Group items tagged

This article goes into detail of the processes involved in flight booking and how GDS's play a role in this process. GDS's allow for airlines to disburse their flight information to various search engines which allows the consumer to have it at their hands in a matter of minutes. Booking is now made easy and GDS's have decreased the work load of hotels and airlines alike.

This article summarized smart hotelier's top ten digital marketing resolutions of the year 2012 and the author analyzed each resolution's situation as well as the action plan in details with an improved outlook for the industry, technological advances, and the usage of mobile devices growing exponentially, opportunities for incremental revenues abound. The top five ones are I will bring social, local and mobile marketing initiatives to the forefront of my hotel digital marketing plans this year, I understand this industry is complex and will work to make sense of a very convoluted digital space/online marketplace, I will continue to account for the continued shift from offline to online, and engage the hyper-interactive travel consumer via multi-channel marketing efforts, I will take advantage of the Mobile Channel, especially in this marketplace where my competitors are behind the times, and Now that I know social media is a customer engagement channel and not a distribution channel in hospitality, I will use Social Media correctly to create "buzz" around my hotel, target receptive audiences, provide customer service and enhance customer experiences. This will ultimately stimulate hotel website visits, interactions and conversions on the hotel website. The sixth to the tenth ones are I will rise to the challenge imposed by the recent Google Panda and 'Freshness' updates, I will decrease dependence on the OTAs this year, adding thousands of dollars in incremental revenues to my hotel's bottom line, I will NOT resort to desperate measures and use social buying and flash sales sites in 2012, I will focus on determining the effectiveness and ROI of my digital marketing campaigns and make smarter use of analytics technology to determine true ROI and campaign effectiveness, as well as test, test, test to achieve better results, and I will partner with savvy digital marketers who know it all and can guide me through this process, so I can drive the most re

This article talks about important features that a property Management System need to have. The most important features are the following: A drag and drop calendar which will help managers to visualize reservation and availability. Rate plan management will help to create a rate plan and have them easily applied to reservation. Integrated channel manager since it is important for hotels to be able to join as many available channels a possible to make more sales. Reporting is also very important to be able to track performance real time and keep control of the health of the company. Another key important feature is shared inventory and direct booking support since if customers can book directly from the properties website the hotel will avoid paying commissions. The customer data base is great for marketing and to create loyal customers. The last features that a property management system should have are pricing intelligence, point of sale and the ability to track other revenues services from other services that are offered in the property. A PMS system that has all these features will help a company run the property very well. I would add a good customer support because if this system goes down basically the hotel cannot do anything so I think it is very important that if it is not working for any reason that it has be fixed very fast so that it does not affect customer relations.

This article overall talks about the the different entities within a property management system. First, it goes over the details of what a property management system is which is described as a software that facilitates a hotel's reservation management and administrative task. In more detail these functions include front-desk operations, reservations, channel management, housekeeping, rate and occupancy management, and payment processing.Most PMS nowadays are able to combine multiple work environments into one software. Depending on the type of software the company is using, they are able to combine modules and functions, and the functionality of one module can be slightly different. The reservations side of the PMS is essential because online booking is the main way people book their reservations nowadays. The key modules of reservations consist of room bookings, collections of e-payments, management of room inventory and allocations, reservation emails, and activities bookings. I believe the most crucial operation of the PMS is the front office module which allows for front-desk manager to view and update room reservation status, check guests in and out, and process payments. I do work in a hotel as a guest service agent and we closely work with the PMS in every aspect. When our system went down it seemed almost impossible to check in/check out guests. It was extremely difficult to allocate rooms because we weren't able to use our system to see if housekeeping had punched rooms clean or to see if the room was vacant or occupied. The PMS makes the whole process of a hotel run smoothly. Another important aspect of the PMS is room management which allows us to see up to date reservations and which rooms they are allocated to, also allows us to move around those reservations and modify them.

Property Management systems has been the backbone for many hotel for numerous year. Due to its length of service we are constantly seeing major updates that helps to secure the business sensitive information while assessing the administrative tasks of daily functions to ensure smooth process of operations. PMS functions for all departments of the hotel from front desk to housekeeping to accommodate the guests request.

Hotel Property Management Systems: Products and Features

Sceptre Hospitality Resources, one of the hospitality industries leading revenue enhancement service providers recently announced that they will be using voice activated services powered by Thing5 LLC. Their switch over to Thing5 is largely due to the fact that this company has been one of the leading telecommunication providers in the industry. Sceptre is hoping that the quality service Thing5 offers will help them achieve consistant sales revenue growth. Thing5 offers a wide array of services including complete reservation office support, after hours reservation call support, as well as concierge and loyalty program services to guests.  I think that by utilizing the services Thing5 have to offer, Sceptre will continue to be one of the bigger revenue enhancement service providers in the industry. The many features of Thing5 voice activation systems will allow for a better customer service experience. Guests will have full access to reservation services  as well as in-house staff and will also be able to book at any time of day or night with after- hours reservation call support. 

Sceptre is a company that provides useful resources to resorts and hotels to optimize performance and service; thus increasing revenues. Thing5 provides users with control over voice and online channels to provide better security and has better reporting tools. The two are among the most reliable and popular in their lines of business and are working together.

Module 3: This article focuses on the importance of GDS systems during the challenges of COVID-19. With an emphasis on travel agents using the GDS, hotels will be able to continue to thrive and survive. According to the article, " travel agents will play a key role in connecting hotels and travelers, especially given the flexibility and changes that may be required of travelers in the coming months." This article provides insights for hotels to best optimize using a GDS for travel agents to find them. The article states, "Rate parity is important to 89% of travel agents worldwide - if they see a better rate elsewhere, they'll actively book away from your property." I believe using a GDS will be the only way in the future to continue to travel and save money. Tripadvisor is my go to when it comes to finding out about a resort and which website has the best rate for the same room.

This article demonstrates the way how relationship between the airlines (United) and the technology companies which serve as middlemen is build. According to the estimations, the airlines pay to the gds's about $18 per round trip ticket reservation, which results in 7 billion in fees that are payed to the gds's annually. The air companies consider these fees unfair in regard of the gds' performance. To compensate for these payments as well as to promote direct bookings, the airlines (namely, Lufthansa) have added a surcharge for any external bookings. GDS's, however, fight back and start litigations against Lufthansa. The decision on this case will either stop such a practice, or force other airlines to follow LH and add surcharges for gds's too. Another problem that airlines experience with GDS's is the presentation of non-standard products that the airlines offer. For example, it took the GDS's several years to correctly display the Ecomy Skycouch by Air New Zealand (buy 3 seats at the price of 2 to sleep across all of them during the long-haul flight). United is going to introduce its Basic Economy Seats with no carry-on luggage and no qualifying miles. However, they are not sure that the GDS' s will be able to display this product to the customers in a proper way so that they could fully understand what they are buying. The reason for that is that GDS's are mainly reluctant to invest in technologies that are focused on product differentation. In this regard, it becomes more difficult to compare fares since different set of services is included in different products. Thus, the customers might be mislead. Moreover, there are antitrust issues with the gds's. The airlines claim that Sabre has a stranlehold on the US domestic market. Such position allows it to ultimatum the airlines and voluntary decide on search display order. The airlines expect the GDS's to be more prone to partnership ralations. This would imply the fair compensation for what they add to the

This article overviews the reasons why more properties and brands are investing in cloud-based property management systems. In addition to their cost efficiency, enhancement in functionality, and the ability to store information on the "cloud" thus making it accessible from multiple locations, it seems what is driving most hoteliers to purchase these platforms (62%) are the problems they are currently facing with their current software. These outdated systems cannot be interfaced or integrated with more modern, current technology that these properties are adopting. This then, translates to a less seamless work experience. Cloud-based systems on the other hand, are not only modern and easier to use, they are also "buildable" and some even enable hoteliers to control their distribution channels with off-site managers who can still tap into the platform.

As the need for a one-stop-shopping experience increase does the demand from the lodging industry for a system that can simplify the process for marketing, reservations, check in, check out and just follow up. The Property Management System (PMS) is designed to do just that, simply the management, administration, reservation and booking. This article speaks about a cloud-based system called Cloudbeds that provides, among other things, Property Management Software for the lodging industry.This PMS is advertised as a way to simplify the reservation process as well as maintaining correct room inventory, rates and availability, housekeeping room status, and ease of retaining guest preferences. The PMS system also sends real-time availability to all online channels. Cloudbeds promise is to "Reduce errors and save time by automatically updating room inventory across all distribution channels with a click". According their website, "Cloudbeds PMS helps you deliver an exceptional guest experience while avoiding costly errors by automating repetitive, manual tasks." The PMS offers: -A Calendar - Reservations tool for direct bookings - Rates and availability Matrix - Reports

Although I am a supporter of property management systems, I do find this article to be rather intriguing. Apparently, this group in Texas, Genares, has teamed up with RDX to eliminate the middle man as well as confusion from booking. What the partnership will do is reduce the amount that a hotel will spend on their PMS because it won't be utilized as much as it previously was. RDX is a two way connectivity system, which means that it can gain access to more than one access point at a time. Not only will this make it easier to make reservations, but the constant communication will allow for faster and more accurately detailed information.

OTAs identified an unmet customer need and created digital destinations that became the first stop for prospective travelers. Unfortunately, the very thing that made OTAs the original travel disruptors- the ability to aggregate digitized data to create economical, do-it-yourself travel planning - could be what gives rise to another innovative disrupter: Google.

As the world comes back from the pandemic, hotels are looking for other experiences to entice guests to stay with them, and providing it through new avenues of technology. Hotel flags are working with groups such as Amadeus for a new experience with their reservation system while exploring other avenues for a competitive advantage.

This article, published in 2015, covers a study performed in Turkey to analyze factors in hotels that lead management to prefer desktop-based PMS over cloud-based PMS or vice versa. The study uses qualitative research to determine the reasons for the usage of PMS and the advantages and disadvantage of either system. The study found that, among others, significant factors that contribute to the form of PMS implemented by mangement may include the size of the property, reservation channels, and prior level of IT experience.

In this article, the authors pointed out the problems that can be solved by implementing modern technologies into the hotel's processes. The author stated all kinds of the techs that are important to the hoteliers today, from the PMS to the rating index tool, that helps hotels to assess their online reputation, as far as the amount of bookings depend on the online reputation.

Highlights of the article: REPORT FROM THE U.S.-After the initial jubilation over an online distribution channel with commissions around 10% wore off, hoteliers are now beginning to ask tough questions about how Roomkey.com will be marketed to compete with existing third-party sites. My descriptions: President and CEO at Hospitality eBusiness Strategies stress the importance of Room Key. He mentioned how large Room Key can cover and spread to the market. He and other members of the management team found the strategy of eBusiness is cost-saving.Emarketing can help their company cut half of the marketing budget. Hilton and Marriott international hospitality management company have already joined Room Key.And because franchisers have increase franchisers fees about advertisement, more and more hotel join Room Key.

There are concerns about how Room Key will gain a stable consumer base ".. the average consumer-how do they even learn about Room Key?" However it is clear that Room Key will be more accurate and reliable when consumers search through rates for participating hotels. Room Key has been created to offer "one last shot to convince the consumer." However, there are some hotel franchiser's that will not continue backing this project.

Highlights of the article: REPORT FROM THE U.S.-After the initial jubilation over an online distribution channel with commissions around 10% wore off, hoteliers are now beginning to ask tough questions about how Roomkey.com will be marketed to compete with existing third-party sites. My descriptions: President and CEO at Hospitality eBusiness Strategies stress the importance of Room Key. He mentioned how large Room Key can cover and spread to the market. He and other members of the management team found the strategy of eBusiness is cost-saving.Emarketing can help their company cut half of the marketing budget. Hilton and Marriott international hospitality management company have already joined Room Key.And because franchisers have increase franchisers fees about advertisement, more and more hotel join Room Key.

Revenue Management is a practice that all hotels should have adopted by now, even small independent hotels. Revenue management used to be practiced by only high-end hotels who could afford to have a single job position titled "revenue manager" however, technology has allowed us to see the benefit of having a dedicated revenue manager. Revenue management has allowed hotels to have higher profits than ever, by simply adjusting their prices based on demand. Smaller, independent hotels will typically give the general or front office manager this title, which is where they are making their mistake. Living in this era of online sales, we have to be aware that there can be a lot of missed revenue if we are not educated and practice proper revenue management. Other factors contribute to revenue management as well such as: distribution channels, social media, and technology.

This article is about ecommerce in Africa, some countries in this region are not allow to use ecommerce, South Africa is able to use this systems, this also enables the country to generate new ways of commerce beside the walk-in-shop and develop the industry in that continent. Most tourism businesses will opt to do both. Like the display in a walk-in shop, any e-commerce offer needs to be put in front of enough of the right potential customers. So it is vital to consider how much distribution can be achieved, beyond whatever your own website can provide, and at what cost. It also comment other different channels of distribution: Via resellers who sell online direct to the public, Via wholesalers who sell to specialist retail travel agents, Via the Global distribution systems.

Over the years, some businesses have controlled almost all factors of production and distribution (Ford in its early days) whereas others have outsourced almost everything (Dell). In the early days of industry, large enterprises controlled and owned most factors of production and businesses like Ford Motor Company in the USA had their own foundries, railroad, forestry and electricity generating plants, In the UK, Cadbury's and Lever Brothers went so far as to build villages and amenities for their workers. The motivation for this vertical integration was varied but included cost and quality control, worker loyalty and protection of proprietary processes. As well as control of production, resources and employees, businesses like Ford also controlled the retail sales and service network.

The virtual value chain, created by John Sviokla and Jeffrey Rayport, is a business model describing the dissemination of value-generating information services throughout an Extended Enterprise . This value chain begins with the content supplied by the provider, which is then distributed and supported by the information infrastructure; thereupon the context provider supplies actual customer interaction. It supports the physical value chain of procurement, manufacturing, distribution and sales of traditional companies. To illustrate the distinction between the two value chains consider the following: "when consumers use answering machines to leave a message, they are using an object that is both made and sold in the physical world, however when they buy electronic answering services from the phone company they are using the marketspace-a virtual realm where products and services are digital information and are delivered through information-based channels." (Rayport et al. 1996) Many businesses employ both value chains, including banks, which provide services to customers in the physical world at their branch offices and virtually online. The value chain is separated into two chains because the marketplace (physical) and the marketspace (virtual) need to be managed in different ways to be effective and efficient (Samuelson 1981). Nonetheless, the linkage between the two is critical for effective supply chain management.