Guestmob

With Military trucks chasing the 747 on take-off they were feet...

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 11:23:00 -0700

With Military trucks chasing the 747 on take-off they were feet from the engines. This is really what should have happened at the end of Argo.

www.guestmob.com

The Room Rate Conundrum: Leveraging Discounts as a Tactic

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 18:05:00 -0800

Room discounting is a tactical way to drive up bookings when occupancy is low; however, the question is, to what degree should hotels compete on price? We recommend an article written by Dr. Gabor Forgacs of Ryerson University in Toronto that illustrates a ‘conundrum’ for hotels that choose to compete on price http://bit.ly/WnhxhD. In summary, lowering prices doesn’t necessarily correlate to increase demand and hotels should be doing more to create value at whatever price its sold. In other words, when guests stay in the room they should feel that the price they paid is fair or that they got an incredibly good deal for the quality delivered. Interestingly, a study by Cornell University’s Centre for Hospitality was sited and it states that on average hotels can expect on average a 1.3-per-cent rise in occupancy after every 10-per-cent room-rate discount. So if a hotel has a mediocre product and is at occupancy of 55%, it is highly unlikely it will increase to or even above 60% with a deep discount of 30%. Hotel demand is price inelastic; therefore, lowering your price won’t drive long-term demand, a good product will.

Hotel room demand will fluctuate greatly day-to-day through each and every season, as there are macroeconomic factors that drive occupancy demand. Therefore, hotels will inevitably have to price their rooms accordingly to increase the demand. However, it seems that hotels should also refrain from dropping the BAR rate well below the comp set. Continuously dropping rates well below the comp set could have negative brand implications. Two things could happen, consumers will benchmark the hotel price low and it could message to the market how mediocre the product is. Hotels have leveraged opaque channels to discreetly publish discounted rates, good for preserving price integrity but the push back from hotels has been, many of these incumbent channels force them to commit to specific discounts, margins and allotments in advance. Therefore even if a hotel can’t accurately predict occupancy months in advance, they need to give a net margin discount just to be sure they’ll have distribution a week or two prior to check-in. A hotel is going to loose potential bookings at BAR in those 7-14 days prior to check-in even if their occupancy is high. We’re curious if there is any perceived value in leveraging last minute daily deal and mobile channels?

It seems logical that hotels that want to preserve price and brand integrity would demand a viable opaque channel that allows them to leverage discounting at the last possible minute with more certainty of the needed demand and available supply.

End of the OTA merchant Model

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 15:51:29 -0800

In 2010 Max Starkov of HeBS Digital wrote a very interesting paper ‘End of the OTA Merchant Model’ http://bit.ly/YeyBtC which almost three years later is still very relevant (Reference Link Above). In summary, he describes the OTA merchant model as inefficient for hotel properties (i.e. charging extremely high commissions 25%+) in comparison to their own marketing efforts.

From the perspective on an online marketing person, in particular one who focuses on performance marketing; commissions greater than 15% are unheard of (except for Daily Deal sites which forces local merchants who are already cash strapped to discount 50%+ and pay a 50% commission, a different story altogether). In fact the average commission for retailers is right around 10%, and those who get more may command a higher rate due to traffic quality and in some cases volume, but not in the ballpark of 25%.

OTAs and Metasearch channels will be for very long time a primary acquisition channel for Hotels. Unfortunately, the Internet while more accessible and efficient than traditional media is not as cost efficient as many think it is. This is relevant because in travel you need to pay a premium to capture someone who is ready to book at a specific time. Online retailers that acquire users who make multiple purchases per year struggle to acquire users profitably at scale, a small chain let alone a single property will struggle even more. We spoke with a few revenue managers recently about their online marketing, and all claimed that while PPC was more efficient than the OTA channels it contributed nowhere near the scale. The reason; hotels are not able to drive down their acquisition investment by spreading the cost across multiple channels and clients channels like OTAs and metasearch properties.

When OTAs finally adopt a new commission model or not, what is clear is that there needs to be transformation in the industry where there is a clear handshake between the consumer, hoteliers and OTAs. There has to be a win-win-win scenario and it’s going to be due to a combination of creative revenue management & marketing and a new technological breakthrough.

The role discount online booking channels play in hotel revenue management

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:34:00 -0800

There are several channels that can be leveraged by revenue managers (Opaque OTAs, Daily Deal sites and mobile) but how are these channels used? And just as importantly, perceived?

Successful revenue managers are focused on producing results that consist of a blend of occupancy and average rate. Selling as many rooms at rack rate but allotting a certain amount at different discount rates so that occupancy and average rate are maximized is considered best practice.

Since Guestmob is obviously a discount-booking channel we have been getting a lot of feedback that while the incumbent opaque booking platforms are key distribution channels, there is friction. Revenue managers are working to maximize BAR with as minimal rate exposure as possible, but to participate they are required to commit to specific margins and allotments in advance. While opaque channels are vital to some hotels, many do not participate because they do not want to risk committing to specific allotments at low margins weeks in advance.

Hotel Tonight has emerged as a very popular mobile app for last-minute bookings. They are blatantly ignoring rate parity, but hotels seem to be utilizing it in growing numbers. As mobile app it makes perfect sense, if a room is going to go unsold, this is a viable channel with over 3MM downloads to promote last-minute vacancy. While this model can contribute to occupancy lift, the cost is quite high by charging a 20% flat commission on an already heavily discounted room. It most cases hotels would rather let the rooms go unsold.

Hotel room demand will fluctuate greatly day-to-day through each and every season, as there are macroeconomic factors that drive occupancy demand. Revenue managers are constantly working to balance occupancy and average daily rates. Hotels will need to discount at some point throughout each season but to do so in such a way that minimizes rate exposure and maximizes margins.

RE: WSJ Article Post ‘5 Things You Need to Know About Your Hotel in 2012’

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 15:26:00 -0800

Friends & Partners:

On September 4^th, 2012 we referenced a Wall Street Journal article Titled ‘5 Things You Need to Know About Your Hotel in 2012’. We removed this article on January 21, 2013 because it contained sensitive material (referenced below). We do not support the views disclosed in the article and would not advise our audience to follow them.

The article was removed for containing the following content:

1) Start your robe collection now!- Winter is coming. And nothing makes you look like a cheap bastard like rolling about in your own house with a hotel-logo robe. Sure they offer them for sale but also they forget to put them in the room. So put the plush little guy at the bottom of your suitcase and call down with the amazingly frequent request for a new robe, as there wasn’t one when you checked in.

2) Same day cancellations are only a phone call away- So you’re stuck in whatever city and you ain’t making it in. Planning to throw the dice and hope a no-show charge is from the world of fiction? It’s not. Call in to the front desk and assert that your meeting has been moved to next week. Then hang up, drink a soda, and call in to say you need to cancel your reservation for next week, as you are well within your rights to do.

Sincerely,

The Guestmob Team

Traveling has been tied to increased blood pressure, stress...

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 09:55:46 -0700

Traveling has been tied to increased blood pressure, stress & irregular sleep patterns. Stay in shape with these tips!

"Why are all the Collections in one city marked as "Not Available"?" - Letti Thomas

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Indeed another one of our most popular questions.

So you enter Guestmob dot com and trying to book a hotel collection; when you get to the result page, you see a “Not Available” under the hotel collections. What does that even mean?

It literally means Not Available, which also means Sold Out. This happens during high peak seasons or days when all the hotels are experiencing high occupancy due to some national/international conventions or events.

For example, San Francisco Moscone Convention Center is busy hosting multiple conventions from 9/17/2012 - 9/21/2012, the city will be filled with people from all over the world and all of our San Francisco hotel collections during those dates are Not Available.

But that doesn’t mean you will be sleeping on the streets or need to cancel trip. There are some vacant hotel rooms if you look hard enough, and contact the hotels directly to ask for availability.

Tip - Be an early bird who gets the worm! Plan your trip early and book your hotel early. Not only you will be saving money but you will be saving yourself lots of stress and headache! The earlier is always better.

Happy Travel,
Guestmob Team

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Hotel of the day:

Immerse yourself in the style and sophistication of South Beach at The Perry South Beach Hotel, Resort and Spa. Plus, with 600 feet of prime beachfront real estate in the heart of South Beach, the 55,000-square-foot Beach Club offers an unrivaled experience to match our breathtaking, panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and the city. The rooftop infinity-edge pool at the The Perry South Beach provides views that could shock a flamingo into losing his pink.

Are you ready for the summer to end? We are definitely not!End...

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 12:23:02 -0700

Are you ready for the summer to end? We are definitely not!

End your unforgettable 2012 summer with an unforgettable stay: http://bit.ly/PzRNxG

Happy Travel,
Guestmob Team

Top Chefs' Best Travel Tips

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 09:56:20 -0700

When chefs travel, their appetites usually dictate the journey. We asked some of the more worldly toques for their best culinary rules of thumb when they hit the road. Here are their insider tips…

Curtis Stone, host of Top Chef Masters, Around the World in 80 Plates:

I always hit up the taxi drivers to find good food in an unfamiliar place. The minute I hop in a taxi from the airport I’ll ask them where they eat, and they usually give recommendations for these great little local places. That’s how you get your claws into the grass roots of a place.

David Myers, chef/owner, Comme Ça, Los Angeles and Las Vegas:

Packing food essentials is key when I travel. I always travel with salt, because sometimes a place will have really bad salt or they just don’t put salt on the food. I also like to travel with a little yuzukosho, a fermented chili pepper paste, to spice up any meal. And then, if I’m nervous about getting a good drink, I’ll bring a cool little spirit that maybe they won’t have so I can make a good cocktail.

Rick Moonen, chef/owner, rm seafood, Las Vegas:

When I want dining recommendations when I travel, I usually put it out on a social network of some sort. For example, I’ll Tweet something like, “Help me out here! I’m going to Seattle. Where do I eat?” And I’ll get 50 suggestions. Usually 20 of them overlap and those are the ones you put at the top of the list. Then I always have my circle of foodie friends saying, “You have to try this.” Listen to your foodie friends. They are usually right.

Art Smith, chef/owner Art and Soul, Washington, DC:

I live on a plane 3-4 weeks a month so I have learned to prepare and try to eat before I get on a plane so I can bypass plane food altogether. I’ll have a banana or a Cliff Bar over any airline meal. What’s great now is that some airlines are offering things like that [on board].

Hugh Acheson, chef/owner Empire State South in Atlanta:

I have a lot of friends who are dining critics, so I’ll hit them up in an effort to research before I travel. If I don’t know them personally, I’ll read local dining reviews and put together a short list. When I land in a place, I always want to find the good, upcoming coffee roasters, because I love a good coffee shop, so I’ll ask locals for their suggestions. To get a great feel of what people are eating in a place, I pop into local grocery stores, and just browse, and I’ll end up buying things that I can’t find every day and bring them back. Spices are my favorite thing to bring back from travels—they are easy to carry and you won’t get in trouble for traveling with them. But, sadly, the days of bringing back full legs of jamon and unpasteurized cheese are over. They’re not worth ending up in a Turkish prison for.

Readers: How do you find good food when you hit the road?

Happy Travel,
Guestmob Team
www.guestmob.com
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Hotel of the day:

(The Magnolia Hotel has a rooftop lap pool, 23 stories up, provides a perfect perch from which to take in the skyline. Visit www.guestmob.com for more information and hotel collections.)

Hotel Pool Chairs: How Long Do You Save Them?

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 14:30:00 -0700

One of the great things about summer is that you can grab a seat by your hotel pool or beach and bask in the sun, read a great summer novel, and maybe even sip get a cocktail with a pretty umbrella in it.

One of the not-so-great things: Sometimes, an anonymous flip-flop or bottle of sunscreen stands in the way between you and your favorite summer-time tradition.

According to USA TODAY’s Cruise Log, Carnival recently adopted a new pool seat saving policy: After 40 minutes, if the chair still is reserved yet empty, staffers can remove the belongings, store them at the nearby towel station and leave a note explaining what they did.

With a clear-cut time limit, someone can’t “save” a seat - or even a row of seats - all day long during the prime hours and prevent others from having fun.

So, dear readers: How long do you think it’s fair to “save” a seat at your hotel pool or beach - regardless of whether it’s with a cheap flip-flop, book or expensive designer bag?

Happy Travel,
Guestmob Team
www.guestmob.com

Hotel of the day:

(Gorgeous Beverly Hilton hotel room bathroom. One of the hotels from Guestmob’s Beverly Hills - West Hollywood collection. For more details and information, visit www.guestmob.com)

I did not receive any email from Guestmob, where did they go?

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Another popular question we have been getting, and there are two possibilities:

1. Spam: via Email registration - Look into your spam, it might have gotten lost in there some where.

2. Wrong email: via Facebook - When register for a Facebook account, Facebook will need an primary email for registration. When register with Guestmob via Facebook, Guestmob automatically picks up that primary email address for Guestmob emails.
For example: If your primary email account for Facebook is 123@123.com, all Guestmob emails will be send to 123@123.com. If another email is preferred, you must go into Facebook and update the primary email, and Guestmob will then automatically update contact information to most current.

Happy Travel,
Guestmob Team
www.guestmob.com

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Hotel of the day:

(Hilton Time Square - Located in the center of the most exciting part of NYC; surrounded by Broadway theatres, premier fashion houses, lovely night clubs, shopping and fine New York restaurants. You can find a blend of creativity and quality inside of this hotel. Visit www.guestmob.com NYC collection for more details and information.)

Are you following us on Pinterest? Check out our beautiful...

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Are you following us on Pinterest? Check out our beautiful photos we’ve selected for Guestmob’s top 20 markets like New York, LA, Washington…etc. Be sure to follow us and be inspired for your next travel destination. (http://bit.ly/Mr9gnD)

Happy Travel,
Guestmob Team

At the Hotel But Cannot Find Your Reservation?

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Don’t worry, this is not the end of the world, and you are not alone.
And here is what you can do - If you have a booking confirmation email from Guestmob, but the Hotel does not have your reservation on their book, we recommend you call our support line (800)506-0164 or email us at service@guestmob.com immediately for support. If you are not able to reach someone immediately and need to book a room on the spot, we recommend you book a standard King room or Double room, whichever is available. We will follow up with the hotel reverse the charge, or we will credit you the amount you had to spend with the hotel.

This is an exceptional scenario we work very hard to avoid, but in the event it does occur, we will do everything we can to make your experiences as painless as possible.

Happy Travel,
Guestmob Team
www.guestmob.com

London is Calling Here in the USA. Will You Answer?

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 11:52:00 -0700

Can’t make it to London for the Olympics? That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy watching them over some cocktails. A number of hotels across the country are providing Olympic-themed drinks, events and deals from July 27 to Aug. 12.

In San Francisco, the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, a Kimpton hotel, is offering a “Five Rings Pimm’s cocktail with Pimm’s No. 1, gin, lemon, cucumber, mint and peach soda. It will be available at Scala Bistro, Bar Drake and Harry Denton’s Starlight Room at the hotel for $12. (visit www.guestmob.com for more details on Sir Francis Drake Hotel)

In Washington, Bar Rouge’s mixologist Rico Wisner has created the “Rouge, White and Blue” cocktail. The Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore is celebrating Baltimore-native and swimming champion Michael Phelps. The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore will feature the Athlete Recovery Treatment and Gold Medal Facial, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Michael Phelps Foundation. Kids checking in with their families will get a gold medal and be able to write him a letter that the hotel will present to him when he returns to the United States.

In honor of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, the Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta is offering a special $199.60 room rate. Guests have to quote the 1996 Games when making a reservation to get the special rate. High tea and London-themed cocktails using such ingredients as Pimm’s and Strongbow cider beer will also be available.

The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C.’s Lobby Bar is featuring four martinis, some shaken, some stirred. The martinis will be prepared tableside with English gin. On Monday through Saturday from 5:30-6:00, the hotel’s in-house cocktail historian and spirits specialists Shaun Henesy and Sylvia Cho will conduct a martini tutorial. One cocktail has been dubbed “London Calling.” It has Boodles London Gin, Courvoisie Cognac, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, sweet vermouth.

GO USA!!!

Happy Travel,
Guestmob Team
Source: http://usat.ly/QrBzJS

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only...

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0700

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine

Hotel food is getting healthier — even the hamburgers

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0700

It’s becoming almost impossible to get a junk-food fix at many major hotels, as they steadily give their restaurant menus Whole Foods-style makeovers.

Thursday, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts will unveil possibly the broadest healthy food policy yet among major chains, saying customers want it. Once rolled out, customers at full-service Hyatt hotels will see more upscale-looking menus that describe organic vegetables, seafood, meat and dairy produced without chemicals. Portions will be smaller, trimming calorie counts, says Susan Santiago, Hyatt’s vice president of food and beverage. Favorite dishes, such as a hamburger, will still be on the menu but will look different.

For example - The “Meyer Natural Angus Burger” will replace the existing, unbranded burger. It will be made with 7 ounces of beef instead of 8, and have 817 calories vs. 1,176, before condiments.

Among actions by other chains:

Starwood. Westin hotels recently expanded its “Superfoods” menu to offer such items as green-tea-infused salmon. Sheraton hotels recently rolled out a new approach to nutrition that focuses on key nutrients from colorful fruit and vegetables.

Hilton. Hilton last year launched breakfast menus at Hilton and Doubletree hotels that provide healthy options. The company is working on several new restaurant concepts that focus on healthy, local and fresh, says Beth Scott, Hilton food and beverage vice president for full-service hotels.

Fairmont. The 63-location luxury chain rolled out its Lifestyle Cuisine program in 2008 that called for hotels to use sustainable, locally sourced and organically grown products whenever possible for all food service operations. Earlier this year, Fairmont expanded the program to its kids’ menus.

Happy Travel,
Guestmob Team
Source: http://usat.ly/R0d6KE

Can I Transfer or Modify My Reservation?

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 17:38:00 -0700

One of the most asked questions within the last month, and we feel the need to make a blog post for future clarification.

Once a reservation is made, it cannot be transferred or modified. But it doesn’t mean you cannot cancel and re-book. We strongly recommend you to cancel and re-book for correction. Hallelujah for Guestmob’s cancellation policy, you are not stuck if you’ve made a mistake (and we all make mistakes), you have up to 72 hours to cancel and get a full refund. However, act fast! The cancellation may not be possible if it’s done within 72 hours of your check-in date, and the magic price you receive for this booking may change.

Happy Travel,
Guestmob Team
www.guestmob.desk.com

Top 10 Don'ts During a Hotel Stay

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 11:34:56 -0700

Ever wonder why some hotel experiences were better or worse? What could you have done to better the experience? When you know better, you do better.

Join Anthony Melchiorri, host of Hotel Impossible, as he gives you his list of the top 10 things not to do when checking in to a hotel. From treating the staff correctly to keeping your cool, you’ll be sure to have an even more enjoyable escape by using his extensive checklist.

1. Don’t yell at the staff. Ever.

2. Don’t tell anyone your room number. (A desk agent should point to your room number, and not announce it to the world.)

3. Don’t get bent out of shape when the night desk agent asks to see your “new friend’s” identification. Additionally, do not let a hotel employee into your room if they do not have an I.D.

4. Don’t blame hotel staff for stealing your stuff. My personal experience is that the guests eventually find 99% of the items that guests report stolen from their rooms. However, it is your right to ask the manager to call the police to file a police report.

5. Don’t order from room service if you notice the pages are dirty and torn. Don’t order if the menu reads “Winter Menu” when it’s spring.

6. Don’t use the bathroom washcloths to take off your makeup or shine your shoes.

7. Don’t throw anything in the room garbage if you don’t want the hotel staff to know about it, including insulin needles (or any needle) without properly disposing of it.

8. Don’t abuse the privilege of late checkout. If you really need one past 1:00 p.m., ask for the manager.

9. Don’t leave your luggage unattended in a hotel lobby – even for a second.

10. Don’t be embarrassed! Call the hotel after you’ve checked out, and they will send your forgotten sex toys. Just like they would send your baby blanket back to you.

Happy Travel,
The Guestmob Team
Source: Travel Channel - Hotel Impossible
http://bit.ly/OPJb2v

To Unpack or Not to Unpack, That is the Question

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 13:42:00 -0700

Travelers: Do you unpack or live out of your suit case?

For every trip you take, and every hotel you check-in to, do you catch yourself starring at your suite case and ask - should I unpack or live outside of my suit case?

According to Stacy S., the author of Very Good Points Business Travel Blog, says she’s developed her own strategy over the last nine years of travel that’s involved more than 2,000 nights in hotels:

Short trips (up to 3 days): Live out of suit case

Long trips: Depends

One city, one hotel: “This scenario lends itself nicely to unpacking,” she writes. “As long as there is plenty space and it’s clean!”
One city, multiple hotels: Unpacking may not be wise, since sometimes she switches hotels due to availability, cost, location or specific point promotions. During her recent, three-week-long trip to Bangkok, for instance, she stayed in four hotels. One hotel served as her base, and she took a weekend bag to the other hotels. Her main hotel let her store her large suitcase there over weekends. “It worked out nicely, but did mean I had to repack several times,” she writes.
Multiple cities, multiple hotels: “This is the most challenging scenario, especially on a long trip, as it requires a lot of packing and unpacking. I tend to only unpack work-wear and let my casual clothes, shoes and toiletries live in the suitcase.”

Happy Travel,
Guestmob Team
Source: http://usat.ly/NtE4VR

Can the Magic Price Change?This is a great question, one of the...

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 17:00:00 -0700

Can the Magic Price Change?

This is a great question, one of the most popular questions of all times.
The truth is - Yes, the magic price does change over time; It is one part law of supply and demand, and one part common sense. Our algorithm adjusts the magic price and it goes up as the check-in date gets closer.
For example, for a busy night, the hotels know they can fill up their rooms quickly, and to increase $25 per night would be ok. Vice versa, for a slow night, a $25 decrease to compete with other hotels to fight for you would seem reasonable.
Our recommendation is to book early, lock-in the cheaper rate, even if you think you might have to cancel later. Remember, our cancellation policy is up to 72 hours!

Happy Travel,
The Guestmob Team