EDITOR’S LETTER
CONTRIBUTORS
STEPHEN W. AYERS
Stephen is a British and
Canadian author and former
hotel manager. He is the CEO
of Stay Ahead Hospitality,
a company that helps
independent hoteliers in
Europe and North America
to attain high standards and
increase profit
Battle of the
tech giants
It is a favourite pastime in the hotel industry to
lament the often extortionate fees and commission
levied by the OTAs on hoteliers, but most concede
that they are a necessary evil, improving occupancy
rates even if average room rates take a hit.
Technology moves so fast it is hard to know how or
DEBORAH HEATHER
Deborah is the director
of Quality in Tourism;
providers of independent
quality assessments and
gradings. Deborah manages
an extensive field force of
assessors who each grade
some 300 properties a year.
when the dynamics might shift, but Airbnb’s latest
announcement is worth digesting. The home-letting
platform has penned an open letter to boutique hotel and B&B owners
in an attempt to bring more of them onto its platform.
Announcing its plans to try and diversify away from the private
residence lettings that dominate its listings today, the letter, titled
‘Airbnb is for everyone: An open letter from Airbnb to boutique hotel and
B+B owners’, called for independent hoteliers to advertise, claiming it is
PETER HANCOCK
Peter has been the
chief executive of Pride
of Britain Hotels - a
collection of never more
than 50 luxury and
independent properties -
since 2000. He previously
managed hotels and
restaurants in Sussex and
Hampshire, having started
out as a waiter
a cheaper alternative to travel agents Expedia and Booking whose 30%
fees are “too high”.
Airbnb had commissioned independent research firm David Binder
Research to interview owners and managers of traditional B&Bs, inns
and boutique hotels to gauge the state of the market prior to the letter.
Some 49 hoteliers shared their insights with the research firm finding
that half of the respondents have used Airbnb in the last 12 months
to list properties, and 65% said that they would be more likely to use
Airbnb after learning that it charges a maximum fee of 5% to all hotels,
ANGIE PETKOVIC
Angie started as our
resident marketing advice
columnist and has now
built a substantial following
for her straight-talking
answers to the common
questions about executing
a professional marketing
strategy
inns and bed and breakfasts.
It also found that the majority of respondents said that Airbnb’s new
tools to list and manage rooms would make them more likely to use it.
I would welcome your comments and letters on what this may mean
for your business. Is it a compelling proposition or simply another OTA
to worry about? Would you shift entirely off the likes of Expedia and
Booking.com if consumer take-up was wide-reaching enough?
I hope you enjoy the issue.
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ON THE COVER
Cover sponsored
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‘‘
IT IS A FAVOURITE PASTIME IN THE
HOTEL INDUSTRY TO LAMENT THE OFTEN
EXTORTIONATE FEES AND COMMISSION
LEVIED BY THE OTAS ON HOTELIERS,
BUT MOST CONCEDE THAT THEY ARE A
NECESSARY EVIL...
April 2018