February 21, 2006 - There is a growing opinion amongst Hoteliers that
it makes commercial sense to manage your bookings system in-house and reap
the financial rewards. You do the hard work so why should you lose
commission to a third party booking service, whose contribution is arguably
minimal?
Motivated
by this school of thought, The Westmorland Hotel in Penrith, Cumbria is
reaping the benefits of centralised booking, since introducing a new in-house
on-line Sensible Rez reservation system. Aside from the financial
incentive, business customers of the Westmorland are finding they can book
on-line with more ease than ever before.
Attracting and retaining business clientele outside the main tourist
season can be lucrative for any hotelier. The Business Market wants good
facilities, good food and above all, fuss free operations. The first
way to make a good impression is to make the booking process easy and pain
free.
One of a growing number of managers objecting to paying commission on
business generated through their own web site, Hotel Manager Martin Richardson
wanted to maximise business profitability by taking the reservations systems
in-house. He approached industry specialists Sensible IT in 2005. Impressed
by the fact that Sensible IT has developed reservation software for many
independent hotels, small hotel chains and guest houses across the UK,
Martin commissioned a system to be specially developed to meet the needs
of his business clientele. Martin wanted a web site that could be regularly
updated and refreshed by even the most junior of staff. The simple to use
editing function has enabled the hotel staff to easily change vital information
such as room rates and types.
Martin has been impressed with the system: �As a busy hotel manager
I like the fact that the system is internet based and can be updated remotely.
We are extremely happy with the Sensible Rez web reservations tool recently
installed. Our guests have commented on how easy it is to use the
reservation system�.
Hoteliers pay a preset, user fee. Compared to commission based web reservation
systems the cost savings for a hospitality business can be considerable.
About the Hotel
An award winning hotel on the outskirts of the Lake District, The Westmorland
Hotel is primarily a business hotel within close proximity to the M6. It
provides a gateway to the Scottish Borders and the Yorkshire Dales.
It has reputation for gourmet dining in peaceful surroundings and has proved
a popular choice with Business travellers. Easy to reach but difficult
to leave. (The Bretherdale Restaurant has an AA Rosette)
About Sensible Rez
Sensible
Rez reservation tools aim to make on-line reservations as simple and cost
effective as possible to help Hoteliers increase their margins.
The system is low cost to install and run, easy to manage and commission
free.
John Palmer, Managing Director at Sensible IT says �My role is to advise
hotel owners who are paying transaction fees and subscription services
for on-line booking services un-necessarily, and help them develop a more
cost-effective, time smart, easy to manage reservations solution.� |