Now that volume is coming back, and prices are struggling to follow suit, hotel properties are doing whatever they can to get their Average Room Rate moving upwards. Yield management, dynamic pricing strategies: these days they serve only one purpose. It is all about increasing prices and margins wherever possible. Read on because corporate contracts based on dynamic pricing models might be an interesting route, both for the hotel and for the clients.
Halfway through the budget year 2010, the preliminary results and the forecasts of Online Travel agencies (OTA’s) are quite astonishing. Especially when compared to the results of their very important clients: the hotels. While most hoteliers struggle and hope to see light at the end of the tunnel, most OTA’s announce great results, fantastic growth and excellent forecasts. Read on because many hoteliers are thinking of ways to blow up the partnership between themselves and the OTA’s.
The bi-annual hotel survey of Hogg Robinson Group usually contains good analysis, professional comment and intelligent forecasts for the performance of the global hotel industry. Read on because there is evidence of a further stabilization of the hospitality market although rates are still sluggish. The conclusion must be: high time to sell value, not price. But this time, really.
Is the crisis over? Yes and no. Volume is coming back, both in the Corporate and the Meetings & Events segments. But average price is still a huge challenge for all hotel properties, all over Europe. Over the past two years all management teams have reviewed their cost base, which has resulted in reorganizations , budget cuts and improved productivity. The key question in this process is: when have we removed the fat and when do we start cutting in the flesh? In other words: when does our product and service level start to degrade as a result of our cost cutting efforts? We have identified five vital check points: read on.
Ten years ago, being or becoming a hotel Director of Sales & Marketing was relatively simple. A client-friendly attitude, some negotiation stamina and a good portion of PR flair were the basic requirements for the position. Directors of Sales wined and dined their clients, and used the hotel facilities … like a client. The result is that, still today, many DOSMs are considered as a necessary evil by their colleagues … and sometimes even by their GM. Read on to find out how much this position has changed over the past years.
eMarketer reports that a whitepaper by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) and online marketing services company VIZERGY, shows that the hotel & travel industry is an early adopter of online marketing, allocating more budget into it than any other industry. Read on to find out why the hotel & travel industry is bound to continue leading the online game.
Expedia is doing well, thank you very much. In 2009 the company did 21,8 billion $ in gross turnover, churning out a revenue of 2.9 billion $. This revenue is the result of the commissions, fees and advertising and media revenue. 13.5%, not bad for a travel company. Most of the branded and non branded hotelcompanies have agreements with Expedia, and pay generous commissions to the company. After all, you only pay for real sales, for “heads in the beds”. Read on to understand how the Expedia business model works … for Expedia.
Today, the European Union counts 147.000 hotels and 5.2 million rooms. This means that the average number of rooms per hotel is 35 – a surprising low figure. Read on to find out how this translates into brand penetration and RevPar performance, with a remarkable position for the Belgian hospitality industry.
The hotel industry is struggling to recover. The demand outlook is improving, but it seems that clients are very, very reluctant to pay higher prices. This is the main challenge for the months to come: convince the corporate market that the rate level has to go up. Read on to find out what is really going to happen.
Now that volume is coming back, and prices are struggling to follow suit, hotel properties are doing whatever they can to get their Average Room Rate moving upwards. Yield management, dynamic pricing strategies: these days they serve only one purpose. It is all about increasing prices and margins wherever possible. Read on because corporate contracts based on dynamic pricing models might be an interesting route, both for the hotel and for the clients. 
Halfway through the budget year 2010, the preliminary results and the forecasts of Online Travel agencies (OTA’s) are quite astonishing. Especially when compared to the results of their very important clients: the hotels. While most hoteliers struggle and hope to see light at the end of the tunnel, most OTA’s announce great results, fantastic growth and excellent forecasts. Read on because many hoteliers are thinking of ways to blow up the partnership between themselves and the OTA’s.
The bi-annual hotel survey of 
Is the crisis over? Yes and no. Volume is coming back, both in the Corporate and the Meetings & Events segments. But average price is still a huge challenge for all hotel properties, all over Europe. Over the past two years all management teams have reviewed their cost base, which has resulted in reorganizations , budget cuts and improved productivity. The key question in this process is: when have we removed the fat and when do we start cutting in the flesh? In other words: when does our product and service level start to degrade as a result of our cost cutting efforts? We have identified five vital check points: read on. 
Ten years ago, being or becoming a hotel Director of Sales & Marketing was relatively simple. A client-friendly attitude, some negotiation stamina and a good portion of PR flair were the basic requirements for the position. Directors of Sales wined and dined their clients, and used the hotel facilities … like a client. The result is that, still today, many DOSMs are considered as a necessary evil by their colleagues … and sometimes even by their GM. Read on to find out how much this position has changed over the past years. 
eMarketer 
Expedia is doing well, thank you very much. In 2009 the company did 21,8 billion $ in gross turnover, churning out a revenue of 2.9 billion $. This revenue is the result of the commissions, fees and advertising and media revenue. 13.5%, not bad for a travel company. Most of the branded and non branded hotelcompanies have agreements with Expedia, and pay generous commissions to the company. After all, you only pay for real sales, for “heads in the beds”. Read on to understand how the Expedia business model works … for Expedia. 
Today, the European Union counts 147.000 hotels and 5.2 million rooms. This means that the average number of rooms per hotel is 35 – a surprising low figure. Read on to find out how this translates into brand penetration and RevPar performance, with a remarkable position for the Belgian hospitality industry. 
The hotel industry is struggling to recover. The demand outlook is improving, but it seems that clients are very, very reluctant to pay higher prices. This is the main challenge for the months to come: convince the corporate market that the rate level has to go up. Read on to find out what is really going to happen. 
