Up-to-the-minute Data Squeezes Extra Dollars from Hospitality Bookings

There’s No Such Thing as a Day-Old Room
Whether it’s a hotel, resort, campground, condo, or
timeshare resort, anyone engaged in booking travelers needs
to keep track of their available rooms. Precise, timely
awareness of what’s not been rented spells the difference
between unsold rooms and the best possible selection for
last-minute arrivals.
What the hospitality industry has to sell isn’t like a bagel
or a widget. Any day’s unoccupied accommodations can’t be
marked down and sold later. By the next day, that inventory
is gone – a total loss. Since room inventories are so time
sensitive, it’s vital to know exactly which rooms are still
available at any point in time. Any organization that fails
to do that can’t stay competitive. But that simply can’t be
done without real-time reservation software.
Employees who handle bookings get excited to see that they
can do a better job of matching up supply and demand. Still
Waters Condominium Resort in Branson, Missouri brags about
their Internet reservations more than doubling when they
upgraded their Internet reservation software.
The Internet Changes the Expectations of Travelers
Travelers have gotten into the habit of going online to plan
their itinerary. They conduct targeted searches and then
check out the Web sites of places they’d consider staying.
Roughly 80% (depending on the source) of all hospitality
bookings are made directly or indirectly over the Internet.
That convenience has developed a class of savvy travelers
and travel planners who are quite comfortable making their
own reservations without human assistance. In fact, they
prefer it that way. Gone are the days when staff needs to be
tied up with phone-in reservations.
Let Travelers Share in the Ease of Bookings
Imagine if any traveler could get real-time access to the
same availability information that travel professionals
have. Do you suppose that with direct access to Internet
reservation systems they’d be able to find accommodations
that would be impossible to locate otherwise? There’s no
question about it. And that reality is having a very
positive impact on the bottom line of resorts that have
stayed on top of such technological developments.
IRM (Internet Reservation Module developed by Resort Data,
lets guests use the very same database of available rooms as
industry insiders. So they are able to book rooms online,
without any delays or a middleman. IRM reservations are also
commission free – a savings for both the guest and hotel.
Reservation Software Makes Bookings Painless
Potential guests expect features like these, with minimal
errors or stress:
– Easy-to-make reservations any time of day
– Reliable information about room availability that’s kept
up to date
– Links in place that supplies other, related information
about a property
– Preferences kept on file for repeat bookings
– Ability to find the property that best fits their needs
The time that’s saved by front-desk staff not having to deal
with routine reservation issues leaves them free to provide
the type of support services that matter to guests. And
properties that can deliver what the guest expects get their
business – over and over again.
Please visit our website at http://www.resortdata.com or
give us a call to find out how an IRM integrated into your
property management system can increase your online revenue!
?Bob Kipola, 2004