The Week, That Was – May 2019 Week 5

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!!

eRevMax publishes market study on ‘The State of Hotel Online Distribution in Middle East’

Leading hotel technology expert eRevMax has today published a market report on The State of Hotel Online Distribution in Middle East. The findings cover a wide cross-section of topics including technology adoption, distribution mix, channel production, online updates, among others.

Download the full study today – https://www.erevmax.com/travel-solutions/erevmax-erm-marketstudy.html

Booking.com on where it sees opportunity for growth

Where is there room for Booking.com – already one of the top players in online travel alongside Ctrip and Expedia – to grow? According to Vice President of Global Segments – Olivier Grémillon, there’s still a sizable market out there for the online travel agency to capture, and it’s the company’s responsibility to get there.

https://www.phocuswire.com/phocuswright-europe-2019-booking

What the world’s biggest OTAs have been up to

According to PhoCusWright, growth rates in the world of public online travel once again slowed in 2018, but remained in double-digit territory.

The accommodation business for both Expedia and Booking remains a priority, yet each OTA’s room nights grew at a more modest rate than either has been accustomed to in prior years.

https://www.phocuswright.com/Travel-Research/Research-Updates/2019/What-the-worlds-biggest-OTAs-have-been-up-to

Hotelbeds (a preferred partner of eRevMax) boosts European hotels offering by 5,000

A total of 70,000 hotels are now available on the bedbank’s system in Europe, whilst at a global level over 180,000 hotels are on the platform, Hotelbeds has announced.

https://www.travolution.com/articles/111480/hotelbeds-boosts-european-hotels-offering-by-5000

Hotel brands under attack: How to stay relevant

Google’s latest incursions on the travel sector highlight the increasing difficulties brands have in connecting directly with travelers.

https://reknown.com/2019/05/hotel-brands-under-attack-how-to-stay-relevant/

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eRevMax completes integration with Mexican CRS – PMS provider

Hotel connectivity solution provider eRevMax has completed 2-way integration with Front2Go hotel management system. Mutual hotel customers can now leverage the interface to update rate and availability to third party online booking sites whenever they are updated in the hotel reservation system and receive reservations from OTAs.

Developed by Avance Sistemas, Front2Go is an upcoming property management system currently being used by over 200 hotels in the region. Front2Go dashboard allows property owners to manage front desk operations, rates and promotions, and customer loyalty data, consolidating the status of all hotel properties in one place. eRevMax’s distribution solutions are used by over 9000 hotels to update rate and availability across their booking channels and immediately update inventory whenever a booking is made.

Front2Go is a new generation CRS-PMS software with presence in Mexico and Latin America. Through our new partnership with eRevMax, our mutual customers will benefit from the integrated connectivity to many booking sites provided by RateTiger channel manager.  The availability and rates remain in sync with all online sales channels, while the reservations are received seamlessly into our CRS. This alliance will allow our customers to increase their online presence without the complexities of having to update data in several platforms,” said Alfredo Malo, CIO, Avance Sistemas.

Our interface with Front2Go provides our customers in the Americas another option to manage online channels cost-effectively without worrying about maintaining online inventory manually across each booking website. The secure XML connection eliminates the need for any manual intervention, allowing hotel managers to focus on key aspects like strategy and guest engagement,” said Ashis Saha, SVP – Project Management, eRevMax.

eRevMax offers seamless connectivity with around 400 OTAs and 90 technology providers. The company is developing its connectivity solutions to offer sophisticated real-time revenue management functionality to the hospitality industry. This includes solutions across the board from independent boutique properties to hotel groups and chain. eRevMax’s Channel Ecosystem facilitates quality certified connectivity and relationship management services to support complex revenue generation strategies.

Estonian luxury hotel recommends RateTiger for channel connectivity

The Three Sisters Hotel, a luxury boutique property has recommended RateTiger, powered by LiveOS, for fast and seamless connectivity for effective online distribution. The hotel has been using RTConnect, the SaaS based distribution solution by eRevMax to maintain real-time data transfer between its property management system and online sales channels for the last three years, resulting in an increase in online revenue and occupancy.

Located within the 16th century walls of Tallinn’s fabled Old Town, the Three Sisters, a member of the exclusive Relais & Chateaux, is a 5-star boutique hotel offering 23 rooms. The revenue management team is leveraging RTConnect to update rates and inventory in real-time across all major global channels and metasearch sites and receive reservations directly into its PMS. They also use the advanced analytics available on the LiveOS dashboard to go beyond traditional revenue management, and incorporate customer behavior, dynamic pricing, segmentation, distribution and marketing to optimize revenue potential.

We are very satisfied with RateTiger. The two-way connection is very important to us. We are very pleased with the personalized support and excellent response time,” said Anna Grigoruk, Hotel Manager, the Three Sisters Hotel.

As a technology partner, we are committed to developing superior connectivity with a range of online sales channels for our client hotels to make the best use of their distribution mix. RateTiger and LiveOS have been built with a vision to make online sales simpler for hotels, and this recommendation is a testimony to that,” said Alin Lazar, Regional Sales Director – EMEA, eRevMax.

RTConnect, eRevMax’s enterprise connectivity solution delivers real-time connectivity between CRS/PMS and around 400 online sales channels including GDS, OTAs, IDS, Metasearch Engines, Wholesalers, Tour Operators and other travel sales companies processing online hotel bookings. It supports full enterprise integration with 2-way XML connectivity; all delivered in a Software-as a Service (SaaS) model for the large independent and group hotels.

The Week, That Was – May 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!!

Estonian luxury hotel recommends RateTiger for channel connectivity

The Three Sisters Hotel, a luxury boutique property has recommended RateTiger, powered by LiveOS, for fast and seamless connectivity for effective online distribution. The hotel has been using RTConnect, the SaaS based distribution solution by eRevMax to maintain real-time data transfer between its property management system and online sales channels for the last three years, resulting in an increase in online revenue and occupancy.

https://www.erevmax.com/ratetiger-news/ratetiger-news-archive/may2019-erevmax-estonian-luxury-hotel-recommends-ratetiger.html

5 Distribution dilemmas that hotels must tackle now

From blurring distribution channels to rising commissions and defensive pricing, it is a challenging environment but hotels are fighting back, finds a recent white paper.

https://www.eyefortravel.com/revenue-and-data-management/5-distribution-dilemmas-hotels-must-tackle-now

Hotels need to learn, remember and predict a guest’s specific preferences to offer them a unique, sellable combination.

In an attributed-based model, the concept of room types is eliminated; instead consumers select from a list of attributes – for example a king bed with a sea view on a high floor – to creating a room that meets their needs. Each attribute adds an incremental price to the base room rate.

https://www.traveldailymedia.com/personalisation-2point0/

Booking.com decoupling attractions bookings from hotel reservations

Booking.com is expected to announce Wednesday at a conference in Europe that it is debuting an offering in 10 European and Middle Eastern cities that enables customers to book tours and attractions on a standalone basis without having first to book a hotel room.

https://skift.com/2019/05/15/booking-drops-hotel-requirement-to-book-tours-and-activities/

Hotels: Navigating the complexity of online travel

Rather than resisting new technology and global players, Expedia has called on the hotel industry to be optimistic about the opportunities that lie ahead.

http://www.travelweekly.com.au/article/navigating-the-complexity-of-online-travel/

Google experiments with new hotel search layout

Google continues to iterate on its hotel search interface and experience for destination searches. In a new testing experience, clicking on any property in the local pack directs a user to the hotel search page. The clicked property has its card pinned to the top of the page with property information expanded to the full width of the card section.

https://koddi.com/google-experiments-with-new-hotel-search-layout/

 

Two-way chat, a game changer for guests and revenue

By incorporating chat and messaging features within a native app (versus integrating third-party apps), hotels own the experience, data, and security.

https://medium.com/runtriz/two-way-chat-a-game-changer-for-guestsand-revenue-96092dbb7fc

Winding Tree executes “first” hotel booking transaction on public blockchain

The company’s distribution platform was successfully tested by Hobo Hotel Stockholm, a member of the Nordic Choice Hotels group, completing the first-ever hotel booking on a public blockchain.

https://blocktribune.com/winding-tree-executes-first-hotel-booking-transaction-on-public-blockchain/

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

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eRevMax expands in Indonesia with new demand partner

Indonesia based Hoterip.com, one of the fastest growing online travel agencies in Asia, has completed two-way XML integration with travel technology specialist eRevMax to offer online channel management and reservation delivery solution to its growing base of hotel customers. The seamless interface will allow hotels using RateTiger and RTConnect platforms to update rates and availability and receive reservations generated through the channel in real-time.

Following the integration, Hoterip.com joins the ever-growing list of companies that form the eRevMax Channel Ecosystem, thus getting direct visibility to thousands of hotels worldwide that use eRevMax’s connectivity solutions.

“Our interface with RateTiger will give the benefit to us and to our hotel partners to quickly and efficiently manage their room rates, availability and restrictions to their distribution channels. In addition, connecting with eRevMax will give us the opportunity to explore new hotel partners worldwide and improve our room inventory globally,” said Sukadana, Digital Marketing Manager, Hoterip.com.

“The integration with Hoterip.com allows us to offer hotels with wider selection of leading South East Asian channels to choose from and capitalize on the region’s online travel growth story. It will further add on to the eRevMax Channel Ecosystem portfolio thereby helping hotels optimize their distribution efforts,” said Mohnish Singh, Regional Sales Manager, eRevMax.

Hoterip.com is a part of H.I.S. International Group, a Japan based Travel Agent with a worldwide network. It operates Hoterip.com as Inbound Tour Operator providing travel services in Indonesia for over 15 years and continues to grow its operations.

The Week, That Was – May 2019 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!!

eRevMax expands in Mexico with Grupo Hotelero Santa Fe

Grupo Hotelero Santa Fe (GHSF), one of the leading Mexican hotel companies, has put its trust in award-winning RateTiger Channel Manager and Price Shopping solutions to grow its online business.

https://www.erevmax.com/ratetiger-news/ratetiger-news-archive/apr2019-erevmax-expands-mexico-with-grupo-hotelero-santa.html

How to train staff on distribution channel conversion

Front-desk employees have the power to encourage known regular guests to book direct. Here are some tips on how to help train your front-line staff on increasing conversions.

http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/294917/How-to-train-staff-on-distribution-channel-conversion

How OTAs optimize conversion across the customer journey

According to the latest Travelport research, 64% of travelers who have researched a trip with an OTA, but did not go on to book, say they prefer to book with suppliers.

https://www.phocuswire.com/Optimize-conversions-across-customer-journey

 

Facebook bid multipliers for hotels

Bid multipliers enable the use of complex, customized bidding strategies without the need to create several different ad sets with relatively small audiences.

https://koddi.com/facebook-bid-multipliers-for-hotels/

 

Research sheds new light on the impact Airbnb has on the hospitality industry

The findings suggest that in some cases, the presence of Airbnb can help attract more demand in some markets while challenging the traditional hotel pricing strategies.

https://www.hotel-online.com/press_releases/release/airbnb-v.-hotels-new-research-sheds-light-on-how-they-can-compete-and-benef#When:17:22:28Z

 

 

Trivago greatly increases its participation in Google Hotels

Buying Google Hotel Ads, which places an advertiser’s hotel rates in Google Search, Maps, and Google Assistant, gives Trivago higher visibility around the world, Chief Financial Officer Axel Hefer told analysts Wednesday during Trivago’s first quarter earnings call.

https://skift.com/2019/05/01/google-hotels-prompts-trivago-to-increase-advertising-in-50-global-markets/

 

Amadeus: Hotels shift from transactional to experiential paradigm predicted within five years

Replacing legacy technology with cloud-based system will enable the hotel sector to transitioning from a transactional to an experiential relationship with its customers.

https://www.travolution.com/articles/111188/hotels-shift-from-transactional-to-experiential-paradigm-predicted-within-five-years

10 Great Mother’s Day Campaigns to Draw Inspiration From

Mother’s Day marketing paradoxically can be both easy and difficult for brands. To stand out, a campaign either must execute perfectly on the standard approaches or add an original twist. What do these sorts of exceptional takes on Mother’s Day look like? Here are ten campaigns from previous years that every marketer can draw inspiration from.

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4093126.html

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eRevMax announces strategic partnership with Kuwaiti technology provider EEMC

Kuwait based hospitality solution developer EEMC has partnered with leading hotel connectivity provider, eRevMax to deliver advanced channel management solutions to its hotel customers. eRevMax has signed an agreement with the company making them an official sales representative of RateTiger, the award-winning integrated channel manager, rate intelligence and connectivity solution for hotels.

Enhanced Engineering & Multi -Technologies Co. (EEMC), a renowned name in Kuwait, provides a range of services varying from Hospitality and Retail solutions to Datacenter and Smart building infrastructure development. Their hotel technology solution which manages overbookings and improve housekeeping utilization, is a popular choice among the accommodation providers in the country. To improve its offerings, the company has been looking for an integrated hotel technology to manage all aspects of online distribution. RateTiger was the natural choice given its vast network of two-way XML connections and leadership position in the market.

eRevMax is the perfect online distribution partner for our business needs, and with this alliance we have strengthened our portfolio of solutions for hotels. RateTiger’s automated rate and inventory distribution and rate shopping capabilities complement our hotel management system making it a one stop solution for hoteliers to manage online sales,” said Mohamad Darwish, Sales Manager, EEMC Enhanced Engineering & Multi -Technologies Co. (EEMC). 

“Kuwait is an important market for our products, and this partnership with EEMC will help keeping up with the growing demand of its products as well as its commitment to customers to provide local presence and support,” said Prithwish Dutta, Regional Sales Manager (MENA & APAC), eRevMax.

Offering 99.9% system uptime and security certified under ISO, PCI and GDPR, RateTiger provides hotels with a 2-way XML channel connectivity platform. RateTiger product suite offers the industry’s leading Channel Manager for online distribution and Shopper for rate benchmarking and RTConnect for seamless 2-way XML integration of channel management functionality with the hotel’s central systems.

Meet the team at ATM Dubai from 28 April – 1 May 2019 to see how we can help automate distribution and improve revenue opportunities for your hotel. Book a meeting today – https://bit.ly/2v7fYye

The Week, That Was – April 2019 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 South Africa aparthotel recommends RateTiger, powered by LiveOS

South Africa based The Regency Apartment Hotel Menlyn has improved their online business with efficient rate and availability distribution through RateTiger, powered by LiveOS. The property has been leveraging RTConnect’s 2-way XML connectivitybetween its property management system and multiple online sales channels and utilizing the LiveOS platform to monitor competition, budget and pace for informed decision making.

https://www.erevmax.com/ratetiger-news/ratetiger-news-archive/apr2019-erevmax-luxury-south-africa-aparthotel.html

Negotiation-based pricing: the future of hotels’ direct bookings?

Just as deregulation and the digital revolution gave birth to Yield Management, the current hospitality climate is ripe for disruption and innovation.

https://www.hotel-online.com/press_releases/release/negotiation-based-pricing-the-future-of-direct-bookings-for-hotels#When:18:29:20Z

Pricing psychology for hotel revenue managers

When it comes to pricing psychology, perception can be more important than reality. And frames of reference will differ across individuals. So, your guests’ perceptions may be very different from our own perceptions of your pricing and products – and will even vary from guest to guest.

http://www.nbtworld.com/perception-is-reality-pricing-psychology-for-hotel-revenue-managers/

Upselling across the guest journey

By breaking accommodations choices down and offering them throughout the guest journey, hotels will experience fewer instances of cart abandonment, discover more opportunities for upselling, and with customized, AI-generated offerings, see an increase in conversions on upselling and cross-selling opportunities.

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4092831.html

Best practices for successful hotel metasearch efforts

Having a robust digital strategy not only allows for potential guests to easily find your property but allows you to properly compete with OTA’s within the various digital channels.

https://screenpilot.com/2019/04/best-practices-for-successful-hotel-metasearch-efforts/

How to build a digital culture at your hotel

There are three key areas that will encourage a digital culture change at your hotel – employee engagement, guest preferences, and data-driven decisions. Looking at them in detail will see increased productivity, stronger profitability and provide more memorable moments of true hospitality for your guests.

https://www.cendyn.com/library/how-to-build-a-digital-culture-at-your-hotel/?utm_source=Cendyn&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Create+a+digital+culture+at+your+hotel+-+guide+2019

Guest reviews, room price more valuable than brand name in hotel selection

 A survey from Expedia Group Lodging Partner Services found guest ratings have a significantly stronger influence than brand value when consumers are picking a property. The findings indicate there is a 72% chance that a consumer will value guest ratings higher than a hotel brand.

https://www.phocuswire.com/Expedia-Group-reviews-price-more-important-than-brand

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

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The Week, That Was – March 2019 Week 4

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 UK hotel trusts RateTiger Shopper for pricing decisions

The Greenbank Hotel has been leveraging eRevMax’s price intelligence tool – RateTiger Shopper to monitor competitor rates across multiple sales channels and take informed pricing decisions to stay ahead in the market.

https://bit.ly/2OjzZdW

Traveler survey yields insights into booking behaviors

Online travel agencies have been a dominant force in the holiday booking space for years, but this dominance is coming under threat. How hotels view working with OTAs is a subject covered recently by Hotel News Now, but STR’s Consumer Travel Insight reports offer a different angle on the rising pressure that OTAs face due to shifting perceptions among travellers.

http://hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/294453/Traveler-survey-yields-insights-into-booking-behaviors

Customer acquisition costs continue to rise

Whether the booking costs are transaction-specific as in commissionable OTAs or GDS, or there are cross-channel costs via social media, franchise fees and even labor for sales and marketing, the total costs for acquiring our guests are increasing over time.

http://hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/294289/Owners-must-be-informed-on-customer-acquisition-costs

The state of corporate travel management in 2019

A new survey gathered more than 1,500 people responsible for managing employee travel, including executive assistants, who opened up about several major pain points of business travel. Half of those surveyed said the amount of time spent adjusting bookings and travel arrangements is an issue, as is time spent gathering receipts and completing expense reports (44 per cent).

https://www.hotelmarketing.com/articles/the-state-of-corporate-travel-management-in-2019

How social proof influences the travel booking cycle

A new study revealed that when it comes to planning travel, consumers increasing look to authentic social proof for inspiration and validation.

https://www.hotelspeak.com/2019/03/how-social-proof-influences-the-travel-booking-cycle/

Online travel agency giants spent $10.6B on marketing in 2018 (but look closer)

The power of the platforms is huge: Expedia Group and Booking Holdings splashed out a record amount on customer acquisition during 2018. The pair spent $10.6 billion on what they loosely term “performance advertising and brand advertising” in the case of Booking Holdings and “selling and marketing” at Expedia Group.

https://www.phocuswire.com/Booking-Holdings-Expedia-Group-marketing-spend-2018

Changes in consumer booking patterns reshape distribution strategies for hoteliers

As hoteliers grapple with implementing diverse distribution strategies that optimize their spend, reach and results, emerging trends around channel development and how consumers interact with direct and indirect channels are adding new dimensions to the challenge.

https://www.phocuswire.com/Consumer-booking-patterns-hotel-distribution

What will Google Hotels mean for OTAs?

Google Hotels offers all the functionality and tools of its competitors such as Kayak, Expedia and Booking.com. It has the benefit of Google Maps and integration with Google search results (generally pretty high in results). The question thus arises: will Google Hotels create a giant black hole that sucks all the direct traffic away from online hotel booking sites?

https://searchengineland.com/what-will-google-hotels-mean-for-online-booking-sites-313851

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 – March 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!!

Luxury UK hotel trusts RateTiger Shopper for pricing decisions

The Greenbank Hotel has been leveraging eRevMax’s price intelligence tool – RateTiger Shopper to monitor competitor rates across multiple sales channels and take informed pricing decisions to stay ahead in the market.

https://www.erevmax.com/ratetiger-news/ratetiger-news-archive/mar2019-erevmax-luxury-uk-hotel-ratetiger-shopper-pricing.html

Customer acquisition costs continue to rise

Whether the booking costs are transaction-specific as in commissionable OTAs or GDS, or there are cross-channel costs via social media, franchise fees and even labor for sales and marketing, the total costs for acquiring our guests are increasing over time.

http://hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/294289/Owners-must-be-informed-on-customer-acquisition-costs

How social proof influences the travel booking cycle

A new study revealed that when it comes to planning travel, consumers increasing look to authentic social proof for inspiration and validation.

https://www.hotelspeak.com/2019/03/how-social-proof-influences-the-travel-booking-cycle/

Online travel agency giants spent $10.6B on marketing in 2018 (but look closer)

The power of the platforms is huge: Expedia Group and Booking Holdings splashed out a record amount on customer acquisition during 2018. The pair spent $10.6 billion on what they loosely term “performance advertising and brand advertising” in the case of Booking Holdings and “selling and marketing” at Expedia Group.

https://www.phocuswire.com/Booking-Holdings-Expedia-Group-marketing-spend-2018

Changes in consumer booking patterns reshape distribution strategies for hoteliers

As hoteliers grapple with implementing diverse distribution strategies that optimize their spend, reach and results, emerging trends around channel development and how consumers interact with direct and indirect channels are adding new dimensions to the challenge.

https://www.phocuswire.com/Consumer-booking-patterns-hotel-distribution

What will Google Hotels mean for OTAs?

Google Hotels offers all the functionality and tools of its competitors such as Kayak, Expedia and Booking.com. It has the benefit of Google Maps and integration with Google search results (generally pretty high in results). The question thus arises: will Google Hotels create a giant black hole that sucks all the direct traffic away from online hotel booking sites?

https://searchengineland.com/what-will-google-hotels-mean-for-online-booking-sites-313851

Hotel experts warn data should not just be considered a “hobby”

The hotel industry must focus on how data can be used to understand guests better and remove friction.

https://www.phocuswire.com/man-v-machine-sabre-hilton-ITB-2019

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

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