| The internet is possibly the most significant channel for | | | | rates and inventory is made available to many |
| the sales of your hotel rooms. If not utilized immediately | | | | distributors of room inventory. For example HotelBeds |
| many hotels could find themselves with empty rooms. | | | | in Spain or Gullivers in the UK request hotels to enter |
| The internet provides hoteliers with formidable access | | | | their room rates and allotments onto extranets which |
| to almost every person in the world who owns an | | | | are then distributed to many dot coms globally. This is |
| internet connection. This is reach beyond compare and | | | | a lucrative channel for sales as the room exposure is |
| achieving sales online is partly the result of maximized | | | | phenomenal. The more wholesalers you work with the |
| online exposure. The more a hotel room is exposed on | | | | more sales channels you open up to. |
| the internet (together with content and | | | | 6) Extranets with OTA s - Many Online Travel |
| recommendations) or more so made visible to the | | | | Agencies have the facility to enable hotels to enter |
| market persona (customers!), the more likely it is to be | | | | rates and allotments directly onto their systems |
| booked. | | | | (extranets). Sites such as Expedia provide these |
| Listed below are ten gems that detail how a hotel | | | | facilities. Some of these sites drive most of the room |
| should think about distributing their rooms online. These | | | | sales online due to their brand name and marketing, |
| are some of the tools that would make your | | | | and having your property on their sites exposes your |
| distribution approach powerful and formidable. | | | | room to consumers. It also gives you the opportunity to |
| 1) Direct sales - A hotel should have its own booking | | | | liaise and negotiate with the OTA on rates and sales. |
| engine on its own website. Anyone loyal to a hotel | | | | 7) Channel Management Systems - With the use of |
| brand name would search for your hotel website and | | | | so many extranets the manual work required from |
| would like to book directly with you. The joy of your | | | | hotels in updating rates and inventory across so many |
| own booking engine is that the reservations are | | | | channels makes it impossible for hotel staff to manage |
| immediate. On request bookings are as old as fossils | | | | the work load and often requires the hiring of more |
| and should be avoided. | | | | staff. Channel Management systems provide some |
| 2) GDS connectivity - If you used to sell your rooms to | | | | help in this. They request that hotels enter rates and |
| high street travel agents and tour operators as a part | | | | inventory onto one extranet that updates hundreds of |
| of their package deal I am pretty sure you already | | | | OTAs. Preferential rates for certain OTA s are also |
| work with a GDS system such as Amadeus, Sabre, | | | | possible. |
| Worldspan, etc. The beauty of having these | | | | 8) Aggregators - There are many companies that |
| connections is that online travel agents connect to | | | | make it their point to connect to every possible online |
| them too and now have access to your rooms which | | | | channel to gather as much hotel inventory as possible |
| could be sold online to their consumer base. | | | | and then resell that inventory to any distributor. |
| 3) CRS connectivity - Many online travel agents are | | | | Working with them does improve your exposure. |
| now able to build an XML interface to most Central | | | | 9) Call centre - There are still many online users who |
| Reservation Systems. The trick is to ensure that your | | | | are not comfortable with entering their room |
| CRS provider has this capability. It is worthwhile asking | | | | requirements online. They insist on calling a 'person' and |
| them which online agents they are already linked into. | | | | making the same booking over the phone. Having your |
| Having your CRS connected to an online agent means | | | | details available for calls enables this channel of |
| your rooms are now visible to many consumers who | | | | exposure. |
| frequent these online channels. | | | | 10) Being found / Inbound Marketing - The world of |
| 4) PMS connectivity - Most hotels use a Property | | | | public relations and internet marketing is changing |
| Management System to manage their reservations. | | | | rapidly / dramatically and market indications predict |
| Some PMS systems enable online travel agencies to | | | | shifts in marketing online. Shifts towards social media, |
| connect to them using an XML interface. The trick is | | | | SEO, community building, blogs, article submissions and |
| to ensure that your PMS provider has this capability. It | | | | engaging with online consumers is set to be the new |
| is worthwhile asking them which online agents they are | | | | wave in internet marketing. First movers are bound to |
| already linked into. Having your PMS connected to an | | | | benefit in this arena and finding yourself internet |
| online agent means your rooms are now visible to | | | | marketing consultants would prove useful. For example |
| many consumers who frequent these online channels. | | | | most internet sales today (averaging over 70%) are |
| 5) Wholesalers / Tour Operators - Wholesalers and | | | | made via organic search results e.g. via Google search |
| some tour operators request hotels to enter their rates | | | | or Bing, by consumers as opposed to other channels. |
| and inventory onto an extranet. This database of hotel | | | | |