Final Exam RM

1. What is meant by social sharing sites, link to 2 examples

Social sharing sites are known to be a simple way to create online conversations between consumers. For hoteliers, it's a manner to satisfy better customers in knowing consumers' needs and to improve their reputation. And for customers, it's a manner to personnalize their trip with a direct collaboration with other consumers and also to know better the hotel where they're going to spend their trip thanks to the sharing experience with other consumers.

2 examples:
http://fr.blinklist.com/tag/video+social/

http://blog.moovement.com/?p=153

2. How does social sharing influence consumers' choices, link to 1 article to support your assessment

Today's consumers are using more and more internet as well to book their trip as to buy everyday life products. The sharing experience between online consumers influences a lot the consumers' choices. Now, consumers take into account more the comfort than the price.

1 example to support my assessment:
http://www.priceminister.com/

3. How hoteliers can best utilize social sharing trends to communicate with customers.

These social sharing sites enable hoteliers to enjoy the consumers' comments and therefore to improve consumers' needs in taking into account their opinions. These sites also enable them to improve their reputation with the new consumers. It's a new way to respond to their consumers' hopes.

4. What is your opinion...can hotels effectively establish an online conversation with customers? Yes, why...no, why not?

As far as I'm concerned, hotels can establish an online conversation with customers. They have to take the time to do it because it's so important to be on the line to their consumers' needs.On the one hand, this strategy enables hoteliers to increase their occupancy room rate because they satisfy better their customers in responding to their hopes. And on the other hand, this strategy enables hoteliers to improve their reputation, to fidelize their customers, and to attract more new customers.

REVENUE MANAGEMENT TEAM EXERCISE
By Marian Aduke DELON
and Myriam LOISELEUR

Site 1: http://www.avantgardehotels.com

_Who is the target customer group for the reseller site?

The target customer is all travellers who are looking for a unique and stylish experience.

_What is the "reach" of the site, how do you know?

It’s their own sources used for the website. They suscribe to www.googleanalytics.com and to www.availpro.com, and also to last minute offers. We find it in the view source.
What is the hotel image projected by the site, what types of hotels are listed?
The hotel image projected is the following: a design and trendy image.
The types of hotels listed are :

_ luxury hotels
_ design hotels
_ small contemporary boutique hotels
_ avantgarde superior hotels
_ oriental resort hotels
_ charming house hotels.

_Distribution – What types of marketing programs are offered to participating hotels? Are affiliate programs offered, if yes – what are the affiliate benefits?

For this website, we didn’t find anything concerning this kind of advantages.

Site 2: http://www.hotelclub.net/hotel.reservations/

_Who is the target customer group for the reseller site?

The targeted customers are well-off people.

_What is the "reach" of the site, how do you know?

For this website, we didn’t find the sources.

_What is the hotel image projected by the site, what types of hotels are listed?

The site is a classic website for charming hotels. It doesn’t reflect the style of the hotels represented.
The types of hotels listed are: _ luxury hotels
_ 2 star hotels
_ 3 star hotels

_Distribution – What types of marketing programs are offered to participating hotels? Are affiliate programs offered, if yes – what are the affiliate benefits?

Concerning the distribution, we have found a membership program which enables hoteliers to get the following benefits:
_ 50% of the net commission made by "Hotelclub" on each booking.
_ free registration to this reseller
_ technical and marketing assistance offered
_ the fact to build hotel’s brand freely.

Site 3 : http://www.flashbooking.com/index.do

_Who is the target customer group for the reseller site?

The target customers are couples, people who love travelling light, adventurers, young travellers, families, businessmen, and students.

_What is the "reach" of the site, how do you know?

This website is inspired by the following sources: www.googleanalytics.com , www.prima-posizione.it , www.trenet.it .

_What is the hotel image projected by the site, what types of hotels are listed?

This site doesn’t reflect all categories of hotels provided. It reflects only the fact that it deals with cheap hotels.
The types of hotels listed are:

_ youth hostels
_ 1 star hotels
_ 2 star hotels
_ 3 star hotels

_Distribution – What types of marketing programs are offered to participating hotels? Are affiliate programs offered, if yes – what are the affiliate benefits?

As far as the distribution is concerned, this website has established a special partnership which enables your hotel to:
_ get a free adv. Banner,
_ have a free registration and microsite There’s no charges for registration, administration, revisions, cessation. Your hotel also enjoys a free insertion of its profile and a free access to the online booking system, and you gain a free space for 6 photos and for a map.

CONCLUSION

Which reseller would you select for your hotel?

Firstly, we selected the hotel called "Ice Kube" for being our hotel for the following reason, it’s a real innovative and design concept. And for this reason, we chose the reseller "Avantgardehotels" which is the best choice to represent our hotel, because it’s trendy just like our hotel. This reseller reflects well our modern concept.

Make loads of Money with Secret Affiliate Weapon

http://www.wiredhotelier.com/news//4029577.html

GALILEO LAUNCHES MULTI-CURRENCY RATE DISTRIBUTION FOR HOTELS

All hotels which use Galileo, a Global Distribution System(GDS), have now access to multi-currency rate distribution.
It enables these hotels to get their rates in different currencies, and therefore to tailor adapted prices for specific markets. It means that these hotels adopt certain prices for certain customers, it depends on the nationality and customers' requirements. This system enables to grow the hotelier market.
This new functionality is also important in the fight against fluctuating exchange rates which compell hotels to introducing their prices in a stable currency, then it can make these hotels not really attractive for native people.

As far as I'm concerned, this sytem is really interesting because it enables hotels to provide for a range of certain services and products according to certain customers, and then adapt also prices to nationalities because we know that certain foreigners are willing to pay a lot for certain services.

http://www.wiredhotelier.com/news//4029528.html

BOOKING

The word "booking" characterizes an hospitality industry.

Nowadays, the fact of enabling customers to book rooms online is really important for hotels' business.
For hotels, this technic enables them to get more customers, and to grab more room bookings.
And for customers, this online system enables them to book their rooms when they want, to be served really quickly, no more waiting, and to feel more secure.
Moreover hotels have to optimize their website, it means to arrange their data in storage so that a minimum amount of machine time is spent for access when data are called out. They have also to be more accessible for certain search engines.
Furthermore the plus of online booking system is that hotels don't pay commission fee.

For me, this online booking system is really useful and interesting for hotels' business. They get some benefits, and they can increase the number of target customers.

http://www.wiredhotelier.com/news/154000469/4029355.html


REVENUE MANAGEMENT AND PACKAGING STRATEGY


This article deals with the "revenue management and the packaging strategy"...

The packaging consists in offering specific products and services to your hotel's customers, for instance, a show ticket or food and beverage delights, etc... It has to be adapted to the specific needs of your clients. For instance, families are to be more sensitive to an attraction park ticket than business people.
There are 2 types of components:
_ internal components of the packaging, which are items made and controlled by the hotel such as a cocktail, the transportation from airport to hotel...
_ external components of the packaging, which include hotel's items and external products, that the hotel has to negotiate with external operators, such as as show ticket...

The main purposes of the packaging are:
_ to create "the perception of the value" which means if your customers are satisfied by your products and services, they don't take firstly into account the price but the quality of your services,
_ to sell your available rooms,
_ to maximize hotel's revenue.

To conclude, we we can underline the importance of the packaging. A luxurious hotel is not only a place where travellers can sleep, therefore the hotel has to provide them the quality of its services and products.
The packaging takes a part of the quality of a hotel's services and it has to enable its clients to feel unique because you have answered to his specific needs, therefore the customer will come back in the hotel...It's really important to fidelize customers for the success of the hotel.
The packaging also enables your hotel to get a plus in comparison with your competitors...

http://www.wiredhotelier.com/news/154000470/4029347.html

AMADEUS AND PAR SPRINGER-MILLER SYSTEMS UNITE TO PROVIDE HOTELIERS WITH REVENUE MANAGEMENT SOLUTION

This article deals with Amadeus, a GDS, and PAR Springer-Miller Systems, a leading provider of hospitality management solutions, which have formed a technology partnership.

Thanks to this partnership, they hope to create an intelligible system that can permit hoteliers to manage easily their property and increase their revenues. Generally speaking, hoteliers' goal is to make money, then this sytem enables them to manage fastly their property and therefore to make their hotel business profitable.

This system also offers hoteliers the best experience concerning the business management.

Eventually, this system also allows hoteliers to provide their clients the best service.