H&A 3-4 31/3/09 11:03 Page 39
ttglive.com
hotels & accommodation knowledge
portal features newsletters, booking
competitions and invitations to roadshows.
Trade websites
Other groups have also recently established
trade websites, including Preferred Hotel
Group and Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
The latter’s new site features commission
policies and hotlines where agents can speak
to a Small Luxury Hotels representative
about reservations or special requests.
Preferred Hotel Group’s site offers a
monthly e-newsletter and enables hotels to
contact agents via email. Wendie Stone, the
group’s UK director for global sales, encour-
ages hoteliers to offer special commission
deals and to use its electronic iPay system to
pay commissions in advance.
Aoife Kelly is group sales director at Eton
Collection, which is represented by Preferred
Hotel Group. She says: “We understand the
importance of paying commission on time.
Small Luxury Hotels of the World: (from left) L’ Hotel, Paris; The Victory Hotel, Stockholm; and The Torridon, in the Scottish Highlands Buying through Preferred Hotel Group
means it is all automated and you don’t
improved rates at 100+ properties. is easy, thanks to its network of 25 offices. worry about cheques or invoices.”
Win chief executive Neil Armorgie said Leading Hotels also boasts a centralised Kelly prefers dealing with “human” travel
there were “numerous” benefits for his commission payment system and helpdesk. agents, instead of online players, as they
members, including “the added value in “Agents benefit from both soft and hard know clients’ individual needs.
flexibility and pricing that independent values: access and introductions, product Preferred Hotel Group is expanding its
properties offer when accommodating spe- knowledge and functionality – a true sales team, which brings agents and hotels
cific requests requiring a fast turnaround”. ‘one-stop-shop’ for luxury travel,” explains together at roadshows so agents can learn
Ruth Grahame, supplier relations regional sales director Mathias Saleborn. more about the group’s 700 members.
manager at BCD Travel, adds: “The nature of After 15 years working with Leading Hotels,
Utell’s product – individual and independent Susanne Nielebock, account management at Agent training
properties – is a relevant match for many Grosvenor Travel Management, agrees: “It Training for agents is also vital for Hand
of our clients, coupled with the support of does what it says on the tin: a reliable Picked Hotels, which has just completed a
global marketing and distribution.” collection of five-star hotels that retains each programme of 17 fam trips and last year ran
Utell offers many services for agents, property’s individual style and architecture a booking incentive for agents to win a party.
including UtellAgent.com, a call centre and through independent ownership. Head of sales Martin Terry also hopes to
prepayment programme Paytell. It segments “Agents can be sure that any potential repeat the current incentive – the Hand
hotels through the Utell Collections to problem will be handled swiftly and Picked Credit Crunch – which offers
help agents match specific types to clients: efficiently by Leading Hotels’ reps.” vouchers for booking events and meetings.
business, luxury, boutique, spa and golf. Worldhotels claims to be the largest Hand Picked, like the other collections, is
The Leading Hotels of the World features Europe-based global group for individual extremely keen to work with agents. Now is
more than 400 hotels but matching agents hotels and regional brands. the time for the trade to show its worth and
and clients to the right contact at a property It offers 10% commission and its agency take advantage of what is on offer.
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