reservations
Pick Up Your Calls to Pick Up More Bookings!
Doug Kennedy | July 23, 2024
The more important the trip, the more likely they are to pick up the phone. Despite the pundits’ predictions, the phones continue to ring with incoming reservations leads even now in the mid-2020s, and yes, even at branded hotels across all segments. I’m sure some readers are thinking “Well not us. The majority of our rooms are booked online.” Yet if you listen to real phone calls from real callers, as KTN’s QA team does daily through our remote call scoring process, you realize that many people call with questions before booking online, whether at an OTA or the hotel’s direct website. Other guests book first and then call wit...
Clairvoyix Announces a World-Class Email Reservation Confirmation System for Oracle Hospitality’s OPERA Cloud PMS.
Clairvoyix | June 26, 2024
The latest OPERA Cloud/OHIP enabled solution from Clairvoyix allows properties to send worldclass reservation confirmations/modifications/cancelations emails directly from OPERA Cloud. LAS VEGAS, NV (June 26, 2024) – Continuing their strategic objective of leveraging the Oracle Hospitality Integration Platform (OHIP), Clairvoyix has added to their growing portfolio of OPERA Cloud enabled revenue driving solutions with a leisure email reservation confirmation system that complements their previously released OPERA Cloud Block Room Confirmation system. The Clairvoyix email reservation confirmation system allows hotel and resor...
What It Really Takes To Book More Groups, Meetings, and Events These Days
Doug Kennedy | May 14, 2024
By Doug Kennedy Today’s hotel and event salespeople work in completely different environments than most of their leaders experienced. Meeting and event booking sites have created a flood of leads, which can be overwhelming for those working in a sales role equipped and staffed for the era when leads came in by phone or website inquiry forms. When revenues drop, salespeople are required to meet prospecting quotas, based on a set number of calls, sent emails, DMs, or door knocks. Yet calls go to voicemail, emails go to spam, random DMs go unread, and the office doors being knocked on are either locked, or if open, there’s no one at th...
12 Easy Ways to Secure More Direct Voice Reservations
Doug Kennedy | June 14, 2023
By Doug Kennedy Despite the predictions of its demise, the voice reservations channel is alive and well for all sectors of the lodging industry. For decades now, pundits have predicted the death of voice as a booking channel. First, it was the emergence of OTA’s, then the birth of the smartphone, then the emergence of the concept of imaginary “generations” based on birth year, which supposedly have homogenous attitudes about technology vs. people. And yet the phones still ring. Surely, the number of voice bookings has decreased significantly over the years as online options grow, but smart leaders recognize that direct bookings ar...
Doug Kennedy Announces Next Topic in His Webcast Training Series: Five Reservations Sales Questions Your Team Should Be Asking Today’s Pre-Infor
Doug Kennedy | April 4, 2023
Complimentary Registration Sponsored By Travel Outlook, Better Talent, and Track Hospitality Software Kennedy Training Network Inc. (KTN) announced today that the topic for his next training webcast is: Five Reservations Sales Questions Your Team Should Be Asking Today’s Pre-Informed Callers, scheduled for April 17 from Noon – 12:40 pm. REGISTER HERE According to Doug, “These days, most reservations inquiries are often disguised as ‘I just have a quick question about…’ Rather than just answering simple questions, and thus sending callers back online to book – possibly at an OTA – these questions help your team engage ca...
J Collection Partners With Cloudbeds to Power Portfolio of Boutique Historic Properties
Cloudbeds | March 8, 2023
The boutique hotel operator will utilize the Cloudbeds Platform to streamline operations and enhance guest experience across its collection (SAN DIEGO) March 8, 2023 — Cloudbeds, the hospitality management platform powering more reservations and happier guests for lodging businesses around the globe, today announced a partnership with J Collection Hotels, a boutique hotel operator with 17 unique, locally owned and operated hotels with more than 2,050 rooms in New Orleans and Southeast Region. J Collection, known for its distinct historic properties and signature Southern hospitality, selected the Cloudbeds platform to streamline their...
Cloudbeds Wins Six 2023 HotelTechAwards, Solidifying Position as an Industry Leader
Cloudbeds | January 11, 2023
(SAN DIEGO) January 11, 2023 — Cloudbeds has been recognized for the fifth consecutive year as one of the industry’s top technology providers by Hotel Tech Report, solidifying its position as a leading hospitality platform powering more reservations and happier guests for lodging businesses worldwide. The 2023 HotelTechAwards honors Cloudbeds with six total awards: Best Property Management System, Best Hotel Management Software, Best Guest Messaging Software, Channel Manager Finalist, Top 10 People’s Choice, and Overall 10 Best Places to Work. “We’re excited to be named a product leader again by Hotel Tech Report for the fift...
What Will It Take to Succeed in Hotel Sales in 2023?
Doug Kennedy | January 11, 2023
By Doug Kennedy The skills required to succeed in hotel group, event, and BT sales are going to be hugely different here in 2023, but the disruptions that have caused these changes began much earlier. Traditionally, succeeding in hotel sales was more about personality than process. Target rates were locked in well ahead of time and fees were few, so negotiations were much simpler. A focus on filling the house made it easy to get concessions approved, but since most planners and BT buyers were novices, they weren’t asking for that much anyway. Closure rates on inbound leads were much higher because initiating an inquiry required more e...
