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What’s New in Hotel Online Distribution and Tech Trends? W1, December 2023

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

  • Hotel 11, part of the Sonesta Collection, is now open 
  • Radisson UAE hotels offset energy and carbon for COP28 
  • Address Sky View, Butter DXB collaborate for UAE National Day 
  • IHCL opens Taj Taal Kutir in Kolkata 
  • Grand Hyatt Macau offers festive winter delights 

Reach out to us for discussions regarding connectivity, direct booking, rate intelligence, and website design requirements – we are happy to explore new possibilities with you for your property – contact us today.

Enjoy the read!

Newshound w1-December

Hotel 11, MOD a Sonesta Collection opens

Sonesta International Hotels Corporation announced the opening of Hotel 11, MOD a Sonesta Collection in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. With views of the Rocky Mountains and a location near Calgary International Airport, the 155-room property provides access to cultural attractions and businesses, as well as options for outdoor activities. 

https://lodgingmagazine.com/hotel-11-mod-a-sonesta-collection-opens/ 

Radisson UAE hotels offset energy, carbon for COP28

As world leaders convene for COP28, Radisson Hotel Group has showcased its commitment to sustainability by ensuring every guest night in its 16 UAE hotels becomes Net Zero between November 30 and December 12. 

https://www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/business/radissons-uae-hotels-offset-energy-and-carbon-during-cop28 

Sky View & Butter DXB’s spectacular UAE National Day collaboration

Butter Dxb joined forces with Address Sky View to create an awe-inspiring representation of the UAE flag, adorning the property’s entire iconic infinity pool, marking one of the most significant celebrations in Dubai and across the UAE. 

https://www.hotelnewsme.com/hotel-news-me/address-sky-view-and-butter-dxb-unveil-spectacular-uae-national-day-collaboration 

IHCL announces the opening of Taj Taal Kutir in Kolkata 

India’s largest hospitality company, announces the opening of Taj Taal Kutir, Kolkata. Located in proximity to the Kolkata International Airport, hotel blends its colonial design with its contemporary setting in the smart city of New Town. 

https://www.hotelierindia.com/operations/ihcl-announces-the-opening-of-taj-taal-kutir-in-kolkata 

Grand Hyatt Macau presents winter delights for a festive celebration 

As the festive season draws near, Grand Hyatt Macau has meticulously curated a selection of special delights to enhance your experience of the celebratory atmosphere. Create enchanting memories with your loved ones during this joyful time. 

https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/grand-hyatt-macau-presents-winter-delights-for-a-festive-celebration/ 

That’s all folks!     

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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/

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Top Travel Trends in 2022 – Back to Travel

You wake up in a luxury bedroom. You get up from your bed and remove the curtains of your room and there is the line of mountains before you, half-covered in snow, the others in green. The doorbell rings and there is someone outside waiting with freshly brewed coffee.

The last time travellers felt that kind of peace was almost two years ago when they could actually travel freely without any restrictions or even without the minimum fear of health. The pandemic in 2020 had a massive impact on the hotel industry that has brought everlasting changes. However, times are changing and travel is evolving into something new and better than before.

travel-trends-2022-ratetiger-erevmax

Let’s find out how travellers are planning their trips this year and preparing for rebound:

Travel Therapy – Recovery

Travel is no more just going out for fun; rather it has become a way to escape from the reality of the pandemic. When the pandemic arrived, everyone feared the unknown. As travellers learned more about the outcry, they grew cautious following the appropriate protocols in places. Researchers have found that people are growing tired of being cautious and 2022 is the year that the travel industry will see upward trend from travellers across the globe. With travellers taking more time to de-stress and recharge after great travel pause, wellness tourism is going to see a major uptick in the post pandemic era in 2022. GWI forecasts a 20.9% average annual growth rate for wellness tourism in 2020 -2025. So, prepare for some travel therapy demands which will help travellers to rejuvenate themselves from such a phase.

Flight Costs Are Set to Fly

Along with the hotel sector, the aviation industry has also been hit by the pandemic, massively. With demands rising in 2022 for travel, airline ticket prices might stay buoyant to encourage more travellers and generate much-needed income. In recent times, we have witnessed a spike in the fuel prices – air carriers might need to raise their fares accordingly but that will not let travel falter. With small as well as large-cap businesses trying to regain their positions in the market, business travel may boost the premium economy. After being able to save all that money in the pandemic by being locked at home, travellers may also want to spend big on their much-awaited trips this year.

Young and Exotic – Luxury Travel Redefined

With the restrictions being slowly removed, travellers are planning to go big and plan on their bucket list vacations. Travel is no more about just going to the beach or just going to the hill stations to enjoy the weather. What modern-day travellers are looking for is an adventure, something out of the ordinary life. Young travellers are rooting on exotic places, as per study popular destination includes Thailand, Ireland, Egypt, South Africa, Maldives, London, Paris, and more! Places which can give more than just popular buildings in a city to visit has been added to many travellers’ wish list.

Last-Minute Bookings

What’s more thrilling and compelling than a trip that’s planned last minute? And that’s exactly the kind of thrill young travellers are excited about. In recent times, booking windows has witnessed a shrink and saw a trend of flexible booking with last-minute planning. The uncertainty of different Covid-19 variants has left travellers hesitant when planning or booking a trip. Travellers are mostly drawn towards last-minute bookings as changing restrictions are released with dynamic situations as per the travel guidelines. After days of not being able to meet their loved ones or engaging in their travel bucket-list, travellers are planning on last-minute trip bookings as per the availability of their travel partners. The impact resonates with the custom itinerary plans and choice of hotel availability.

Workcations – Beyond Business

When preventive guidelines for Covid-19 to resume travel were released, the travellers who were exhausted working from home and needed some kind of refreshment chose to merge work with travel which would allow them to work from remote destinations. With the increase in hybrid and flexible work models, 40% of Gen-Z employees plan to take a “workcation” in 2022. Work from home could sound exciting but it comes with its own disadvantages. Travellers hence chose the best way that would eliminate distractions. Working at one’s favourite travel destination gives one mental as well as emotional satisfaction. Where else could you get the best office-window view?

Trip-Stacking

Trip stacking is the practice of booking multiple trips over the same period of time. Travellers are booking numerous trips to different travel destinations to avoid getting stuck with one cancelled vacation due to new pandemic restrictions. With modern travellers seeking more flexibility in their trip plans, trip stacking is the best way that ensures their adaptability through unsure times. With trip stacking, travellers have options from where they get to choose a trip according to their comfort level. Having a plan C along with a plan A and plan B for trips really took off during the summer of 2021 and it is only going to emerge in 2022 and beyond.

Decoding Travel Trends & more!

Uncertainty is still not in the rear-view mirror of travels in 2022. However, unlike in 2020 when people were afraid of the unknown, in 2022, people will be travelling more freely and frequently. Technology has taken a big leap in recent times helping not only in work but also travellers to find the trip that best suits them making contactless transactions and online bookings a trend that is here to stay.

Lastly, hotel business will be able to recover from the pandemic with these travel trends, which will eventually boost and build confidence in terms of generating hotel bookings. Thus, buckle up, as travellers are in the mood to make their travel choices and seeking for an exotic experience be it from locations or hotel guest experience. 2022 will witness an upshift in the hotel & travel industry.

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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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Top five trends which will shape US Hospitality industry this year

The first generation travellers who are connected to the world with internet have become the fastest growing customer segment in hospitality industry. Travellers aged between 18 to 34 comprise the largest and most diverse segment of US population. These hyper-connected travellers are communicating with the entire world in a new way with their always connected device- using laptop, tablet or mobile phone.

In the LIVE in New York, an event organized by us to discuss the hotel technology trends, from our partners BookingForce, HRS and roomlia to hoteliers from Hilton, Marriot, Wyndham, Warwick Hotels, Wellington Hotel all talked about the challenges of dealing with the hyper-connected segment. With the advance of technology, the shift towards mobile is dramatic and disruptive. According to a PhoCusWright report around 75% of U.S. travelersown a smartphone and the numbers are continuously increasing with 4 out of 5 mobile travel booking are being made for hotel accommodation. With half the year gone, here are five definite trends that I reckon, are shaping the US hospitality industry this year.

Mobile does not mean last minute

The growing popularity of HotelTonight and BlinkBooking is a testimony to the growth of last minute bookings. PhoCusWright reports that one in four mobile bookings are made at the last minute, where OTAs with stronger presence score high against the brand sites. In fact for every 10 last minute bookings, 7 are being made at the OTA sites. This has prompted major OTAs like Booking.com to invest heavily in this segment. Earlier this year, Booking.com launched Booking Now, a mobile app which lets guests book up to 48 hours in advance.



However, mobile’s influence on traveler goes beyond last minute, and now has impacted all phases of the travel life cycle. Research says, about 37%of US travelers use a mobile device in their trip planning – with a significant majority of them switching between the tablet and smartphone. Interestingly, a significant 27% of the mobile travel audience belongs to the high income category earning over $100,000 per year. Clearly, if you have not yet invested in your mobile channel, it’s high time to do that.

Mobile Wallet: New smart payment option

You might have your hotel in finest location and offer thebest rate on your brand.com site and pride yourself of providing superior facilities to your guest, but have you integrated the mobile wallet?



Today’s modern guests want a hazard free travel experience- expects not to face front desk of the hotel to check-in or pay bills. According to a recent survey by SmartBrief and The Wall Street Journal shows more than 75% US travellers carry a smartphone and 50% travellers carry at least two devices while they are on vacation. This means your guests expect there should be an arrangement so that they can use their technology at your hotel- whether to conduct business, contact the valet, request service from housekeeping or pay from their mobile device. Here comes the mobile payment option which eliminates unnecessary delays. One of the largest hotel groups in the world Marriot Hotels was first to launch mobile check-in and check-out options on its mobile application back in 2013 and now offering its guestsApple Payment option. Another big name in Hotel industry Starwood Hotels is also offering the same service to its guests- now guests have the ability to pay accommodation charges using their mobile wallet, Apple Pay. This means hotel guests will no longer have to carry their credit cards or cash in their wallet. As smartphone going to replace physical wallet more and more hotels in the coming years will implement this medium to enhance their guest experience.

In next part of the article I’ll talk about three more trends which are shaping the US hospitality industry.


Jan Murza is Director of Sales- Americas at eRevMax.  He can be reached at janm@erevmax.com  
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Stay Connected with latest news: Update from eRevMax

eRevMax News
eRevMax completes 40 XML integrations in four months

Hotel online distribution specialist, eRevMax, has added 40 new technical interfaces in the first four months of 2015, continuing its long standing position as the largest distribution network provider in the industry. The new 2-way certified demand partners including Nustay, roomlia®, Bookit.com, Tourplan, EET Global, Traveltool/Logitravel, myHotelShop, NetAffinity, TravelRepublic and Southall Travel among others will add more versatility to the eRevMax Channel Ecosystem.


Your Hotels Worldwide endorses eRevMax as the Preferred Channel Manager Partner​
Your Hotels Worldwide, a leading hotel chain of independently-managed properties in Scandinavia, has strengthened relationship with eRevMax by implementing its 2-way XML connectivity solution for seamless data transfer between its property management system and online sales channels. All 65 properties under the group are using RateTiger Channel Manager to update rates and availabilities across their distribution mix in real-time.
News Trends
How to avoid “big data paralysis” – A Guide for Hoteliers
Given how competitive the environment, hotels cannot afford to wait until everything is perfect before moving on to the next step. Applying advanced analytics to the data you have today can provide enough insight and value to justify moving forward with the data you want to collect for tomorrow.
How and why travel metasearch will have to evolve
To survive and grow, travel metasearch engines will have to consider how they can highlight the differences in the actual product in a better way, perhaps even making price a secondary (but still important) influencing factor for consumers.
Using Review Data as Rich Snippets To Improve Search Rankings and Increase Direct Bookings
Most hotels are focused on SEO, or are at least aware of the potential benefits of improving their search rankings. It allows them to stand out and ultimately generate more traffic (and direct bookings!). Content marketing is one way to improve search rankings, and travel reviews can play an important role in this content strategy.
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IHTF 2014

The eleventh edition of the International Hotel Technology Forum (IHTF), took place in Barcelona, Spain in early April this year. The two-day event saw over 600 business meetings with 50 speakers delivering cutting-edge insights into latest trends in the hospitality industry.
John Seaton, VP Sales APAC & EMEA, and Cristina Blaj, Sales Director UK, Ireland & Scandinavia at eRevMax attended the event to network with industry veterans. Cristina participated in a panel discussion on “Engaging with the Digital Traveller – The Move to Mobile”. The panel consisted of Monika Nerger from Mandarin Hotels; Jeremy Ward from Kempinski Hotels and Nancy from Jumeirah Hotels. The discussion focused on evaluating the advent of mobile bookings and its trends to capitalise on modern buying patterns. They also emphasised on implementing guest-led trends in hospitality industry as more happy customers equal to more revenue.

 
John Seaton was invited to participate in a panel on “Over-coming the Challenges in Diverse Distribution Channels”. He had  Jon Siberry from Sarova Hotels and Lennert de Jong from CitizenM; among others as co-panelists. The speakers examined the current challenges faced by hoteliers in the diverse distribution space and the strategies for better channel performance. They also focused on how to analyze channel performance and how to capture guest data to determine best communication channel for each guests.

Overall the event concluded on a positive note and there was constructive exchange of ideas and experiences.
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Newshound: Leonardo continues with RateTiger, Bookings through Multi-channel management, More on Review Express & Hotel price-fixing lawsuit

Leonardo Hotels extends contract with RateTiger for future-proof eDistribution and company expansion

Leonardo Hotels is extending its contract with RateTiger by eRevMax to support the development of the company’s sales and distribution processes. This follows Leonardo Hotels‘ acquisition of 20 properties from the QMH Hotel Germany Group, in one of the biggest deals the European hotel industry has seen in recent years.
http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4060480.html 


Maximising booking in a multichannel environment requires serious knowhow

It is impossible to invest time in every available channel, so how should distribution managers allocate their time? Being responsible for desktop and mobile websites on a daily basis as well as coordinating e-commerce projects and keeping up relationships with global online travel agencies is a challenge. Indeed senior distribution executives must display sound judgement, because one wrong move can have a profound impact on overall channel profitability. 

More on TripAdvisor’s new hotel review collection service “Review Express”

TripAdvisor announced the expansion of its suite of review collection services with Review Express, a powerful, free solution available exclusively on TripAdvisor. The new service makes encouraging fresh reviews easier than ever by giving registered businesses the option to send customizable, bulk emails to their guests asking them to write a review about their experience.
Hotel price-fixing lawsuit adds EyeForTravel, Hyatt and Wyndham as defendants

The lawsuit alleges that EyeForTravel “facilitated the conspiracy and agreements at issue” from 2004 to 2012 by conducting “private, industry-only conferences” in which presentations and discussions covered various hotel pricing strategies, and the need to enforce rate parity in all distribution outlets.

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Channel Management & OTAs

Are hoteliers keeping pace with the changing online booking space?

With a handful of powerful OTAs dominating the market, hoteliers are identifying ways to sidestep the high-commission they command. OTAs can be useful to engage a new guest, but many hoteliers are now aiming to drive repeat bookings to their own direct booking engines.

Ryan Haynes discusses Channel Management and OTAs on Hotel-Industry.co.uk – http://www.hotel-industry.co.uk/2012/12/erevmax-ratetiger-on-channel-management-and-otas/

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Selling Rooms


Check out where I am speaking as part of the Northern Ireland Hotel Federation on Wednesday 12th September. Very much looking forward to meeting the hotels in and around Belfast and finding out the challenges they face in their local market.

The travel industry is rather small in Northern Ireland, representing just 4.7% of its workforce and contributing to 2.1% of GDP. The region expects to attract between 1.5 -1.6 million visitors in 2013. For the hotel industry there is a great opportunity to stand out, 30% of all internet searches are related to accommodation for Northern Ireland, so there is room for growth and diversity.

Northern Ireland has fared well so far in 2012 with increases in visitors, holiday-makers and tourism revenue – could this be explained as a result of the Staycation in the UK?

I am interested to learn the scenario for hotels this year, according to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) hotel room sales were up 11% in June 2012 compared to June 2011 and occupancy hitting the 78% mark, up from 70%.

It appears from the statistics that 4* – 5* hotels fared well, infact showing some strong occupancy figures. Though potentially the biggest struggle for hotels appears to be ADR, this has fallen by 1.1% in the past year, it seems that occupancy may have to give way to ADR at this point.

The leading OTAs in Northern Ireland:
Ebookers.ie: One of Ireland’s leading online travel providers and offers flights, car hire and over 25,000 hotels worldwide.
 

HotelClub.ie: Offers over 48,000 hotels Worldwide for bookings up to 365 days in advance.

Laterooms.com: Offers over 500,000 hotel deals throughout the UK and Worldwide. EURO prices available.

Lastminute.ie: Offers a vast range of hotels and discount flights. EURO prices available.

Bookit365.com:  Offers you direct access to the Hotels.ie and expedia.com range of hotels.


Ryan C Haynes is VP – Marketing Communications at eRevMax and is responsible for driving all PR and Marketing activities for RateTiger and eRevMax brands globally. Ryan is based out of London and can be reached at ryanh@ratetiger.com