HotelPlanner’s new call handler team are not your average AI bots answering simple, stock questions. Having used eight million recorded phone calls made by human call center agents, the firm’s AI powered customer agents are as human as the tech gets. In fact, HotelPlanner says many customers don’t even realize they’re not actually speaking to a human. During its first month, the AI powered team has handled about 40,000 inquiries. UK newspaper The Times tested the service to see whether artificial intelligence compared with real time human interactions. Its initial reaction – there was no discernable indication that AI bot Cassandra wasn’t a real person. The service is as advanced as it gets; Cassandra and the other AI entities can make recommendations, check for room availability, quote prices, and give room type explanations with ease. Its quite a feat with 1.4 million hotels on its site. Overall, HotelPlanner has created 20 AI agents able to converse in 15 languages. There are two specific AI characters which have gained media attention. One is called Santa for the festive season, while another is called Donnie. The latter promises to make a stay in America great (again) complete with similar verbal mannerisms of the President-elect. The Times staffer’s interaction with Donnie went as follows: “This hotel is great, it’s tremendous, absolutely tremendous … it’s a beautiful thing, believe me.” “How many nights would you like to make America — I mean make your stay — great?” HotelPlanner’s CEO Tim Hentschel, said the volume of : calls has doubled since the AI platform fully rolled out. “This year we’ve had to curtail the capacity on our site, when fewer call handlers were available, but now we can now scale much faster,” he said. “We have calls recorded of people saying ‘Hey, James, will you be at the hotel when I get there?’, who responds, ‘Sorry, no — I’m an automated agent’.” Of course, sometimes an inquiry is too nuanced or complex for AI, such as ‘Does your breakfast have poached eggs?’ In that case we’ll transfer the call either direct to the hotel or to one of our human agents,” Hentschel added.  

  Planning an event like a wedding, meeting, or sports team travel can be time-consuming, costly, and stressful, especially when booking hotel rooms. HotelPlanner.com simplifies the process by allowing hotels to come directly to you. With HotelPlanner, you can get instant quotes from top hotels competing for your business, ensuring you find the best rates—guaranteed savings of up to 77%. Just fill out a request with your event details, compare offers, negotiate online, and select the best deal, all in one convenient platform. HotelPlanner.com is committed to making group bookings easy, efficient, and affordable.  

    Tim Hentschel is the founder of HotelPlanner, which sought to digitize the analog process of booking group business in hotels. HotelPlanner has changed a lot since it launched, and Tim is now exploring other ways to digitize analog processes in the hotel industry. Susan and Tim talk about automating relationships, over-managing rate strategy, and innovating in a tech resistant industry.   What you'll learn about in this episode: - Why AI might not fully replace human agents in high-touch services. - How the flexibility of gig work is gamified for customer service agents. - How AI is being integrated into HotelPlanner's customer service operations. - Why the hospitality industry is resistant to fully automating meeting space bookings. - What challenges revenue management systems face during high-demand events like the Olympics.

  I know what you are probably saying to yourself right now: HotelPlanner?!?!?!? Not that old thing again?!?!?  Those leads are garbage and they NEVER convert!!!  Well…(channeling my inner Chandler Bing)…you could not be more wrong!   With first hand experience and loads of data over years and years of using their services, I can tell you if you still have this attitude in 2024 it is because you are not utilizing their system the way it was designed. I’ve seen consistent portfolio close rates of 8.5%.  Yes…that’s on minimally qualified RFPs and on the low end of what you might expect.  But…when you use the tools HotelPlanner gives you to get the leads that matter, I have seen close rates consistently above 40% (and…NO…that doesn’t mean they got 5 leads and closed 2 all year!).  Real prospects measured in the 1000s across an entire portfolio of hundreds of hotels.   If you want to maximize this potential partnership, keep reading.  It’s pretty easy.  

Who Can Benefit from HotelPlanner?

  HotelPlanner is not…repeat…IS NOT a place for low rated business.  Low rated leads do exist, but not any more than any other source.  The stereotype that this site has earned among some in sales is undeserved.   It is not just your average booking platform – it’s a kind of hero for all sorts of events. It caters to groups of all sizes AND all rate levels.  Whether a planner (or a novice stuck with the job!) is looking to book a block of nine rooms or 999 rooms, or groups with space or without space, or groups with F&B or without F&B, or any other combination it is an actual source of all types of groups.   Here are some key demographics that you can get in front of (in the order of what you can expect):

• Weddings
• Sports Teams & Youth Groups
• Corporate Business (AT&T, Walmart by example are just two exclusive users)
• Reunions
• School Groups
• Extended Stays 15+ Nights

  So who can benefit from that?  Well…everyone.  These groups have a place at every property in some way, especially when you consider most leads are room-only blocks.  All 4 major brands can utilize this platform with no issue: Marriott, Hilton, IHG, and Hyatt.  These brands do place caps on the commission rates paid, so check with your NSO.   Additionally, HotelPlanner is also cooperating with Best Western, Choice, Wyndham, Sonesta, Cobblestone, G6, and others.  

Making Friends with OTAs & More

  HotelPlanner is actually the “power” behind OTA group business.  Like www.groups.expedia.com is HotelPlanner’s “white label” application managing all leads and the sales process for every group wanting 5 or more rooms.  The major OTAs such as Hotels.com, Priceline, Trivago, and more are all through them.  This is on top of the public sites they run that appeal to people searching online for help in planning group events – i.e. novice people looking for 15 rooms for 2 nights for their corporate retreat.  This means:  Even if a client submits a group hotel request through one of these sites, they will remain on the respective site from start to finish. But if you want to gain a piece of this business, you need to use HotelPlanner or take a pass on this rather qualified group business.  

Top 5 Ways to Maximize the HotelPlanner Lead Volume

  So this goes to the stereotype I mentioned at the top of this article.  Do junk rated leads exist on HotelPlanner?  Absolutely.  But just like spam messages shouldn’t stop you from using email, junk leads can be easily “deleted” and never bother you again.  Leaving only the ACTUAL, valuable qualified leads you want to talk to.  How do you do that?  

1 – Filter Like Your Life Depends on It

  And it is sooooooooooo easy to do.  Just one time and less than five minutes, you can be walked through some simple check-box-steps to get only the size, rate, and room night RFPs you want.  You can even qualify by space + rates, rates + no space, space + F&B, rooms only, even geography and group event types if you wanted it.  You set these minimums and…in the words of Ron Popeil…”you set it and forget it!”  (google him if you don’t know…)  See our simple step-by-step guide to filters HERE  

2 – Let the System Do the Talking

  Short and to the point:  Instant Offers are your best friend.  Like the filters, HotelPlanner lets you pick any date or set of days you want and set up an autoresponder that will instantly fire off a response to any RFP for you, including restrictions, contractual minimums, and even incentives.  And it can be done in a matter of minutes just like filters.  So, if you have a set of dates this year or 3 years from now that are just so behind pace you are “distressed”, just load an Instant Offer with a “take it or leave it” rate complete with incentives and contractual requirements and let offers fly!  And even if you are doing well but could use some help.  Use Instant Offers with a solid, competitive rate offer.  If no bites, oh well.  But if they do, they are that much more qualified when they finally reach out in person to close the deal.  

3 – Simplify the paperwork process with the e-contracting functionality

  Utilizing this feature allows you to manage contracts electronically, saving time and reducing administrative burden.  Enter any restriction or minimum you want, even concessions.  It does it all.  

4 – Explore GNET Rate Plan Technology

  The GNET Rate Plan Technology enables instant group bookings for small groups ranging from 10 to 25 rooms.  For small teams who need to concentrate on larger group needs, this can be your “automated admin” helping you book those few extra rooms to get over your goal!  

5 – Consider Preferred Membership

  If you join as a Preferred Hotel Member, your benefits will include: top placement in search results (think Google Ads for paid search!), reduced commission rates, personalized recommendations to clients, access to RFPs open for collective bidding (free listings have to wait for a planner to ask you personally), and more!  

Cost of Using HotelPlanner

  The great news is you can start with no fee to participate as a classic member. In this case, HotelPlanner operates on actualized referral fees, based on meeting planner commission fees per brand.   Additional Resources:

• Best Practices for Group Rates vs Transient Rates
• Account Review Check List
• Outlook Rules: for New Lead Notification Emails, for Referred for Consideration Emails and Quick Parts
• Useful HotelPlanner Contacts
• FAQ

  How to Set Up RFP Filters & Qualifiers:   In summary, HotelPlanner isn’t just any booking platform – it’s a comprehensive tool that integrates with you and your sales team, aligns with Branded hotels, provides you with a wide range of planners to reach who are ACTUALLY looking to book, as well as plenty of resources to help you maximize the production you will get.

  The company’s partnership will support UK’s leading design festival with a discounted accommodations offering for more than 37,000 expected attendees.   HotelPlanner, a leading travel technology platform and hotel booking engine, today announced a new partnership with Clerkenwell Design Week, UK’s leading design festival, to share revenue on attendee hotel bookings as their Official Hotel Provider.   Taking place May 21-23, 2024 across various locations, Clerkenwell Design Week is a jam-packed design festival that features more than 600 showroom events, 160 local design showrooms, 300 exhibitors, 11+ curated exhibitions, striking installations, topical talks with leading creatives, design destinations, a fringe programme, and food and drink offerings. Last year’s event welcomed a record-breaking 37,725 visitors.   Clerkenwell is home to more creative businesses and architects per square mile than anywhere else on the planet, making it truly one of the most important design hubs in the world. To celebrate this rich and diverse community, Clerkenwell Design Week has created a truly unique way of showcasing the world’s leading interiors brands. The upcoming event is set to elevate the experience with new venues, expanded exhibition spaces, thought-provoking installations and 600 curated events throughout the neighborhood.   “We’re thrilled to be the official accommodations provider for the entire Clerkenwell Design Week, an iconic annual festival for all design lovers,” says Tim Hentschel, Co-founder & CEO, HotelPlanner. “This partnership enables all attendees to find the best price and value for their hotel stay during the week, while driving additional revenue to the Clerkenwell area.”   More details about the upcoming event will be announced in due course. For more information, please visit clerkenwelldesignweek.com – registration is now open.

  The American Group Travel Awards charity gala hosted by HotelPlanner took place on November 12, 2023 at the Boca Raton Resort to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and to celebrate HotelPlanner’s 20th Anniversary and HipHop50.   Grammy Award nominee and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Flavor Flav was honored as the World Hospitality Award winner, with Hip Hop legends Rob Base and Grandmaster Flash performing, and a special appearance by Cuba Gooding, Jr.  

  HotelPlanner, a leading travel technology platform and hotel booking engine, is excited to announce the integration of Cleverdis, the content provider for more than 17 international trade shows. Cleverdis is active across a range of industries including food, defense, consumer electronics, logistics, wine and spirits, and retail, all of which bolster the company’s global footprint in the trade show ecosystem and multimedia space.   Established in 1997 in France, Cleverdis has earned its reputation as a comprehensive content factory for trade shows. Beyond producing daily magazines, the company offers official newsrooms and bespoke podcasts for various events. With a team of experts committed to delivering intelligent content and insights, Cleverdis enables buyers to make informed purchasing decisions while amplifying brand visibility. The company collaborates with more than 400 advertising partners and generates in excess of 3,500 pages of original content annually. Their extensive multimedia services encompass video and podcast production, photography, newsroom, and press services, which contributes to a vibrant and impactful trade show experience.   Operating as an independent entity within the HotelPlanner family of brands, Cleverdis will maintain its current client relationships and uphold its standing as a leader in content production and media services.   “We believe strongly in the power of collaboration and lasting partnerships. Becoming a part of the HotelPlanner family of brands allows us to offer additional value to trade show organisers and attendees, while enhancing our global reach and capacity to connect and serve trade show buyers and influencers worldwide,” says Jean-Francois Pieri, President & CEO, Cleverdis.   “Having attended hundreds of trade shows over the past two decades, I can unequivocally state that quality content is a game-changer. A well-told brand story forms lasting impressions on buyers and attendees, and can make the difference in generating new business. Partnering with Cleverdis, a leader in the trade show ecosystem, is a strategic and exciting move for us. We are thrilled to work together to help trade show buyers maximise their brand presence while providing a state-of-the-art media experience for all attendees,” says Tim Hentschel, Co-founder & CEO, HotelPlanner.

 

Hotel Buyers Club by HotelPlanner combines two of the travel & hospitality industry’s hottest trends: Artificial Intelligence & Loyalty

This post was written by Open AI’s ChatGPT and edited by real people at HotelPlanner

  HotelPlanner, a leading hotel booking platform for all travelers, has announced the integration of ChatGPT, a large language model developed by OpenAI, into its new loyalty program, Hotel Buyers Club. This integration enables Hotel Buyers Club members to receive personalized recommendations and search & booking assistance from ChatGPT, making their hotel booking experience even more seamless and convenient.   “Our goal has always been to stay ahead of the technology curve so we can provide our customers with the best possible hotel booking experience,” said John Prince, Co-founder & CIO, HotelPlanner. “By integrating ChatGPT into our Hotel Buyers Club loyalty program, we’re able to offer our paid members a new level of personalized and customized service that is nearly unmatched in the industry. This integration enhances our customers’ booking experience and sets a new standard of service for our industry.”   The Hotel Buyers Club loyalty program, HotelPlanner’s first such effort, is designed to provide paid members with exclusive discounts on more than 1.4 million hotels and alternative accommodations worldwide, as well as VIP-level customer service and support, and a bi-weekly newsletter with travel deals and tips, and other exclusive membership benefits. With the integration of ChatGPT, Hotel Buyers Club members now have access to broader search capabilities to find the perfect hotel for any traveler category.   “Hotel Buyers Club is more than just a loyalty program. Our vision is to build a community of like-minded travelers who are passionate about exploring the world while unlocking the best possible value on their preferred accommodations -- wherever and whenever they travel,” says Philip Ballard, Chief Communications Officer, HotelPlanner.   Anyone can experiment with the ChatGPT-enabled function on the homepage search engine on https://hotelbuyers.club/ prior to becoming a paid member and finalizing the booking. For paid Hotel Buyers Club members, the integration of ChatGPT is already live and available to assist with bookings.   Disclaimer   HotelPlanner strives to provide 100% accurate and reliable data to its customers, but third party content generated by AI, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, can sometimes make errors for various reasons, such as incomplete or inaccurate responses. HotelPlanner advises all its customers to exercise caution and to use your best judgment regarding the fidelity of ChatGPT’s responses. To share feedback or to report a concern or bug, please email [email protected]

  HotelPlanner, a hotel booking engine and travel technology platform serving all travelers since 2003, today announced their top 10 travel trends of 2023. HotelPlanner anticipates another record year for the company with respect to bookings and growth.   “The traveler mindset in 2023 will be to book that well-deserved adventure to a new city, dream resort, or a new corner of the world, says Tim Hentschel, Co-founder & CEO, HotelPlanner.   “Today’s travelers want to make special memories with friends and family, while others want their social media to reflect how adventurous they are, says Philip Ballard, Chief Communications Officer, HotelPlanner. “Others long for remote locations with no crowds and privacy, and are willing to pay for it. And millions of others are traveling on business with their families in tow to extend the trip into a mini-vacation. We would summarize all these trends as ‘purpose-driven travel.’”   Top 10 Travel Trends of 2023, according to HotelPlanner  

• Exchange Rate Travel – The weakened British pound and Euro have given Americans more purchasing power parity across Europe than at any time since the early 1980s. If there were ever a time for Americans to save money in Europe, it’s now. And it’s not just Americans who are taking advantage of ‘currency arbitrage.’ Savvy travelers around the world are choosing where to travel based on the most advantageous exchange rate. For example, the Japanese yen hasn’t been this weak against the U.S. dollar since 1990, thereby making a trip to Japan more affordable right now in relative terms.

 

• Luxury Travel – Among all the new travel trends, luxury travel may be the biggest to emerge from the pandemic. Millions of people were diligent in saving their increased disposable income, or started new businesses and careers, and now have the financial means for a more bespoke, upscale, inclusive, or other luxury experience. This may include flying private, staying at an all-inclusive resort, going on an exotic safari, ski trip or cruise, or simply staying in more upscale hotels and eating at nicer restaurants.

 

• Wedding Travel – About one in four Americans traveled in 2022 for a wedding-related event. 2023 will be no different. After two years of waiting to tie the knot, there will be unprecedented demand for wedding event space and hotel blocks next year. Given the waitlist for venue space, many couples are choosing destination weddings, such as the Caribbean or Hawaii, or in their family’s country of origin.

 

• Revenge Travel – Despite inflation, after two years of limited travel due to pandemic restrictions, millions are eager to make up for lost time. The industry is calling this trend ‘revenge travel.” But what does that really mean? It means that millions of people are telling their spouse or partner: “Honey, let’s finally go to Paris! It’s now or never. We deserve to go big. We’ve earned it.” That’s the typical travelers’ mindset right now. They just want to see the world because life is short. Travel “FOMO” is real.

 

• Digital Nomads – These are remote workers whose employers allow them to work from wherever they want. Millions of digital nomads are now taking advantage of this newfound freedom from the office cubicle. These are people who might visit five cities or five countries over several weeks or months, and work from coffee shops and extended stay hotels and AirBnBs. This trend has created a brand new category of traveler: the digital nomad. And they are here to stay. Hotels are already spending millions to market directly to digital nomads with extended stay incentives.

 

• Bleisure Travel - This is a combination of business & leisure travel where a typical employee is on a business trip from Monday – Thursday, and then extends their trip for a mini-vacation, oftentimes with their spouse or family in tow. Given that corporate travel is still recovering, customers should take advantage of the ‘Saturday Night Stayover’ deal where many airlines and hotels will offer discounts if you extend through the weekend.

 

• Sustainable Travel - Travelers are becoming more environmentally conscious about the carbon footprint of their travels and the positive or negative impact their travels may have on the planet. Travelers are searching more for ‘Eco-friendly’ hotels and transportation options, as well as “environmental impact” or ‘sustainable travel’ trips where part of the experience includes local philanthropic events like growing a community garden, or cleaning up a beach – almost like a mini week-long “Peace Corps” of sorts.

 

• Multi-Generational Travel – Traveling with three or even four generations of family members is becoming more popular as people realize that Grandma and Grandpa won’t be around forever. We’re seeing an increase in trips with multi-generational families all traveling together. This could be a large family reunion, or just inviting grandparents to join the family on a weekend road trip.

 

• Heritage Travel – With the increased popularity of sites like 23 & Me and Ancestry.com, people are rediscovering family roots and tracing their lineage all the way back to their ancestors’ country of origin. This has led to an increase in heritage travel, where families are traveling all over the world to visit the hometown of their great-great-great grandparents.

 

• Cannabis Tourism – With dozens of U.S. states now offering various forms of legal marijuana, this has created a whole new market of travelers who are visiting states where cannabis is much easier to obtain legally than wherever they reside. This is no longer just trips to ‘hash bars’ in Amsterdam. There are now hotels in Denver specifically marketing to “420 friendly” travelers, and not just on April 20^th, but year-round.

 

The B2B deal includes an agreement to share hotel room inventory to broaden HotelPlanner’s global reach

  HotelPlanner, a global travel technology platform and hotel booking engine, today announced a new service agreement with Roibos, one of the fastest-growing B2B hotel inventory marketplaces globally. HotelPlanner will deploy Roibos distribution channels to expand its hotel room offerings globally while improving real-time inventory efficiency.   “In today’s complex and fragmented hospitality market, we are always looking to improve efficiency and connectivity in the global marketplace of selling hotel room nights,” says Bas Lemmens, EMEA President, HotelPlanner. “Parnering with Roibos will help us to offer the best inventory at the best rates – at the speed of now. We look forward to expanding this partnership in the coming years.”   “The direct connection between HotelPlanner and Roibos will help Hotelplanner accelerate the go-to-market on direct contracting, as Roibos is the most cost-efficient way to grow direct hotel contracts.” says Anna Igual, Chief Distribution Officer, Roibos. “Accompanying HotelPlanner on its worldwide expansion is the perfect way to expand our reach. It’s a win-win! We look forward to being an integral part of their growth strategy moving forward.”

Global travel technology platform HotelPlanner announced a long-term service agreement with Amadeus. HotelPlanner will use Amadeus Web Services to integrate hotel content via the Amadeus Travel Platform. Tim Hentschel, CEO, HotelPlanner, said, “As a top hotel booking platform, it is critically important that we provide our customers access to the most accurate and timely hotel room inventory.” “Our new relationship with Amadeus gives us the opportunity to deliver advanced functionality.” Amadeus Web Services enables HotelPlanner to enhance its current offerings and deliver new solutions. HotelPlanner has agreements with some of the largest online travel agencies and affiliate partners. Amadeus also announced new distribution agreements with Fareportal and commerce platform Simplenight.

HotelPlanner, the world's largest group booking site, along with legendary professional tennis player John Isner, are today announcing their “Race to The World Record” partnership and campaign. The campaign will reward fans with free hotel credits throughout John Isner's race to break the record for most aces of all time. John Isner is on his way to surpassing the record of having the most aces of all time, subsequently making him the greatest server of all time. He has surpassed 12,617 aces, with the current record being 13,687. Greatness follows its own timeline, but with Isner averaging over 1,000 aces each year, he could very well hit that milestone as soon as the 2021 season. To build up the anticipation and help celebrate when he first breaks the record, HotelPlanner is pledging what will amount to $100,000 in free hotel rooms with an additional $10,000 awarded to one lucky fan at the time John Isner becomes the world record holder. HotelPlanner CEO Tim Hentschel spoke about the campaign saying, "We at HotelPlanner love to celebrate and reward passion and greatness. As we've seen this past year, despite all of the global challenges and crises we've faced, sports have brought everyone together and has given everyone newfound hope. For that reason, we are pledging to match each history-making ace that John Isner serves on his way to breaking the all-time record with a $100 hotel voucher to be given to fans. In addition, when John Isner makes that record-breaking serve where he becomes the all-time leader in aces, we will be rewarding one lucky fan with a year's worth of hotel bookings (up to $10,000 in value) free!" In reaction to this news, John Isner said, "I am extremely honored and grateful to Tim and HotelPlanner for launching this amazing campaign as I work to break the record for most aces of all time. As an athlete, we thrive off of the energy that our fans bring and we have been longing for the days that stadiums and arenas can be filled once again with that passion. I'll be working extra hard to get those aces, knowing that our loyal fans will be rewarded for it. They deserve it, and I can't wait to get back to playing."