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| Insider Magazine |
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| Issue 57: 21st October 2003 |
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Are you online bookable
using our own booking engine, a-Res? We are currently looking
at ways to increase the profile of your hotel listings on www.all-hotels.com
and would like to give you the opportunity to include a photo
of your property. If you would like to take advantage of this
special opportunity, please let us know here.
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| TAKE CONTROL OF
ONLINE SALES |
Enhancements to leading web-based booking engine, a-Res, enables
independent hotels to tailor their web presence
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a-Res version 4.1
The launch of version 4.1 of All-Hotels' online web-based
booking system a-Res means independent hotels can take greater
control of online sales and react to the trend in web-based
bookings, allowing them to increase online business and revenue
growth.
a-Res, which enables individual properties and chains to sell
online through their own websites, has introduced the changes
in its bid to help independent hoteliers succeed in the online
market.
The system gives hoteliers 24/7 control over inventory, rates
and allocations, as well as the ability to close-out selected
room types against specific rates - meaning that special offers
for high-selling room types can now be closed at the click
of a button. This 'close-out' function allows hoteliers to
keep on top of special offers by closing high-demand room
types to sell them at rack rate, whilst leaving other room
types still available on the special offer.
Additional new functionality includes automatic email alerts
to signal the end of a time-sensitive offer, and the option
to review expired, current and future rates. A comprehensive
reporting function provides detailed analysis of booking statistics
and revenue information - which will please busy owner/managers.
The updates to a-Res are guaranteed to help hoteliers maximise
the opportunities for succeeding in the all-important online
market. a-Res' v4.1 means individual properties and small
hotel chains can now tailor their web presence more effectively
to their own marketing strategies.
More on All-Hotels.org
A new and improved All-Hotels.org - the site providing
support for selling bookings on the web - was also launched
to hoteliers on 3 September 2003. The site has been revamped
to provide more information on marketing, search engine optimisation,
and web design assistance, helping hoteliers provide the ultimate
offering to the online user.
An improved online service develops positive own-brand awareness,
and in today's web-savvy world this can only have a welcome
impact on a hotel's all-important bottom line. a-res helps
you look forward to more control over online strategies than
ever before.
Visit http://www.all-hotels.org/about_us/ares_benefits.htm
to find out more about a-Res version 4.1. All-Hotels receives
a commission from each successful booking secured through
a-Res.
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a-Res at a glance:
What's in a-Res v4.1?
- 'Close-out' booked rates - Maximise revenue and
occupancy levels by 'closing- out' booked rooms secured
at special offer rates and reverting to rack rate.
- Email updates - All-Hotels takes the worry out
of updating rates by alerting you when an offer's expiry
draws near.
- Rates at a glance - Get up-to-the-minute access
on your expired, current, and future rates - including dates
and price range.
- Revenue reports - See detailed info on where your
sales came from.
- Feature on features - Tell your customers about
new features in your rooms.
- Account control - Change your booking email, password
and log-in details when you need to.
What's New at All-Hotels.org?
- Search me! - New search engine optimisation tips
help customers get to your site more quickly.
- Marketing tips - More on how to market your hotel.
- Design help - Our web design tips help you catch
and retain online customers.
- Trade talk - Up to date industry news and views.
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| RIGHT TO REPLY |
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What do you think of
our current Insider story? Do you have any suggestions on
what you would like to read about in Insider?
Send us all your feedback and comments here.
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| HOT NEWS |
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| Starwood Speeds Up Check-In |
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Starwood Hotels & Resorts is aiming to reduce check-in times to just 45 seconds, with self-service kiosks under testing at two of the group's American hotels.
The system allows guests to check-in and out of the hotel by simply swiping their credit card through the kiosk and confirming their reservation details. Keys are then issued through the machine.
Doug Ridge, General Manager of the Sheraton Boston Hotel said: "Business and leisure travellers appreciate the kiosks' functionality, especially when they are on the run and want to get in or out fast."
RIGHT TO REPLY: Send us your comments here.
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| Middle Ages Travel Furthest |
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A Travel Industry Association study into US household travelling habits found that those aged 35-54 are most likely to take a trip of over 50 miles away from home, accounting for 43% of all such journeys.
By comparison, 31% of long distance breaks are made by over 55s, with 18-34 year olds taking 26% of these trips.
On average, 35-54 year olds spent $491 per trip, although 14% spent as much as $1,000 or more. The study also showed that 24% of trips made by the 35-54 years age group were for business and conventions.
RIGHT TO REPLY: Send us your comments here. |
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| Internet Bookings Up, Phone Reservations Down |
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Hotel bookings analysts TravelCLICK's eTRAK report for the first six months of 2003, shows total internet reservations grew by 36% compared to the same period in 2002.
The company, which reviews bookings at the central reservation offices (CRO) of over 25 major hotel chains, said voice bookings continued to decline and now represent less than 39% of total reservations processed.
"The entire internet channel contribution is showing healthy growth,” said Bruce W. Mainzer, senior vice president of marketing for TravelCLICK.
"There has been a drop of 11.2% in phone calls to CROs but because such a large segment of the population checks the internet before making a phone reservation, more of these calls are booking calls. That is why actual phone reservations only declined 4.6%."
RIGHT TO REPLY:
Send us your comments here.
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| Us Hotels To Spend $3 Billion On Reservations |
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The U.S. lodging industry will spend $3 billion on renovations next year according to professional services organisation PricewaterhouseCoopers.
In 2004, changes to guestroom design will include the introduction of high speed internet access, better beds and bedding, televisions on dresser cabinets replacing wall-mounted sets, the use of local themes in exterior architecture and restaurants, and electronic ‘function boards' and hotel directories.
“Forecast increased revenues for 2004 are supporting the plans of hotel owners and management companies to return to approximately 1998 levels for capital expenditures,” said Bjorn Hanson, Ph.D., global leader, PricewaterhouseCoopers Hospitality & Leisure Practice.
PricewaterhouseCooopers is also predicting investment will be made in guest history and yield management enhancements and employee training.
RIGHT TO REPLY:
Send us your comments here. |
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| A Special Marketing Opportunity |
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Would you like
your hotel to be featured in our monthly Hot Deals newsletter?
Click here to
see our latest issue. If you have a marketing message or any
special deals and want to get your hotel noticed by over 300,000
people each month, send us an email here explaining
your offer and to learn more about how we can help you.
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| Exclusive Green Globe 21 Offer |
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All-Hotels has once
again been working hard on behalf of all hoteliers. This time,
we bring a great offer for all hoteliers who are conscious for
the environment. This is a matter close to the hearts of many consumers
and being recognized as an environmentally friendly hotel can help
create a good relationship with your customers and keep them coming
back. At All-Hotels we recognize this and bring you 50% off all
memberships of Green Globe. To sign up, simply click on the Green
Globe logo (to the left) for details.
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| HOTEL VIEW OPPORTUNITY |
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Reduce your cost-per-prospect
and provide potential travelers with a mini-tour of your hotel
property with HotelView.
HotelView produces 2-4 minute TV-like advertisements, which are really
video mini-tours of hotel/resort properties, throughout the globe. Potential
travelers (prospective hotel guests) and travel trade are able to "visit" a
property before going there or influencing a purchasing decision. The
travel trade and consumers can be strongly influenced by moving images
with a narration (versus a still photo) and they will retain more information
about your property, which will result in a higher closing rate at the
point of sale. The best part of the program is that usage is tracked
and measured for you and displayed in simple to read reports.
For you, the hotelier, HotelView is the most cost-effective and impactful
way to communicate the "experience" of your property to (millions of)
prospects.
Find out more from us directly. Please send us an email here.
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