{"id":23125,"date":"2009-07-22T10:48:45","date_gmt":"2009-07-22T10:48:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.xotels.com\/uncategorized\/forget-rate-parity-and-rate-integrity-lets-go-to-war"},"modified":"2025-02-05T13:48:19","modified_gmt":"2025-02-05T13:48:19","slug":"rate-parity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.xotels.com\/en\/revenue-management\/rate-parity","title":{"rendered":"Forget Rate Parity and Rate Integrity, let\u2019s go to War!"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 fusion-flex-container nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start fusion-flex-content-wrap\" style=\"max-width:1248px;margin-left: calc(-4% \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-4% \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-flex-column\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-width-large:100%;--awb-margin-top-large:0px;--awb-spacing-right-large:1.92%;--awb-margin-bottom-large:0px;--awb-spacing-left-large:1.92%;--awb-width-medium:100%;--awb-spacing-right-medium:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-medium:1.92%;--awb-width-small:100%;--awb-spacing-right-small:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-small:1.92%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\"><p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Just about every industry expert and professional has been preaching for the last 6 months that dumping rates is not the solution to offset low demand during these challenging economic times. But to unload distressed inventory even Starwood Hotels &amp; Resorts is cutting its prices up to 50% at approximately 600 properties worldwide.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">We have been always in favour of a more long term\u00a0 and coherent <a href=\"\/\">revenue management<\/a> strategy and have always encouraged our clients to do the same thing. And when on the brink of giving up, we always send them the classic song, \u2018<a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=gQNHbwhdZbU&amp;feature=related\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hold the Line<\/a>\u2019, by Toto to motivate them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">But does this still hold up, if a strong worldwide brand like Starwood is stepping away from what many of us have seemed to agree of being the best long term strategy. What if the large chains all start slashing their rates? What if 5 star hotels price themselves at a level where they compete with 3 and 4 star hotels? Can we throw Rate Integrity out of the window?<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Rate Integrity, yes that\u2019s a concept consumer\u2019s value, knowing that they are buying a product of a certain value. Of course they are open to pay more or less for a room depending on the time, place and situation of acquisition. Yielding and fences are well accepted by consumers. But there is an acceptable bandwidth or psychological range.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">The question many hoteliers ask us, will people accept to be paying \u20ac150 for their room, knowing or the room next door pays \u20ac75. The truth is they will never know. You will \u2026 Many hoteliers also ask us if the profile of the \u2018cheaper\u2019 guest will not disturb the more \u2018expensive\u2019 guest. We tend to see this as old school thinking, as in this day and age, you cannot tell the difference. Let\u2019s face it, today I am wearing a suit for the first time since my wedding last year. I have been staying in and consulting for 4 and 5 star hotels going around in my ripped jeans. The world is changing \u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">So how does this game of Price Integrity and Rate Parity Work? From our experience we have found that hotels who have applied a more dynamic and flexible strategy are the ones achieving the best results. One cannot just work in a sense of \u2018black and white\u2019 and maintain rate strategies of another era. Nor can you throw all strategies and positioning out of the window. But realistically we are competing in a world that goes in all directions, so we have to be smart about it, not just radically discount across the board.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Ok great, well said\u2026 But what is a smart strategy? How could it work? Because in the end you still have to fill rooms. It is too easy to stand on the sidelines and say, discounting is not the solution. I hate those kinds of comments. A theory is not enough. It won\u2019t get you there. You need to get creative, and be flexible. A Guerilla Warfare approach works best, as your competition will not be able to understand or follow \u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Here an idea of a strategy that has worked very well for some of the hotels we manage;<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"align-self: center;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:50px;width:100%;\"><div class=\"fusion-separator-border sep-double\" style=\"--awb-height:20px;--awb-amount:20px;border-color:var(--awb-color3);border-top-width:1px;border-bottom-width:1px;\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1-1 fusion-flex-container has-pattern-background has-mask-background fusion-parallax-none hundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-padding-top:0px;--awb-padding-right:0px;--awb-padding-bottom:106px;--awb-padding-left:0px;--awb-padding-right-medium:0px;--awb-padding-left-medium:0px;--awb-padding-top-small:0px;--awb-background-image:url(&quot;https:\/\/www.xotels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Native-Ads-Xotels-background-blue.webp&quot;);--awb-background-size:cover;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-end fusion-flex-content-wrap\" style=\"width:104% !important;max-width:104% !important;margin-left: calc(-4% \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-4% \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-1 fusion-flex-column\" style=\"--awb-padding-right:23px;--awb-padding-left-small:30px;--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-width-large:65%;--awb-flex-grow:0;--awb-flex-shrink:0;--awb-margin-top-large:0px;--awb-spacing-right-large:2.95384615385%;--awb-margin-bottom-large:20px;--awb-spacing-left-large:2.95384615385%;--awb-width-medium:65%;--awb-order-medium:0;--awb-flex-grow-medium:;--awb-flex-shrink-medium:;--awb-spacing-right-medium:2.95384615385%;--awb-spacing-left-medium:2.95384615385%;--awb-width-small:100%;--awb-order-small:0;--awb-flex-grow-small:;--awb-flex-shrink-small:;--awb-spacing-right-small:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-small:1.92%;\" data-scroll-devices=\"small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-justify-content-center fusion-content-layout-column\"><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"align-self: center;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:1rem;margin-bottom:1rem;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-title title fusion-title-1 fusion-sep-none fusion-title-center fusion-title-text fusion-title-size-div\" style=\"--awb-text-color:#e3e2de;--awb-margin-top-small:10px;--awb-margin-right-small:0px;--awb-margin-bottom-small:10px;--awb-margin-left-small:0px;--awb-font-size:4em;\"><div class=\"fusion-title-heading title-heading-center title-heading-tag fusion-responsive-typography-calculated\" style=\"margin:0;letter-spacing:-0.1em;font-size:1em;--fontSize:64;line-height:1.25;\"><p style=\"text-align: center; ;cursor: pointer;\"><a style=\"text-decoration: none !important;\" href=\"\/en\"><span style=\"color: #e3e2de!important; text-decoration: none !important;\"><strong>Maximize Your<br \/>\nHotel Revenue<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-title title fusion-title-2 fusion-sep-none fusion-title-center fusion-title-text fusion-title-size-three\" style=\"--awb-text-color:#e3e2de;--awb-margin-top:0px;--awb-margin-bottom:0px;--awb-margin-top-small:10px;--awb-margin-right-small:0px;--awb-margin-bottom-small:10px;--awb-margin-left-small:0px;--awb-font-size:1.2em;\"><h3 class=\"fusion-title-heading title-heading-center fusion-responsive-typography-calculated\" style=\"margin:0;letter-spacing:0.01em;font-size:1em;--fontSize:19.2;--minFontSize:19.2;line-height:1.3;\"><p style=\"text-align: center;\">Uncover the hidden revenue potential <br \/>of your hotel or resort.<\/p><\/h3><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"align-self: center;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:1rem;margin-bottom:1rem;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-builder-row-inner fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-end fusion-flex-content-wrap\" style=\"--awb-flex-grow:0;--awb-flex-grow-medium:0;--awb-flex-grow-small:0;--awb-flex-shrink:0;--awb-flex-shrink-medium:0;--awb-flex-shrink-small:0;width:104% !important;max-width:104% !important;margin-left: calc(-4% \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-4% \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column_inner fusion-builder-nested-column-0 fusion_builder_column_inner_1_2 1_2 fusion-flex-column fusion-no-small-visibility\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-width-large:50%;--awb-margin-top-large:0px;--awb-spacing-right-large:0%;--awb-margin-bottom-large:20px;--awb-spacing-left-large:28.8%;--awb-width-medium:50%;--awb-order-medium:0;--awb-spacing-right-medium:0%;--awb-spacing-left-medium:28.8%;--awb-width-small:50%;--awb-order-small:0;--awb-spacing-right-small:0%;--awb-spacing-left-small:28.8%;\" data-scroll-devices=\"small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-row\"> <a style=\"\n display: flex;\n align-items: center;\n justify-content: center;\n background-color: #e3e2de; \n color:#1351aa; \n border-radius: 20px;\n width: 12rem;\n height: 3rem;\n font-weight: 700;\n font-size: 1em;\n border-bottom-width: 3px;\n border-top-width: 3px;\n border-right-width: 3px;\n border-left-width: 3px;\n border-color:#e3e2de;\n text-decoration: none !important;\n \"\n target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"\/en\"><span><\/span>LEARN MORE<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column_inner fusion-builder-nested-column-1 fusion_builder_column_inner_1_2 1_2 fusion-flex-column fusion-no-small-visibility\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-width-large:50%;--awb-margin-top-large:0px;--awb-spacing-right-large:20.736%;--awb-margin-bottom-large:20px;--awb-spacing-left-large:0%;--awb-width-medium:50%;--awb-order-medium:0;--awb-spacing-right-medium:20.736%;--awb-spacing-left-medium:0%;--awb-width-small:50%;--awb-order-small:0;--awb-spacing-right-small:20.736%;--awb-spacing-left-small:0%;\" data-scroll-devices=\"small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-row\"> <a style=\"\n display: flex;\n align-items: center;\n justify-content: center;\n background-color: #1351aa;\n color: #e3e2de;; \n border-radius: 20px;\n width: 12rem;\n height: 3rem;\n font-weight: 700;\n font-size: 1em;\n border-bottom-width: 3px;\n border-top-width: 3px;\n border-right-width: 3px;\n border-left-width: 3px;\n border-color:#e3e2de; \n text-decoration: none !important;\n \"\n target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.xotels.com\/en\/locations\" id=\"nativeads\"><span>CONTACT US<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-builder-row-inner fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-end fusion-flex-content-wrap\" style=\"--awb-flex-grow:0;--awb-flex-grow-medium:0;--awb-flex-grow-small:0;--awb-flex-shrink:0;--awb-flex-shrink-medium:0;--awb-flex-shrink-small:0;width:104% !important;max-width:104% !important;margin-left: calc(-4% \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-4% \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column_inner fusion-builder-nested-column-2 fusion_builder_column_inner_1_2 1_2 fusion-flex-column fusion-no-medium-visibility fusion-no-large-visibility\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-width-large:50%;--awb-margin-top-large:0px;--awb-spacing-right-large:0%;--awb-margin-bottom-large:20px;--awb-spacing-left-large:28.8%;--awb-width-medium:50%;--awb-order-medium:0;--awb-spacing-right-medium:0%;--awb-spacing-left-medium:28.8%;--awb-width-small:50%;--awb-order-small:0;--awb-spacing-right-small:0%;--awb-spacing-left-small:0%;\" data-scroll-devices=\"small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-row\"> <a style=\"\n display: flex;\n align-items: center;\n justify-content: center;\n background-color: #e3e2de; \n color:#1351aa; \n border-radius: 20px;\n width: 15rem;\n height: 3rem;\n font-weight: 700;\n font-size: 1em;\n border-bottom-width: 2px;\n border-top-width: 2px;\n border-right-width: 2px;\n border-left-width: 2px;\n border-color:#e3e2de; \ntext-decoration: none !important;\nmargin-right:5px;\n \"\n target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"\/en\"><span><\/span>LEARN MORE<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column_inner fusion-builder-nested-column-3 fusion_builder_column_inner_1_2 1_2 fusion-flex-column fusion-no-medium-visibility fusion-no-large-visibility\" style=\"--awb-padding-right-small:0px;--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-width-large:50%;--awb-margin-top-large:0px;--awb-spacing-right-large:20.736%;--awb-margin-bottom-large:20px;--awb-spacing-left-large:0%;--awb-width-medium:50%;--awb-order-medium:0;--awb-spacing-right-medium:20.736%;--awb-spacing-left-medium:0%;--awb-width-small:50%;--awb-order-small:0;--awb-spacing-right-small:0%;--awb-spacing-left-small:0%;\" data-scroll-devices=\"small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-row\"> <a style=\"\n display: flex;\n align-items: center;\n justify-content: center;\n background-color: #1351aa;\n color: #e3e2de;; \n border-radius: 20px;\n width: 15rem;\n height: 3rem;\n font-weight: 700;\n font-size: 1em;\n border-bottom-width: 2px;\n border-top-width: 2px;\n border-right-width: 2px;\n border-left-width: 2px;\n border-color:#e3e2de;\nmargin-left:10px\ntext-decoration: none !important;\n \"\n target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.xotels.com\/en\/locations\" id=\"nativeads\"><span>CONTACT US<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"align-self: center;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:50px;width:100%;\"><div class=\"fusion-separator-border sep-double\" style=\"--awb-height:20px;--awb-amount:20px;border-color:var(--awb-color3);border-top-width:1px;border-bottom-width:1px;\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-2\"><ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"color: #999999;\"><strong>Rate Parity<\/strong> <\/span>&#8211; yes, same rates, and same conditions on all public channels\u2026 but don\u2019t let yourself be boxed in by this. It is a <strong><em>general strategy, not a law.<\/em><\/strong> And honestly we are not in rate parity for the consumer\u2019s sake. We just know that as hotels we have to please our distributors, and without rate parity our job would become almost impossible. Flexibility and <strong><em>dynamism<\/em><\/strong> to deviate from time to time, is what builds success.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"color: #999999;\"><strong>Rate Integrity<\/strong><\/span> \u2013 Even though this is hard, during tough economic times. We do believe you should maintain some form of rate integrity. This does not mean you should not lower your rate. But you could be <strong><em>priced according to the market.<\/em><\/strong> You don\u2019t have to go as low as others, neither do you have to maintain previous rates. Let\u2019s face it, we all accept how the stock market works. The same will be accepted for hotels. Just don\u2019t dump rates so low that you are hurting your image.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"color: #999999;\"><strong>Price Fencing<\/strong><\/span> &#8211; is how you can get around the whole challenge of Rate Integrity. Offer a slight discount off your BAR for 1 and 2 night stays. But be aggressive on bookings with a longer <strong><em>length of stay.<\/em><\/strong> Reservation for 3, 4, 5 nights and more can be offered steep discounts. Consider that the largest percentage of your regular guests will not see this. It is a very effective method.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"color: #999999;\"><strong>Lead Time Pricing<\/strong><\/span> &#8211; The <strong><em>Early Bird<\/em><\/strong> still works. Figure out your average booking window. Prior to your regular pick-up curve discount steeply. Competition is still asleep while you are building base steeling their guests.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"color: #999999;\"><strong>Opaque Pricing<\/strong><\/span> &#8211; Hidden discounts through non-branded offers. Use opaque channels like Priceline and Hotwire to unload distressed inventory. They provide wonderful reports showing you exactly what demand volume exists at each price point. It might not be what you really want, but you need it. And trust me opaque or <strong><em>hidden discounting<\/em><\/strong> works!\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"color: #999999;\"><strong>Flexible Corporate and Consortia Pricing<\/strong><\/span> &#8211; Introduce them without asking the travel agency. Load your special offers minus let\u2019s say 10% automatically. You will become much more attractive then the hotels that don\u2019t. Especially to agencies that weren\u2019t looking at your property before. Afraid that you are displacing current rates which are being booked by loyal corporate travel agencies. Do a query in your PMS on their IATA number and see how much they are booking your BAR and special offer rate tiers. It is a great way to introduce flexible rates to them and show the advantages. Just consider when you yield your rates; you don\u2019t go above the contracted price in order not to upset them. It will <em><strong>open their mind <\/strong><\/em>and help you with the negotiations this fall.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"color: #999999;\"><strong>CRM Pricing<\/strong><\/span> &#8211; Offer leisure guests that have booked you though 3rd parties a 10% discount of your BAR, booking your hotel directly using a promo code. You eliminate agency fees of 10 to 25% and get them to book<strong><em>directly at a small discount.<\/em><\/strong><span style=\"color: #999999;\"><strong><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"color: #999999;\"><strong>Corporate Guests and their Family<\/strong><\/span> &#8211; Offer corporate clients to book a double room with a<strong><em> free upgrade<\/em><\/strong> to a family room to accommodate their two children the next time they would like to come to your destination on holidays. Again apply a special promo code they have to insert in your online booking engine.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"color: #999999;\"><strong>Friend Rate<\/strong><\/span> &#8211; Send an after check-out thank you email offering a unique discount they can pass on to their friends. They email their friends a special offer which has to be booked within the next two to four weeks. You can even add a reward to it, that if they achieve a certain number of friend bookings, they will get a free stay. The promo code must thus be unique for the guest in this case. Make sure you put a Twitter and FaceBook posting button in the email as well. Imagine the <strong><em>viral spin-off<\/em><\/strong> of this.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"color: #999999;\"><strong>Add Value<\/strong><\/span> &#8211; Oh yes. We should not forget about this industry classic. Make a package at a slightly higher price than your room only rate and add additional services or features to the offering. Now important is we don\u2019t try to sell the hotel again. Remember they won\u2019t have dinner in your restaurant every night if they are visiting your destinations as tourist. They want to get out and experience the town. So for \u20ac5.00 per night include a bicycle. Or for \u20ac10 include a city wide museum ticket. Use your destination and create an offer that differentiates your hotel from the one next door. Or for \u20ac7.50 extra include and of the beaten track tour of your city. Think of things like a Upcoming Modern Art, Jazz or Gay History Tour. You can find more than enough local tour guides online that will be more than willing to work with you. <strong><em>Get creative, sell experience!<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">The above examples of <strong><em>price segmentation<\/em><\/strong> and<strong><em> price discrimination<\/em><\/strong> and <strong><em>guerilla tactics<\/em><\/strong> are very effective. You have to get creative and outsmart your competition. And if you segment, <em><strong>communicate<\/strong><\/em> and <strong><em>promote<\/em><\/strong> your offers and price strategy clearly well, you will not lose \u2018price integrity\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">To avoid having to discount to deep to achieve occupancy, the name of the game is <strong><em>driving demand.<\/em><\/strong> The role of the revenue manager therefore has changed. Collaboration and working in sync with the marketing manager has become indispensible.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Rate Parity and Rate Integrity are <strong><em>not an objective.<\/em><\/strong> They are <strong><em>merely yield tools<\/em><\/strong> of your strategies. We must not lose sight of the real goal of any business, the bottom line. RevPAR is not something you can really rely on nowadays. Hoteliers should be really managing their property by <em><strong>GopPAR<\/strong><\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">If you really want to win in these times, you should take it to the next level. Kill your competition. <span style=\"color: #999999;\"><strong><em>I<\/em><\/strong><\/span><strong><em>nvest in online marketing<\/em><\/strong>. And I mean invest. Let\u2019s take an average scenario to define budget. A hotel of 100 rooms running at 75% occupancy at an ADR of \u20ac80, which gets 30% of its business through third party travel agencies and 15% FIT wholesaler production. Conservatively calculating the commission and net rate discounts we are talking of \u20ac180.000, at the least. Converting 10% of this business into direct sales would be acceptable at a price of \u20ac18.000 no?<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">We applied this approach with some hotels we manage last year. And surprise, <strong><em>this year their occupancy is outperforming last years<\/em><\/strong>. One of them generated with their website in 4 months time the same revenues as entire 2009 and another double his direct online sales. We are ignoring the direct sales through the reservation office, which is trending at a 20% spin off currently.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">To win, you need to <strong><em>take risks, be different. Outsmart your market<\/em><\/strong>. Don\u2019t just do what the rest does. Do it in <strong><em>stealth mode<\/em><\/strong><span style=\"color: #999999;\">.<\/span> Be a <strong><em>rebel<\/em><\/strong>, and <em><strong>outmaneuver your competition<\/strong><\/em>. And if it means going against some industry standards here and there, so be it \u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Just about every industry expert and professional has been preaching for the last 6 months that dumping rates is not the solution to offset low demand during these challenging economic times. But to unload distressed inventory even Starwood Hotels &#038; Resorts is cutting its prices up to 50% at approximately 600 properties worldwide.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[195,188],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23125","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog","category-revenue-management"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Forget Rate Parity and Rate Integrity, let\u2019s go to War! - Xotels Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"During straining economic times, rate parity and rate integrity strategies in hotels are under pressure. 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