The property hosts corporate golf events at its award-winning golf course, The Bluffs (pictured)

The Grand Ho Tram Strip in Vietnam is unveiling a new brand campaign by early Q3 to grow its international MICE bookings, as it continues to grow its hardware three years on.

Director of sales and marketing Khanh Le, said the property has established a strong following among domestic vacationers since its opening in July 2013, and currently draws a 70-30 domestic-international split in corporate event bookings.

He said: “We are in the process of rolling out a programme to drastically increase and enhance our brand visibility in international markets, which we believe will raise our international bookings closer to a 50-50 split.”

Khanh believes that “being the first and largest international standard integrated resort” in Vietnam has given The Grand “a headstart” in attracting corporate events, particularly teambuilding programmes. It offers 541 keys, 10 F&B outlets, four swimming pools, a 2.2km stretch of private beach, a Grand Ballroom for 1,800 people and several break-out rooms, and award-winning The Bluffs golf course and clubhouse which houses additional meeting venues.

“The Bluffs has hosted countless corporate golf days and industry tournaments. It adds another arrow to the bow for MICE planners looking to host events at The Grand,” remarked Khanh.

In January the property unveiled new entertainment facilities which are expected to raise the fun factor for corporate events. These new hardware includes a 3D cinema, karaoke lounges, retail outlets and the Central Park, a one-hectare attraction that houses an 18-hole miniature golf course, a football field, a basketball court, a pétanque court and more.

The integrated resort will expand further, with plans for a second tower, a residential condotel and a vacation home close to The Grand as well as a luxury villa on the golf course.

“We will start to see these new developments coming on-line next year and rolling out steadily from then on. Later phases will see additional resorts, including one with an international standard casino,” shared Khanh.

EVENT planners can now go on a site inspection of the InterContinental Wellington conference floor without taking a single step, thanks to a new Google Maps feature.

Instead of seeing static pictures, clients can now take a 360-degree view of the hotel’s six function rooms and pre-function lounge.

The hotel’s business development manager, Julien Albrecht, said that while the ability to show a 360-degree view is not new technology, using it as a room-space sales tool that can stand in for physically visiting a property appears to be relatively new for the MICE market.

Albrecht added: “Time constraints and geographical distance means a lot of decisions have to be made by the event planner remotely, with the client unable to visit a space before the day of the event. Rather than seeing static pictures, taking a virtual tour around the floor can give the client the reassurance that this (the function space) is the right fit for them.”

OWING to increased Internet penetration and the booming sharing economy, which has an impact on the lodging sector, the online travel market in Asia-Pacific has grown in recent years. Technology has made the travel search and booking process easier, spurring travellers to manage their travels on-the-go at the very last minute.

Arguably, the chief benefit of online travel agents (OTAs) – both generalists like Booking.com and Expedia, as well as specialists like Hostelword – is the convenience of choice that they bring to the table. Travellers are easily able to compare hotel rates and then select the lodging that best suit their preferences.

For corporates, this transparency and access to knowledge presents the opportunity to benchmark their negotiated rates. Other value propositions include boosting demand during periods of low hotel occupancy, and connecting hotels to travellers that did not initially have them in mind.

While OTAs can bring benefits, there are also several challenges in terms of value and flexibility. The cost of OTA commission for hotels has had significant impact on the cost of sale for hotels in this distribution channel; which – if the hotel is heavily reliant on OTA business – can influence rate levels. This means that buyers are not getting the best value for their money, and hotel guests are paying more for their room regardless of whether they use the online platform or not. It is no wonder that hotels like Hilton Worldwide and Marriott International are educating consumers on the benefits of booking direct, via global campaigns and awareness of loyalty benefits.

At the most fundamental level, a hotel’s objective is to fill its rooms with guests through a booking channel that does not significantly reduce its margins. But how does this go hand-in-hand with the priorities of corporates, which includes ensuring that hotels are of appropriate quality, are available at the lowest possible price and can be booked through the preferred channels?

At HRS, our contention is that the challenge lies not in finding the lowest hotel rate, but finding the best accommodation option, at the lowest acceptable price taking into account all the key criteria within any corporate travel policy.

Demand-based pricing by its nature is dynamic, and ever-changing, and it means that price does not necessarily equate to quality. It does not always follow that a better quality hotel costs more, and conversely, that the lowest-cost hotels are of lower quality. Additionally, the lowest rate may not be the most cost-effective rate, as negotiated rates often include corporate-specific criteria, such as airport or local transportation, breakfast, Internet, parking and other amenities.

Another key consideration is the flexibility in booking conditions required by the corporate. Generally speaking, the buying power and procurement expertise of larger corporates will demand the flexibility of Last Room Availability (LRA) to ensure access to availability when needed. This essentially means that corporates (or anyone) with an LRA clause has a right to buy any room at their contracted terms and prices – even if the hotel has only one matching room to sell.

In my opinion, a clear definition of LRA clauses must be agreed upon because it could include a higher category of room type, such as a suite – for which a premium is typically charged given that it displaces higher-paying businesses. To extract the best value, however, buyers can consider negotiating for LRA at no additional charge.

For corporate travellers, finding the lowest rate on a one-off basis, too does not leverage on the volume generated by their colleagues and the negotiation power that their companies possess. Having established earlier that OTAs have fuelled misunderstanding of rate mechanisms, corporate travellers should not be wasting their time in search of online ‘bargains’ and making bookings outside the corporate travel policy.

Turn your knowledge into savings.

Todd Arthur is the managing director, Asia-Pacific of Hotel Reservation Service (HRS). HRS is a global hotel solutions provider and serves more than 40,000 corporate customers worldwide through its inventory of more than 300,000 hotels in 190 countries.
Arthur’s core responsibilities include setting the business direction, driving organic growth with new and existing customers across Asia-Pacific markets, establishing strategic partnerships and talent development.

Article by Todd Arthur

The foyer of The Library, a collection of four meeting rooms designed to resemble an architect’s studio

A FULL-DAY and half-day meeting package, priced at S$50 (US$37) and S$40 per person respectively, are being offered to Singapore groups hosting their gatherings at the Pullman Bangkok Hotel G in Thailand.

The hotel, which had unveiled a slew of updated event spaces late last year, is throwing in various complimentary perks such as one room upgrade to an Executive Room with Executive Lounge benefits for every 20 confirmed rooms per night, accommodation for the organiser during the event, group photo service, Wi-Fi access in the meeting room, and 10 per cent discount on hotel limousine service with a choice of BMW or Toyota Camry.

Meeting groups can also enjoy the hotel’s newly renovated G Deluxe Room at approximately S$160 per room night (non-commissionable), which comes with two free soft drinks from the mini bar each day and a welcome drink at Playground Bubble and Mixology Bar.

The offer is valid for bookings and stays made by September 30, 2016.

Other terms apply.

Call (662) 238-1991 for more information.