Room Rate Headache in 2010? Welcome Can Help.

In last week’s Caterer, Jeffrey Crockett, Operations Director at The Park Resort and Master Innholder, described the difficulties hoteliers will face managing their rates in 2010. “The big questions currently in the mind of every hotelier are: will room rates gradually return to normal in 2010 and how do you plan a room rate strategy amid so much fiscal and economic uncertainty?”

Crockett cites the government’s lack of clarity over spending cutbacks as a contributory factor: “Governments must recognise the need for immediacy, honesty and transparency when planning public sector cutbacks and tax rises in 2010 and beyond.

“My room rate strategy in 2010 is still based on a hunch. A hunch, in business, is simply not good enough.”

The solution to managing and planning rate changes next year will rely heavily on the technology hoteliers use; “The latest property management systems mean everyone can play the same game now,” says Crockett.

And he’s right; Welcome can help you manage your rates more effectively. Our popular property management system, Welcome 21st, is now offered with a comprehensive yet simple way of managing daily rates based on occupancy levels and lead time. To see this feature in action, please click here to view a demonstration.

Crockett goes on to offer some valuable marketing tips for those looking to make the most of online bookers next year; “Close out promotions sooner, chase down markets that are less rate sensitive, question the raison d’être of having a rack tariff, try out some voucher codes and seek ways of getting better rates and secondary spends from online bookers.”

The Welcome Online Booking Module can help in this area, with a proven, easy to use booking engine and enticing features including voucher codes, as recommended by Crockett, above. Forthcoming additions include optional extras and bookable resources which will allow hotels to upsell the likes of flowers, champagne, room upgrades and Z beds during the online booking process.

To find how Welcome can help you become more profitable 2010 and take the headache out of room rate management, please call us today on 0845 4582121, or simply send us an email.