Taj Hotels launches new website

First and furthermore, this article focuses on the necessity to have a performing and attractive website. Indeed, most of the Palaces at present have chosen to develop their websites in order to increase their strengths. As the Dorchester Group (http://www.dorchestercollection.com/) or Oetker Group (http://www.oetkerhotels.com/), The Taj Hotels Group decided to improve and modernize its website.

Taj Hotels Group, a prestigious and powerful group especially located in India, hosts its customers in wonderful properties with high standards of quality. Each Taj hotel offers a combination of warm Indian hospitality, contemporary, efficient service, and modern luxury. Taj Hotels Group transports its guests back to the age of kings and courtesans, these exquisite buildings resplendent with domes, terraces, carved pillars, and archways built in the true royal style have recently been refurbished with modern luxuries.

Taj Hotels Group wished invests in a new website in order to reach new type of customers. Consequently, Taj developed a partnership with Avenue A/Razorfish. This company is an interactive services firm that helps companies use the online channel as a marketing and business tool. They combine data, insight-driven design, leading technologies and rigorous optimization to build strong brands and improve relationships with customers, employees and partners. They create captivating interactive experiences that change the behavior of clients’ target audience.

As a conclusion, I just would like think about website as a fantastic tool which could be one of the first keys of success.

* Potentially, a website can be viewed by anyone in the world sitting in front of a computer connected to the internet. A website is an advertisement of the business on a world wide stage. A poor layout with ill defined navigation and low quality graphics will decrease consumer confidence in your business.
* If we don't capture the attention of the visitor (potential client) within the first 10 seconds of its arrival on the website, we have lost them. This is a fact. An attractive layout with easy use navigation and well written content will go a long way toward enticing visitors to spend time on the website.
* A well designed site is much more flexible than a poorly designed one. If, for example, a company adds a new line of products, a well planned layout should be able to easily assimilate the addition. This means less cost for the company each time we need to make a major change to the website.
* A well planned website will rank higher in the major search engines than a poorly designed one. If the website is hidden somewhere on page 16 of a search query, the company may as well not be on the internet.

http://www.hotelmarketing.com/index.php/content/article/060315_the_ritz_london_selects_travelcick_ihotelier/

The Ritz London selects TravelCLICK iHotelier


The Ritz London selected TravelCLICK to have the right combination of intelligence and technology to drive long-term profitability. The main objective is simple: Top performance. TravelCLICK is the only central reservation system provider offering an integrated solution approach to reservations that includes competitive intelligence, channel management and marketing services, in addition to traditional reservation services. TravelCLICK maximizes booking results with iHotelier, an Internet-based, state-of-the-art central reservations system. The iHotelier platform is a total reservations and marketing management solution in one. iHotelier improves conversion and revenue per stay, drives incremental revenues from the sale of value-added products, captures important client informations, manages email communications with guests and helps to manage relationships with the most important customers. From my point of view and especially to have worked on during few months, this process is one of the best in the world at present. With this tool, it is easy to:

* Increase efficiency with industry best practices
* Improve profitability with proven revenue management strategies
* Implement marketing strategies
* Distribute rates and inventory on travel websites and travel agent portals
* Target and influence travel agents at the point of sale

As a conclusion, TravelCLICK understands the challenges facing today’s hoteliers and strive to streamline the day-to-day business processes that drive operational success. Indeed, as Ruth Jones (Director of Sales & Marketing - The Ritz London) said: “Our website has historically driven substantial revenue for our property, but with iHotelier, our website generated over 44% more revenue last month compared to the previous year using a different booking engine. For the same time period, we were also able to realize the true value of our property with a 140% increase in ADR for room nights booked using iHotelier”. This revolutionary process is today the key of success, the results are there!


http://www.hotelmarketing.com/index.php/content/article/060315_the_ritz_london_selects_travelcick_ihotelier/

“No Smoking” trend impacts hotels in Europe

Today, where the question about “smoking or no smoking” is primordial, some polemics arises. Indeed, it is easy to see that the sign “no smoking” is more and more present in Hotels & Restaurants. Apparently, it seems that in Europe 70% of hotel guests prefer a smoke-free environment.

The J.D Power Associates 2006 European Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index studySM made a survey to identify precisely the new trends, customer needs and expectations. This analysis gives us some information like the top priorities/factors for today’s clients, the importance of such or such thing.

As Linda Hirneise (Executive Director of the travel at J.D Power & Associates), Groups and Resorts said “Non smoking hotel environments are also slated to be very popular in Europe and will have a very strong competitive advantage”
By contradiction, Westin Hotels & resorts and Marriott International Inc. implemented a policy of 100% smoke-free areas, and it seems that the trends will also hits the European market.

As a conclusion, a lot of new procedures, rules and regulations will appear in a near future (January 2007). In France especially, smoking will be forbidden in the most of public areas (Also in Hotels, Restaurants & Cafés). The frequentation of those places will then decrease.


http://www.hotelmarketing.com/index.php/content/article/061019_no_smoking_trend_impacts_hotels_in_europe/

Mobile phones as hotel room keys?


First of all, we can notice that this new solution is revolutionary. Indeed, the fact that you can bypass the front desk and get access directly into your room as soon as you arrive at the Hotel is exceptional. When you book your hotel, you will receive via SMS the confirmation and the number of your room. No needs to wait at the front desk when arrival! It is like your own home and you have the keys. The process is very simple: Thanks to cell phones technologies, which provide you with an easy locking system. The idea is clear: “Stop waiting in the Front desk”. In this case, the check in is at present not mandatory.

Pascal Metivier explains throughout a pertinent interview the process and also advantages of such advanced technology. He is the President of ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Europe / Middle East / Africa & Latin America.

However, I have some reserves and doubts about this new technologic product. Effectively, some points must be highlighted:

* We need to have a NFC enabled phone (Analyst predicts that by 2010, 50% of the cell phones in the world will be equipped with NFC chips).

* The Welcome is cancelled with this new technology

* No facilities’ information about the Hotel: Restaurants? Time for Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner? Activities? Facilities?, Options?, Special Tours around the City…

* Is it easy to understand how this “key” works?

* Is it a reliable technology? Who called if there is a problem?

As a conclusion, even if this project is today a little bit utopian due to the poor technology in the Hotel industry (key system in hotel to open & close your door), it makes a great opportunity to modernise.

Now, do you think that the check in must be make like that? Nobody to welcome/guide the client in his room or around facilities? This type of technology can not be setting up in a Top hotel where the notion of Welcoming is primordial.


http://www.hotelmarketing.com/index.php/content/article/061011_mobile_phones_as_hotel_room_keys/