Here’s another spin on the attrition gig—remind people that they’ll get what they pay for if they reserve their room through third-party sites like Expedia and Orbitz. And what they’ll get, according to a study by D.K. Shifflet & Associates, is a much better experience if they book directly.

Whether they’re booking luxury, moderate, or budget hotels, “guests who booked via the hotel’s website rated the hotel significantly higher in service, and value, than guests who reserved through 3rd party sites, such as Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity,” says a press release.
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But this is good news/bad news for hotels. While it may encourage more people to book directly on the hotel’s Web site—something many are encouraging to take back control over their inventory–Doug Shifflet, president and CEO, says the sub-standard rooms and reduced service some guests are getting after reserving with a third party “can be hazardous to a chain’s image, reduce trial conversion to loyal guests, and eventually impact a brand’s long-term profit.”

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The National Business Travel Association has released a white paper on the overall impact of CAPPS II and security-related privacy issues on travel. Some of the conclusions:

-CAPPS II will likely cost airlines “significantly more” than the current $150 million they spend annually on CAPPS. Implication for us? Undoubtedly, prices will have to rise to keep pace, and/or more airlines will dive into bankruptcy.

-Longer wait times and costs for visas to enter the U.S., plus a long appeal time for those whose visas are denied due to stolen identity or other errors. Implications for international attendees coming to U.S.-based meetings are pretty obvious.

In short, says the white paper, “The forthcoming implementation of CAPPS II augurs further challenges for already beleaguered road warriors.” And, I would add, for U.S. meetings with a large percentage of international participants. *sigh*

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Accordiing to Saturday’s New York Times, the release of airline passenger data in the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks airlines including American, United and Northwest gave the FBI millions of records on their customers.

The point was for the agency to be able to analyze and develop a kind of travel profile that would help them identify future terrorists, says the article.

But it was all for nought: “There is no indication that the passenger data produced any significant evidence about the plot or the hijackers, the F.B.I. official said.”

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Ever hold a family program only to watch in horror as the kids refuse to eat anything but fat-laden macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, or french fries? With obesity such a growing concern among our youngsters nowadays, we can’t afford to let them chow down on junk anymore, even when on the road.

That’s why I applaud the chefs at 57 Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts in and outside of the U.S. for coming up with Healthy Taste” Ritz Kids Menus that will debut—but of course!–on Mother’s Day, May 9.

According to the press release, “Many of the chefs are also parents and understand better than most the importance of eating the right foods…Lawrence McFadden, the company’s executive chef. [says] ‘This does not mean taking hamburgers or macaroni and cheese totally off the menu and substituting bean sprouts….we want them to eat their meals. What it does mean is taking another look at what we cook, how we cook it, and ways we can appeal to kids’ appetites, while not adding extras they don’t need like fat, sodium, and food additives.’”

One of the creations they came up with that’s sure to appeal to kids’ sense of fun, with a little gross-out for spice: “ants on a log” (celery stuffed with peanut butter and studded with raisins). Another cute idea: for dessert at Tysons Corner, Chef Coleman crushed granola, placed it in a mini plastic sand box, with tiny shovel to use in place of a spoon.

Hey, can I get one of those too?

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This must be Web week! Here’s another study, the Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell/Yankelovich Partners 2004 National Travel Monitor looking at our ever-increasing online habit. Sixty-nine percent of business travelers are using the Web to plan their trip, a 14 percent jump from 2002.

So, what are they booking online? According to the study, over the past year:
- 80% went online to reserve hotel accommodations;
- 68% went online to book an airline reservation;
- 45% went online to arrange a car rental.

If you haven’t linked your registration Web site with your hotels, airlines, and car rental, I’d say the time has come to get those links on your site. They’re going to buy it all somewhere online—why not get in on the act?

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From Chief Marketer e-newsletter–

Press Release Headline of the Week: “95% of Americans Like Cereal. 57% Like Sex. We’ve Got Cereal.”–from an April 29 press release from Cereality Cereal Bar & Cafe in Boulder, CO.

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It depends, but if you’re linked to the hotel brand’s site, you should be in the pink, according to the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International and Smith Travel Research’s first-ever hotel Internet marketing metrics survey. The results, presented at the second HSMAI Hotel Internet Marketing Strategy Conference, showed that 75 percent of Internet hotel room sales happened on the brand’s own site.

A total of 34 branded hotel chains, representing nearly 1.2 million rooms, participated in the survey, which reviewed 2002 data against 2003 results of all online reservations by brands, third party sites and GDS sites.

“Internet reservations and especially the impact of third party sites is on everybody’s mind today,” said Mark Lomanno, president of Smith Travel Research, in a press release.

More preliminary findings:

1. Brand.com (hotel branded Web sites) drives Internet business with 75 percent of the volume
2. Brand.com reservations increased 32.5% in 2003 over 2002 to 14.8 million
3. InterActive Corp, with Expedia, Hotels.com and Hotwire, combined marketshare makes up 11% of the total reservation volume
4. Total third-party share of online reservations shifted from 23 percent to 25 percent from 2002 to 2003. This two-point shift represents 4.9 million reservations.
5. Amadeus had the largest gain among the GDS, but Sabre still rules with 50+ % of GDS volume
6. Brand.com sites produce the highest ADR, but were flat year over year
7. Third party sites’ ADRs increased slightly from 2002 to 2003

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Now that so many drive-to, regional meetings are taking place, I wouldn’t be surprised if pet-loving attendees like me might be tempted to bring along the pooch (or kitty, or cockatoo). If you think your participants might want the option—with the assurance that Fido and Fifi will be well taken-care-of while they’re in sessions, they might be interested in bringyourpet.com, which offers info on pet-friendly hotels.

Or, just in case you think your block could conceivably turn into a kitty box, you might want to check it to see how pet-friendly (or not) your meeting hotel is.

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I remember reading a while back about some couple who got a company to sponsor their wedding so they could be married for free, but this article from BizBash takes it to a whole other dimension. Corporations are now willing to cough up the bucks to sponsor just about any party a celeb wants to throw, including baby showers! Like they need the money.

A quote from the article: “‘The line between corporate and private events is so blurred nowadays. It might seem rude or tacky in other parts of the country, but in L.A. everyone’s got something to sell,’ says event planner Cara Kleinhaut of Caravents. ‘Parties are the perfect way to market it.’”

I can see why, but it just makes me say, “eeew.” It’s bad enough we’re getting product placement in TV shows like Extreme Makeover Home Edition, but at least those folks really need the stuff. Maybe it just bothers me so much because I don’t live in L.A., but rather in New England, where it would most definitely be considered “rude or tacky.”

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Sorry, the sailor/punster in me took over the keyboard for a minute—what I wanted to write about was a very cool thing The Fairmont Orchid is doing by partnering with the University of Hawaii-Hilo’s Kalakaua Marine Education Center to regularly monitor Pauoa Bay and the coral reef environment located off the oceanfront resort.

From the press release: “The unprecedented partnership between U.H.-Hilo and the hotel’s employee-driven Green Committee will ensure the reef and its countless inhabitants remain healthy by conducting a qualitative baseline study which includes monitoring coral growth, and measuring water temperature, salinity, oxygen, nutrient and sediment levels. After the results are analyzed, the hotel and U.H. scientists can determine the best course of action for protecting the reef and its inhabitants.

“’Our initial impression is that the coral reef environment fronting The Fairmont Orchid is very healthy, and we’d like to help the staff learn how to keep it that way,’ said Dr. Walter Dudley, U.H.-Hilo professor of oceanography.” The hotel already uses 100 percent organic water-insoluble fertilizer—which doesn’t leach into the ocean–throughout the 32-acre property.

Just another great idea from Fairmont Hotels & Resorts worldwide, all of whose 43 properties have environmental or “green” programs in place. I’ve done my share of water quality sampling and monitoring as a volunteer for our local river association, and urge you all to check into what programs are available in your area. I know Earth Day has passed, but keeping our air and water quality up takes a 365-day-a-year effort.

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