One of the thorniest dilemmas in hotel operations is how many F&B Outlets are required and then how to run and manage them, since Food and beverage could either be a boost to a hotel’s credibility or a potential cash drain. Restaurants must add to the overall value of the hotel, and thus average daily rate, even if they are not a runaway success as stand-alone offerings. Today, restaurants are changing their concepts and becoming as popular with locals as they are with guests, and that never used to be the case. The most important focus for hotel F&B is to make any restaurant or bar ..read more

As digital continues to mature, there is a shift occurring among marketers: travel marketing and digital travel distribution strategies are converging, and it’s having a major impact on the industry. To be successful in this era of convergence, travel providers must think more strategically, not just about inventory, but about how they’re selling entire experiences. With convergence, new revenue streams are up for grabs and these extend well beyond the traditional traveling ecosystem. Blurred lines Travellers all have needs, but those needs vary dramatically depending on the moment. Trav ..read more

Apart from selling rooms, hotels wish to maximize their revenue. But with many markets becoming more competitive, boosting revenue is easier said than done. Increasing room rates to broaden margins might be great during high season, but during the low season, high rates drive customers away. Instead of simply adjusting room rates up and down, there are many other ways for hotels to generate more revenue and create a better guest experience at the same time. Quick ways to drive more revenue in only a week: Upselling, Using your local network and Involving employees Ways to drive more reve ..read more

Loyalty programme guests are also more likely to perceive the company’s products and services as providing good value and so they are less sensitive to the company’s price premium. They are further likely to act as brand ambassadors by recommending the company through word of mouth, either through personal recommendations or via online review sites. Such recommendations, the researchers comment, are highly valued by hotel companies as they are known to be highly effective. Nevertheless, loyalty programmes also bring challenges. They are, for instance, expensive to set up and maintain, and t ..read more

The gig economy is booming, and that’s good news for hotels. The gig economy is defined as a labour market characterized by the prevalence of short-term contracts or freelance work as opposed to permanent jobs. In a gig economy, temporary, flexible jobs are commonplace and companies tend toward hiring independent contractors and freelancers instead of full-time employees. A gig economy undermines the traditional economy of full-time workers who rarely change positions and instead focus on a lifetime career. In less than a decade, the contractor workforce is expected to become the workforce ..read more

Research by CWT, the B2B4E travel management platform, shows that travelers prefer to manage transactions digitally, via an app or browser. Seventy-eight percent of business travelers prefer to book their hotels digitally rather than have human interactions. However, travelers are more receptive speaking to a person face-to-face when checking into their hotel (46%) and checking out (51%). Overall, Asia Pacific travelers are more likely to choose technology over personal contact with 84% preferring to book hotels digitally, versus 77% of those from the Americas, and 70% of Europeans ..read more

Online reputation management has traditionally concentrated on TripAdvisor reviews. Hotels and restaurants in particular know how important online reviews have become ever since sites such as TripAdvisor came into the spotlight almost two decades ago. Google with its “of course, we can do it better” mantra has beefed up its own review platform, which is fully integrated into its existing search and maps empire. They always play to win. All of Google’s recent upgrades have served to make them a better information center for the end user. TripAdvisor with its hyper-narrow focus might be the bi ..read more

Move over Millennials… the post millennials are here! A recent article published by Bloomberg says this is the year that Generation Z becomes the biggest consumer cohort globally, displacing millennials as a top obsession for investors trying to figure out how to cash in on their unique shopping, eating and media habits. While the older lot have entered the workforce recently, the majority are still studying; but boy, do they have the spending power! Investors have always been interested in young consumers and how their habits might open up new opportunities, but much of the long-held th ..read more

Mobile phones are ubiquitous and research shows that although most users think they have good mobile manners, many people report being irritated or annoyed by the handling of these mobiles. Good mobile phone etiquette is similar to common courtesy. Conversations and text exchanges have a tendency to distract people from what’s happening in front of them. Mobile users should be thoughtful, courteous and respect the people around them. Clearly there’s a lack of understanding of what is and isn’t acceptable in terms of mobile etiquette. I’ve put together a pop quiz each one of us may want to a ..read more

Some studies have anticipated that voice will account for 50% of searches in under two years. What seems unquestionable is that users will be searching the net very differently before too long. Using voice commands to search for and book hotels is going to be disruptive in the hotel industry. We have come to yet another turning point where hotels are forced to “adapt or die” in the fight to defend and boost direct bookings. Voice search poses a new threat for those who are lagging behind, but it also represents an opportunity for the more active businesses that are ready to act fast. The ..read more