Independent properties such as boutique hotels are gaining favour with travellers, and GDSs are leveraging this trend
GDSs are fine-tuning their hotel content towards a one-stop solution for travel consultants, expanding their content to include boutique hotels and other non-chain options in response to consumer demand.
Martin Symes, chief marketing officer, Abacus International, said: “Boutique hotels are aligned with the move towards more experiential travel, with their design closely reflecting the character of the destination.
“Images online really favour these properties in being able to convey their brand promise direct to consumers ahead of booking, and many are punching well above their weight.
“We are seeing a climb in bookings with the independent boutique hotels, especially in the established and trending shorthaul resort destinations.”
Since 2013, the company has been enhancing Abacus RoomDeal – previously only offering chain hotels – providing access to over 350,000 non-duplicated hotels globally, of which almost two-thirds are independent.
Symes added: “Around four in 10 hotels in our system are hotel chain or chain-affiliated; the rest are independent. It is quite a switch from just a few years ago.”
Last month, Abacus went a step further to unveil Abacus ContentPlus at its conference in Abu Dhabi, allowing travel consultants to sell accommodation separately or as part of a package including LCCs, tours, activities, and car rentals.
Symes explained: “We anticipate the cross-selling and packaging capabilities of Abacus ContentPlus will help independent properties to be included more easily in corporate or leisure itineraries.”
Amadeus, meanwhile, has also jumped on the bandwagon. In April, it announced a new-generation distribution marketplace, Amadeus Hotels, which now offers 235,000 hotels through seamlessly integrated content from all hotel sources in one format, allowing access through a single interface.
Christian Lukey, head of hotel distribution, Amadeus Asia-Pacific, said: “Travellers now expect a highly personalised service, increasingly seeking unique and authentic experiences. The facilities offered by boutique hotels and independent lodging can quickly fulfil these needs.”
He cited: “In 2010, about 52 per cent of hotel rooms globally and 40 per cent in Asia-Pacific were part of a chain. That is expected to grow to 62 per cent by 2020, both globally and in Asia-Pacific.
“In Asia-Pacific, the number of chain hotel rooms will grow from 1.5 million in 2010 to 3.5 in 2020, while rooms at independent properties will rise from about two to 2.2 million.”
To introduce more non-chain hotels into the system, Lukey said: “We also distribute inventory from web intermediaries including HRS, GTA, Bedsonline and Destinations of the World.
“We have a number of additional providers in the pipeline to integrate into the extended marketplace in the next 12 months.”
He added: “The rising popularity of independent and boutique hotels means we can start looking more broadly at accommodation types. New players now include serviced apartments on daily or short-term lease that might include ancillary services like meals, tours, transfers and Wi-Fi.”
Travelport too, has been expanding the content and functionality of its Rooms & More, launched in 2012, to be on top of the game. The platform now offers 600,000 properties, which include B&Bs and independent hotels.
Its vice president of product development, hospitality, David Zimmer, said: “Rooms & More is now also available through our Universal API solution, which gives OTAs and agencies a flexible option to access the content.”
To further pump in hotel inventory, Zimmer added: “In June this year, we announced our acquisition of Hotelzon, a B2B hotel distribution technology provider.
“Specifically, this acquisition supports our drive to make booking independent hotels easier for business travellers. We are also exploring other accommodation types, such as owner-rented accommodation.”
Meanwhile, travel consultants support the inclusion of non-chain hotels into the GDSs. Barry Higgott, operations manager, Horncastle Executive Travel UK, which has been piloting the Amadeus Hotels platform for two months, said: “Being able to search, compare and book hotel offers via a single interface drastically cuts the time needed for our consultants to find the right hotel deal.
“It also means we can manage our customers’ trips end-to-end more efficiently, and deliver even better service and customer care.”
Likewise, Sang Bunthy, CEO of Cambodia-based Srey Rath International Travel & Tours which uses both Travelport and Abacus, said: “Clients are no longer bound to the traditional hotel. They are looking for more unique experiences in places like boutique hotels.”
