Hotels Flock to Free Internet Bookings

Hospitality Net - Industry News - Hotels Flock to Free Internet Bookings: "When hoteliers in Virginia Beach, Virginia were offered free internet bookings via the Convention and Visitors Bureau's website, www.VBFun.com, they signed up for the service in unprecedented numbers.

The CVB made the exceptional offer after it licensed Trav-Elements' online reservation and dynamic packaging technology on behalf of its hospitality constituents and website visitors. The idea to take control of the resort's e-commerce was generated by the Virginia Beach Hotel and Motel Association.

Over sixty hotels and six major attractions are selling together via the Virginia Beach website. Trav-Elements unique architecture enables each property and activity to control its own rates and its own service and fulfillment. Because there are no mark-ups or commissions and package rates are opaque, hotels can manage rates to comply with brand and other distribution agreements. Willcox says the profit potential of free bookings had GMs overriding the reluctance of revenue managers" to take on another distribution channel.

The CVB did not have to mount a central reservation operation because Trav-Elements technology automates the process with no middleman and minimal oversight from the CVB. The Virginia Beach program is online only with no call center sales because "the high cost of call center infrastructure is often not worth the additional revenue," according to Willcox.

Trav-Elements" dynamic activity and lodging packaging has proved most valuable in shoulder and off-seasons when special activities and events drive visits to destinations such as Virginia Beach. The Beach program launched in January with a "build your own" whale watching and lodging package that was highly successful. The CVB was able to place media with an online call to action and track results instantly via Trav-Elements extranet. Virginia Beach has also used Trav-Elements for housing booking of citywide conventions via private linkage to the convention organizer"s website and email.

Trav-Elements technology currently powers destination style websites for more than thirty major attractions, destinations, and hotel management groups. The system is licensed for a fixed monthly fee scaled to the number of participating hotel and activity properties."