Industry round-up on Hotel Distribution and Technology News – W1, August 2021

Bhagini Icon premier Hotel India shares a strong recommendation for RateTiger Hotel Channel Manager, including a video testimonial – check it out in the first news piece below. Further on, we see strong recovery and gains by Booking.com as travel demand boosts in US and Europe, similar US trend data by STR. Shiji launched a Hotel Tech Distribution chart simplifying the landscape to showcase how hotels and guests interact with various technology at different levels of the booking process.  And finally a story showcasing how guest are coming back to hotels after a year of high demand for BnBs and alternative accommodation options.

Enjoy the read!

Indian Business Hotel recommends RateTiger for channel management

Bhagini Icon Premier, an upscale property in India has strongly recommended RateTiger for its hotel channel management capabilities and integrated connectivity platform. With RateTiger Channel Manager the hotel is saving their time daily through automated updates. Check out this video where Ramamurthy, Operations Manager at Bhagini Icon Premier hotel elaborates about his usage of RateTiger and why he strongly recommends it – https://lnkd.in/gCjeb-BK

Booking Holdings revenue triples on travel demand boost from U.S., Europe

Pandemic fears are driving people away from crowded hotels to alternative accommodations, with nearly one-fourth of the listings on Booking.com were for such accommodations at the end of the quarter.

https://www.reuters.com/business/booking-revenue-triples-travel-demand-boost-us-europe-2021-08-04/

STR: U.S. room rates reach all-time high

Historically, the middle weeks of July are the country’s highest occupancy weeks each year, and 2021 has been no different even as demand slows week to week.

https://str.com/press-release/str-us-hotel-results-week-ending-24-july

Hospitality Technology Distribution Chart 2021

The Hotel Technology Distribution Chart serves as a tool to help visualize the current hotel and hospitality technology landscape, how the various providers fit in, and their relationships with the hotel, the guest, and each other. RateTiger, a pioneer in Hotel Price Intelligence and Hotel Channel Management space, has been featured in this chart given the impact it makes in the industry through innovation, helping hotels maximize revenue on a daily basis. See the best providers in Hotel Tech Distribution space through this chart.

https://insights.shijigroup.com/introducing-shijis-hospitality-technology-distribution-chart-2021/

More travelers are looking at hotels again

After a year when consumers shifted to alternative properties like Airbnb and Vrbo homes, there is now evidence that they are returning to some of their old ways, according to the latest Trivago data.

https://www.barrons.com/articles/trivago-hotels-airbnb-travel-trends-51627940725

 

Reach out to RateTiger for your hotel channel manager, rate shopper, booking engine, website development or revenue management consultancy requirements. We are happy to have a discussion to see how we can help you achieve your property’s occupancy and revenue goals – contact us today https://goo.gl/3gKUJZ

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capture the fastest-growing segment of bookers with Booking.com’s Mobile Rates

In these uncertain times, travellers are looking for extra flexibility. As hoteliers, you need to cater to the ever-changing guest expectation to drive demand to your property.

eRevMax offer seamless connectivity to multiple channel partners to expand your online brand visibility. With the growth in domestic tourism, Booking.com is expecting almost 74% of bookings to come from a mobile phone. Adding a mobile rate to your property will increase your visibility with these customers and unlock your market potential with last-minute mobile bookings. You can update Mobile Rates on Booking.com directly from RateTiger.

The use of mobile in emerging markets has changed how travel is searched and booked and by managing mobile rates, you too can improve reservations coming from mobile bookers.

Did you know?

  • 80% of travellers use a mobile app when researching a trip*
  • 50% of accommodation searches and bookings are made on mobile*
  • Mobile rates give partners 28% more bookings from mobile traffic*
  • 2-in-3 mobile bookings are made by Millennials or younger customers. Everyone might search from mobile but Millennials book.

What is Mobile Rate?

A Mobile Rate is a special discounted rate that’s only visible when someone uses Booking.com’s app or accesses Booking.com’s website using a mobile browser. You can use Mobile Rates to increase your bookings from mobile devices by up to 28%. Mobile Rates are active throughout the year.

How does your business benefit from Booking.com’s mobile rate?

Attract more bookings

Offering mobile rate drives more potential guests to your property page.

Mobile rates on average give partners 26% more bookings from mobile customers.

Mobile rates on average give partners 3% higher click-through rate from search results to the hotel page.

Stand out in searches

Once you activate the feature, a special badge will appear next to your property in search results and on your property page and during the booking process.

Position your property to digital natives who share experiences via social media.

Target mobile users with a special discount to encourage them to book your property immediately while they are on mobile.

Better price, better reviews, better ranking

Two-thirds of mobile bookings are made by millennials – who write more reviews than any other traveller segment. Attracting these bookers can positively impact your overall ranking on Booking.com.

Millennial smartphone ownership is rising: >94% in advanced economies, and >62% in emerging economies*. Attract this customer base with a special discount.

Avoid attention shifts to a competitor when they change device and start a new search process.

How Mobile Rates work?

  • Mobile rates are only visible to guests on mobile devices (on both the Booking.com app and mobile browsers).
  • A minimum 10% discount is recommended.
  • Mobile rates apply to all your rooms and rate plans. The discount combines with discounts for the Genius programme, as well as any other promotions you have set up. However, it does not add on to Country rate or Limited-time Deal.
  • You can set up 30 blackout days per calendar year.

The majority of reservations on Booking.com’s platform is made using mobile devices, so offering a Mobile Rate helps you tap into this large group of potential guests. Mobile Rates can also help you target millennials. The property can activate, edit and deactivate the mobile rates any times.

Creating Mobile Rates via RateTiger

If you do not already have a Mobile Rate set up for Booking.com, you can easily create one using through RateTiger.

  • Log in to your RateTiger platform – https://live.ratetiger.com/#/login
  • In the main dashboard, you will see the Promotions tile. Click on Create Promotion to go to the Promotions page.
  • On this page, select Mobile Promo and then select the channel – Booking-XML
  • Input the discount / promo and click on Create. The Mobile Rate gets created for Booking.com.

You can always update the settings of your Mobile Rates or deactivate them so that potential guests no longer see them.

Lastly there are a host of additional solutions through which your property can benefit and attract more bookings. You can get full details of the Booking.com Recovery Toolkit on the partner page.

RateTiger, powered by LiveOS, provides rate shopping, channel management, booking engine and online distribution solutions to hotels worldwide. It offers 99.9% system uptime and is security certified under ISO, PCI and GDPR compliant. eRevMax continues to expand its partner base through new integrations to offer hoteliers seamless connections across different systems including PMSs, CRSs, OTAs, Metasearch channels, GDS, Wholesalers and offline tour operators among others.

Subscribe to RateTiger today and start using this feature. Reach out to us for your connectivity needs to make the most of your online revenue- https://goo.gl/3gKUJZ

 

 

The Week, That Was – August 2020 Week 1

In five minutes or less, keep track of the most important news of the week, curated just for you. We present to you hand – picked news on latest industry perspectives and some general updates. Read on!!

Booking.com and RateTiger presents an online workshop to discuss value of connectivity & power of online distribution for hoteliers

Join us for a live discussion on August 19, 2020 at 16:00 SGT to discuss re opening of travel and strategies for the new world. Register today –

https://events.partners.booking.com/valueofconnectivityanonlinewor?gz=none

 eRevMax witnesses surge in demand for summer travel in Norway and healthy recovery for UK hotels

 Advance bookings are now higher than pre-Covid level, reaching almost 120% in July, keeping January booking numbers as base, for our partner hotels in Norway, while UK saw a huge jump to almost 75% showing extremely positive sentiment among bookers.

See the full report – https://www.erevmax.com/ratetiger-news/ratetiger-news-archive/aug2020-erevmax-witnesses-summer-travel-norway-uk-healthy-recovery.html

How COVID-19 is transforming traveler behavior, loyalty and values

 Travelers will be ready to stay at hotels in seven months, fly in planes or use public transportation in 8.5 months and fly internationally in 11 months.

https://www.ketchum.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Ketchum_Transforming-Travelers_Infographic.pdf

Expedia rolls out B2B distribution program for lodging partners

 The program allows medium to large-size lodging partners to tap into new areas of B2B demand, giving them increased control of their B2B rates, availability and content across a network of global travel providers.

https://www.traveldailynews.com/post/expedia-group-expands-optimized-distribution-for-lodging-partners

Travel reimagined in the new normal

 E-boarding passes, touchless lavatories, contactless journeys from airports to hotels, no more middle seats in transportation, and digital health passports are some of the new ideas which global travelers hope to see implemented in the near future.

https://www.ttrweekly.com/site/2020/07/asians-more-eager-to-travel/

 Survey: The prospects for the hotel business in 2021

 Respondents believe that the hospitality sector is approaching or at the bottom, with luxury and resort hotels the most commonly believed to be in “full decline” or at “bottom.”

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradhunter/2020/07/29/survey-the-prospects-for-the-hotel-business-in-2021/#7bd9db2661cd

Booking.com launches rebooking campaign, waiving hotel commissions

The campaign incentivizes customers in the U.S. with 15% if they rebook a future stay at the same property.

https://news.booking.com/bookingcom-launches-customer-incentive-to-encourage-rebook-of-domestic-pandemic-affected-stays-in-us/

Reach out to us for your connectivity needs to make the most of your online revenue- https://goo.gl/3gKUJZ

Thanks and have a good day!

The Week, That Was – August 2019 Week 3

In five minutes or less, keep track of the most important news of the week, curated just for you. We present to you hand – picked news on latest industry perspectives and some general updates. Read on!!

Business Travel in Europe on the rise: Are you ready?

According to American Express Global Business Travel report, the spend on business travel in Europe in 2019 is expected to grow by over 4.3% making it a focus area for hotels. Here are some suggested channels you need to have in your distribution mix for landing more corporate bookings.

Read More : https://lnkd.in/fUZJ_sv

Today’s empowered traveler views the travel experience holistically

They demand high-quality experiences, competitive pricing across the value chain and expect to be recognized and responded to in real-time according to their preferences or concerns.

https://www.intelligentcio.com/eu/2019/08/13/technology-making-travellers-more-demanding-in-summer-travel-season/

How travel marketers can capture the “momentary market”

Digital transformation has reached a saturation point. Which is why travel marketers should view each opportunity as if it’s an individual market – a momentary market.

https://www.phocuswire.com/travel-marketers-momentary-market

Booking.com expands payment options in quest for “connected trip”

The company is making progress in its vision to create a “seamless, holistic system that gives and does everything for the traveler and makes their lives easier and gives value to them.” The new system apparently allows Booking.com to accept payments in the name of the hotel. That way customers can select the payment method they prefer, removing part of the friction, according to the company’s CEO Glenn Fogel.

https://www.phocuswire.com/Booking-Holdings-q2-2019-earnings

Google My Business launches “Hotel attributes” section

Hotel owners with verified hotel listings can edit their services and amenities in the “Hotel attributes” section of their Google My Business account. By default, Google provides a summary of your hotel’s amenities that customers can view from Search and Maps. Now you can edit this information in your dashboard if you find any of it to be factually incorrect.

https://support.google.com/business/answer/9177958

Reach out to us for your connectivity needs to make the most of your online revenue- https://goo.gl/3gKUJZ

Thanks and have a good day!

The Week, That Was – August 2018 Week 2

In five minutes or less, keep track of the most important news of the week, curated just for you. We present to you hand – picked news on latest industry perspectives and some general updates. Read on!!

Luxury Ukrainian Hotel Leopolis Improves Revenue with RateTiger

Leopolis Hotel, a landmark Ukrainian hotel has successfully optimized online distribution connectivity to improve their hotel occupancy and revenue, by leveraging RateTiger.

https://goo.gl/ES1Cdy

 Trivago makes data on global hotel pricing trends more accessible to hoteliers

Global hotel metasearch trivago records hotel price shifts from over 400 booking sites for over 2 million hotels and alternative accommodations around the world in its Hotel Price Index.

Learn more about Rate Insights- https://businessblog.trivago.com/trivago-hotel-price-index/

 Google Hotel Ads launches Promoted Hotels

Google has launched a pilot test with a reduced number of partners and it will soon be open to more participants. Since it is a new advertising space, despite being in a well-known environment, it generates new demand for the direct channel, competing with other hotels and other sellers

https://goo.gl/RXvfyd

 Top tips to maximise ROI without compromising on the customer experience

Business will always be about the bottom line, but if personalised, functional service that gets the job done according to customer expectations and preferences come first, the rest should ultimately follow.

https://insights.ehotelier.com/insights/2018/08/09/top-tips-to-maximise-roi-without-compromising-on-the-customer-experience/

 Booking Holdings closely monitoring paid channels as it builds direct strategy

Booking Holdings says its continuing on its strategy to increase its direct business as it reported earnings for the second quarter of 2018. Booking Holdings also continues to build its travel offering through the development of its alternative accommodation platform, which now offers about 5.5 million listings of homes, apartments and other units.

https://www.phocuswire.com/Booking-Holdings-Q2-earnings-2018

How online payment trends are impacting the travel industry

The world of online payments is undergoing a rapid transformation. Whereas once customers had scant options – primarily credit cards and bank transfers – to make bookings over the internet, they now have an ever-expanding choice of 21st-century technology, from PayPal to MobilePay.

https://www.phocuswire.com/travel-payments-evolution

Connect with us for your connectivity needs to make the most of online revenue.
https://goo.gl/3gKUJZ

Thanks and have a good day!

 

The Week, That Was – July 2018 Week 3

In five minutes or less, keep track of the most important news of the week, curated just for you. We present to you hand – picked news on latest industry perspectives and some general updates. Read on!!

Expedia says packages are better for hotels than room-only

Hotels are achieving higher average daily rates (ADR) from consumers who book packages rather than just rooms, according to data from Expedia Group.

The online travel giant said consumers buying packages paid around 30% more in ADR than those making standalone hotel bookings.

https://www.tnooz.com/article/expedia-says-packages-are-better-for-hotels-than-room-only/

 Indian budget hotel endorses RateTiger Channel Manager for online distribution

Kolkata based IndiSmart Hotel has endorsed RateTiger for simplifying online distribution. The property has been using eRevMax’s cloud-based Channel Manager and Shopper for managing their online sales channels and has improved their business operational efficiency.

https://goo.gl/gyX3Jr

Hotels.com launches hideaway hotels category

Hotels.com has introduced the Hideaway Hotels category in response to a lift in bookings in the last two years, with a 60% spike in guests leaving positive reviews for off-the-grid hotels.

https://goo.gl/N3SCFX

Is hotel luxury dead?

When hotel discount brokers offer “luxury” accommodations at $49 a night, as occurred during the recent Independence Day holiday, does the word “luxury” have any useful meaning?

Read the interesting article: http://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/is-hotel-luxury-dead/travel-hospitality-event-management#When:13:51:00Z

 How Booking.com is trying to solve travel’s pain points

The CMO of Booking.com explains how the company is trying to ease some of those unhappy surprises. Learn more about it by watching the video.

https://goo.gl/4AoyiF

Google tests location tab for hotel knowledge panels

Google is testing a new location tab and section within the hotel knowledge panels. The location tab contains information that tells you what is around the hotel, including sections such as highlights, top sights and a getting-around section.

https://goo.gl/v4eKcn

Connect with us for your connectivity needs to make the most of online revenue.
https://goo.gl/3gKUJZ

Thanks and have a good day!

The Week, That Was – July 2018 Week 1

In five minutes or less, keep track of the most important news of the week, curated just for you. We present to you hand – picked news on latest industry perspectives and some general updates. Read on!!

VHP Announces Connectivity Integration with RateTiger
Manage your online sales channels directly from one of APAC’s largest PMS, via RateTiger HotelChannelManager. Experience 2-way seamless hoteldistributionconnectivity for distributing rates and inventory to channels and getting reservations back into the PMS – all managed from the PMS interface.

https://goo.gl/SXFjEd

China’s travel tech companies make steady progress with AI
Use cases of artificial intelligence are being refined as Chinese technology companies become sophisticated with the handling of massive data volumes, crafting advanced algorithms and embrace improvements in computing power and storage. The application of AI is being used in improving the efficiency of traditional travel agents by working out a customized trip itinerary in a matter of seconds, recommending add-ons based on the traveler’s previous bookings or recent trip planning behaviors and curbing payment-related fraud.

https://www.tnooz.com/article/ai-travel-use-cases-china/

Next generation of travel tech leaders
The current crop of leaders of the industry were brought up on the early days of ecommerce. They created and integrated many of the systems and processes that are second nature today to how the online sector works. The next generation of industry leaders are digital natives, as the phrase goes, potentially giving them a different perspective on it all. Check out this video that discusses current issues and tips from the industry elders.

https://www.phocuswire.com/Video-young-leaders-travel-technology

Who are the biggest innovators in hospitality?
Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne put six innovation scenarios to test and asked hospitality industry executives what scenario(s) were more likely to take place in their organization within the next three to five years. Download the full report to know about the test.

http://hotelmarketing.com/index.php/content/article/who_are_the_biggest_innovators_in_hospitality

Economist: Hoteliers should prepare for a downturn
While the outlook shared by many hoteliers has remained relatively upbeat as the hotel industry has enjoyed a prolonged up-cycle, at least one economist warns that the good times probably won’t last much longer.

http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/287183/Economist-Hoteliers-should-prepare-for-a-downturn

Connect with us for your connectivity needs to make the most of online revenue.
https://goo.gl/3gKUJZ

Thanks and have a good day!

HospitalityUnited.Club highlights OTA duopoly in American Online Hotel Booking Space

HospitalityUnited.Club, a consortium of travel technology companies, has published an e-book titled ‘USA Travel Trends 2018’ highlighting key travel metrics and indicators in the region, in partnership with HRS Group, LiveOS, RateTiger and Sojern.

The e-book highlights the dominance of Expedia and Booking.com group companies in the USA online hotel booking space, controlling almost 95% of the OTA market.

The e-book shows that while traditional channels like voice, call center and tour operators are still preferred means of hotel reservations, growth of online booking is outpacing them by over 300%. Interestingly, unlike Europe, hotels are getting more online bookings through their brand website, indicating robust digital presence.

While metasearch remains strong as ever, Google has emerged as a serious channel, ranking first, when travellers look for pricing information. The search engine is also sending the most qualified leads to the hotel websites, even though, metasearch channels are dominated by OTAs.

The e-book also highlights that inspite of being one of the most matured online markets, one out of three people still feel uncomfortable booking hotels on mobile. This explains why mobile booking growth is lower in USA when compared to APAC.

To get more interesting insights, download the free infographic here.

The Week, That Was – June 2018 Week 2

In five minutes or less, keep track of the most important news of the week, curated just for you. We present to you hand – picked news on latest industry perspectives and some general updates. Read on!!

 

Hotel Beacon NYC recommends RateTiger as the most effective Channel Manager
The upscale hotel has been using RTConnect for 2-way XML connectivity between its property management system and online sales channels for the last three years to effectively manage all its demand partners seamlessly.

https://goo.gl/tJt9yX

How TripAdvisor ranks hotels
Online guest reviews have become worth their weight in gold to hotels. Today, a huge 95% of people read a travel review before they book a trip, which means building a strong online reputation plays a fundamental part in attracting guests and driving bookings.

http://www.traveltripper.com/blog/how-does-tripadvisor-rank-hotels/

Securing last-minute bookings during peak season
Peak season in travel presents its own unique challenges. The article explores why deep discounting may not always be the winning recipe to secure late bookings and how thinking outside the box is necessary to maximise revenue. Every hotelier and property has to deal with peaks and troughs in demand, but if rooms need to be filled at the last-minute, being able to think beyond dropping prices and taking a more strategic approach could give you that crucial competitive edge.

https://click.booking.com/features/2018/06/04/securing-last-minute-bookings-peak-season/

Are hoteliers too skeptical of artificial intelligence?
AI disruption has already begun in the business world, and the hospitality industry should pay close attention. Hotel companies must already be strategizing about how they can take advantage of this inevitable new wave of automation and guest-experience evolution.

https://www.phocuswire.com/Hoteliers-skeptical-of-AI

How and why you have to deal with the watershed that is GDPR
The GDPR is a watershed event that will impact every business that collects personal information, wherever located, and no industry will be more impacted that the hospitality industry. Other companies can choose not to do business with EU citizens; some companies have determined that it is impossible to comply and have actually closed. That is not an option for hotels. Hotel companies need to understand the goals and requirements of the GDPR. The nature of hotels and the various data holding sources such as OTA bookings and PMS systems escalate the regulation for travel and hospitality industries.

https://ehotelier.com/global/2018/06/08/deal-watershed-gdpr/

In land of the giants, smaller OTAs find ways to grab customers
According to Phocuswright’s U.S. Online Travel Overview 17th Edition Report published in February, OTAs’ market share rose to 19% in 2017 from 17% in 2015. Booking Holdings brands Priceline and Booking.com accounted for 23% of the U.S. OTA market share last year, while Expedia brands (excluding Egencia and HomeAway) accounted for 69%.

http://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Technology/Smaller-OTAs-find-ways-to-grab-customers

Connect with us for your connectivity needs to make the most of online revenue.
https://goo.gl/3gKUJZ

Thanks and have a good day!

 

The Week, That Was – May 2018 Week 1

In five minutes or less, keep track of the most important news of the week, curated just for you. We present to you hand – picked news on latest industry perspectives and some general updates. Read on!!


5 Signs It’s Time To Change Your Hotel Property Management System
Hotel property management system (PMS) is the beating heart of your hotel – responsible for streamlining operations, optimizing guest service and maximizing revenue. However, like most technology, it has a limited lifespan. As technology evolves, so will your property’s (and guest’s) unique needs and goals; resulting in the inevitable necessity to reevaluate your current PMS.

https://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article99628.html

Hotel OTTO Berlin recommends RateTiger for channel connectivity
Hotel OTTO, an upscale property in Berlin has recommended RateTiger Channel Manager for stable and seamless connectivity with world’s leading OTAs. The hotel, which has been using eRevMax’s award winning distribution solution, has improved its online exposure resulting in positive revenue and occupancy growth.

https://goo.gl/UJ1mm9

How hoteliers can win the upsell gamble with perfect timing
Through 80 DAYS Benchmark we know that the average conversion rate of a 4/5 star hotel website tends to be in the range of 0.4 – 2.0%, dependent on a variety of factors. We also know that a hotel booking engine typically converts at around 4%. Armed with this knowledge, hoteliers should simply upsell during the booking process – while their potential guest is a captive audience?

https://www.eighty-days.com/2018/how-hoteliers-can-win-the-upsell-gamble-with-perfect-timing/

Rimor by Expedia is a Chrome Extension That Will Inspire You to Travel
With the Rimor Chrome Extension, you can turn your blank new browser tabs into astounding images of destinations around the world. You can add favorite destinations, and later look back on them when it comes time to plan a trip.

https://beebom.com/rimor-by-expedia-chrome-travel-extension/

Hotels Have a Growing Guest Loyalty Problem … and They May Not Even Know It
The ability to inspire guest loyalty is, without a doubt, a valuable predictor of long-term success within the hospitality industry. Loyal guests bring recurring revenue, and positive reviews, feedback, and recommendations, inspiring a virtuous circle of reward.

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4088226.html

How “Google My Business” can increase your hotel’s bookings
According to Search Engine Land, local Google reviews are on the rise, with an astounding 278% exponential increase in reviews for US local based businesses (from 2015 to 2016). In this context, managing your hotel’s reviews on Google becomes an important part of successfully managing your reputation and making your hotel visible in search.

http://www.trustyou.com/blog/hotel-tips/google-business-can-increase-hotels-bookings

Connect with us for your connectivity needs to make the most of online revenue. https://goo.gl/3gKUJZ

Thanks and have a good day!