Utopia Hospitality Group prepares for Phuket tourism growth

Announcing  a total 10  projects in new landmark projects in 5 years (with 3 in the pipeline) and also developing a ‘superhero’ team of senior executives, Utopia Corporation has expanded its business unit under the Utopia Hospitality Group (UHG) to introduce a new midscale hotel by October next year and is developing two landmark projects in Phuket worth a total 4 billion baht Mr Hachi Yin chief executive and founder of Utopia Corporation, said recently at the media launch in Bangkok’s plush embassy district.

UHG, its wholly owned hospitality management company, offers three brands under midscale “aparthotel” which merges apartment and hotel for flexible stays, as well as an upscale lifestyle resort and hotel focusing on wellbeing.

UHG will launch in Southeast Asia with premium midscale to ultra-luxury hospitality projects starting with the rebranding of the group’s existing properties in 2022.

UHG’s master plan covers the development of new landmarks at two prime locations in the north and south of Phuket. “Bay of Icons” is situated on Ao Por Bay on the island’s northern coast, while the second project, Utopia Dreams, is on Nai Harn beach on the island’s southwest coast.

The firm plans to introduce the two landmarks valued at 4 billion baht to attract international high-net-worth individuals, slated for the fourth quarter of 2025.

There is also an ultra-luxury brand under a collaboration with partners such as Tonino Lamborghini to introduce Tonino Lamborghini Boutique Hotel Phuket, slated for 2024.

Mr Yin said the first midscale hotel will open next October, followed by an upscale hotel in February 2023.

Utopia Corporation, founded in 2015, has real estate projects in Phuket under an investment budget of 8 billion baht and plans to list on the Stock Exchange of Thailand through an initial public offering by 2025.

Bay of Icons consists of Tonino Lamborghini Boutique Hotel Phuket, beach club and another hotel with a second partner in the field of ultra-luxury fashion brand.

Mr Yin said in his stage presentation that other famous destinations such as Bangkok, Singapore or Hollywood have landmarks, but there is no landmark in Phuket to attract ultra-luxury tourists to come and stay.

He estimates that the projects will coincide with a surge in tourism from 2023.

Source: https://www.traveldailymedia.com/utopia-hospitality-group-prepares-for-phuket-tourism-growth/

Big Data to measure the tourism sustainability of destinations

Mabrian expands its travel intelligence platform by adding a dashboard of sustainability indices for Smart Destinations. The new tourism sustainability dashboard uses big data analysis to measure a destination’s performance across multiple metrics. Index developed in collaboration with Mastercard and sus​tainability consultancy Ético.

SEVILLE, SPAIN –  Mabrian Technologies – a leading provider of travel intelligence – has launched the Global Sustainability Tourism Index at the Tourism Innovation Summit (TIS).

This new dashboard of indicators of tourism sustainability allows a destination to measure, compare and follow those factors that indicate sustainability for a destination.

In total the dashboard has six indices grouped together by concept, formed by more than 20 different indicators related to sustainability, that come together to make the Global Sustainability Tourism Index for destinations. 

Through these indices destinations can measure aspects such as the level of distribution of tourism income in the local economy, the concentration of the tourism offering in the locality, the dependence on long-haul source markets, any excessive seasonality or the perception that visitors have about the sustainability of the destination, amongst others. 

Additionally, destinations using this can add to those indicators in the dashboard their own data that they consider relevant to create a measurement even more complete that helps the development of sustainability. 

Carlos Cendra, Director of Sales & Marketing, comments: “Can tourism destinations really convert themselves into sustainable destinations without the tools necessary to measure their sustainability performance?   

“In this reinvention of the sector that we are seeing right now, sustainability is going to be the cornerstone of the reactivation of tourism under a model that is more aware of the issue.

“But there is a big gap when it comes to tools and indicators that allow the measurement and monitoring of the evolution of those concepts on the part of those managing destinations and tourism companies. With this index we hope to change that.”

Mabrian, in collaboration with its partner Mastercard, has developed a dashboard of indicators about tourism sustainability based on the observation of global data, that can be tracked and corroborated in stable manner over time. 

Mabrian has a wide range of experience in extracting indicators of tourism trends based on big data analysis of diverse sources. With this latest development it complements the wide range of tourism indices, including Tourist Product; Perceived Security; Perceived Climate; Hotel Satisfaction; and Global Tourist Perception.

For the definition of these indicators Mabrian has also counted on the advice and collaboration of the consultancy Ético, specialists in tourism sustainability, that has brought its experience in how to define a sustainable destination. 

Laura Garrido, founder of ético comments: “The challenge for tourism destinations is to understand and monitor the indicators that affect their sustainability. Only through data and their correct analysis can they plan adequate actions for the sustainable transformation of their destination. At ético we believe that this tool is key and necessary for taking decisions and the creation of sustainable tourism destinations.”

Mabrian has announced this news within the international summit dedicated to innovation in tourism that is taking place in Seville, Spain between the 10th and 12th of November, the Tourism Innovation Summit (TIS).

 Alex Villeyra, Operations Director at Mabrian, presented  the dashboard CET in the main auditorium of the Tourism Innovation Summit (TIS), with participants including Antonio Muñoz, responsible for urban habitat, culture and tourism at the Seville city council, a pioneering destination in the application of such indices; Caroline Leboucher, Director of ATOUT France; and Nicola Villa, Executive Vice President of Government Relations & Strategic Growth at Mastercard. 

Source: https://www.traveldailynews.com/post/big-data-to-measure-the-tourism-sustainability-of-destinations

Asia tourism reopens with big-spending Chinese stuck at home

Asia’s gradual easing of international travel curbs is proving a welcome relief for the region’s hard-hit tourism operators slowly opening up to visitors from around the world – with one giant exception.

China, previously the world’s largest outbound tourism market, is keeping international air capacity at just 2% of pre-pandemic levels and has yet to relax tight travel restrictions as it sticks to zero tolerance for COVID-19.

That has left a $255 billion annual spending hole in the global tourism market for operators such as Thailand’s Laguna Phuket to try and fill.

Managing director Ravi Chandran says Laguna Phuket’s five resorts have shifted their marketing focus to Europe, the United States and United Arab Emirates to make up for the loss of Chinese visitors, who accounted for 25%-30% of its pre-COVID business.

“Up to today, we have not done significant marketing or promotion in China … because we don’t feel anything coming our way,” Chandran said.

The pandemic has cost Thailand an estimated $50 billion a year in tourism revenue and Chinese were above-average spenders based on tourism ministry data.

Thailand hopes to receive 180,000 foreign tourists this year, a fraction of around 40 million it received in 2019, as it opened places beyond Phuket to tourists on Monday.

Many experts expect China to keep such stringent measures such as up to a three-week quarantine for those returning home until at least the second quarter of next year and possibly then open gradually on a country-by-country basis.

“Destinations have to identify new source markets and learn how to market and cater to different cultures,” Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Chief Executive Liz Ortiguera said, citing the Maldives as a rare example of a successful pivot during the pandemic.

The string of islands in the Indian Ocean promoted itself heavily at trade shows and attracted more Russian and Indian visitors to its luxury resorts and sparkling waters.

China had been its greatest source of tourists before the pandemic but the Maldives saw overall arrivals in the first nine months of 2021 fall just 12% versus the same period of 2019.

“When we realised that Chinese travellers weren’t coming to the Maldives any time soon, we switched our focus to other key markets including Russia,” said a spokesperson for COMO Hotels and Resorts, which has two Maldives resorts.

CHINA TOURISM EVOLVES

Travel data firm ForwardKeys estimates it will take until 2025 for Chinese outbound travel to recover to pre-pandemic levels. That will also force airlines to re-evaluate their routes given its data shows 38% of Chinese tourists took foreign carriers in 2019.

Even as Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia’s Bali gradually open up for international travellers, Thai Airways (THAI.BK) and Garuda Indonesia (GIAA.JK) are drastically shrinking their fleets as part of restructuring plans amid the absence of Chinese tourists.

When China does open its borders, industry surveys show a reluctance by many to travel internationally due to COVID-19 fears.

There has also been a boom in domestic holidays to Hainan Island which now offers duty free shopping in a threat to future visits to nearby destinations such as Hong Kong and South Korea.

“I honestly do not have much enthusiasm for international travel,” said at Kat Qi, 29, a researcher in Beijing who travelled to Southeast Asia and Britain before the pandemic. “A lot of places that I wanted to visit are in less developed countries with gorgeous natural scenery and they tend to be the least vaccinated countries.”

Her preference for natural scenery is also a trend emerging in surveys of Chinese travellers. Many are focused on the outdoors at a time when domestic camping holidays have become popular and tourism operators will need to adapt accordingly, experts say.

“The market will have changed so the Chinese people travelling in 2022 will be different from the Chinese travelling in 2019,” said Wolfgang Georg Arlt, CEO of the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute. “I think the trends will go away from this shopping and rushing around.”

Large group tours that have also fallen out of favour on domestic trips could also be a thing of the past, to be replaced by independent travel and smaller customised tours with family and friends, said Sienna Parulis-Cook, director of marketing and communications at advisory firm Dragon Tail International.

“You might have organised travel and everything but it would be with a small group of people that you know, rather than 50 strangers on a tour bus,” she said.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/asia-tourism-reopens-with-big-spending-chinese-stuck-home-2021-11-03/

Garth, a luxury neo-Bistro opens this week at Kempinski Hotel, Mall of the Emirates

Located inside a new private members club, The 9 Lounge, at Kempinski Mall of the Emirates, the premium culinary hub has opened its doors to those with a penchant for refined, delicious medleys of Italian, Greek, and Southern French cuisines. Guests that are not members of The 9 Lounge are encouraged to make reservations in advance and abide by the formal dress code, suited to the elevated ambiance of the locale.

The space comprises of a beautiful verdant terrace, a cigar lounge, and a restaurant, where guests can indulge in the finest mix of seafood, meat, and vegetarian dishes. Whilst diners can enjoy a host of raw fish and seafood plates courtesy of a specialty raw bar, the menu also includes an array of meat, vegetarian and vegan options that are guaranteed to gratify even the most selective appetites.

Guests are promised satisfaction as they acquaint their palates with the gastronomical innovations, born from the proficiently sourced quality ingredients at Garth. The food and menus are expertly designed by celebrity chefs Sergei Andreychenko and Mohammed Musthafa. A team of professional mixologists and sommeliers assist guests in selecting from a carte of Old World and New World wines, cocktails, and premium spirits.

The mouthwatering menus include dishes such as Zucchini Carpaccio, Beef Cheeks Paccheri, Poached Sea Bass, Truffle Risotto, Niçoise Salad, Beef Tartare, Burrata Grande and many more.

At the raw bar, guests can opt for the Salmon or Tuna Tartare, Sea Bass Ceviche, or indulge in an assorted tartare platter featuring three varieties of the dish. The desserts menu is home to rich classics such as Basque Burnt Cheesecake, Tiramisu, Almond Crumble with Berries, Dark Chocolate Mousse, and hand-crafted Ice Creams and Sorbets.

Garth features a new lunch menu each week, featuring daily specials, to keep it fresh and interesting for afternoon guests, from 12pm till 3pm. Although the culinary adventure is the primary focus of the experience, the menus will maintain the sophisticated taste and plating associated with the brand.

Open daily, from 12pm till 12am on weekdays and from 12pm till 2am on weekends, the lounge creates a relaxed atmosphere with unique sound design, featuring a distinct combination of genres. Produced skillfully by an ensemble of instrumentalists from Moscow, the music will include streams of new wave funk, soul, jazz, chill rave, and afro beats genres. Breezy terrace evenings can be enjoyed with a soundtrack of electronic chill rave beats, whilst soulful piano music will grace special dinners at the restaurant.

The layered interiors feature neutral tones of cream, beige and brown, complemented by blush pink furniture. Plush pampas grass lines the windows and the bar canopy, accented by bright neon lighting that lends an effortless luminous glow to the space. A promising venue that is bound to be the next hotspot in Dubai, Garth takes guests on a journey that goes beyond the plate, offering an ideal space to socialize and indulge in finer experiences.

Source: https://www.hotelnewsme.com/hotel-news-me/garth-a-luxury-neo-bistro-opens-this-week-at-kempinski-hotel-mall-of-the-emirates/

JW Marriott Debuts First Resort in India, JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa

Luxury Hospitality Brand Opens 115-Room Resort in The Heart Of The Himalayas

JW Marriott Debuts First Resort in India, JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa

JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts continues to expand its luxury portfolio with the opening of its first resort in India, the JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa.The hotel is located in the hill station of Mussoorie, at the foothills of the Garhwal Himalayan ranges, also known as the Queen of the Hills. The hotel boasts a sophisticated elegant and chic style, amidst a surreal ambience of lush mountains and historic walnut plantations.

“JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove & Spa is a beautiful addition to our growing India portfolio and overall global presence,” said Mitzi Gaskins, Vice President and Global Brand Manager for JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts. “Each year, thousands of travelers pass through the picturesque hill station of Mussoorie to experience its temples, gardens, hiking trails and natural falls and we are thrilled to celebrate that rich history and culture with our guests.”

JW Marriott MussoorieThe hotel’s interior and exterior design was inspired by its natural surroundings – the stunning Himalayan Mountains. All guestrooms feature private balconies, inviting guests to enjoy stunning views of the surrounding hills and gardens and breathe the fresh mountain air from the privacy of their own room. The new 115-room luxury resort is located just 290 kilometers (approx. 180 miles) from New Delhi and 60 kilometers (approx.40 miles) from the nearest airport in Dehradun.

“The opening of the first JW Marriott resort in India is undoubtedly a milestone for theJW Marriott brand and Marriott International at large,” said Mr. Rajeev Menon, Area Vice President of South-Asia for Marriott International. “JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa reflects the sophistication, style and exceptional service, attributes that have grown synonymous with the JW Marriott brand worldwide.”

Guests will be invited to explore five specialty restaurants on property. All-day dining JW Cafe serves fresh local and international favorites from its lively open kitchen such as popular North Indian black lentil dish Kali Dal, lamb dish Nalli ki Nihari and the signature JW Burger and JW Club sandwich; Teppan is the contemporary, upscale restaurant serving Asian cuisine; Wisteria Deck is a cozy outdoor Italian trattoria serving wood fired pizzas, wines and sangria; Perch is a tea lounge offering some of the best single estate teas and coffees and Trout House Grill & Bar opens each evening to grill up the local catch of the day and offer a selection of exclusive cocktails including fresh fruit martini’s and frozen cocktails.

The resort also houses the Cedar Spa by L’Occitane, which features five lavish treatment rooms and an array of invigorating treatments inspired by the indigenous cedar trees of the region. Treatments include the Signature Cedarwood Body Massage, the repairing Shea Ultra Rich Softening Body Wrap and the Almond Silhouette Reshape to restore firmness. Salon by Warren Tricomi, a state-of-the-art fitness center will boast an indoor heated swimming pool to complete the well-being experience at the hotel.

The resort was specially designed with families in mind and features The Den – an entertainment center and kid’s club that spans over 12,000 square feet and includes a two-lane bowling alley, billiard and pool tables, gaming consoles, library, nap areas and a Market with fresh food and beverages.

The hotel also holds one of the largest meeting spaces in the city with 3,300 total square feet across the Grand Orchard Ballroom, three break-out rooms and a spacious pre-function area. An on-site events team will ensure flawless coordination and execution, be it a lavish wedding or social event.

“The JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa, marks a major milestone for Mussoorie, one of the most stunning and serene parts of the Himalayas,” said Mr. Chandrashekhar Joshi, General Manager, JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa. “Our hotel has the distinction of catering to the entire family with a plethora of entertainment, dining and relaxation amenities that showcase the best of local ingredients, all in the lap of international luxury.”

The JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa offers the tranquility of nature, perfectly blended with the warmth of luxury hospitality, and will be the brand’s sixth property in India. Currently there are five other JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts properties in India, which are located in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Pune and Bengaluru.

Source: www.hospitalitynet.org

InterContinental Muscat to Debut with New Features Following Extensive Refurbishment

InterContinental Muscat to Debut with New Features Following Extensive Refurbishment

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed a multi-year contract extension with leading tourism-related investment, development and management company Omran for InterContinental Muscat. The 258-room hotel will undergo extensive refurbishment, providing guests more amenities and facilities upon completion in 2017.

Bringing to life an InterContinental brand hallmark – the Concierge Programme, one of the main new features of InterContinental Muscat will be a purpose-builtInterContinental Concierge Lounge. The Concierge Lounge has been designed to enable guests to discover the city where the hotel is located through authentic local experiences and will incorporate a travel desk, business centre and concierge. Catering for meetings and events, the hotel’s function space will also undergo reconfiguration to provide better access and more options for event planners and hosts.

Guests and customers can look forward to great dining experiences with the hotel’s all day dining restaurant, which will be enhanced with a destination bar, terrace and garden, or relax in new dining and drinks venues. In addition to the spa and fitness centre, guests can enjoy some down time at the new floodlit tennis courts and new lap pool whilst young InterContinental guests are engaged at the new Kid’s Play Area.

Pascal Gauvin, Chief Operating Officer, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG said: “Omran is a valued partner of ours and we are delighted to renew our contract with them. We were one of the first international hotel companies to enter the Middle East with the InterContinental brand more than 50 years ago and guests recognise us as one of the leading luxury hotel brands in the world today. The refurbishment ofInterContinental Muscat will bring the hotel to new levels and we are confident it will deliver greater luxury experiences for our guests when the works complete.”

Omran currently has 3 IHG properties in its portfolio across Oman, including Crowne Plaza Duqm and the upcoming Crowne Plaza Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre which will open in 2016.

Wael Ahmed Al Lawati, CEO, Omran, said: “InterContinental Muscat has been a preferred choice amongst guests who enjoy luxury travel in Muscat. With a major refurbishment plan in place, we wanted to have a trusted partner who understands the hotel and guests manage the project with us. We have enjoyed a strong relationship with IHG over the past 37 years and are very pleased to continue our longstanding relationship with them. The new and enhanced features in InterContinental Muscat will definitely help draw more guests through our doors and we look forward to the completion of the refurbishment in the coming years.”

IHG currently has six hotels in Oman across three brands: InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn, and another two hotels in the development pipeline. There are 66 InterContinental hotels and resorts across Asia, Middle East and Africa and a further 23 hotels due to open in the next three to five years.

Source: www.hospitalitynet.org

Moxy Milan Celebrates Inspiring Artistic Talent in Hunt to Find Next Best Artist

Live ‘Blank Canvas’ challenge puts three finalists under intense pressure to produce incredible art in only 60 minutes.

Moxy Milan Celebrates Inspiring Artistic Talent in Hunt to Find Next Best Artist

Moxy Milan, the new economy design hotel in Milan, Italy, announced Nune D’Amico Kerobyan as the winner of its artist-in-residence competition – Blank Canvas #atthemoxy – which was held at a spectacular opening party that brought together media, hotel guests, art enthusiasts and the Milanese social scene on 30 October.

In a thrilling climax to the competition, three finalists created an artwork in just 60 minutes, in front of a live audience, using only a black blank canvas and pink, white and black paint pens. A tattoo artist, Leonardo Giacomo Borges, courtesy of MarriottRewards, painted semi-permanent tattoos on guests whilst they sipped on Nespresso cocktails including iced raspberry macchiatos and mojito coffee cocktails with Havana Club and a selection of Red Bull drinks, Sugarfree and Red Bull Red Edition. The electric music set, by Red Bull DJ Stefi Oyadi, kept the party dancing well into the night.

Moxy Milan – artists at work during competitionThe three finalists were selected from 300 submissions to global creative community, Talent House, for the first round of the challenge which required artists to submit artwork with a bold, vibrantly coloured design, capturing the character of Milan and displaying a Moxy attitude: spirited, fun and thoughtful.

Moxy Milan – Laura Hayden MC and Red Bull DJ Stefi Oyadi Ramesh Jackson, Vice President, Franchise Brand Operation, Marriott International and member of the judging panel said: “Watching the artists get to work in such a pressurised environment for the Blank Canvas challenge made for a thrilling evening — and one that immediately set the vibe we are so proud to nourish in the Moxy brand: daring, creative and fun. Celebrating raw creative design and vibrant urban energy is at the heart of Moxy’s core values and the response from the artist community for Blank Canvas #atthemoxy has been so exciting. This is just the start of a long creative partnership as we continue to support artistic talent at our hotels”

The three finalists, Ana Androska, Hector Darcos, and Nune D’Amico Kerobyan, were shortlisted because their work displayed the individuality and artistic energy thatMoxy’s expert art judges* were looking for:

Winner Nune D’Amico Kerobyan is a designer and painter from Rome, Italy. Judges admired her painting, Passion, for its decorative richness. This portrait is of a thoroughly modern, 21st-century woman, but Nune’s palette and approach is sensual with a nod to Art Deco style.

Runner upHector Darcos is a graffiti artist from the Canary Islands, who was raised in London and Barcelona. His abstract painting, Urban Flow, impressed the judges for its finely controlled line, and fluid, organic, almost other-worldly atmosphere that simultaneously feels very urban and contemporary.

Runner up Ana Androska is an artist from Skopje, in Macedonia. Her painting, Liberty, immediately caught the judges’ eyes. Liberty is, says Ana, about “celebrating the joy and passion of life — a bottle of wine shared with dear friends, with laughter, music and food”. Moxy’s art judges praised Ana’s charming, whimsical and figurative style.

As the proud winner, Nune was awarded a cash prize and her artwork will be displayed in the hotel’s Living Room. When receiving her prize from the judging panel, Nune explained “My artwork was inspired by the energy of cities around the world, fast free and always evolving and by the carefree Moxy way of life. I am so pleased and excited to win this prize and to be a part of the Moxy experience”

The Moxy Milan is located within walking distance of Terminal Two at Milan Malpensa Airport. Complimentary 24-hour shuttle service is available from Terminal One.

Source: www.hospitalitynet.org

Standard Textile Launches Two New Products to Hotels

At this year’s International Hotel/Motel and Restaurant Show, Standard Textile, an international leader in the design, development, manufacturing, and distribution of engineered textiles for the hospitality market, will announce the launch of two new offerings to hoteliers: Vidori™ luxury sheeting and a new, stylish robe collection by fashion designer Heidi Weisel.

Both innovations reflect Standard Textile’s ongoing commitment to providing the hospitality industry with products that deliver superior performance to the hotelier and a luxurious experience to guests.

Standard Textile’s latest products are poised to create tremendous value for the hospitality industry. Vidori, an entirely new, patented sheeting fabric is generating extraordinary interest among luxury properties who previously believed that 100 percent cotton was their only option.

According to Corporate Vice President of Product Development and Sustainability, Richard Stewart, “We recognize that many hotel guests desire the experience of 100 percent cotton sheeting. We, and the industry, also recognize the high operational costs associated with cotton linen. That’s why we engineered Vidori specifically for the hospitality market. Vidori is like nothing ever seen before in the hospitality market. It is an engineering breakthrough that will change the industry going forward. In a blind touch test, many customers could not differentiate between high thread-count luxury 100 percent cotton sheeting and Vidori.”

In Vidori, long-staple combed cotton yarn encapsulates synthetic microfilament bundles. As a result, the face of the sheet is comprised almost entirely of yarns that are 100 percent cotton.

“Essentially, the sleep surface and the guest experience of the Vidori™ sheet is that of all cotton. However, the hotelier will experience significantly higher tensile strength and product service life,” said Stewart.

In addition to luxury sheeting, Standard Textile collaborated with renowned fashion designer Heidi Weisel to design an exciting new collection of robes that will establish a new benchmark in the industry for both comfort and sophisticated style.

“I recognized a need for hotel and spa robes that offer great fit and style, with a touch of glamour. Many hotels provide robes for their guests, but they’re often oversized, and lack style and comfort,” said Weisel. “My vision was to reinvent what is currently available by creating a collection of robes that are fashion conscious, fit well, and feel fabulous. When you are staying at a hotel or relaxing at a spa, robes should feel cozy, comfortable and help create a memorable experience. A luxurious robe should be part of the overall sensual experience a hotel provides to its guests.”

Stewart added, “This collection will provide hotels, resorts and spas with a new opportunity to provide distinguishing guest experiences, while at the same time ensuring that the products will withstand the rigors of hotel and industrial laundering.”

Source: www.ehotelier.com

Hotel Search Engine for Pro Sports Teams and Agents

Pro Sports Hotels was designed to increase hotel revenue by generating new quote requests from sports teams, associations and agents. Pro Sports Hotel’s powerful search engine uses a range of sports filters to quickly search multiple destinations to find a comprehensive list of sports hotels that best meet a team’s needs.

There are no hidden costs, no commissions on bookings, and no hotel pricing is required. The company has a long term view and will not introduce a fee for membership until the system generates revenue for the hotel.

The benefits of Pro Sports Hotels are:

• Hotel added to any sports category it can offer training camps for.  (Football/Soccer, Rugby, Athletics, Golf, Tennis & Swimming)
• 2 Special Offer entries per yearly membership. The special offers will be posted on the special offers page for a month. The link for each special offer posted will appear on all Pro Sports Hotel’s social media platforms.
• Events Page (to help find opponents for friendly games)
• Comment Feature (feedback from teams that have stayed in the hotels)
• Facilitates contact with sports team decision makers and sports agents that represents some of the biggest teams in the world.

Membership Approval is based on these requirements:

• The hotel must have sports facilities on site or close by of a high standard suitable for professional training camps.
• Once the hotel receives a quote request from a sports teams, association or agent they must provide a package offer that includes training and accommodation costs. If you do not have a package offer in place, but have suitable sports facilities, you can get a quote template after registration by contacting info@prosportshotels.com.

Pro Sports Hotels is driven by founder and CEO Kevin Marry who is a qualified commercial pilot with a passion for the travel business. Kevin and his team have extensive experience of chartering aircraft and organising accommodation in many countries for governments, sports teams and businesses.

To register, visit http://www.prosportshotels.com/membership#hotel, Once you receive your user name and password you can login and add your hotel (details and photos).

Source: www.ehotelier.com

Do You View Hotel Marketing as a Cost or an Investment?

I am often asked, “What is the most important factor in a good hotel marketing strategy?” One of the top factors (that no one likes to talk about) is how a hotel’s owners and management view their marketing budget.

Those who treat hotel marketing as an investment will be able to maximize their online revenue potential. They will keep spending investing online, as that is where their audience lives, breathes, researches and books their trips.

Those who view it as a cost will treat it like any other cost; they strive to keep costs down. This group is the one that gives away revenue and market share to the OTAs and their competitors.

Here is a detailed review of the two approaches.

Approach #1: Treating Online Marketing as a Cost

If you are treating online marketing as an expense in your budget that needs to be kept under control, you are very likely on the losing side of the marketing battle. When you apply the cost reduction approach, it puts tremendous pressure on your already limited budget to perform quickly, while limiting your ability to test and optimize your marketing efforts.

No testing or expansion of marketing => Stagnation and decay in your online presence and decline in direct revenue

(Let’s be clear: Your OTA-contributed revenue continues to increase. That’s because they never hold back, while you agonize over every cent you spend.)

Cutting costs might work when it comes to laundry, lotions and soaps that you use in your hotel, but it can hurt you badly when applied to digital marketing.

Here are some specifics on why your revenue will suffer in the long term:

Online travel is huge and getting bigger.

Yes, online travel is like the Beatles in the 60s or yoga pants today. In numbers, it’s going to be hitting $830 billion in 2017. The pace of growth in the Asia Pacific region is enough to make you dizzy. When it comes time for you to sit down and plan your hotel marketing budget for the year ahead, you have to know that online is where all the action is happening. Deciding to sit this one out because you are keeping marketing “expenses” in check is a recipe for disaster that has cost the hotel industry billions in direct revenue.

ROI is a deathtrap.

I have written in detail about this and have personally seen this tragic scenario unfurl like a bad dream. It’s like my own personal Groundhog Day. “ROI” is notoriously hard to track in this multi-device, constantly connected world. For many hotels, especially the ones struggling to meet their overall objectives, any unquantifiable expense can seem like the perfect candidate for a budget cut. So, hotels keep doing online cost-cutting and “vendor hopping” because they are “not seeing the ROI” (cringe). Agencies who try to win your business based on 5700% ROI promises are always a bad choice. You’ll pay them a small fee, helping you balance this year’s budget; but when the contract is over, you’ll just limp into the arms of the next vendor. The big picture: your direct revenue continually declines, your brand suffers, and you have to start all over again every year. Meanwhile, your online competitors (particularly the OTAs) keep building their long-term strategy and converting the traffic that should be yours.

Google is still King, and it wants more money.

Google is still the king of travel marketing, and looks like it will be sitting on the throne for some time. The beauty of Google is that it has all the phases of the booking cycle covered: Discovery, Research, Rate Shopping, Getting to and From a Destination… all the way to the drive back to your home after the vacation. Google has it all. The SEO Bubble burst in 2013, so now you have a clear choice: pay to play.

Google will be your best friend as long as you are willing to pay for it. Hotel pay per click is one of the cornerstones for generating direct revenue. You want to reduce your marketing costs? Sure, go ahead. Google will be happy to sell its ads to willing and highly motivated online travel agents who make millions billions bidding on your name, location and destination. It’s great for them when you are not there to compete, especially on your brand name searches.

Cliché Alert: It takes money to make money.

It might seem easy to cut back on marketing expenses to save money, but you have to consider what else you’re losing. Example: Reducing your Google PPC budget from $10,000 to $3000 a month saves you $7000 a month. But at the same time, your ads don’t run, your revenue starts to decline, and your leads have been cut way back. No new leads and no new conversions are a lethal hit on your profitability and direct revenue. It used to take months, but now you will feel the revenue hit in a matter of weeks. That sinking feeling? Yes, it’s your revenue tanking because you stopped spending. Welcome to the reality of doing business in 2014.

Approach #2: Treating Online Marketing as an Investment

This is the winner’s circle. Online marketing really is an investment in your present and in your future. It cannot be thought of as an optional expenditure. Think of it as a paying career and a retirement fund rolled into one. Effective marketing pays your bills in the short term and sets the foundation for the long-term profitability of your hotel. The hotels who are doing it right will exponentially increase their profitability over time.

Here is how it’s done right:

Target the entire travel funnel.

The smartest hotel ownership companies and individual asset owners understand the dynamics of the entire sales funnel. Their investment in hotel marketing is targeted toward prospects in every part of the funnel (research, planning, booking). Efforts include:

• Investing at the top of the funnel to attract prospective new guests (ie, Boston Vacation, Boston Hotels, Boston Things To Do)
• Investing at the bottom of the funnel to convert prospects into guests (ie, Your Hotel Name)

Push the limits.

The most dramatic successes that my partners and I have achieved for hotel clients had one thing in common: We were asked to investigate and give them the dollar amount needed for total market domination. Whether they were rebranding, opening a new hotel, revitalizing a faltering asset, or preparing to sell the asset… they knew that the striking results they wanted required proper investment. Instead of racing down to the bottom, the owners were looking to make a lot of money. There was no room for light or smooth jazz online marketing. Done right, with revenue as the supreme goal, we’re talking hard core Spinal Tap style marketing, cranked way up to 11!

Conclusion

Hotels who treat online marketing as a scalable cost are seeing a decline in their direct revenue and losing market share to their competitors and online travel agencies. A cost-based approach hampers your growth today, and prevents you from being able to build your brand online. Vendor-hopping toward low profitability and automated marketing platforms is a sure shot way to lose revenue. Let’s face the facts: Print media is not making a comeback anytime soon. Nor are carrier pigeons going to bring you your future reservations. If not online, where else should you be investing? If revenue is important to you… wake up, and put your money where your revenue is!

Source: www.hospitalitynet.org