Commentary

Post selected : " Leading article: Rooms without service " by Annelore Hue

Annelore has selected a very interesting subject when she introduce the problem of the hotels' quality in GB and analyse the situation. In fact, this issue risks to appear in France (the first tourism destination) or maybe has already started ... and so be prepared and anticipating this situation can be very beneficial.

http://annelorecmh4a.blogspot.com/

Week posting

Article selected : Five Ways to Promote Your Hotel Web Site By Neil Salerno, 11.04.07

This article presents 5 basic ways which help to promote an hotel’s web site:

1 - Web Site Optimization: more you analyze your web site, more efficient and competitive you are.

2 - Search Engine Submissions: it brings you efficiency, reflection, more data analyze, improve your site popularity. “Pro-active impact” notion...

3 - Pay-per-click Advertising: very useful, shows your site’s popularity and can develop your ROI.

4 - Link Structure and Strategy: in order to improve your site’s visibility.

5 - Create a Searchable Photo Gallery: probably one of the most important point and the best promoting tool…

My Opinion

As far as I am concerned, this 5 advice reflect that nowadays having a web site isn’t sufficient and require more and more promotion and marketing. We are now arrived at a point of an “internet sub-concentration”. Thus, investing in your web site can be very profitable and can make the difference with the competitors. Furthermore, having an original or very hi-tech site is “in-Vogue” and the internet reservation system as never been so successful…

Link :

http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/154000320/4030987.html

DECIDE 3rd PARTY SITE

Type of Hotel: Design Hotel

3rd Party Site selected:
http://avantgardehotels.com/

Description of the site:
The first impression is design, simplicity and practice. Very good conception eg Hotel of the month (for the new entry...) 3 categories of hotels:
- Avantgarde Luxury
- Avantgarde Superior
- Avangarde Confort
A lot of photos for each hotel + the presentation of the city very nice....
They already have a brochure easy to dowmload which gather all the hotels + explain the concept.....
They have a "brother" site for hotel with character:
http://www.epoquehotels.com/

Negative point: both don't appear on the first page of the research when you type design hotel or epoque hotel. Thus even if it's a very relevant and innovative site I won't join it. Probably I will change my oppinion if they improve this issue....

Commentary for the 30th March 07

Post selected : " Hospitality Design Group Expands Magazine to Asia Pacific & Middle East " by Olga Smuniova

Link :

http://smuniova.blogspot.com/

It is a very interesting new and trendy magazine which shows us the growing of the Asia Pacific and Middle East hospitality and tourism industry. Olga has perfectly and briefly explained the concept & the contain of the magazine. A photo could be a plus but it was a relevant article. Good blog…

Week posting for friday 30th March 07

Article selected : Seven Habits of Highly Effective Hotel Sales People By Brenda Fields, 27.03.07

Nowadays the role of the sales department is becoming one of the main important, strategic and complex in a hotel; it can make the difference with the competitors and has a direct impact on the turnover. Thus, to improve and optimize the sales actors could be relevant and beneficial.

To reach this goal, 7 actions can be taken by the sales person:

1: Know your product and know your competition. To sell better and most professionally. Knowing the competitors can help to better position your product and sheds light on your strength.

2: Know who your customer is. In order to respond to their need and anticipate their request.

3: Listen to your customers. Understand their needs. To develop customer loyalty.

4: Balance good customer relations with fiscal responsibility to the owner. Thus, you can instars respect and confidence with the guest.

5: Develop great administration skills. It is now important to be organized and and meticulous.

6: Be reliable and consistent. Because the communication has became essential.

7: Continue to grow and develop. In order to be up to date and precursory.

As far as I am concerned I believe that these 7 actions are very useful to improve the hotel sales department efficiency. An other aspect that I think important is the communication between the different services or departments which is actually one of the main successes of an establishment and can be as the same time the main weaknesses and for this point, the sales department is one of the worst in the hotel and need to change.

Link :

http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/154000320/4030790.html

Hotel Use of Viral Mobil

As it is now available in Belgium the hotel can instaure a mobile phone direct reservation because our mobile will be our main technology in the future. In addition to that, the phone will serve as the key to open the room. The Hotel will put on its website every day a new phone bell and so each visitor could get it. To finish with, the hotel could propose a tourism phone service: the client will can download on his mobil the more interesting places and tourism interest (restaurants, museums..) and of course a GPS system.

Commentary for the 22nd March 07

Post selected : "The seven kind of spas" by Annaïk Simon

Link :

http://annaiksimon.blogspot.com/

Spas are very “Trendy” especially on metropolis and after reading her posting I have learned something interesting so it was a relevant reading. Maybe it could be now interesting to think about the development of Spas in the future or imagine new concept including them…

Week posting for friday 22nd March 07

Article selected : Great Hotels Organisation launches its new and exciting ‘Eco Collection’, 26.02.07 Observing that the guests are more and more “Eco-oriented”, The Great Hotels Organisation (GHO) is launching now, in March 2007 a new and precursory label called “Eco Collection”.

To get this distinction, the establishments will follow a range of “Eco-action” such as:
- Use “Eco Energies”
- Conserve a local biological and cultural diversity through protection of ecosystems
- Promote the sustainable use of biodiversity by providing jobs to local populations
- Increasing environmental and cultural knowledge among staff
- Minimising tourism’s own environmental impact
- Showcasing local culture, flora and fauna as the hotel’s main attractions
- Organize “Eco-Conferences” with the guests

In addition of that, the members will be classified into 3 different levels according to their “Eco Investment”.

For my part, I think that the 21st century is the “well being” century where the ecology-conscious will be a major preoccupation and I am sure that the Eco Hotel concept with a 100% Eco material and functioning will be a fantastic and interesting idea to develop even on urban zones.

Link :

http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/154000378/4030431.html

Difference between 3rd Party / Hotel BRG Strategy

BRG

A 3rd Party site such as Expedia give your money back when you find a better price for the same product and so you change your seller.

Compared to it a hotel site like Mariott focus on the loyalty: when you book trough a Marriot chanel (internet, phone, travel agency...) for a brand of the group (Renaissance Hotels & Resorts, Springhill Suites...) you have 24 hours to search if you find a better price for:

- the same room category

- the same hotel

- the same dates

When you get a lower privce first you fill in a claim form and then, Marriot engage itself to pratice the lower rate and give you a 25% discount. Thus, Marriot develop its customer loyalty and encourage the Hotel's GM to check, control the rate chanels.

3 Reseller Sites:

http://ipower.com/

· User Agreement
All direct customers of IPOWER's basic services are subject to the terms and conditions contained in the User Agreement. The User Agreement is a legal contract between IPOWER and the customer that contains the rights, duties and obligations of IPOWER and the customer.

· Domain Policy
IPOWER's Domain Policy requires that all registrants adhere to certain terms and conditions. As an organization or individual applying to register, transfer or renew a domain name.

· Acceptable Use Policy

IPOWER's Usage Policy is designed to protect IPOWER, its customers and others from illegal, malicious, damaging and inappropriate behavior by users of IPOWER's services. All users of IPOWER's services are subject to the Usage Policy. The Usage Policy lists activities that are prohibited on IPOWER's services, such as hacking and spamming.

·

Anti-SPAM Policy
In our ongoing commitment to providing superior service for our customers, IPOWER has introduced a new, more vigilant anti-SPAM policy. We have implemented the following policy as a part of our commitment to reducing spam related activity.

·

Privacy Policy
IPOWER's Privacy Policy covers treatment of information that IPOWER may collect from users of its products and services and from visitors to the IPOWER site.

http://www.hostingzoom.com/

Terms of Service - Hosting Zoom's Terms of Service (TOS) is an agreement under which Hosting Zoom and it's users agree upon before using it's service. Violations of this TOS may result in account suspension or termination.

Acceptable Use Policy - Hosting Zoom strives to provide the highest reliability and network uptime to its users. In order to maintain a valuable service that meets the needs of the users of Hosting Zoom, the rules in this AUP have been established to protect against network abuse.

Service Level Agreement - Hosting Zoom is committed to providing a high level of service. The Service Level Agreement (SLA) policy outlines the uptime guarantee offered to every client.

Privacy Policy - Hosting Zoom respects the privacy of every individual who visits our website and uses our service. This privacy statement provides notice of the standards and terms under which Hosting Zoom protects the privacy of information supplied by visitors.

Copyright Statement - Hosting Zoom respects the intellectual property of others, and we ask our customers to do the same. This statement provides information on how to notify us if you believe that your copyrighted work has been copied and is accessible on any site for which Hosting Zoom provides hosting services that constitutes copyright infringement.

http://www.europeanreseller.com/

European Reseller Magazine is the only pan-European publication to identify with the real needs of the European IT and ICT reseller “channel” for Office, Networking and Communications.

Readership:European Reseller is circulated to our subscribed database of Vendors, distributors, resellers / VAR’s and systems integrators. These individuals have subscribed to European Reseller either at one of the many European exhibitions where we have stands or have subscribed on-line, all are active resellers and have a major influence on the channel decisions in their organisations The most important factors in their decisions are availability of product through the supply chain, ROI ( return on investment) and vendor support for their channel activities.

Content:Our content covers news and features on all aspects of the IT channel, discussing current channel trends and how to become a vendor, distributors, reseller or VAR (value added reseller) for security, logistics, pharmaceuticals, Oil & Gas, retail and office products. Areas covered are hardware, software, storage, security, networks, and imaging solutions.

Unique Selling Point with exposure exhibitions: European Reseller magazine is the leading International publication and is published four times a year February, May, September, November. Immediately after publication we circulate 10,000 copies to the latest international subscribers by post and additionally a further 15-16,000 copies are distributed from our stands at Europe's leading exhibitions in the following countries...

Commentary for the 16th march 07

Post selected : "Travel to Maldive " by Clemence

Link :

http://la-mere-clemence.blogspot.com/

To begin with Clemence has selected a trendy destination, I have appreciated the opposition "advantages" VS "disadvantages" : simple & efficient and I like her "poetic reference" so romantic... Nevertheless more personnal point of view and tourism situation or evolution would be additional interesting informations.

Week posting for friday 16th march 07

Article selected : Marriott Unveils Next Evolution of SpringHill Suites - Design and Customer Experience Will Captivate The Enjoyment Seeking Traveler, 22.02.07

This article presents the new design of The SpringHill Suite Hotel which was launched in 1998 by the leading lodging company : Marriott International, Inc. To respond to the current demand, they will develop an innovative and contemporary design & aesthetic hotel : fresh, open, flexible and functional. The public space will use lighting, music, moveable "softwalls" and changeable graphic panels to create distinctive environments throughout the day. Guests will can explore, connect, work and relax as they see fit. In addition to that, the guest room will have a 25 percent larger than traditional hotel guest rooms.

Hotels with elements of the new design will open late this year with the first complete package opening in 2008. Marriott projects that by the end of 2009, 75 percent of SpringHill's hotels will have most or all of the key design features, enabling the brand to redefine the upper moderate lifestyle category and penetrate new markets.

Thus this article show us the evolution of the customer’s expectation in the hotel : design, simplicity, new technologies & comfort…

See below some photos…

Link :

http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/154000395/4030017.html