Latest News from Hospitality Industry – W2, April 2022

Here is your weekly industry news round-up. Check out the short snippets here and follow below for more details.

  • TripActions has seen travel spend increase a whopping 220% from January through March 2022, jumping 1650% YoY in March 2022.
  • Online Travel Agents (OTAs) are seeing a sharp rise in traffic and engagement. From the trough in April 2020 of 30.6 mil. visits, OTAs have seen a 327% increase in traffic to 130.7 million.
  • Travelers are more interested in self-contained forms of accommodation. In STR’s latest survey shows Growing Interest in Short-Term Rentals during the pandemic.
  • Meta search becomes important, particularly for independent hoteliers. In 2022, the number of travelers using a meta search system is significantly higher compared to earlier study.
  • With excitement building around travel again, people are turning to Twitter to engage with their communities as they look for travel inspiration and advice. In fact, there’s been a rise of responses in the timeline about recommendations, destinations, and how to have the best experience.

Reach out to us for your hotel channel manager, rate shopper, booking engine, website development or digital marketing 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.

Enjoy the read!

March blew the doors off of business travel

With Omicron cases decreasing and travel restrictions dropping, spending for U.S. business travel has seen a huge growth in the past two months, according to the latest TripActions data.

https://tripactions.com/blog/state-of-business-travel-and-expense-q1-2022

OTAs seeing sharp rise in traffic and engagement

According to Similarweb’s 2022 Travel Industry Insights Report, since January, traffic to top domains in the car rental, hotel and vacation rental sectors has been at or above levels seen in those months during 2019.

https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A8b9cf383-5024-3461-8a39-28ed34348143#pageNum=1

Accommodation preferences shift from pre-pandemic norms

STR’s latest travel and accommodation research show that travelers’ perceptions of accommodation are shifting in terms of their interest in different types of accommodation product.

https://www.costar.com/article/2093302295/travelers-accommodation-preferences-shift-from-pre-pandemic-norms

Travelboom: Why Meta matters for direct hotel bookings

Paid search delivers phenomenal results but still lacks the ability to dynamically display an actual nightly rate. This is where meta search becomes so important, particularly for independent hoteliers.

https://www.travelboommarketing.com/blog/why-meta-matters-for-direct-hotel-bookings/

The power of mobile in driving direct traffic conversions for hotels

Mobile is no longer a second thought as it dominates online traffic to hotel websites.

https://blog.thehotelsnetwork.com/mobile-hotel-bookings

Travel is trending on Twitter again

Underlining the rising interest in travel, Twitter has provided some new insights into how users are tweeting about holidays and travel topics, and what brands need to know about the latest trends.

https://marketing.twitter.com/en/insights/twitter-conversation-report-travel-2022

 

 

 

 

How Hotels Can Serve New Age Business Travelers Better?

After the pandemic hit, the blow taken by business travel might slowly get back to pre-pandemic levels but it will never look the same. Businesses are re-evaluating their priorities and thinking differently about corporate travels. Statistics show a drop of 61% in Global Business Travel in 2020 due to the impact of coronavirus. Though the eventual scale and shape of corporate life are returning, it is still slow.

Events, conferences and trade shows, which render the most business trips, were happening virtually, but with competition and growth imperatives, business leaders realize the value of face-to-face interaction. This, in turn, is necessitating the resumption of Business Travel.

Below are a few pointers to consider when trying to attract business travelers of the changing era:

1. Communication is a good start

With prevention of Covid, has come along a lot of restrictions which make simple and straightforward journeys, complicated. With the world shifting to normal, business travelers need to communicate to simplify the complexities of the restrictions.

Communicating and understanding the priorities of business travelers can help hotels serve them better. Communication will help rebuild the brand loyalty of hotels for business travelers which might have been affected due to Covid.

2. Touch-less experience is on the rise

During Covid, a lot of hotels have taken help of technology to spread safety precautions and stay well within restriction limits. Some of which includes online check-in/check-out, online payments, mobile solutions for self-service during stay, digital room keys, etc.

Technology has improved safety and simplified customer experience by convenience and faster processes. Business travellers need a simplified booking process that allows them to choose from more property and rate options and provides better availability. The coming years also pose many possibilities for more advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and virtual reality.

3. Hybrid events are the tomorrow of Business Travel

Hybrid events are events that incorporate both virtual as well as in-person elements. Where 71% indicated that hybrid events were not included in their program, 65% have stated that they are interested in having an increased number of hybrid events post pandemic. It is important to understand that virtual and hybrid events still need a venue.

Hotels for business travelers should ensure that they have the proper infrastructure to support advanced amenities for hybrid events. Updating safety highlights, offering onsite technical support, utilizing virtual tours and offering personalized hybrid events can cover most Business Travelers need for hybrid events.

4. Provisions for “Bleisure” Traveler

Bleisure is a mix of the word business with leisure. Many business travelers tend to extend their stay beyond business, especially when it is in a leisure travel destination or big cities. Crafting different packages for “Bleisure” travelers could help drive demands and generate additional revenue.

92% of organizations suspended business travel during the early months of the pandemic (National Geographic, 2020). With restrictions for Covid being removed, this number is slowly changing. Offering packages and discounts at restaurants and Spa could excite and encourage business travelers to extend their stay for leisure time.

5. Alternative accommodations are in:

Alternative accommodation is another business travel trend introduced by the new age corporate travelers. It includes all those types of accommodations which are available outside the formal accommodation sector. Home-like accommodations and smaller boutique hotels has increased popularity among hotels for business travellers in this new age.

Alternative accommodations allow more business travellers to prioritize comfort and relaxation during work. Non – traditional accommodations provide such amenities for business travellers which give them the opportunity to explore the destination in a new way.

Discovering and shaping what tomorrow holds:

Although China dominates the business travel market, United States outpaces everyone in spending on business travel by a wide margin (WTTC, 2021). Another report suggests Asia has become the world’s largest business travel market (Hospitalitynet, 2019). According to another survey, international business travelers consider travel as valuable to both personal as well as professional growth. As we can see, although business travel had taken a hard blow from the pandemic, times are shifting and corporate travel is rising again without any doubt.

Businesses are re-evaluating their benefits from business travel. Customer loyalty and market share will go to those hotels for business travelers who can stay relevant and responsive to the varying business traveler needs. Health and safety still remaining the priority, business travel market is on the rise, post pandemic and the growth will be more than ever before.

 

Top 7 Hotel Tech Trends to Watch Out in 2022

Traveler expectations and behaviour keep changing! The hospitality industry for long has always been adapting to changes in the latest technology to be up-to-speed. From the way guests search for a hotel to the booking process, communication, check-in, room service, check-out, after-service; the industry has witnessed tremendous change and upgradation.

To call the last 2 years challenging for the hotel industry would be an understatement.  However the industry has always bounced back and there is a hope that it would emerge even stronger from the present crisis. As we all hope for a successful 2022, RateTiger brings you the latest hotel tech trends to know what is happening in the industry.

Reshape the Hospitality Industry In 2022 with hotel technology.

 1. Unified Solution – Here to Rule

For long data silos has been a cause of concern for hoteliers. Revenue and distribution managers use on average 8-10 tech solutions each having its own reporting system. Making data talk to each other would have made things much simpler. Thanks to today’s unified platform hotels finally can have access to integrated analytics. These types of platforms bring all key solutions in one place thereby connecting and delivering real-time insights from all booking channels.

Hotel Channel Manager is the central platform that unites all the properties under a brand and brings them together along with other functionalities of the hotel: restaurant, spa, gym, sports club, pool, etc.

2. Technology is on Clouds

 The world has moved to cloud-based technology and so are hoteliers. A cloud-based technology not only eases the hotel management process for the hoteliers but also gives them easy access to hotel data from anywhere they want. Advanced solutions that uses AI help the hotel owners predict the upcoming trend and be prepared for it in advance. Integrating AI and ML into hotel operations, helps the hotel operators save on manual costs and invest better on user-friendly, efficient and optimized hotel management software.

3. Invest in Booking Engine to Earn More

Booking Engine is a platform that will increase your ROI by bringing in direct bookings to your hotel. Therefore, it has to be flexible and mobile friendly. It should be simple, well-defined and attractive for the customers to browse through and get them to make a booking without investing much time.

Integrating the Booking Engine with the hotel’s PMS, RMS, Channel Manager and other hotel tech solutions will automate the workflow and sales process. Connecting a booking engine to the sales conversion tool will assist the sales team keep a track on lead generation and conversion.

Coming with a variety of features, Hotel Booking Engine allows you to target corporate bookings by displaying different offers and visuals along with room rates and dates. Grabbing more direct bookings saves on commission cost paid to OTAs and other third-parties like travel agencies.

4. Hotel Digital Marketing to Redefine Brand Value

Internet and social media has become people’s daily partner. They can’t imagine a day without it. In the present world, people look for everything online: whether it is which place to go on a vacation to which hotel to stay to where to eat to what activities to do and so on. What they don’t do or like is being bothered by hotel staff for every small thing.

Integrate social media channels like Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram to contact and share details over texts instead of calling. Go digital, integrate social media channels, expand your reach and increase your revenue to not only redefine your brand but provide  people with the service they like.

5. Gain Visibility with Google Hotel Ads

Google Hotel Ads is the largest Metasearch channel  that displays your hotel rates and availability in comparison to other OTAs (Online Travel Agencies) displaying clear and real-time status. Being the largest search engine and the epitome of digital marketing, Google Hotel Ads is the best and safest way to present your hotel to a millions at a go.

In March 2021, Google announced waving off fees for hotel booking links to make the booking process simpler and comprehensive. With this they created an organic list of hotels with their intelligence tool providing free visibility to hotels, OTAs, and other booking sites.

To make the most of this all you need to do is create a business profile on Google, list your property, and sign up for Google Adwords. With nearly 4 billion Google users around the world, it is the best platform to start ads on and achieve the maximum leads. Linking your hotel’s website to the Ads, you also increase the website traffic and brand’s visibility.

6. Go Mobile with Responsive view

Mobile optimization is one of the most important aspects of hotel landscape today. 50% of the traffic on the web comes from mobile devices. This makes it crucial for the hotel website, booking engine, OTA to be mobile-responsive. Nearly 77% of the travelers search for hotels on their mobile phone.

With the drastic rise in mobile bookings, focussing on mobile users’ need and tailoring to their convenience will deliver more bookings and better revenue.

7. Check-in check-out Automation

With pandemic being the new normal, both the hoteliers and guests look for contactless travel and stay. Using the SaaS technology, the hotels owners can create an app for the hotel. This app will not only automate the workflow but initiate automated check-in check-out process.

You can hyperlink the app URL to the website for the guests to download it directly from there. Once downloaded, the guests can update their personal details to begin the check-in process. The data is then sent to the hotel’s software system for them to complete the process from their end. This way, having a mobile app reduces risk for both hoteliers and the guests and streamlines the process in less time.

Get Ready to Welcome Your Guests

 2022 is unpredictable and so is the travel and tourism industry, but going innovative and tech-rich is the only solution to survive. If not today, these hotel tech trends 2022 will definitely bring in more bookings and revenue to your property in the coming days. So, what are you waiting for?

It’s time to reshape your hotel and get back to business with RateTiger!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Latest News from Hospitality Industry – W4, March 2022

Here is your weekly industry news round-up. Check out the short snippets here and follow below for more details.

Good news – US booking sites seeing strong demand for 2022 travel. The rush to book summer vacation homes has further accelerated in 2022.

With changing times, comes change in preferences and demand of travelers. Online reputation is one of the major factors that help provide constant revenue for a hotel. Know the key hacks on how to provide guests with the best possible experience.

As the hospitality and travel industry continues to recover, and with group and business sectors still trailing behind, predicting transient travel demand patterns becomes more critical than ever. Hoteliers are also rethinking their approaches toward the transient space.

As U.S. hotels continue to recover from the devastating effects of the pandemic, there is still widespread agreement that group demand will be the last segment to recover.

Hotels are now following Remarketing & Retargeting strategy. The best and most effective method for display advertising is to stay top of mind with consumers.  Learn how hotel PPC campaigns can help increase occupancy.

Reach out to us for your hotel channel manager, CRS, rate shopper, hotel booking engine, website development or digital marketing 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.

Enjoy the read!

newshound- ratetiger-hospitality

OTAs seeing strong demand for 2022 travel

Booking sites are seeing higher demand for spring and summer leisure travel as Covid-19 restrictions ease. The rush to book summer vacation homes has further accelerated in 2022.

https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/consumer/us-booking-sites-seeing-strong-demand-for-2022-travel

Enhance Guest Experience in your Hotel

Guest experience is the key to more bookings & revenue. A happy guest is likely to spread happiness by sharing his satisfactory experience. Travelers trust reviews more than anything else while making a booking. Click below to know the hacks to enhance guest experience in your hotel – https://lnkd.in/dkiyG_ga

Spring break, Easter trends predictive of US travel demand

As the hospitality industry continues to recover, and the business sector still trailing behind, predicting transient travel demand patterns becomes more critical than ever.

https://www.costar.com/article/687827198/spring-break-easter-trends-predictive-of-us-travel-demand

Hybrid hotels, beyond recreating the comforts of home

As the traditional definitions associated with travel, work, and living continue to expand and overlap, hoteliers are also rethinking their approaches toward the transient space.

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4109575.html

Hotels look to attract group demand back

Though rumors of group demand death have been wildly exaggerated, it will take time, effort, savvy operations and an “all hands-on deck” approach to drive full-service hotel recovery.

https://www.hotelmanagement.net/operate/hotels-look-attract-back-group-demand

Travelboom: Hotel remarketing & retargeting strategies

It’s likely every hotel marketer has heard the terms hotel remarketing and retargeting before. Know why hotels and resorts should be using their hotel PPC campaigns to increase occupancy.

https://www.travelboommarketing.com/blog/retargeting-remarketing-for-hotels/

 

 

 

Enhance Guest Experience in your Hotel

When we are trying to buy a product but get doubts about which brand of the product to buy, the first thing that we do is check reviews. The thing about online is that when it comes to reputation, people can trust strangers as much as friends. One or two bad reviews and it lead us to skip that product. Yes, that’s how dominating the customer review for a product or service is in the market. It is not any different in the hotel industry. With changing times, comes change in preferences and demand of travelers. Online reputation is one of the major factors that help provide constant revenue for a hotel.

Guest Experience - hotels- RateTiger

According to TripAdvisor, even before the pandemic, four out of five people said TripAdvisor makes them feel more confident in their booking decisions. Online reviews are social proof that hotels can not afford to ignore. More so, after a post-pandemic world where safety and protection are paramount to potential guests. How would they know your property would be safe for them? By having a higher star rating over your competitors and offer prompt responses to guest reviews, you can prove travellers your sincerity to provide guests the best possible experience.

Why is positive customer feedback important?

 Positive Review helps in Brand Building

When guest are satisfied with their stay at a place, they give positive reviews which spread through the internet or by word of mouth. Guests trust the experience of guests. According to Expedia, close to 3 out of 4 times, a customer will place guest ratings higher than a hotel. What’s more, they would happily to pay a bit higher for positive guest reviews. Participants in the Expedia study said they’d rather pay 24% more for a hotel that’s rated 3.9 versus 2.4 and 35% more for a hotel with a 4.4 rating than one with a 3.9 rating.

Positive Reviews Communicate Quality

Happy guests are likely to spread their happiness by leaving positive words. These positive testimonials often give a positive impression of quality. Travelers travelling for fun would not compromise on quality and good quality service is something they look for when booking a hotel.

Bad Review make Customers chose Competitors

 One bad review does not mean just loss of reputation but also loss of guests, and in turn, revenue. With a bad review, potential guests trust the hotel less and tend to choose the next best hotel.  Questionable credibility and bad reputation is often hard to fix and rebuild.

Positive Review gives Higher Search Engine Rank

 Positive reviews imply how well a hotel knows their customers and can fulfill their demands. Search Engines always recommends the best for their guests. Having positive reviews will make your hotel rank higher in the search engines. Prioritizing and promoting positive reviews establish customer loyalty and helps increase guest retention.

How to improve guest experience?

 Hotel experience doesn’t exist just during the time they are staying in the hotel but it starts even before guest bookings. They might not be tech-savvy and need help with booking. They might not be aware of extra-charges. They might have special demands like provision for aged guests. There should be deals that excite and interest guests rather than just merely telling them that you offer great deal and services. Being creative and adding value to your property plays vital role in satisfying guests.

1. User- Friendly and Attractive Website

Your hotel’s website is the face of your hotel. Even before guest book a room in it, they visit your website for minute details. Your website must be an example of how it feels to be staying in your hotel. Including high-quality texts and images portraying the best features that make your hotel different from the others could be a good beginning.

The website need not have too many pages, but it important to tell your guests everything about your hotel; the spa that you have, the gym that you have, the massive banquet hall and the special offers for the month that you have. Every minute detail should be on the website. But what if, your guest wants to reserve a table at the fine dining restaurant that you have at the 2nd floor of your hotel? Here, it is very important to provide easy access to reservations be it in the spa, the dining table or most importantly the room. Being user-friendly not only help guests give positive reviews but it leads to direct bookings.

Talking about direct bookings, it is also very important for your website to be linked effectively with a convenient booking engine to help guests make their bookings smoothly. Guests can experience impressionable hospitality, when directly booking through a website which gives more exposure to your hotel.

2. Make Guests Feel Special with Services

Once the guests are done booking from your website, a warm welcome along with a booking confirmation gives them the confidence of good spending. Attaching hotel location on Google map links, highlighting the services and amenities they could avail during their stay in a nicely designed email could do the work effectively. Thanking them for choosing your property, other upsell packages, sending them personalized messages about ongoing deals that they can avail during their stay, and sending them welcoming messages a day before their arrival are other ways to build a relation with the guests.

Say the check-in time is at 12 noon but the guest lands at 8 in the morning and asks for early check-in.  Should you deny? No. This is a great opportunity to show your guests that you care for them. Early check-in can be a great opportunity to create impression with your guests rather just making them wait in the lobby until the check-in time. What if no rooms are available until check-in time? Offer them a relaxing room or lounge, along with a TV, or if possible a good view for them, spends their time. Making your guests comfort your priority will definitely leave an impression.

Simple gestures like greeting them personally on arrival or checking if they are comfortable during their stay go a long way in making your guests feel special.

3. Neat and Clean along with Hygiene

Imagine walking into a hotel you spend your hard earned money on, and finding the paint is falling off the walls, there’s spider web on the ceiling corner and the sofa in the waiting room is coffee stained. Would you continue your stay there, forget about giving a positive review? Guests love to see neat and well-maintained rooms. The most complaints that come to front desk are about cleanliness. Hence, it is very important to focus on cleanliness and maintenance of your property.

Keeping fresh clean linens and towels, discarding stained linens, sweeping and mopping rooms everyday should be the basic maintenance in all hotels. Apart from this, make sure all electronic appliances are working properly and there are no loose wires. The water in the bathroom should be clean and there should be no leakages from any pipes. Provision for both hot as well as cold water should be there in every room. Waste bins should be emptied after every check-out.

Apart from cleanliness, guests are cautious of hygiene. Extra care should be taken on cleaning shared spaces like the gym, swimming pool, restaurants, lounge and bars. High touch areas requires intensified cleaning and especially during the pandemic times. Providing enough sanitization and avoiding over-crowding in shared spaces especially, has become crucial in the recent times. Dishes and spoons, if reusable, should be thoroughly washed for better hygiene.

5. Other Amenities and Services

After a long journey, your guest walks into your hotel and has to wait in queue to check-in.

If you were a guest, would you like it? No. Offering online check-in and check-out not only saves time for your guests but it also makes the process easier for hoteliers. Plus, it offers safety in the age of pandemic. If the guest requires any extra service, he does not have to walk-up to the front desk but instead can do it online from the comfort of his room. By automating communication between guest and front desk, you level-up guest experience and avoid forming queues at the lobby.

Giving proper training to your hotel staff, including greeting guests and addressing guest also accounts in guest experience. Extra effort to provide personalized services pays off in positive guest experience. Training your staff to be attentive and polite in all circumstances can help guests be more open about their demands helping you to serve them better.

Who does not like free stuffs? Offering complimentary drinks and other complimentary services along with the stay package is an easy way to earn those extra positive comments.

Your Hotel is your Guests’ Hotel

 The best thing that can help you know what is going to serve your guests better is by placing yourself in their shoes. If you were a guest, what would you be expecting from a hotel? Asking yourself how would you like to be treated, gives you the best answer as to what you can do better. Just in case, you do not know what more to do to make your customers happy, or you are in doubt as in what more could you do to make your customers happy then refer to their reviews. Reach out to your customers asking them what better you could do and if they like your hotel and services. Remember, while freebies make your guests happy, it’s the service that will stay with you.

Reach out to us for your Hotel Channel ManagerCRSRate ShopperBooking EngineWebsite Development or Digital Marketing 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

 

 

 

Latest News and Top Tech Trends from Hospitality Industry – W2, March 2022

Here is your weekly industry news round-up. Check out the short snippets here and follow below for more details.

RateTiger has earned 2022 Elite status with Expedia Group! Learn more about our high-quality connection and how we can empower your business growth. Check out this in the first news piece below.

Travel is seeing the biggest revolution ever. “This revolution really is about flexibility. Suddenly you can live anywhere, you can work anywhere,” said Brian Chesky, CEO of Airbnb at Skift Global Forum on Travel.

UNESCO and Expedia Group will support the EU Ecolabel by offering the existing certified Tourist Accommodations the signatories’ status to UNESCO Pledge. This aims to promote sustainable travel, community resilience and heritage conservation globally.

Today’s digitally savvy travellers are doing more research, on more online booking platforms before booking hotel rooms and  hoteliers carefully managing a guest’s stay to enhance its digital reputation.

Tripadvisor released its seasonal Spring Travel Index, using a combination of search and sentiment data to reveal what – and where – is hot this spring. After a slower winter with new variants curbing many vacation plans, travel is in full bloom this spring and the strength of leisure travel demand during warm weather months has driven a rebound in U.S. hotel industry performance the past two years.

Reach out to us for your hotel channel manager, rate shopper, booking engine, or website development 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.

Enjoy the read!

RateTiger Recognized as Top Connectivity Provider

RateTiger has earned Elite Connectivity Partner status with Expedia Group, the highest designation available in their Connectivity Partner Program. The Expedia Group Connectivity Partner Program recognizes and rewards top connectivity providers.

https://ratetiger.com/ratetiger-recognized-as-top-connectivity-provider/

Travel seeing biggest revolution in a century

As the world undergoes a revolution in how we live and work, more people are blending everyday life with travel. The ability and desire to live and work from anywhere was once considered a short-lived opportunity at the beginning of the pandemic or something for young backpackers.

https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/X-16972502.php

More hotels sign up to Expedia’s UNESCO sustainable travel pledge

Global initiative additions include Melia Hotels International, THB Hotels, Universal Hotels, and more.

https://hospitalitytech.com/momentum-grows-expedia-group-and-unesco-sustainable-travel-pledge-new-signatories

What is your hotel doing to stand-out?

Today’s digitally savvy travelers are doing more research, on more online booking platforms before booking hotel rooms.

https://www.traveldailymedia.com/todays-hotel-guest-is-online-and-digitally-savvy-what-is-your-hotel-doing-to-stand-out/amp/

Tripadvisor’s Spring Travel Index shows Americans are spending big

Over half of Americans are planning on traveling this spring, with over a third planning on taking two or more trips – and travelers are also planning to splash more cash.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tripadvisors-spring-travel-index-shows-americans-are-spending-big-prioritizing-rr-this-season-301498451.html

Spring forward: US hoteliers hope for another demand boom

Hoteliers believe that demand for leisure travel is setting the stage for another strong spring and summer, but visibility remains short, and questions remain about group and business travel.

https://www.costar.com/article/1494723711/us-hoteliers-hope-for-another-demand-boom-with-mother-of-all-spring-breaks

 

 

 

 

Metasearch Advertising & Marketing – Key to Increase Hotel’s Visibility

Interest in travelling never diminishes!

It’s true the pandemic has brought a big blow to the travel industry but slowly the industry is coming back to form. 2021 was better than 2020 and so is expected down the line in 2022 and years to come.

But the question is: Are you prepared to tackle the new upcoming rush to your hotel?

The Pandemic Isn’t Permanent

Whether a brand is making profit/loss, the travel industry doesn’t sleep. Your guests might be now sleeping in their homes, but this is the best time for you to anticipate your Plan of Action to lead the market when it opens.

Though the industry was going slow Metasearch advertising started booming with Google’s entry into the Google Hotel Ads. This revamped the marketing structure for hotels and reduced dependency on OTAs. Have you included Metasearch marketing in your advertising plan and budget?

Keep reading to know how to boost your hotel’s outreach and ROI via Metasearch advertising.

What is Metasearch Engine?

Like any search engine, Metasearch Engine is the channel that presents to you results from various websites. A search engine has its own database and sends crawlers over the web the moment a user types anything on the search tab.  Metasearch works similarly but it doesn’t have its own database. Metasearch sends crawlers to different websites and therefore, combines and prepares a list of the related sites from all sources. This was Metasearch vs. search engine.

Next, you need to understand that Metasearch isn’t a booking platform. It is an advertising platform that brings several hotel booking channels together bidding for a room.

In simple terms, Metasearch Engine brings you a list of websites (in this case: hotel sites/ OTAs) for the customer to browse and compare the prices of the same room on different platforms. It is the gateway to bring qualified traffic to your hotel’s website.

Why Do You Need Metasearch for Your Hotel?

With technological advancement, people are also progressing! The Internet has brought everything to their fingertips from travelling plans to hotel bookings to return journeys. So, instead of flipping through multiple OTAs, the customers prefer to have all the room rates and features listed on one platform for better decision making. This makes sites like Trivago, Google Hotel Ads, TripAdvisor so popular and successful in today’s time.

It only increases your visibility to the prospective travellers but only gives you the freedom to own the relationship with the guests.

Working of Metasearch for Hotels:

Witnessing the importance and the rising bookings on Metasearch platforms, Online Travel Agencies have started participating with different Metasearch providers. When a potential customer looks for a hotel on Metasearch, it shows them a list of the hotels in that location and dates with prices on several OTAs and sites at a go.

Finding the best deal, the traveller is free to click on the link they want to book from and make the booking instantly. Unlike an OTA, you cannot book directly from Metasearch and this is how it helps you own the relationship with your customers. In return, the OTA/ hotels pay the Metasearch in CPC or CPA or a referral fee.

Now, when you are up on Metasearch platforms like Trivago, Google Hotel Ads, Kayak, and TripAdvisor, the booking process wouldn’t be simpler for the prospective customers:

  • A traveller searches for a hotel on a Metasearch website.
  • He/ she finds a list of hotels available with real-time rates from different sites/ OTA.
  • RateTiger bids on behalf of you to get your hotel on top of the list and maximum visibility.
  • The traveller clicks on the link and makes a direct booking.
  • Metasearch charges a fee in exchange from the hotel owner or the OTA.

Metasearch Advertising is a win-win for all – Hotel owners/ OTAs/ Metasearch websites.

All you need to do is find the right Metasearch advertising partner to invest your budget at the right place. Keeping your visibility intact, Metasearch marketing is of utmost importance to boost your hotel outreach in the time of Google Hotels Ads.

Key to Success with Metasearch

From individual hotels to big chains to OTAs, Metasearch is the apt platform to boost your reach and bookings. While hotel owners find this advertising method a bit complex, the OTAs are dominating every popular Metasearch website.

Regardless of experienced or a beginner, small or high on budget; all you need to do is strategize your marketing plan to bounce back post-Covid-19.

  • Choose the Right Site

All Metasearch engines aren’t the same. Some provide better results than others. Whereas, some are used more in one location and less in the other. Choose the right platform used by your target customers.

  • Join Hands with Technology

Technology is the backbone of every business. Handling another platform may be daunting for the management team. Sync the Metasearch platform to your hotel channel manager and avail seamless bookings.

  • Bidding Models as per Site Demand

The one-for-all formula doesn’t work here! Read, research, experiment and modify to figure out which bidding strategy works for which website. Do not blindly follow the “Be on the top” principle. At times, targeting the 3rd or 4th position on a platform gives you a better ROI.

  • Maintain Price Parity

Remember the audience is here to book a room. So, make sure to maintain price parity with your competitors to not your prospective customer to them. Again, technology can help you to compare and set the price in line with the competitor’s price.

If you aren’t on Metasearch platforms yet, it’s time to update your hotel marketing plan and includes Metasearch advertising in your POA to boost your reach.

Connect with us for your connectivity needs to make the most of hotel online revenue- https://ratetiger.com/contact/

What’s New in Hotel Distribution and Tech Trends? W1, March 2022

Here is your weekly industry news round-up. Check out the short snippets here and follow below for more details.

Exciting news!! RateTiger is the first Channel Manager to offer Occupancy Based Pricing (OBP) for Hotelbeds. This new pricing model gives hoteliers the power to maximize the room exposure by displaying different occupancy options on Hotelbeds.

The travel industry is undergoing one of its biggest-ever transformations with Blockchain. Since its implementation it is helping increase competitive advantage, improve customer satisfaction and enhance performance.

While leisure demand has been the darling of the hotel recovery, hotel executives believe they’re in the very early stages of a robust comeback for group travel and events.

According to McKinsey’s research, the pandemic has accelerated digital transformation by 10 years and today’s travel consumers have become more digitally and tech-savvy than ever.

The overdue trend toward open distribution is quickly reimagining what it looks like to sell a hotel room from every angle. It’s happening because new technology infrastructure is opening hotel distribution to a world of possibilities with Metaverse being the next big evolution in technology. Hotel brands will find limitless opportunities to grow their presence, both in the real world and in the metaverse.

Reach out to us for your hotel channel manager, rate shopper, booking engine, or website development 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.

Enjoy the read!

Hotelbeds expands partnership with RateTiger as the company launches new pricing model

Hotelbeds has just unveiled a new occupancy-based pricing model (OBP), giving hoteliers the power to maximise the exposure of their rooms by displaying different occupancy options – another great tool in their armoury as people start to get moving again. The benefits of this pricing model are huge and helps hotels to appear in more search results, increase occupancy of more valuable rooms and boost revenue opportunities.

Read more about managing OBP on Hotelbeds through RateTiger – https://lnkd.in/gVAwWBUy

How blockchain can impact the travel and hospitality industry

Money transactions, digital identification, loyalty programs and business collaborations are areas, where blockchain technology can aid the industry.

https://www.eu-startups.com/2022/03/is-blockchain-revolutionizing-travel-interview-with-jan-valentin-and-florian-montag/

Hotel executives foresee group travel boom in 2022

While leisure demand has been the darling of the hotel recovery, hotel executives believe we are in the very early stages of a robust comeback for group and events.

https://www.costar.com/article/594082353/hotel-executives-foresee-group-travel-boom-in-2022

Google – the single biggest opportunity in digital marketing for hotels in 2022

Google now “owns” the travel consumer and has become the “shepherd of the digital customer journey” by positioning itself at and making money from each of the five digital travel phases.

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/viewpoint/125000147.html

How open distribution helps hotels regain selling power

How new technology infrastructure is opening hotel distribution to a world of possibilities.

https://www.phocuswire.com/how-open-distribution-helps-hotels-regain-selling-power

Hotel loyalty programs could do well in the metaverse

One future scenario for hotels in the metaverse could be a “play-to-earn” model where whatever customers earn in the metaverse can be translated into physical rewards such as loyalty program points or a booking discount.

https://www.hotelsmag.com/news/the-next-hottest-market-the-metaverse/

 

Latest news from the hospitality industry – W3, February 2022

Great news folks!

Americans are preparing to spend big – again – as omicron cases subside and states across the country loosen covid restrictions. Also London is showing robust signs of recovery, despite the recent blip resulting from the omicron variant, as per news reports below.

Next, we have an interesting blog on Airbnb showing how they are helping their partners to grow more digital revenue in 2022.

We then move to a Digital Marketing piece which shows how SEO and PPC teams can empower each other when they work together. Further down, how hotels can transform customer service and experiential offerings to a proactive revenue driver.

Reach out to us for your hotel channel manager, rate shopper, booking engine, or website development 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.

 Enjoy the read.

As omicron wanes, Americans eagerly book vacations

 Travel agents, hotel operators and restaurateurs say they’ve seen dramatic spikes in demand in the past week, following a drop of more than 40 percent in daily U.S. coronavirus cases.’

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/return-revenge-travel-omicron-wanes-112518451.html

London hotels see signs of demand increase

 Of all the major global cities and transportation hubs, London was among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

https://www.costar.com/article/1867821506/london-hoteliers-see-signs-of-demand-increasing-day-by-day

Airbnb: An Attractive Solution for Accommodation Providers in 2022

 Airbnb has never failed to make its associates feel special for being a part of them. Learn how Airbnb has walked that extra mile to help their partners be successful by driving more revenue in 2022
https://lnkd.in/dd-ddgEx

How marketers can create a holistic search strategy

 Holistic search strategies combine the keyword, audience and industry data from organic and paid channels to increase ROI.

https://searchengineland.com/how-marketers-can-create-a-holistic-search-strategy-380124

Hotels’ unexpected revenue driver: Customer service

 With recent advances in technology, hotel CTOs have an opportunity to transform customer service from a reactive cost center to a proactive revenue driver. Set your customer service agents up for success with the technology that makes it simple to deliver personalized, connected experiences for wanderlusting guests.

https://hospitalitytech.com/hotels-unexpected-revenue-driver-customer-service

Hoteliers must reinvest in experiences

 Hotel owners and operators are figuring out how to add experiential, lifestyle offerings; helping activate the hotel by aligning with its surroundings and nearby businesses.

https://www.costar.com/article/1709796085/hoteliers-must-reinvest-in-experiences-to-make-up-for-lost-time-money

 

 

 

 

 

What’s New in Hotel Distribution and Tech Trends? W2, February 2022

In the news round-up today, Expedia  the online travel giant posted fourth-quarter profits that exceeded Wall Street’s expectations. It’s looking like “a solid return to travel,” observing that bookings have rebounded anywhere Omicron has started to decline.

Hotel Beacon, a landmark property in New York has increased Occupancy & Sales with RateTiger channel management and distribution. They find RateTiger as their preferred connectivity partner for managing online distribution in the extremely competitive New York hotel market.

CWT announced the $100 million investment in product development. They will invest in content to “expand the breadth of travel choice and trip options.”

Hotel company chief commercial officers across Europe have used the past two years to analyze their brands, focusing on how to attract locals and put in place strategies for welcoming back events and corporate business.

Trivago talked about gaining market share through its city break product which could provide it with a “tailwind.”

Lastly an articleon US Hotel Performance which Shows Signs of Exiting Post-Holiday Leisure Travel Lull.

Reach out to us for your hotel channel manager, rate shopper, booking engine, or website development 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

Enjoy the read!

Expedia sees ‘solid return to travel’ as profits top expectations

Consumer travel in the age of COVID-19 is moving into a new phase of manageable risk and minor inconvenience as the Omicron variant starts to decline.

https://www.geekwire.com/2022/with-tech-overhaul-in-place-expedia-group-sees-solid-return-to-travel-as-profits-top-expectations/

Hotel Beacon NYC relies on RateTiger for growing online bookings

Hotel Beacon, a landmark property in New York, has recommended RateTiger for managing online channels and distribution connectivity. The upscale property has been using RateTiger Channel Manager for the last 6 years to update rates and inventory across online sales channels and receive reservations into their Infor HMS property management system (PMS).

https://ratetiger.com/hotel-beacon-nyc-relies-on-ratetiger-for-growing-online-bookings/

CWT sets priorities for $100M platform investment

Sustainable travel initiatives, improving connectivity and increasing content are top list of goals.

https://www.businesstravelnews.com/Management/CWT-Sets-Priorities-for-100M-Platform-Investment 

Flexibility is the new black in hotel revenue management

As consumers have been educated now around flexibility, getting the right guests at the right price with the right experience will require flexibility from hoteliers.

https://www.costar.com/article/988842786/hotel-sales-execs-key-in-to-often-overlooked-customer-bases-patterns

Trivago eyes growth through tech

The company says innovation, marketing to raise brand awareness and broadening products and services are key levers for its future growth.

https://www.phocuswire.com/Trivago-Q4-2021-earnings

US hotel occupancy begins to trend upward

The U.S. hotel industry neared 50% occupancy in the latest weekly results as leisure travel began to reemerge from a post-holiday hibernation.

https://www.costar.com/article/1809942119/us-hotel-performance-shows-signs-of-exiting-post-holiday-leisure-travel-lull