Content specific to meeting planners and PCOs
19/10/2009 4:35:49 PM
melanietk
Posts: 55
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When flight prices are compared to each other at the time of the booking, sure the difference and privileges is evident and expected, but when a flight to Melbourne costs me $99 one month, and the following month is $250 for the same fare type, it makes you wonder (and frustrated!). Also, the flight/hotel room comparison is (most times) flipped - quite often the longer lead time in booking hotels (especially in a block) results in a usually higher price than a block booked closer to the event, whereas flights are the opposite - if you leave it to the last minute you expect to pay more.
Having received what we considered a very good group rate at a 5 star Sydney hotel this year (we book only for our core group of international guests now, not 'locals' who find their own deals) I was flabbergasted when I approached them not long after our departure to look at a reservation for next year, and the price had nearly doubled. The reason for the hike, which they said quite plainly, being that the only reason we were given such a good discount (good, not great, mind you, and only put us on par with their sale rates during the time of our stay) was because the 2009 booking had been made with a short lead time (about 2 months) and they wanted to fill the rooms.
I was completely turned off! Here we are, trying to show our appreciation for their service and establishment and give them plenty of lead time for next year, and yet they openly stated the only way to get comparative rates was to wait and book closer to the date of our event - which is exactly what people do on 'hotel sale' sites.
Susan - as for cost = guarantee, I do agree with you, but I don't approve of circumstances where that value is used to take advantage of organisers - when you're paying for the 'privilege' not the product.
I wonder if the 'fare type' style of charging for rooms would work. Meaning, I wonder how you would give one reservation type more value over another (other than 'cancellation/alteration fees' etc). Room service? Facilities access? Awards structure? Interesting thought...
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16/10/2009 4:20:44 PM
susan
Posts: 1
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Securing a room rate at a hotel, is no different to securing a airline seat. The rates fluctuate depending on occupancies and/or seat availability - yield management.
If a delegate wants their room/seat GUARANTEED for a certain date, they should expect to pay a premium.
Perhaps the release dates of 30,60,90 days needs to be more inline with the wotif/quick beds rate release dates.
Another thought ... imagine if everyone on a flight compared their rates ... there would be an uproar but no one ever does, as it is acceptable to have fully flexible fares, economy fares, super saver/non refundable non flexible fares.
Hotels should consider this option ....
edited by susan on 16/10/2009
edited by susan on 16/10/2009
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16/10/2009 3:15:56 PM
Phil Holmes
Posts: 1
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Have to agree with JShaw completely. Options are to not include accommodation as part of the delegate registration process and leave the delegate to do their own, as they now largely do with travel online - perhpas that is the logical outcome of the online system. Or negotiate with the hotels to provide online links to their booking systems direct - we would need to be able to glean some income from this though, and each hotel chain has a different system (if they have one), so it is not that straight forward. Any suggestions?
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9/10/2009 1:57:18 PM
JShaw
Posts: 2
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bfoster wrote:
Some conference organisers are becoming increasingly frustrated at securing conference rates for delegates and then having the rates undercut by hotels via online booking systems. Is there a solution?
I think part of the problem is that delegates seem to be registering later and later for events. This doesn't help when many accommodation venues insist on block releases between 30 and 120 days out. By that stage, often only half our delegates have registered for the event. Once we release the blocks, the hotel advertises the rooms at whatever rate it feels it will get. It is very frustrating when delegates complain to use that they could have booked a room cheaper online than they did with us. I don't know what the solution is, however we are trying a few different things with our venues to see if we can come up with a way around this. Oh, and yes we have tried increasing the late registration fee exponentially - it doesn't seem to work, even in the current economic climate!
edited by JShaw on 9/10/2009
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8/10/2009 9:30:10 AM
bfoster
Administrator
Posts: 56
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Some conference organisers are becoming increasingly frustrated at securing conference rates for delegates and then having the rates undercut by hotels via online booking systems. Is there a solution?
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