From technology and distribution strategies to guest expectations and sustainability, Catt McLeod, vice president Elegant Hotel Collection, joins Hotel Technology News to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing luxury hoteliers today.
What are some of the most significant changes you’ve witnessed in the hospitality industry throughout your career?
“The beauty of hospitality is that a lot of things on the surface have stayed reassuringly the same. The biggest changes have come on the commercial side – think about the development of payments from cash and cheque to instant mobile payments where guests can pay without even thinking.
The digitalization of processes has sometimes come with burdensome technology that hospitality professionals have to contend with. The sheer breadth of sales channels has been a big challenge for hoteliers – making sure they are accurately represented with the right rates, availability and hotel details.
When I started my career in global distribution, the GDS was very much for the big, often chain-branded city center hotels. But now, through the development of affordable and accessible technology with the likes of HotelREZ, independent hoteliers can drive really cost effective business to compete in this market.”
Elegant Hotel Collection is described as a “luxury soft brand.” Can you elaborate on what this means and how it benefits member hotels?
“We empower independent luxury hotels to succeed by celebrating their individuality. We don’t believe in dictating the experience. Instead, our member hotels have the freedom to express themselves and focus on generating real value for their customers and guests.
As a global soft brand, we are breathing new life into luxury representation by combining global sales and marketing support with worldwide distribution and tech innovation. As a result, we offer unparalleled sales, marketing and revenue opportunities on a global scale.
In celebrating individuality within a global community of like-minded hoteliers, our unique commercial model provides a transparent ROI for producing direct bookings, while reaching international markets in a cost-effective way.”
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