Let’s face it, it’s just a matter of time before hotels start offering non-refundable rates to corporations. And you thought the hotel RFP process was already a pain in the butt.
Just wait until buyers have to try comparing a 10-day advance booking for a 20% discount at one property to a Continue reading
Talk to anybody who has tried to clean up corporate hotel data, and you’ll know they hate doing it. It’s a pain in the butt to take a company’s hotel booking data from its TMC, and merge it with the company’s paid hotel data from its corporate card.
The first and arguably hardest step is to normalize the hotel identities. Somehow, you have to recognize that a credit card transaction at the “Marriott Courtyard in Salt Lake” should be tied to the reservation made at the “Courtyard by Marriott in Saltlake City”.
The variation in hotel names, as captured by the travel agencies, GDSs and credit card providers, is nothing short of maddening. And we’re not Continue reading
We’re moving into the hotel sourcing season, so take a moment and think about your favorite little black dress or your best power suit. What makes it your favorite? And how the heck does this relate to hotel sourcing?
Great clothes project the image you want. They send signals. They help define your image. And if you’ve chosen carefully, they help achieve your goals. But they’ll only do that if your clothes fit like a glove. See where this is going? Continue reading
When it comes to buying airlines and hotels, there are some big differences.
That may not be the case in the near future. I think we’re beginning to see a shift – the beginning of a shift – away from the hotel model of pricing and contracting.
Let’s look first at some key differences:
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Gillespie's Guide to Travel Innovation 