HOTEL NEWS YOU CAN USE
Stuba drops lower-grade hotels in move upmarket
Benjamin Coren
benjamin.coren@
travelweekly.co.uk
Accommodation wholesaler Stuba has removed all one and two-star properties from its system over the past five months and made 15 direct connections with major hotel brands.
The additional connections
equate to about 94,000 properties on the bed bank, which was formed in April 2018 after a merger of B2B accommodation-only specialists Getabed and RoomsXML. In the UK, 150 travel companies
have made reservations on Getabed. Matt Stuart, chief commercial officer at Stuba, said this accounted for less than 10% of Stuba’s overall business, adding that about 90% of business had migrated to Stuba. He added: “We are looking to disconnect the Getabed site in the next month.” Stuart said Stuba had shifted
strategy to focus on mid and high-end accommodation. “We have removed anything
below three-star,” he said. “We understand we will lose
some sales from two-star and below product , but we are
STUBA: Matt Stuart says it wants to focus on ‘the higher end of market’
“We understand we will lose some sales but it’s about us becoming well-known for quality product”
prepared to lose that business as we want to focus on the higher end of the market. It’s about us becoming well-known as providing a quality product.” Globally, Stuba has retained
around 90 two-star properties on its platform that are in high demand or in destinations where rooms may be
the equivalent of a three-star elsewhere.
Stuba said it had received positive
feedback, with agents noting the ease of searching for products. In 2018, three-star properties
represented 18% of Stuba’s sales, four-star 50% and five-star 30%. Stuart said: “Just 1% of Stuba sales in this period were for the two-star hotels that had not been disconnected by then.” Stuba’s 15 direct connections –
links into hotel operators’ booking systems – include brands such as Marriott, Shangri-La, Kempinski, Rotana, JA Hotels, Dusit and
BestWestern.
stuba.com
CENTARA: The Thai hotel group plans to add 66 hotels by 2022
Centara unveils Cosi expansion plans and new luxury brands
Centara Hotels & Resorts is to expand its “affordable lifestyle” brand Cosi and unveil two luxury brands in 2020. In Thailand, Cosi Pattaya
Naklua Beach will open in September, followed by Cosi Chiang Mai Ta Pae Gat. “Of the 66 new hotels planned
by Centara, more than 30 will be under the Cosi brand,” said deputy chief executive Markland Blaiklock. “We are also planning on
moving into the luxury segment,” he said. “We intend to launch two luxury brands, one that is more classic and one that is more contemporary lifestyle luxury.” Currently, Centara’s highest-
level brand is Centara Grand, with some of its properties likely to be renovated to the new luxury brands in 2020 and 2021. Centara has 68 hotels and resorts worldwide, and plans to double its
collection to 134 by 2022.
centarahotelsresorts.com
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