Hotel websites will rule over online agents

Friday, 20 Sep, 2007 0

HONG KONG – Up to 86% of hoteliers attending the recent WORLDHOTELS 2007 Leadership Forum in Rome believe that in the next three years, consumers would use hotel websites in preference to online agents.

And 57% believed that over the same period, control over rates and inventory would shift towards the hotel industry rather than to intermediaries.

The findings came from a survey conducted by WORLDHOTELS among the 100 hotel owners, management companies and senior general managers who participated in the conference themed “The Future. Now.”

The survey also found most were bullish on business with 84% saying that the recent strong growth would continue for the next three years. They cited the effect of global and local economy growth as well as the prevalence of low-cost airlines as factors for their optimism.

In addition, 88% believed their RevPar would be higher in 2008 due to improved yield management, advanced revenue strategies, and increased demand.

WORLDHOTELS also recognised the hotels that best performed in its Performance Excellence Programme (PEP) in the past 12 months. The winning hotels were: Best Result in APAC 2007: The Eton Hotel, Shanghai; Best Result Global and in the EMEA region for 2007: Marina Hotel, Kuwait; Best Result in the Americas 2007: Graves|601 Hotel, Minneapolis.

The Forum also recognized Olav Thon, Owner & Founder of Thon Hotel Group, one of Norway’s leading hotel chains with 51 hotels located in Norway in addition to Brussels and Rotterdam.

After starting out with selling fox furs from his backpack as a young boy, Thon started his own company aged 18; Volvat Furs, with all profits reinvested in real estate. Today the Olav Thon Group has a turnover of about £470 million (700 million Euros) and is involved in real estate, hotels, restaurants, retail and industry.

Corinne Wan

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