is the Connectivity Advisor for LATAM at eRevMax. He can be reached on julianl@erevmax.com for any queries with regards this article.
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RateTiger’s connectivity with OTAs results in 14% reservation growth for Arch House


Irish apartotel Arch House Apartments has witnessed 23% increase in online sales with efficient rate and availability distribution through RateTiger. The property offering 13 rooms and 10 self-catering apartments in Athlone, has been using RateTiger Channel Manager since 2013 to manage online sales channels in real-time.

“We work with a number of online demand partners including the likes of Booking.com, Expedia and In1 Solutions to name a few. eRevMax offers a wide network of channels which makes it easy for us to pick and choose who we want to work with. Not only do they offer a good mix of channels, they ensure the connections are smooth and stable so that updates are delivered in real-time,” said Chris Moran, Co-owner, Arch House Apartments.

“I cannot imagine running my daily operations without RateTiger. The team has experienced immense time savings in managing online distribution as the channel manager makes it easy to update rates and availability on multiple channels in a click. It is very important to have solutions that work for you rather than those that make you work. RateTiger is one such example. We have experienced an overall growth in business and our occupancies have gone up significantly,” commented Chris.

 

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Meet us at INDABA in Durban 16-18 May 2017


Sun Africa Hotels, one of the fastest emerging hotel chains in Kenya, has been using eRevMax solutions to benefit from real-time channel management powered with business intelligence data.
 
“We’re one of the fastest growing hotel chains in Kenya and offer some of the finest hotels and lodges in East Africa. With Channel Manager Web by eRevMax we are maintaining real-time availability and dynamic pricing based on analytics provided on LIVE OS. This has helped us to improve our online presence by maintaining real-time room availability up to the last inventory across all distribution points in resulting better occupancy,” said Rahul Sood, Group Managing Director – Sun Africa Hotels.
Located at some of the most popular tourist places in Kenya, Sun Africa Hotels manages 8 leisure properties. RateTiger’s 2-way XML connectivity with all leading OTAs in Europe and North America, two of their biggest international markets, is helping Sun Africa Hotels to update rates and availabilities across their online distribution channels in real-time ensuring online sales optimization as part of its growth plan across East Africa region.