In the news: It’s about partnership this week as AccorHotels teams up with Brazil Hospitality Group, TrustYou with multiple global companies, Adelaide Airport with Amadeus, and Sabre with Hertz
HOTELS: ACCORHOTELS STRENGTHENS FOOTHOLD IN BRAZIL WITH BHG DEAL
Brazil, a land of major opportunities: Sebastien Bazin (Image credit: AccorHotels)
AccorHotels is set to take over management of 26 hotels in Brazil in an agreement with Brazil Hospitality Group (BHG), its shareholders and funds managed by GP Investments and GTIS Partners.
The hotel group will acquire the management portfolio for a consideration of 200 million Brazilian real (60 million euro). The transaction is expected to close in Q4 this year, and is subject to the approval of the Brazilian anti-trust authority.
AccorHotels said the deal, which will add 4,400 rooms to the group’s inventory, would complement its existing network in Brazil.
The hotels include economy, midscale and upper upscale hotels in major cities like Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. They will undergo major renovation and will progressively be reflagged until end 2019 under AccorHotels brands as part of the long-term management agreements. These include ibis, ibis Styles, ibis Budget, Mercure, Novotel, Mama Shelter, MGallery and Pullman.
Sebastien Bazin, chairman & CEO of AccorHotels, describes Brazil as a land of major opportunities.
“This transaction is a new milestone in the history of AccorHotels in this country, where we have been a firm leader for decades. It will bring new landmark hotels as well as an increased brand awareness across all segments,” he said.
“It also anchors a strong and long-term relationship with BHG, one of the largest owners of hotel real estate in Brazil, which will bring incremental growth opportunities going forward.”
Alexandre Solleiro, CEO of BHG, said of the deal: “Because 100% of the capital generated from this transaction will be reinvested in our owned hotels, we will be able to accelerate the repositioning and performance of BHG as a leading owner of hotels in Brazil.
“At the same time we will also be able to better focus our resources and management teams in the development of our business of managing third party hotels through our owned and licensed brands.”
HOTEL TECHNOLOGY: NEW GLOBAL PARTNERS FOR TRUSTYOU
One of the Romantik hotels using TrustYou technology (Image credit:Romantik Hotels & Restaurants)
Guest feedback platform, TrustYou, has solidified its international footprint with new partnerships across the globe.
According to TrustYou, each new partner will incorporate various features of the platform to improve their products and services through collecting, assessing and responding to guest feedback.
The partners:
• AccorHotels: Extended partnership with TrustYou that sees its 113 properties now utilising AccorHotels’ ‘Voice of the Guest’ platform powered by TrustYou. The hotels can analyse all customer feedback that is shared by travellers across the web and send out customised post-stay surveys.
• Romantik Hotels & Restaurants: The Germany-based group with 200 properties in nine countries across Europe is using TrustYou to increase and influence its online reputation by evaluating and soliciting post-stay feedback.
Its CEO Thomas Edelkamp said the fully automated surveys help in gathering first-hand information from the guests. “We use the computed scores and sentiments to measure our performance and to analyse our strengths and shortcomings to improve operations for all properties.”
• PHM Hospitality: Indonesia’s hotel chain operating The Haven, The 1O1, The BnB, FRii and PHM Collection utilises TrustYou platform to ensure maximum control of their online reputation and visibility. The partnership also includes the integration of TrustYou’s Meta-Review into the hotel websites to enhance user and booking experience and to increase direct bookings.
• the b hotels: The Japan-based group, which currently operates 13 hotels more than 3,000 guestrooms, chooses TrustYou technology to facilitate the management of all guest opinion’s across the various brands.
• Galaxy Entertainment Group: It uses TrustYou feedback platform, including analytics and survey features, for StarWorld Hotel on the Macau peninsula, as well as Galaxy Macau integrated resort and Broadway Macau in the Cotai area.
These new partnerships are heralding a promising year 2017 for TrustYou and we are excited to work with great hotels and brands across the globe,” said Benjamin Jost, CEO at TrustYou.
GROUND TRANSPORTATION: HERTZ AND SABRE EXPAND AGREEMENT
Hertz’s car inventory on Sabre e-commerce platform (Image credit: edwardolive/iStock)
Sabre has expanded its agreement to make The Hertz Corporation’s full inventory of car rental rates, including those listed on Hertz.com and its mobile app, available to more than 425,000 travel agents, hundreds of corporations and OTAs websites by Sabre’s APIs.
Sabre said that with the renewed agreement The Hertz Corporation is “now positioned to market and offer its global car rental inventory through the Sabre travel marketplace, including popular prepay options previously available only on Hertz.com“.
The collaboration will benefit Sabre-connected travel agents with a global network of car rental pickup locations, and additional payment options to shop and book one of the world’s largest vehicle fleets.
Business travellers and online shoppers will also see immediate benefits, as corporate booking tools and OTA websites using Sabre technology will now display the full range of Hertz car rental inventory worldwide along with all available pricing options.
Prior to this first-of-its-kind agreement, the only way to shop all available vehicles and prices would be to monitor multiple channels at once.
“Sabre and Hertz have reached a landmark agreement that will maximise retailing opportunities through a mix of digital channels,” said Traci Mercer, SVP of hotel, car, cruise and rail in Sabre Travel Network.
The Hertz Corporation chose Sabre as the first GDS provider to distribute its worldwide rental vehicle inventory – including Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty and Firefly brands.
TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY: ADELAIDE AIRPORT ON A CLOUD WITH AMADEUS
Adelaide Airport, first in Australiasia to use cloud technology (Image credit: Amadeus)
Adelaide Airport has partnered with Amadeus to become the first airport in Australiasia to roll out a cloud-based airport management system.
The system is part of the airport’s plan to scale its operations and meet its growth plans.
Adelaide Airport will replace its key operational IT systems with automated and scalable systems provided by Amadeus.
The cloud-based technology will streamline the airport’s management of aircraft parking, boarding gates, check-in desks, customer information and other mission critical airport terminal services.
The agreement will see the implementation of three Amadeus Airport Solutions at the airport – Airport Operational Database, Airport Fixed Resource Management Solution and Flight Information Display System.
“With our new terminal hotel about to start construction, the plans for the expansion of the terminal well advanced and new check-in kiosks and automated baggage systems being deployed, we need the right airport technology partner that can support our growth,” said David Blackwell, Adelaide Airport executive general manager customer service.
“Amadeus’ suite of airport management solutions guarantee the necessary optimisation capabilities for Adelaide Airport to not only manage operations from day one in our existing terminal, but also to continually enhance and evolve operations in line with our needs and growth plans,” he added.
• Featured image credit (Brazil): AccorHotels