Distribution et Revenue Management

🛆 Hoteliers warn that the Global Distribution System (GDS) is beneficial for business-focused hotels but not ideal for leisure tourism. Magali from Hotel Evergreen Laurel highlights GDS as essential for business segments. Julia from Platzl Hotels notes GDS downsides: seasonality, cancellation policies, availability restrictions, and it has barely evolved since the 1980s with limitations on descriptions and reliance on third parties for rates. GDS payment structures are complex and costly with transaction fees, compensation fees, commissions, and marketing costs. However, GDS offers higher Average Daily Rates (ADR) and lower costs compared to Online Travel Agency (OTA) commissions, which can reach up to 28%. OTAs customers are more price-sensitive and likely to leave negative reviews. Julia advises hotels to analyze if GDS clientele fits their commercial mix and to observe the local market's GDS presence.

💾 RoomRaccoon, a cloud-based hotel management software for independent hotels, has acquired Lobbi PMS, expanding its Benelux region clientele by over 300 establishments. The Belgium-based Lobbi PMS specializes in solutions for small to medium-sized hotels. Founders David De Windt and Philippe Mangé along with CTO Geoffrey De Muer from Lobbi will join RoomRaccoon, which is led by CEO Tymen van Dyl. This is RoomRaccoon's second acquisition following the successful purchase of Ireland-based iHotelligence in December 2023.

🚧 Employees at the Prince de Galles hotel have been on strike since September 26, supported by the CGT union, demanding management changes, additional hires, respect, and a €2,000 bonus. Citing understaffing, increased resignations and workplace accidents, the strikers criticize the hotel for overusing interns and apprentices despite receiving public subsidies, and for neglecting workers' conditions. As of September 30, the CGT reported 100 out of 280 employees were striking, leading to disruptions like brunch cancellation and halted bookings.

🏨 Boost’Hôtel Référence, located at 22 rue des Reynes, 06800 Cagnes sur Mer, France, offers personalized consulting services in revenue management and hotel marketing to optimize hotel performance. They provide customized solutions for revenue increase, strategic pricing, and operational management simplification, catering to the specific needs of independent hotels and chains. Contact: +33 (0)6 14 32 48 53.

🛍 Tourism professionals aim to recover from a difficult summer in 2024, impacted by travelers' low purchasing power. Expedia Group data shows a 10% increase in travel searches at the start of Q2 yearly, with a surge as Q4 sales events begin. The holiday shopping season starts with Black Friday on November 29, followed by Cyber Monday and Travel Tuesday on December 3, 2024. These events offer critical sales opportunities for the travel industry, heading into an uncertain 2025.

🏨 Radisson Individuals, a high-end boutique and independent hotel brand, targets guests seeking immersive, unique experiences. Following the acquisition of Radisson Hotels Americas in 2022, this brand direction signifies a significant investment by the group. Radisson Individuals, a rapidly growing "soft brand," boasts 15 franchised properties in the Americas, leveraging Choice's expertise in developing this market segment. This rebranding aims to bolster Choice's growth strategy in the upscale and luxury segments, as CEO Patrick Pacious acknowledges the rising traveler demand for unconventional experiences with local character and superior service.

🏨 The Korner group launches a new brand of 3-star hotels featuring a human-sized, city-center setting, enhanced customer experience, and team management. Cécile Rosset, Maxime Letessier, and Benoît Piel innovate with a horizontal management style and decentralized control, convinced that happy employees offer the best client experience. Their decentralized model empowers employees, with each hotel managed by a Korner Host who welcomes guests and selects support roles.

📢 Cendyn, a global technology company specialized in cloud solutions for hospitality, acquired Knowland, the US leader in meeting and event intelligence services for the hotel industry. Knowland’s platform offers in-depth data from over 7,500 US hotels and some international markets to improve hoteliers' sales prospecting, aiming to boost MICE bookings (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events). The strategic acquisition, supported by investors including Haveli Investments, joined Cendyn's private equity portfolio earlier this year, is set to enhance revenue, speed up the sales cycle, and optimize processes towards group sales goals.

📖 Google has updated its verification policy for Google Business Profile listings, requiring new verifications for minor changes which could lead to temporary suspensions. Their stricter controls have led to a massive wave of fraudulent listing suspensions and a considerable number of reviews were deleted in an effort to eliminate fake feedback. As of August 2024, Google's algorithm update continues to cause search ranking volatility beyond the update's official end on September 3. With the "Target Cost per Lead" bidding strategy in testing for Local Services Ads, Google aims to optimize lead generation costs. The addition of the "About This Place" section in Google Local Pack offers users deeper insights into local businesses. Users are advised against purchasing fake Google reviews, with risks of suspension and penalties up to €300,000 and 2 years imprisonment for deceptive advertising.

💸 Mirai integrates with Cloudbeds, joining its extensive list of channel managers and PMS. The integration streamlines operations, allowing real-time management of availability, rates, restrictions, and automatic updates of bookings and cancellations to PMS. Cloudbeds, serving tens of thousands of properties in over 150 countries, offers a unified and scalable hotel management platform. No setup or monthly fees are charged by Mirai for connecting to Cloudbeds.