Efficient direct online sales cuts distribution costs for hotels

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At the ITB in Berlin, protel reveals how, with the help of protel’s new web booking engine and a search-engine-optimized website, hotels can sell rooms commission-free. Boosting online sales yet decreasing distribution costs is a central aim of the hotel industry but often clashes with the current market situation. In cooperation with the advertising agency Karl & Karl, German hotel software provider protel will demonstrate how to counter the hegemonic power of booking portals with efficient direct online sales at the ITB 2012 in Berlin.

Let yourself be inspired:
ITB 2012 in Berlin, Germany

“More direct sales!” More and more upset hoteliers chime in with this demand since booking portals just recently increased commissions. Being faced by an ever increasing imbalance of power, a growing number of hoteliers look for alternatives and refocus on classic sales and distribution strategies such as fostering the brand and strengthening customer loyalty by more personal service. A search engine optimized hotel website and a sophisticated technical booking solution add to the potential success of direct sales via the hotel’s own online booking channels.

At this year’s ITB, German hotel software provider protel presents a perfected solution for commission-free bookings on the hotel’s website. This solution, the fourth version of protel’s Web Booking Engine “WBE 4.0”, was designed with the guest in mind. To showcase the product in the most attractive way possible, protel attached great importance to usability, shop-inspired user guidance and extensive options. Thus, selectable combinations of rate and room type on sales-optimized product pages make sure that all guests find what they’re looking for. Flexible pricing with selectable options such as ‘early check-in’ or ‘late check-out’ will lead to a measurable increase in sales via the hotel’s website.

In order for the guest to not only find the hotel but also be able to book on the Internet, an appealing and search engine optimized website is necessary. protel’s cooperation partner Karl & Karl specializes in designing such websites. As a special ITB offer, the agency grants all protel clients a discount of 10% on a new website design. And those protel clients who are already working the protel WBE 3.0 will receive three vouchers for online training when updating to version 4.0.

“Our new protel WBE 4.0 makes booking on a hotel website an enjoyable shopping experience. And the professional services offered by our cooperation partner, Karl & Karl, are an ideal supplement,” says Jessica Lohmann, Head of Marketing at protel hotelsoftware GmbH. Wolf-Thomas Karl, Partner of Karl & Karl, is also pleased with the cooperation: “Yes, we complement each other very well. protel highly values reliability and personal service for their clients. And besides offering the best services, this is what characterizes a family owned business like ours.”

Further Information

• Visit us and let youself be inspired at the ITB 2012 in Berlin: March 7 – 9 in hall 8.1, booth 103
• www.karl-karl.com
• protel Product Overview
• Online distribution with protel