The issue of whether or not to discount is becoming increasingly contentious as properties and groups struggle to compete in an ever more strained market.
Veteran hotelier George Goring summed up the problem in these terms: “The biggest sin is to overprice, and the second biggest sin is to underprice.” In other words, he told delegates [...]

[ Read more → ]

As hotels reach out to a new generation of travellers, white-glove service is giving way to laid-back welcomes, signature scents and lobbies that serve as hip community hangouts.
With its pulsing streets and wild, cloud-splitting skyline, Shanghai has a reputation as the metropolis on the edge. And walking into the new Park Hyatt hotel here feels [...]

[ Read more → ]

As the online leisure/unmanaged business travel market in the U.S. has matured, supplier Web sites and online travel agencies (OTAs) appear to have reached relatively stable market share, a new report from travel industry research authority PhoCusWright Inc. reveals.
PhoCusWright’s Online Travel Overview Eighth Edition, finds that supplier sites account for 61% of the online market [...]

[ Read more → ]

The average price for hotel rooms across the world fell over the summer, according to the Hotels.com Hotel Price Index. The average price paid by travellers for a room during the period July-September 2008 fell by 3% globally, when compared to the same period in 2007.
This is the first year-on-year fall in prices measured in [...]

[ Read more → ]

For decades, luxury hotels have been oases for travelers in developing countries. But last week’s lethal attacks on two of India’s most famous hotels have underlined the extent to which these hotels are becoming magnets for terrorists.
Hotel executives and security experts say that little can be done to stop extensively trained gunmen with military assault [...]

[ Read more → ]

Travel and transportation companies need to revamp their loyalty programs to ” replace reluctant allegiance with genuine loyalty,” according to a new paper from IBM.
In addition, the U.S. market is saturated with only 40% of loyalty-program memberships considered active despite ever-increasing membership. That means people aren’t using the loyalty rewards they’re earning.
“Overall, it’s a pretty [...]

[ Read more → ]

I think it’s time to slow-down, sit-down, and evaluate the impact of the Internet on hotel sales. For the past several years, hotels have been scrambling to have a meaningful presence on the Net, but few hoteliers appear satisfied with the results. For many hoteliers, it’s been a challenge to measure sales results from their [...]

[ Read more → ]

As the economic downturn starts to take hold across many countries, a downward turn in demand for travel is starting to affect many travel companies worldwide. This poses key questions – should revenue managers be chasing profit or revenue during this period? Is there a simple strategic solution to leverage revenue management during an economic [...]

[ Read more → ]

A board of more than 75 luxury travel experts participated in the selection of the 400 properties that comprise the list, including respected business leaders, experienced travel professionals, elite travel agents, as well as renowned travel writers, editors and broadcasters.
ForbesTraveler.com this week released its 2008 ForbesTraveler 400, a comprehensive expert-driven list of the top 400 [...]

[ Read more → ]