Activities Involved to Generate More Business from OTAs

1) Advance Purchase-10 Days / 20 Days / 30 Days: - With Advance Purchase we have a good options considering that we will get guaranteed paid revenue from these promos. We should evaluate your advance purchase inventory and make sure that aren't giving up rooms that you could easily sell for BAR 2) Theme Banners (Theme Banners such as Luxury, Shopping, City, Romance, Family ) Packages and Promotions such as Last minute deal, Save 20pct Off) 3) Long Stay Discount 4) Reports: - search criteria for specific destination, web analytics and from where more clicks are coming etc. Based on that, do some specific POS (Point of Sale) promos 5) News Letter Delivery to inbox 6) Flamed deal: - When a deal is so hot that it needs to stand out from the crowd, its know as Flaming Deal. They are the deals are the best value for that property, on that day. We're convinced that if you shop around, you won't find better value. We decide which deals are the hottest and update them every day depending on wot's going on in that region. 7) Promotion on Face Book and Twitter 8) Reputation Management: - Check your reviews--have you responded to any reviews that may negatively impact someone's choice to book your hotel? We cannot emphasize the importance of good reviews and visual media enough.

Parameters or Factors which help hotels to generate more business via GDS
(Two Advertisement available:- When Agents Login and when they book Air Tickets) 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Brand Recoznization: - Getting listed and get the Chain Code Completeness and Accuracy of the information about the property Paying high commission promptly to the agents that drive your business Hot Spots Hotel Display advertisement:-

The items most critical in display messages that will help lead to making a hotel booking Ensure Promotion Shows a Rate that Agents Can Actually Book for the Dates Searching for Ensure Promotion Only Shows the Destination Searching For Ensure Promotion Shows the Hotels GDS Property ID Ensure Promotion Offers a Value Greater than the Hotels Standard Available Rates Be Competitive Ensure Promotion Includes Information on Amenities, Travel Agent Incentives and Other Add-ons in Addition to Price

Effects of Internet on Hotels and Travel Suppliers

World wide distribution and marketing Access to mountains of information Flexibility Control and real time decision making Revenue Management Consumer is now Pro sumer

Effects of the internet on intermediaries

Traditional travel agents: value added / mix model / less Transactional more experiential Wholesalers and traditional tour operators: direct to consumers / large investments in technology and marketing Online travel agencies: Battle to win hearts and minds of consumers and suppliers Better functionality for consumers Improved tools for suppliers Alternative compensation models (transactional & media) Expedia :- No 1 OTA in 19 Countries Hotels.com :- No 1 Hotel Specialist in 50 Countries Hotwire :- No 1 Leading discount travel website Trip Advisor:- No 1 Community Player with more than 15 Million reviews

According to the travel agents surveyed, the best time to receive a promotional message for making a hotel booking is
At the point of sale When first sign in for the day Other than GDS screen i.e. email/fax Urgent queue Some other way

How to Improve Hotel Rankings

TripAdvisor ranks hotels using an automated tool they call their "Popularity Index The TripAdvisor Popularity Index incorporates Traveler Ratings to determine traveler satisfaction. Emphasis is placed on the most recent information, Trip Advisor calculate the Popularity Index using an algorithm. TripAdvisor's Popularity Index is:

Pure: Completely organic. No paid results influence rankings. Fresh: Constantly incorporates new information. Global: Reflects reviews from around the world. Unbiased: Based on the good and the bad!

Important factors that may impact the TripAdvisor Popularity Index:

Complete and up-to-date content Quality of reviews Quantity of reviews Recency of reviews

TripAdvisor Best Practices for Hotels:

Keep the content in your listing updated and fresh Encourage customers (via on and offline means) to write reviews of your hotel (but do so in a way that doesn't violate TripAdvisor's Terms of Service--ie, don't "reward" customers for leaving reviews. If you do, you may find your hotel penalized for this violation Monitor your customer reviews Respond to BOTH negative and positive reviews Use your customer reviews as free market research to enhance your hotel's internal operations Enhance the good and fix the bad features of your property

Consortia Programs A) LAYNON :- also known for a Consortia Bid Submission tool
Lanyon is a tool used to receive and to respond to RFPs from consortia and Corporations. The Global consortia, Travel Management Companies (TMCs) and corporates book the vast majority of the worlds business travel. Lanyon provides you the opportunity to gain a share of that business.

What is an RFP?
RFP means Request for Proposal.

These are the programs that are opened on Lanyon and to which Hotels are invited toparticipate.

What is a consortia? Consortia are a group of independent agencies joined together under one umbrella. What is a TMC? A TMC is a Travel Management Company. The agencies that are part of a TMC are either owned or are affiliated with that specific TMC. Each agency is identified with that name hence Carlson Wagonlit Travel agency. TMCs can authorization policy to their agencies. TMCs invest in corporate self booking tools, back office technology and concentrate on accumulating large to medium local, national and multinational corporate clients and servicing their accounts Who are the major global TMCs? American Express (Amex) Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) BCD (formerly BTI and TQ3 EMEA) HRG (formerly Hogg Robinson part of BTI) FCm How many rooms can I submit to a consortia/corporation? The consortia or corporation bid types require up to two rooms a standard room or a standard and an upgraded room. How many rate seasons can I offer? You may offer annual rates or rates with 2, 3 or 4 seasons. Four is the maximum number of seasons you may use. What is the difference between a consortia bid and a corporate bid? Consortia require a consortia rate to be submitted. We recommend that a hotels consortia rate should be at least 15% below rack. The same consortia rate must be given to every consortia; this is the Parity Rule, such as required by CWT and JTB. A corporation requires a negotiated rate to be submitted. This should be lower than the consortia rate but it can be different for each corporation, such as Tesco and IBM. What is a Comparison Rate Template?
When a property offers rates, the client (the consortia or corporation) requires comparison rates. For example, if your property is offering consortia rates, the client requires your rack rate to identify what discount they are receiving. The Comparison Rate Template is an area where you can enter these comparison rates. The comparison rates only need to be entered once at the beginning of the year, and then they will automatically go into all your bids. The only rates entered in the comparison rate template that may be loaded into the GDS are the consortia net rates. All other rates in the template are just for comparison purposes.

When should I use a Comparison Rate Template?

You should use a Comparison Rate Template on every bid. When you complete the negotiated rate plan, you have the ability to add a Comparison Rate Template that has already been completed. In order for the client to understand a direct comparison, you must use the same season (such as annual) and rooms (such as standard) in both the comparison rate template and the negotiated rate plans.

What is My Consortia Net Rate?

Your consortia net rate is your consortia rate minus your propertys travel agent commission. For example, if your consortia rate was $100, and your propertys commission was 10%, your Consortia net rate would be $90.

There is no separate rate plan for your consortia net rate. If you complete this rate in your comparison rate template, and it is asked for by the consortia, the net rate will automatically be submitted. If the consortia net rate is booked, your property will receive the same amount as if the consortia rate had been booked.

What does LRA mean?

If your property offers Last Room Availability, the last room must be sold at the negotiated rate. That is, if you have one room available, you may not hold that room back and sell it at a higher level, such as your rack rate. With LRA, you must offer your last room at the lower negotiated price.

How do I know when my bid is finished?

Look at the status of your bid. The bid must be Approved before the deadline to be submitted to the client. The status of your bid could be any of the categories below: New A new bid has opened for your hotel. The bid has not been started.

In Progress The bid has been started but not finished. Verified The rates have been added to the bid but the bid is not finished. Approved The bid is finished and waiting for submission by the Rate Solicitation Team. Submitted The bid has been sent to the client and we are waiting for acceptance. Internally Rejected Your hotel decided not to take part in the bid and declined the bid. Account Accepted Your bid was accepted. Your rates will automatically be loaded. Account Rejected Your bid was rejected. Why do I have to pay to participate in some consortia?

Some consortia request that you pay to take part because of the additional marketing they include in their programs. They may print directories, conduct Web marketing, use online directories and provide many other marketing tools to promote your property.

Can I offer the consortia a single room?

Unfortunately, single rooms cannot be used to apply for consortia programs. The consortia will not accept a single room they require both a single rate and a double rate. Note: A single room is defined as having only one single bed which can accommodate only one person. Therefore, a double rate cannot be associated to the same room.

What is a parity rate?

Most consortia request a parity rate. That means that you have to offer the same rate to all the consortia. Some ask for BAR which is defined as the best available unrestricted rate.

How can I market my hotel to the consortia I am participating in?

Most of the consortia offer cost-effective ways of increasing your visibility to their booking agents. This may include e-mail blasts, advertisements on intranets or visits to their IATAs. For a relatively small investment you can gain preferential placement

B) Consortia
CONSORTIA MEGA TMC
Groups of independent travel agencies that come together under one umbrella and negotiate preferred rates with hotels. A travel management company that operates as a global organization with wholly owned joint venture and licensed operations around the world. Unlike large regional agencies that process hundreds of thousands of transactions, megas process millions of transactions a year for thousands of clients. Currently, the four mega agencies are American Express Business Travel, BCD Travel, Carlson Wagonlit Travel and HRG.

CONSIDERATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PARTICIPATION

located in a primary suburb or metro; Airport; Tertiary, Secondary or Destination area(s) Business Travelers although many programs book leisure travelers 60 or more guestrooms/suites recommended, preferred inside entrances, and featuring typical Business traveler expected amenities HSIA, Cable TV, Iron/Board, Coffee Maker, Fridge etc. -Minimum 2 Diamond AAA rated or equivalent and retain a QA Score of 475 up offer added value complimentary amenities to consortia rates such as Continental Breakfast, HSIA, and Business Center or Services within a 5-10 mile radius of major businesses, government facilities, and Intl or Regional Airports participate in PEROT Commission process and receive strong bookings through the GDS hotels competitors in the local market are with major brands

BENEFITS IN PARTICIPATING
Increased Bookings Increased Visibility Increased Revenue Marketing Opportunities Prominent GDS Display with Preferred Rate Codes provided by each Consortia in all 4 GDS On-line Hotel Directory Listings with Logo and up to 3 or more Photos CD-Rom Hotel Directory Listings with Logo and Photo Pet Friendly Logo if applicable Highlighted listing in printed directories distributed to Corporate Clients Listing in Online Hotel Portals for easy hotel/rate searching by Agent with access to GDS Co-op Marketing and Advertising Opportunities with VHG and Consortia partner

GUIDELINES FOR SUCCESS Consortia Rates will be submitted at 10% off BAR or 10% off lowest published Corporate Rate Consortia Rates are 10% Commissionable and available 7 days Consortia Net Rates are highly recommended and will be submitted at 20% off BAR or lowest published corporate rate Maximum of (2) two room types and (4) four Seasons are allowed Rates must be valid for the Calendar Year January 1 December 31 Last Room Availability (LRA) 24 Hour Cancellation and Credit Card Guarantee Suggested Complimentary Value Added Amenities (Will be displayed in online Directories)

o o o o o o o

Continental Breakfast High Speed Internet Access Exercise or Fitness Facility Business Services or Center (Fax, Copy) Room Upgrade Local Calls and Incoming Fax Airport/Hospitality Shuttle (if available)

Consortia Programs
According to HEDNA a consortia is a rate negotiated between a hotel company and a travel agency group. Viewership of these rates in the GDS by a TA or other GDS user is restricted and the rate may be booked only after entry of either the Agents or Client authorization code. Originally started for mom and pop travel agencies, Consortias have become a major player in the travel industry. Consortias is a conglomerate of travel agency members that have joined an organization and by doing this can now increase marketing to their customers by offering competitive rates at hotels worldwide. They are usually found using one global name (ABC Corporate Services), or continuing to keep their name, but using the relationship and tools of the program that they are members of.

Each program has a list of requirements and fees to participate, but the standard requirements include:

A minimum of 10% off the lowest single published rate (Rack or Corporate) Rate Parity Last room availability guarantee 10% commission to the Agent All rates quoted are to be guaranteed for the entire year starting from Jan 1 Dec 31, unless otherwise noted

What are the benefits to participation

Increased visibility You will be visible by all agencies under the consortia umbrella Increased Revenue You will see an increase in revenue generated through participation Marketing opportunities Each consortia will have a number of opportunities you can participate in

Rate Strategy :-

1) By using the rate strategy model, you gain maximum exposure on the Global 2) Makes managing your rates easier and makes sure your rates are in line with the global
market Distribution Channels

3) Ensures a maximum presence in the GDS and Internet sites

There are 7 Rate Tiers
Rack Tier: is the highest room rate for each room type. It is generally the rate that the hotel calls a Rack Rate Business Tier: includes business rates that are non-last room availability. LRA (Last Room Availability) Tier: Rates targeted towards business clients where the contract has a last room availability clause, for example Consortia rates. Promotional Tier: Offer rates to the leisure market. Membership Qualified Tier: Available to certain sectors of the market. These rates are used to attract these sectors into the hotel. Internet Tier: Used to distribute rates to the internet that are not opaque or marked up. Net Tier: Used to distribute merchant rates or opaque rates to the internet.

A)

B)

Rack Tier: --Rack Rate is the highest room rate for each room type. It is generally the rate that the hotel calls a Rack Rate BAR Rate :- The Best Available Rate is a promotional rate that fluctuates depending on demand and is available for anyone to book on all the distribution channels. A hotel can initially set the rate up as 75-80% of the Rack Rate and then change the rate according to their demand. Rate Category: - Promotional Recommended as :- Stand Alone Rate Recommended Interface Name :- Best Available Rate Business Tier:--Corporate Rate is offered to non-preferred or non-Local corporate

Industry standard states that the Corporate Rate should be 90-95% of the Rack Rate and does not have any specific restrictions. Rate Category: - Corporate Recommended Interface Name :- Corporate Rate

Negotiated Rates Non-LRA (Last Room Availability)

A Negotiated Rate is a company rate that has been agreed with a corporate customer. This is not to be confused with the Corporate Rate, which is a public rate available to all customers. A Negotiated Rate is only available for the company with whom the rate was agreed. For example, it could be a rate that is only available for IBM employees. These rates are generally contracted for one year, and the discount is based on demand. A company that does a lot of bookings will get a better rate discount than those with less. The rates are secure, only the company with whom the rate was agreed will ever see the rate. As with the Consortia Rate, a company with a Negotiated Rate can also see the public rates. Only negotiated company rates that are not offered last room availability will sit in this tier Rate Category: - Negotiated

Consortia Rate
A consortia rate is a contracted preferred rate between a hotel and one of the large travel agent companies, like American Express or Carlson Wagonlit. typically a Consortia Rate is 90% of the corporate rate and is contracted for one year. These rates are secure. They are not viewable by the general public and can only be seen and booked by the consortia who contracted the rate. Consortia rates have some unique features that separate them from other rate types: Last Room Availability: This unique rate feature allows a Consortia customer to book a room at your property with the Consortia rate as long as you have a room available to book. Unlike other special rates that can be assigned a limited amount of availability, this rate is always available as long as there is a qualifying room available for sale. Black Out Dates: When contracting the rate, certain dates can be provided (like key fair dates) where the consortia rate is allowed to be closed out. The number of black out dates varies per consortia. Rate Category: -Consortia

Consortia Rates Lanyon

Consortia rates can be negotiated a number of ways with travel agencies. One of the simplest ways is through Lanyon. Lanyon is a software program that allows hotels to view available rate programs and place bids on them

C) Promotional Rates
Weekend Rate The rates can be an amount on BAR or a percentage of the BAR rate. That way when the BAR rate is changed, the weekend rates will automatically be updated. Why use Weekend Rates?

 The WKD code on the GDS is one of the search criteria used by travel agents to find rates for their clients who want to book a hotel room for the weekend Use the interface description to describe the value adds that are included in the weekend rate to attract customers to your hotel. The weekend rate is available on all distribution channels. Belongs To: Promotional Tier Rate Category: Weekend Recommended Interface Name: Weekend Rate Calculation Parent: BAR Rate can be a percentage of BAR or an amount on/off BAR Promotions or Packages A promotion or package has value-adds included in the rate. For example, Dinner, Bed and Breakfast Rate or a Champagne Package. Packages on the system should have different value adds to target different markets. Restrictions, guarantee and cancellation policies, value adds and days of the week availability are ideal ways of managing the rates to attract the different markets. Distributed to all Channels Belongs To: Promotional Tier Rate Category: Promotion or Package Calculation Parent: BAR Rate can be a percentage of BAR or an amount on/off BAR Interface Name and description should describe the rate and the value adds

D) Membership Qualified Tier

Travel Agent Rate The Travel Agent Rate is a marketing rate for hotels to attract travel agents to the property in order to create awareness and generates PR. With this rate: It is typically 50-70% of the BAR Rate No travel agent commission Restricted viewership- Only Travel Agents can see and book this rate. Only available to Travel Agent Employees (IATA recommended to be shown on arrival at the hotel) Recommendation is to restrict the number of nights the travel agent can stay at the hotel, for example maximum of three nights. Recommendation is to do a show round with the travel agent when they are at the property and provide literature to take back to the work place. Belongs To: Membership Qualified Tier Rate Category: Travel Industry Calculation Parent: BAR Recommended interface name: Travel Agent Rate

AAA, Senior, Government Rates, Military Rates

Additional rates can be loaded onto the global distribution channels in order to attract different market segments. Contracts are generally required for the AAA, Government and Military Rates in order for these to be booked by these organizations. With these rates: They will vary depending on demand Qualified viewership ID Required

E) Internet Only Rates

These are rates distributed to websites that are specifically for that website, but are not marked up. With these rates: The hotel will have a contract with these sites, or it could be your own NetBooker NG website. Defined viewership enables the rate to be distributed to select websites only The rates will be equal to or lower than the BAR rate Belongs To: Internet Tier Rate Category: Promotional Calculation Parent: BAR

Merchant/Net Rates
These are rates supplied by the hotel to specific Web sites, for example Travelocity. These are known as Merchant Rates, which means that when the site receives these rates, they will distribute a marked up rate. Rate characteristics: Prime placement on the websites if rates provided are competitive Opportunity to do marketing with the websites Can close out the rates and limit allocation depending on the contract signed Generally about 75-80% of the BAR Rate Guest Pre-pays reservations Hotel to charge single use credit card for accommodation and taxes Belongs To: Net Tier Rate Category: Negotiated Calculation Parent: BAR Example for Utell Hotels & Resorts is the NetMore Product. The Rate Characteristics: Contract required Approximately 75-80% of the value of BAR Utell Commission 3% Website Commission is 0% as they mark the rate up Payment via single use credit card

F)

Branded Rate Programs

These rates are marketed in various ways throughout the year, for example in GDS messages, on Utell's own websites (www.HotelBook.com, www.utell.com and www.utellagent.com) and in direct communication with Travel Agents. The rates target different markets and are explained below. GREATRATE Minimum 2 night stay required Breakfast must be included in the rate Rate is recommended to be 90-95% of the BAR Value Distributed to all channels Belongs To: Promotional Tier Recommended Interface Name: GREATRATE Rate Category: Promotion Calculation Parent: BAR LATEGETAWAYS Can only be booked within 7 days of arrival No Breakfast included in the rate Rate is recommended to be the same as BAR or less if BAR includes breakfast Distributed to all channels Belongs To: Promotional Tier Recommended Interface Name: LATEGETAWAYS Rate Category: Promotion Calculation Parent: BAR REST&Jet Rate must include a value add, for example free shuttle bus, free car parking Rate is recommended to be 105 - 110% of the BAR value Distributed to all channels Belongs To: Promotional Tier Recommended Interface Name: Rest And Jet Rate Category: Promotion Calculation Parent: BAR

Suggested abbreviations: Standard Abbreviations for Common Words Use Instead of Use Instead of BKFST Breakfast RM Room CC Credit Card STD Standard DBL Double STE Suite DLX Deluxe SUP Superior ID Identification SVC Service NT Night VW View PCT Percent (%)

PMS

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IS A APPLICATIONS OF COMPUTER HARDWRE AND SOFTWARE USED TO MANAGE A HOTEL.. There are many PMS available in the market in which the most commonly used are OPERA and GUEST360

Advantages of PMS THE AVAILABILITY OF ROOMS / TO EASE RESERVATION PROCESSING / THE DAILY OCCUPANCY STATUS / TO EASE CHECK-IN & CHECK-OUT PROCEDURES / GUEST PROFILE MAINTENANCE / MAINTAIN CORPORATE/TRAVEL AGENTS RATES / COMPLAINT MONITORING / TO EASE NIGHT AUDIT PROCESS For FOM Checkin , Room Status, Posting of guest account , Advance Deposit, For Reservation Room Availability and Yield Management For Marketing and Sales Clinte File , Travel Agent , Direct Mail , Meeting room information , Guest History For House Keeping Room Status , Lost and Found , Laundry charges For HR Time and Attendence , Peronal file For F&B Recepies , Menu Profibility , Inventory, For Accounting A/c Payable and A/c receivable , General Ledger , P/L Statement , Payroll and Balance sheet For Security Fire Safety records and Employee and Guest Movement Records

YIELD MANAGEMENT
Yield management is also know as Revenue Management. It is the process of understanding, anticipating and influencing consumer behavior in order to maximize Revenue or Profit CRS A central reservation system (CRS) is a computerized system that stores and distributes information on a hotel, resort, or other lodging facility. Central reservation systems are available exclusively to hotel representation companies, hotels themselves, and CRS providers. Modules Present in CRS Reservations Profiles Groups Rate and Inventory Control Administration Reporting Global Distribution Interface PMS Interface Information commonly stored in a CRS Room Rates Room Allotments Room Types Room availability Generic hotel information (address, phone number, fax number) Reservation information Geocode information Nearby IATA cities and airports On-site or nearby restaurants, bars, attractions, and recreational activities Room and hotel features Hotel cancellation, deposit, and minimum stay information

Hotel consolidator (also called a hotel broker or discounter) is a travel company or business that buys up blocks of hotel rooms in top destinations and then resells them at discounted rates to the final customer. Hotel consolidators seemingly to brokers buy in bulk and then resell at a predetermined

discount thus creating a big push search for discounted hotel deals online and passing the savings on to their customers.[1]