Much has changed in hospitality over the past two years. Amid the pandemic, hotels capitalized on the direct booking trend, but coming out of the crisis, what will distribution look like?
According to NH Hotel Group chief commercial officer Fernando Vives, speaking during a panel at Phocuswright Europe last week, he believes the industry is going into a concentration of distribution. For his hotel group specifically, “bedbanks play a major role in how we are distributing our hotels.”
Regarding rates and price, Giovanna Manzi, CEO of BWH Hotel Group Italia, says rates should be more flexible and certain features should be added while others are taken out. “It’s important to create a customized rate for each need,” she says.
“It should be a flexible rate offer, not a flexible product offer. Rates are becoming something we have to treat as a product itself.”
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Flexibility is also key to managing the labor shortage, Manzi continues. For younger generations, “they do not care about a job that’s not flexible. People are demanding much more.”
The panel also discusses the role technology plays in addressing the labor shortage as well as services as hotels start anew from the crisis.
The full session, featuring Vives and Manzi as well as Brenda Collin, executive vice president, Europe, Preferred Hotels & Resorts, and moderator Giancarlo Carniani, general manager, ToFlorence Hotels and market analyst, Italy, Phocuswright, is available below.
Executive Roundtable: Hospitality's Fresh Start - Phocuswright Europe 2022