This article has been posted on Hospitalitynet.org on 25 January 2010.
It deals with the launching of a new brand: The Autograph Collection.
This brand actually features "independant hotels and resorts from around the world representing upper-upscale and luxury properties with distinctive personalities". The brand will gather at first 7 seven hotels, all based in America.
According to me, Marriott has got a very interesting and even fascinating development strategy: indeed they already have launched the Renaissance Collection that gathers 140. Each of them has a specific history and a unique character.
They are focusing on exceptionnal hotels offering to their guests unique moments and experiences. And nowadays, as so many hotels are opening -in spite of the overall economic situation- the key component of success is proposing new hotels collections and a large rank of experiences to the guests, and Marriott not only has understood that, but the group also managed to make the dream becoming true.
http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4045120.html
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
5 consumer travel strategies for 2010
This article has been posted on USA Today on January 22, 2010 and deals with the fact that in the overall economic situation, the main point in booing a travel should be limited to searching for the cheapest price.
That is why in this article, 5 new strategies are explained to customers for them to be aware of all the parametres that need to be taken into account:
- the first thing is of course to compare prices, start quite a long time before the holiday time to be able to follo the evolution of the prices and choose the best ones; it is also mostly important to avoid the scolar holidays to benefit from more interesting prices.
- be aware of fees charged for baggage, or if you do not register online for instance
it is money that could be saved if you just consider this matter
- people should choose their destination looing for interesting opportunities on OTA's sites: indeed, in the location where the overall economic situation is the most terrible, distressed inventory could be tried to be sold by offering interesting packages.
- it is also suggested for US travelers to use a cheapest flight to go to Europe, and then if they wish to visit a specific country, book a flight on a low-cost carrier.
- last, but not least, it is important not to forget the airport security issues and that consequently more time is required...
So in the end, I think that the overal economic situation is not that bad for tourism since it seems pretty clear to me that people could take it as an advantage to travel more, if they do precise researches. And it is consequently also a good thing for travelers, who could benefit from lower prices.
That is why in this article, 5 new strategies are explained to customers for them to be aware of all the parametres that need to be taken into account:
- the first thing is of course to compare prices, start quite a long time before the holiday time to be able to follo the evolution of the prices and choose the best ones; it is also mostly important to avoid the scolar holidays to benefit from more interesting prices.
- be aware of fees charged for baggage, or if you do not register online for instance
it is money that could be saved if you just consider this matter
- people should choose their destination looing for interesting opportunities on OTA's sites: indeed, in the location where the overall economic situation is the most terrible, distressed inventory could be tried to be sold by offering interesting packages.
- it is also suggested for US travelers to use a cheapest flight to go to Europe, and then if they wish to visit a specific country, book a flight on a low-cost carrier.
- last, but not least, it is important not to forget the airport security issues and that consequently more time is required...
So in the end, I think that the overal economic situation is not that bad for tourism since it seems pretty clear to me that people could take it as an advantage to travel more, if they do precise researches. And it is consequently also a good thing for travelers, who could benefit from lower prices.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Personal Branding: The Key to Thrive in Today's Marketplace
This article has been posted by Alan J Keith on 15th January 2010.
It actually deals with the fact that nowadays, each person should consider herself on the market place as an entity. Therefore, the choices made for its career have to be managed such as a business plan for a brand. And that is why the author calls "personal branding". It is actually a complete process consisting in not being stuck with our past, but try to improve personal effectiveness.
In the overall economic situation, it is most important to act differently.
I personally think indeed that it is important to be optimistic, though the current situation. It is necessary for people who are looking for a job to adjust themselves to the new employment world.
That is why following a process like the author suggests it is according to me the best advice for us, who are looking for a job. We have to build our career step by step, keep motivation, be efficent and do not underestimate our skills.
They are what we need to put a stress on.
It actually deals with the fact that nowadays, each person should consider herself on the market place as an entity. Therefore, the choices made for its career have to be managed such as a business plan for a brand. And that is why the author calls "personal branding". It is actually a complete process consisting in not being stuck with our past, but try to improve personal effectiveness.
In the overall economic situation, it is most important to act differently.
I personally think indeed that it is important to be optimistic, though the current situation. It is necessary for people who are looking for a job to adjust themselves to the new employment world.
That is why following a process like the author suggests it is according to me the best advice for us, who are looking for a job. We have to build our career step by step, keep motivation, be efficent and do not underestimate our skills.
They are what we need to put a stress on.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Aggregator Travel Sites: Orbitz vs BookingBuddy
1) Definition
"Unlike an online travel agency (OTA), like Expedia and Travelocity, metasearch sites simultaneously search numerous travel agency and travel supplier (airline, car, and hotel) websites to find the lowest prices without forcing the consumer to visit multiple websites. Unlike an OTA, you cannot book your travel on a metasearch site. Once you make your selection, the metasearch site sends you to the appropriate website to complete your booking."
2) Comparison between BookingBuddy and Orbitz.com
Orbitz mainly targets leisure holidays so families most of all.
http://www.screencast.com/users/ASMBA2/folders/Jing/media/5500538b-2530-4416-af2e-67ac65221435
BookingBuddy focus one being the easiest and fastest way to book for a travel
An aggregator website makes it possible to book some package or only part of a service (hotel, flight...). Moreover it is the website that will such among all the other sites which are the best prices.
Orbitz offers a Deal Detector, meaning the client fixes the price he agrees to pay, and then the site such for it and send to the client an alert when he has found it.
BookingBuddy proposes many different booking sites
Whereas we cannot know which are the ones on Orbitz.
3)
According to this article posted by David Grossman on USA Today, it seems that the point is that these websites do not really always find the lowest price. it is true that an individual will only check 3 or 4 booking sites while Aggregator Travel Sites will browse 12 of them, but the lowest price can be proposed one day by a booking site, the day after that by an OTA and so on...
4) As far as I am concerned, I think that the meta search sites are a real improvment in the travel experience. People have always less time to spend, less money to spend and so when they have to go for a trip -either leisure or business- htey need to find the cheapest as fast as possible. And of course people cannot go on each booking sites, entering its choices and so on. So these sites make it possible for travelers to gaim time and money, having a more efficient search mean.
"Unlike an online travel agency (OTA), like Expedia and Travelocity, metasearch sites simultaneously search numerous travel agency and travel supplier (airline, car, and hotel) websites to find the lowest prices without forcing the consumer to visit multiple websites. Unlike an OTA, you cannot book your travel on a metasearch site. Once you make your selection, the metasearch site sends you to the appropriate website to complete your booking."
2) Comparison between BookingBuddy and Orbitz.com
Orbitz mainly targets leisure holidays so families most of all.
http://www.screencast.com/users/ASMBA2/folders/Jing/media/5500538b-2530-4416-af2e-67ac65221435
BookingBuddy focus one being the easiest and fastest way to book for a travel
An aggregator website makes it possible to book some package or only part of a service (hotel, flight...). Moreover it is the website that will such among all the other sites which are the best prices.
Orbitz offers a Deal Detector, meaning the client fixes the price he agrees to pay, and then the site such for it and send to the client an alert when he has found it.
BookingBuddy proposes many different booking sites
Whereas we cannot know which are the ones on Orbitz.
3)
According to this article posted by David Grossman on USA Today, it seems that the point is that these websites do not really always find the lowest price. it is true that an individual will only check 3 or 4 booking sites while Aggregator Travel Sites will browse 12 of them, but the lowest price can be proposed one day by a booking site, the day after that by an OTA and so on...
4) As far as I am concerned, I think that the meta search sites are a real improvment in the travel experience. People have always less time to spend, less money to spend and so when they have to go for a trip -either leisure or business- htey need to find the cheapest as fast as possible. And of course people cannot go on each booking sites, entering its choices and so on. So these sites make it possible for travelers to gaim time and money, having a more efficient search mean.
On Twitter and in the Workplace, It's Power to the Connectors
This article has been posted on November 16, 2009 on the Harvard Business site's blog.
In this artcile the author compares the power owners on Twitter and in the workplaces.
She explains the Twitter cycle that is to say that one person gives access to information; in exchange, as a reward, she gets more followers who will bring her more information and so on and in the end, the network will be much bigger and that is what matters.
These people create organizations, networks, 'circles of influence'. But in the career, being technically adept is not enough.
It is necessary to be THE person who created bridges between different people and groups, looking for common points that might create relationships. This person is called a "connector".
These human networks constitute in the end qocial capital, what may able you to find a job and son on for instance. So the connectors are very much powerful. But it is a permanent job. They can not let their network down for a while. They have to keep looking for new contacts, new connections.
As far as I am concerned, I think indeed that the network means everything nowadays. It is really difficult to find a job and most often people hired are the ones who know someone in the firm... And with the development of networks such as Facebook for insance but alos Viadeo which is a professionnal one, it enables a word-to-mouth for job offer for instance. And there also are no more excuses to say that you do not know the right people. But it is true that a network is something which has to be worked on every day.
In the past, the skills which were asked were more "scolar". I mean that once people were hired, they had to do their job in a correct way and that was all. A job could last for30 or 40 years.
Nowadays people have to be aware at each minute, aloways developping their network, keeping in touch, "just in case", because the turn over is much higher. SO social skills are more than necessary. We cannot just do our job in our office and leave at the end of the day. It is a permanent effort which has to be done.
Thos skills cannot really be learned according to be. What is necessary is that once we have understood that, it is necessary to play the game... without loosing time.
But if the connector skills are really important -searching for new key contacts- the formal asignments are indispensable. Indeed, it is a prove of the job value, what can really be done. Indeed, having a great network but not being able to do the jobs cannot be successful. And people members of the network will be aware of that one day or another, and it might ruin the network.
In this artcile the author compares the power owners on Twitter and in the workplaces.
She explains the Twitter cycle that is to say that one person gives access to information; in exchange, as a reward, she gets more followers who will bring her more information and so on and in the end, the network will be much bigger and that is what matters.
These people create organizations, networks, 'circles of influence'. But in the career, being technically adept is not enough.
It is necessary to be THE person who created bridges between different people and groups, looking for common points that might create relationships. This person is called a "connector".
These human networks constitute in the end qocial capital, what may able you to find a job and son on for instance. So the connectors are very much powerful. But it is a permanent job. They can not let their network down for a while. They have to keep looking for new contacts, new connections.
As far as I am concerned, I think indeed that the network means everything nowadays. It is really difficult to find a job and most often people hired are the ones who know someone in the firm... And with the development of networks such as Facebook for insance but alos Viadeo which is a professionnal one, it enables a word-to-mouth for job offer for instance. And there also are no more excuses to say that you do not know the right people. But it is true that a network is something which has to be worked on every day.
In the past, the skills which were asked were more "scolar". I mean that once people were hired, they had to do their job in a correct way and that was all. A job could last for30 or 40 years.
Nowadays people have to be aware at each minute, aloways developping their network, keeping in touch, "just in case", because the turn over is much higher. SO social skills are more than necessary. We cannot just do our job in our office and leave at the end of the day. It is a permanent effort which has to be done.
Thos skills cannot really be learned according to be. What is necessary is that once we have understood that, it is necessary to play the game... without loosing time.
But if the connector skills are really important -searching for new key contacts- the formal asignments are indispensable. Indeed, it is a prove of the job value, what can really be done. Indeed, having a great network but not being able to do the jobs cannot be successful. And people members of the network will be aware of that one day or another, and it might ruin the network.
Should Hotels respond to Online Reviews? (Part 1)
The article headed "Should Hotels respond to Online Reviews? (Part 1)" has been published on londonhotelsinsight.com website on the 10th December 2009.
This article points out the problem of the TripAdvisor comments for hoteliers. Indeed, it appears that a recent survey by TripAdvisor/Market Metrix found that "85% of hotels have no guidelines on how to handle negative guest reviews published online".
But this article is based on London hotels, which seems to deal pretty well with this new fact.
Indeed, it happens that some clients post most negative comments and even sometimes ask friends or family who do not even know the hotel to add some other negative comments. But it seems that TripAdvisor is understanding concerning these problems and if the hotel can prove foul play, comments can usually be removed.
But the question is should a hotel respond to these bad comments?
- the standard responses seem to be the worst ones, just writting their usual promoting speech
- some others thanks the client for tis comment and suggest things they could have indeed done.
The thing is if those comments are transmitted to concerned department's head who responds in person. Which is probably one of the most efficient response since it helps improving the services offered. So it is finally a top improving opportunity.
An example of the hotels who deals with those comments this way is the Lanesborough, one of the top London hotels. And this hotel do not just lives on its reputation; they are careful of the comments posted, respond to each of them and always are acknowledged, which most of the hotels -cheap or luxury ones- do not.
So we can think that since TripAdvisor does exist and is used a lot by clients, it is now part of the hospitality industry business and part of the game...
That is why hoteliers should try to take advantage of that, using it as an improving opportunity.
This article points out the problem of the TripAdvisor comments for hoteliers. Indeed, it appears that a recent survey by TripAdvisor/Market Metrix found that "85% of hotels have no guidelines on how to handle negative guest reviews published online".
But this article is based on London hotels, which seems to deal pretty well with this new fact.
Indeed, it happens that some clients post most negative comments and even sometimes ask friends or family who do not even know the hotel to add some other negative comments. But it seems that TripAdvisor is understanding concerning these problems and if the hotel can prove foul play, comments can usually be removed.
But the question is should a hotel respond to these bad comments?
- the standard responses seem to be the worst ones, just writting their usual promoting speech
- some others thanks the client for tis comment and suggest things they could have indeed done.
The thing is if those comments are transmitted to concerned department's head who responds in person. Which is probably one of the most efficient response since it helps improving the services offered. So it is finally a top improving opportunity.
An example of the hotels who deals with those comments this way is the Lanesborough, one of the top London hotels. And this hotel do not just lives on its reputation; they are careful of the comments posted, respond to each of them and always are acknowledged, which most of the hotels -cheap or luxury ones- do not.
So we can think that since TripAdvisor does exist and is used a lot by clients, it is now part of the hospitality industry business and part of the game...
That is why hoteliers should try to take advantage of that, using it as an improving opportunity.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Loyalty Marketing: A Dynamic Process
The article headed "Loyalty Marketing: A Dynamic Process" has been published by Vijay Dandapani on the 4th January 2010.
It deals with the new ways to manage customer loyalty, taking into account the overall economic situation of high supply and low demand.
The author of this article bases its analysis on a Wall Street Journal which notes that "some large hotel chains, including Marriott International Inc. and InterCntinental Hotels Group PLC, are finding that more members of their customer-loyalty programs are redeeming pointsnot for overnight stays but for merchandise, like jewelry and electronics, apparently to use as holiday presents".
Customers are no longer using their loyalty points for getting free nights as much as they used to do. This change is for most of its part due to the economic downturn.
That is why hotels should be more focus - to develop loyalty - on design innovation which enables an hotel to be different from another and, as a consequence, attract clientele. But as being a high cost investment, it might be done on high traffic locations such as elevators and fitness centers.
But hoteliers should also essentially focus on Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Nowadays, they are mostly technology driven. It is far much less expensive than the others ways and more efficient now are being in direct relationship whith the clients.
The conclusion of that is that loyalty programs are no longer the key to loyalty. The key point is the old concept of CRM.
So we can suppose that it is by offering the best service and keeping in touch with clients using the Social Media for instance that hoteliers could be now insured of their clients loyalty.
It deals with the new ways to manage customer loyalty, taking into account the overall economic situation of high supply and low demand.
The author of this article bases its analysis on a Wall Street Journal which notes that "some large hotel chains, including Marriott International Inc. and InterCntinental Hotels Group PLC, are finding that more members of their customer-loyalty programs are redeeming pointsnot for overnight stays but for merchandise, like jewelry and electronics, apparently to use as holiday presents".
Customers are no longer using their loyalty points for getting free nights as much as they used to do. This change is for most of its part due to the economic downturn.
That is why hotels should be more focus - to develop loyalty - on design innovation which enables an hotel to be different from another and, as a consequence, attract clientele. But as being a high cost investment, it might be done on high traffic locations such as elevators and fitness centers.
But hoteliers should also essentially focus on Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Nowadays, they are mostly technology driven. It is far much less expensive than the others ways and more efficient now are being in direct relationship whith the clients.
The conclusion of that is that loyalty programs are no longer the key to loyalty. The key point is the old concept of CRM.
So we can suppose that it is by offering the best service and keeping in touch with clients using the Social Media for instance that hoteliers could be now insured of their clients loyalty.
Sunday, January 03, 2010
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