DO YOU THINK THAT
REVENUE MANAGERS ARE
DOING ENOUGH TO FOCUS
ON REPEAT GUESTS SINCE
THEY PLAY A BIG ROLE IN
PROFIT OPTIMIZATION?
PLEASE SHARE YOUR OWN
EXPERIENCES.
You’ve heard it time and time again.
It’s cheaper to get current customers
to make a repeat purchase than it is
to find new customers. It’s true!!!!!!
The heat is always on RM’s to
increase profitability from acquiring
new customers TO driving repeat
business and loyalty, making the right
operational decisions and running a
hotel with optimal efficiency is an
ongoing challenge for all revenue
managers in today’s time. We at
Alila rely on customers having a
great experience with our product/
service or with our employees. The
best way to build loyalty is by saving
our customers money and showing
appreciation for them (and generating
sales at the same time) through
exclusive promotions. We are also
hosting July Month with an Exclusive
Welcome Back Offer with discounted
prices and welcome back gifts.
HOW HAVE CHANGING
CONSUMER BOOKING
HABITS, THE EMERGENCE OF
OTAS AND THE EVOLUTION
OF PURCHASING CHOICES
OBFUSCATED REVENUE
MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES?
There is a constant shift in the
consumer booking habits due to
technology modifications and
changing consumer behaviour. The
internet has certainly influenced the
consumers’ interest and choice. OTAs
play an essential role as a reservation
source but they come a distant
second to direct bookings for the
hotel that takes profit maximization
seriously. To persuade guests to book
directly on the hotel website, the
benefit must be clearly presented to
the would-be guest.
DO YOU THINK THAT IN A BID
TO GET OTA RESERVATIONS
DOWN, HOTELS OFTEN END
UP DISCOUNTING THEIR
LOYAL CUSTOMERS TO A
GREAT EXTENT, WHO COULD
PAY MORE? HOW CAN THIS
ISSUE BE CHECKED, SO THAT
THE OPERATOR, OWNER AND
GUEST ALL BENEFIT?
Firstly, I would like to mention that
we don’t take the OTAs as revenue
spoilers or competitors. They are
partners and play a key role for us.
Having said that, we do encourage
more traffic for booking on our
website.
With respect to the price that we
offer to our guests on our website,
I would like to mention that all our
propositions are customized and
optimized. We do maintain a certain
price segment which is symbiotically
beneficial for all stakeholders.
Furthermore, for our repeat guests,
we ensure that we continue to provide
newer experiences for them to find
the optimum value for their spends.
We are an experiential brand and
our focus is to enhance propositions
rather than cutting costs.
HOW CAN REVENUE
MANAGERS PLAY A KEY ROLE
IN OFFERING PERSONALIZED
INFORMATION TO
INDIVIDUAL GUESTS, SO THAT
THERE IS AN ELEMENT OF
SPECIALISED PRICING AND
CUSTOMER RECOGNITION?
At Alila Fort Bishangarh, we maintain
an extensive database with an array
of data metrics. The efficient use of
customer analysis and insights provide
us key takeaways that in turn drive
wise business decisions.
HOW DO YOU USE
TECHNOLOGY FOR PRICING,
FORECASTING, AND
OPTIMIZATION STRATEGIES
AND GAIN BETTER
CONTROL OVER BUSINESS
PERFORMANCE?
Revenue Managers need new ways to
differentiate themselves in the eye of
the customer to provide world-class
service, while still driving profitability
across every segment and business
unit. Revenue management systems
do an excellent job of demand
forecasting and price setting, but
their focus to date has been limited
to room rate optimization alone. A
new way of thinking is to consider
revenue streams and pricing
decisions. The four ingredients of
the recipe to maximize revenue are
Segmentation, Forecasting, Pricing,
Distribution. For this, some great
RM softwares I have experienced
are LodgeIQ, EzRMS, IDeaS,
Siteminder, Rategain, Travelclick ,
OTA Insight etc.
WHILE ROOMS REMAIN THE
TRADITIONAL REVENUE
SOURCE FOR HOTELS, WHAT
ARE THE OTHER WAYS THAT
THEY CAN LEVERAGE TO ADD
INCREMENTAL REVENUE?
Total revenue management always
considers everything from spa to
food and beverage which could be
a boon for hoteliers. Expanding
revenue management beyond guest
rooms into other organizational
areas requires having a robust
revenue culture in place, Innovation
is key, and we constantly adapting
to changing trends, I think it’s
very important in the future to be
educated in all fields. Hotels and
resorts have been implementing
various forms of Yield Management
A sophisticated revenue management
regimen include both science and
instinct, REMEMBER it is always
both tactical and strategic, being
a Leisure property, our main Non-
room revenue focus is on Food &
Beverage and Spa. We also have
some leisure concierge activities at
the fort to gain revenue.
ILHA 113