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The hospitality industry is increasingly looking for innovative technology to adapt its inventory and distribution systems and – in colloquial terms – sweat its assets. Several initiatives are gathering momentum at the moment. For instance, Suiteness.com, which is selling hotel suites online to an untapped market, families and groups; start-up Bizly.com, an online booking platform that enables hotels and restaurants to fill small meetings rooms; and AccorHotels, which has just launched its AccorLocal app to leverage its services and spaces. Viceroy Hotel Group is the latest luxury operator to sign up to the Suiteness platform, which showcases one-bedroom and multi-bedroom suites that are often overlooked in the traditional marketing mix of accommodation types. It also helps hotels to compete withAirbnb by tapping into the family and small group market. In a similar vein, Bizly says it’s the only platform that allows large companies to book small meetings by marketing underused spaces in hotels and restaurants. The SaaS company is currently building out a registration marketplace that will then link bookings to the company’s existing event software to consolidate data. Meanwhile, AccorHotels has just launched its AccorLocal app, which aims to maximise profitability from underused services and spaces by tapping into demand in the local community. Customers can download the free app and order a particular service in just a few clicks. Hotels use partnerships with their suppliers and local merchants to give customers options ranging from ordering and collecting bouquets or bread, to dropping off laundry. Locals can also book into the hotel’s facilities, such as spas, swimming pools, fitness rooms, access to printers, co-working spaces and so on, without needing to be a resident. Read original article |
