News for the Hospitality Executive |
Travel Tripper Helps San Francisco�s Parc 55 Drive Revenues
Amidst Tough Economy
RezTrip� Booking Engine leverages
downtown hotel�s own website to
drive production by more than
46%, revenues by more than 33%
San Francisco � July 28, 2009 � The Parc 55 Hotel near Union Square reports significant increases in revenue-per-available-room (RevPAR) over the same period last year -- even despite falling metrics in the hotel industry. The 1,010-room downtown San Francisco hotel attributes its success to increasing the amount of direct-web bookings via Travel Tripper�s private-label booking engine RezTrip�, and the system�s ability to apply condition-based pricing rules or promotions. As such, the Parc 55�s website has become its lowest-cost, highest-return distribution channel. From May 2008 to May 2009 � during the worst economic decline in U.S. history since the Great Depression � the Parc 55 saw roomnights booked through its own website climb 46.9% and its revenues rise 33%. Roomnights driven by their website Q1 2008 accounted for 8.3% of contribution compared to 12.1% of roomnights Q1 2009. Website revenues climbed from 9.5% of contribution in Q1 2008 to 13.4% in Q1 2009. �Achieving these results during a down economy is a strong testament to the power and productivity of RezTrip�, which was first implemented at the hotel in February 2007,� said Gautam Lulla, Travel Tripper C.O.O. �We even out-performed 2006, when business was very buoyant and the property was part of one of the top three brands.� Lulla said RezTrip�s condition-based pricing is the key to enabling hoteliers to more efficiently manage yield strategies and increase their look-to-book conversion rates from the industry�s 2% to 3% average to RezTrip�s current average of 5.5% or higher. �RezTrip�s pricing features allows revenue directors to create condition-based rules or �promotions� without the need to create new rate plans,� Lulla explained. �Most other systems offer prohibitively complex �work-arounds� in order to create promotions that demand a fast time to market. As a result, revenue managers skip their own website and end up distributing the best deals exclusively through OTAs.� Through RezTrip�, travelers can consistently find the best rates and deals with the hotel directly, rather than booking through intermediaries, he said. This means more direct revenue for the property and a positive impact to the hotel�s bottom line while giving it complete, real-time control over inventory. RezTrip� allows hotels to increase revenue, decrease dependency on high margin third-party websites, sell ancillary products and services pre-arrival, enhance guest confidence and loyalty and boost productivity. �Properties have seen bookings shoot up dramatically within a week or two of implementing RezTrip,� Lulla said. Rave Reviews for RezTrip John Bauso, Parc 55�s Director of Revenue, said independent properties such as Parc 55 do not have the huge brand power of prominent hotel chains. RezTrip� leverages the marketing value of third-party intermediaries and allows the Parc 55 to compete favorably with the big brands while being easier to use. �RezTrip� produces results � and that�s critical for an independent property that doesn�t have the brand clout of a Marriott or a Starwood,� Bauso said. �It�s also much easier to use than any other system I�m familiar with. Whereas you could spend a weekend in a class learning the in�s and out�s of other systems, I can have someone trained in a matter of a few of hours. It�s intuitive, crystal clear, and we were up and running in no time. The bottom line is, we�re much better off as a property.� Travel Tripper, based in New York, is a leading provider of hotel distribution, e-marketing and revenue-management solutions. Its three-tiered approach called ACE or Attract, Convert and Enable (RezTrip), helps hotels drive more traffic to their direct website, converts lookers into bookers, and provides a simple and efficient way to merchandise and sell rooms online. Its primary mission is to provide hotels with a solution that will decrease dependency on high margin, third-party sites and increase revenue through their own website. �Obtaining best practices information for Web marketing, online-travel distribution, e-commerce, social media and more during this down economy is critical to hotel operations and business stability,� Lulla said. �Hotels need an �ACE� in the hand to help them build an effective Web strategy. Travel Tripper is that �ACE.�� About Travel Tripper
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Contact:
Barb Worcester
Gautam Lulla
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Also See: | Travel Tripper to Showcase Tools that Attract, Convert and Enable Web Bookings at �Travel Distribution Summit Europe 2009� / May 2009 |