Weekly Insights. October 9, 2021

Is blockchain the true solution to the OTA challenge or is it merely a silver bullet hope?
In the new global digital world of the fourth industrial revolution, blockchain technology has been revolutionizing many industries from banking and insurance all the way to the art industry. While companies in the aforementioned actively work on blockchain-based projects to assess the opportunity the technology provides, the overall technological trend has not yet passed through the hospitality industry. Yet, similar to the overall stage of technological infrastructure in the industry, this leap in technological adoption posits many questions and challenges for hoteliers.

How to attract and engage the next-gen traveller in a post-pandemic world
As the travel industry emerges out of the whirlwind of the past year and a half, a large section of the market remains overlooked. According to Epsilon’s report on cross-generational marketing, Next-Gen’s buying power is over $600 billion and counting. Combined with this demographic’s affinity for travel and the new norm of remote work, reaching this group and gaining their trust is many hoteliers' dream.

The art of upselling
Online upselling is an ever more popular way for hotel companies to bring in revenue. However, it remains unclear whether online upselling complements or replaces in-person strategies such as front-desk upselling. In an important exploratory study, Professor Basak Denizci Guillet of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University sought to answer this question.

What does an investment analyst do in the hospitality industry?
An investment analyst is a financial expert who, as its name implies, evaluates investment projects through complex marketing researches and financial analysis. The role of an investment analyst is to assist management in determining the profitability of an investment. On a daily basis, the investment analyst will work hand-in-hand with other departments such as Development, Legal or Operations in order to have a full understanding of each deal’s background and specificities. The hospitality sector being very diverse, there is a multitude of investment types whose complexity varies according to the contract (franchise versus management contract), funding options, location, brand or contract terms.

Plug-in Apps: How your hotel can get more out of its online booking engine
In this blog we’ll cover a little about the benefit of booking engines, what direct booking plug-ins are, how you can win additional revenue, and who you have the opportunity to connect with.

Types of hotel rooms: The comprehensive guide
From roadside motel rooms to presidential casino suites, there are a plethora of different types of hotel rooms for the modern traveller to choose from. Whether you’re booking at a large brand or chain hotel, a boutique hotel, an all-inclusive resort, or another accommodation style, there’s a room type out there to fit everyone’s unique needs.
In this guide, we take a deep dive into some of the most popular types of hotel rooms and what they include. We break down room types based on size, style, and services, and then answer some frequently asked questions about hotel room types.

HITEC Dallas report: 50+ Hospitality technology innovations you need to know
While researching for this article, our team reviewed 96 different product/feature launches to curate the list below based on the most exciting innovations in the market and then synthesized the top 50 innovations into six key trends.

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