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🚿 In the complex hospitality industry, hotels need integrated data from property management systems (PMS), customer relationship management (CRM), and central reservation systems (CRS) for operational efficiency. Fragmentation and lack of a central data pool hinder comprehensive commercial strategy analysis. The h2c Hotel Direct Booking study highlights the need for better reporting from internet booking engines. AI's role is evolving, with its use in booking engines expected to double soon. Cendyn is creating analytics platforms with AI and machine learning to provide detailed insights and prescriptive actions for hoteliers. Hospitality marketing requires interconnected data to inform decisions, target the right audience, and improve profitability in a competitive, cost-intensive environment.

💰 Guest segmentation boosts hotel revenue by 10-15% and profits by 10% over 5 years, compared to non-segmented strategies. Hotels typically use 3.5 segmentation criteria, and CRM systems are instrumental in personalizing guest experiences. For successful segmentation, hotels should enrich guest data, start with basic segments, utilize CRM filters, gain insights, create specific content, and measure impact to refine strategies. Using tools like Bookboost’s CRM can automate personalized guest journeys. Implementing segmentation from pre-booking to post-stay enhances satisfaction, loyalty, and revenue. 🏨

🏦 At the Hunter Hotel Investment Conference, predictions for 2025 include possible growth or reckoning for hotel investments. Blackstone and Brookfield, with a combined $2 trillion in assets under management (AUM), are selling more than buying, with Blackstone offloading $2 billion in assets last year including the Motel 6 chain to India's Oyo and considering selling Spain-based Hotel Investment Partners. Brookfield sold high-profile properties like The Diplomat Beach Resort and Conrad Seoul. Blackstone's recent purchases focused on Japan and Greece, buying three hotels in Japan and the Grand Hyatt Athens in December 2024. Interest rate expectations affected Blackstone, with only three cuts compared to the seven they anticipated. Brookfield looked at $6 billion in assets last year, acquiring $800 million, with an aim to be a net buyer in 2025. Noble Investment Group plans to sell $1 billion and buy $2 billion in assets despite a "wonky" investment environment. Hilton CFO Kevin Jacobs discussed efforts to drive cost savings to owners and franchisees and highlighted Hilton's technology revamp with its Property Engagement Platform and connected room interfaces. Labor efficiency remains a focus, with AI's role in reducing costs and improving operations being explored, while consumer confidence issues loom over the industry.

🏨 Atomize RMS users report up to 35% higher RevPAR, 37% higher ADR, and 20+ hours saved per month per revenue manager. Hotels adopting the five revenue-building strategies see on average a 290% ROI over three years, 31% decrease in manual errors, 24% increase in front desk efficiency, and 3% ADR growth. These strategies focus on optimization, diversification, collection, enhancement, and protection to boost profitability and create seamless guest experiences.

💧 World Water Day is observed on March 22, reminding the hospitality and wellness industries of water conservation responsibilities. Hotels, resorts, fitness centers, and pools face challenges with water management due to rising costs and stricter regulations. Many are investing in smart water monitoring, leak detection, and greywater recycling to reduce water use and comply with laws. VivoAquatics has helped businesses cut water usage by up to 25%, with one operator seeing a 30% reduction in water usage and an 80% decrease in water-related complaints. Businesses are encouraged to perform water audits, install water-efficient fixtures, and use leak detection technology to improve sustainability and gain a competitive edge.

🏨 Covivio, with 60% variable components in their portfolio, down from 100%, reflects a shift in the hospitality sector's lease agreements, which have become more complex and sophisticated over time. Union Investment's lease agreements evolved from simple 10-15 page documents to more regulated ones, while Radisson, with 20-30% of their business in leases, emphasizes a close partnership and hybrid leases. Marriott International favors franchises, avoiding new leases, and the hospitality sector saw hotels account for 16% of Europe’s transaction volume last year, marking an all-time high. The Hospitality Operator Forum is set for June 12.

🏨 Over 20 years, Franco Grasso’s team has assisted 2500+ properties in 30+ countries with hotel revenue management. Revenue management encompasses several factors like data, technology, and market segmentation to optimize hotel performance. Hotels employing strategic revenue management see benefits such as increased occupancy, profits, and harmonized operations. For instance, seasonal hotels can maximize revenue by extending operational periods and optimizing rates. An "ideal hotel" for revenue management, as described by Grasso, would be a 4-star property, well-located, and catering to both leisure and business travelers, without traditional amenities like a mini-bar.

💰 Accor's loyalty program, ALL, surpassed 100 million members since 2019, with 11 million new members in 2024. It trails Marriott Bonvoy (228M), Hilton Honors (210M+), IHG One Rewards (145M), and Wyndham Rewards (114M). ALL members spend 2x more than non-members, contributing to 33% of bookings. Accor plans to introduce 15 new partnerships in 2025 and continues to weave sustainability into its rewards, challenging giants like Marriott despite a smaller hotel footprint of over 5,600 properties.