The industry keeps changing, so we keep innovating to meet demand

In a world where companies need to constantly innovate to stay ahead of competition, listening to customer feedback and then acting on it is mission critical. That sentiment has never held truer than it does today, and is one of the primary reasons OTA Insight was recently named the winner in three HotelTechAwards by the HotelTechReport:

• Rate Insight (Rate Shopping & Market Intelligence)
• Parity Insight (Parity Management software)
• Revenue Insight (Business Intelligence)

As those of us in the hospitality industry can certainly attest, the global pandemic has caused leadership to adapt quicker than ever before. But ask any of our customers and they might tell you that crises can bring some of the best times to look for opportunities. Business downturns cause us to ask, “What do I need today that I didn’t need yesterday? How can I solve these new issues and look ahead to any opportunities that could be on the horizon?” 

Dedicated to your success

This past year has brought challenges for us all. Our customer success team has risen to the challenge -  providing the support, and guidance to deliver extraordinary customer experiences.

“Helping our customers to answer timely questions, suggesting solutions, and then continuing to innovate based on their feedback is part of our DNA at OTA Insight”, says James Parsons, Global Director, Customer Success & Operations. “We are honoured to see we’ve been on the right track with our solutions by recently taking home three HotelTechAwards."

Parsons adds, that “delivering excellent customer service is something we pride ourselves on here at OTA Insight. Now, more than ever, time is of the essence for our clients, so being able to answer customer queries quickly (we’ll answer within two minutes) and effectively (we aim to resolve all queries within an hour), is something we work very hard on delivering consistently, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It's therefore gratifying to see our customer service mentioned frequently in the Hotel Tech Report Reviews.”

Each month, more than 100,000 hotel industry professionals use HotelTechReport to make informed purchasing decisions. The HotelTechAwards determine the best hotel software products across every category, based primarily on customer feedback but also key data points such as integration compatibility, organisational health, partner network strength and customer support quality.

A Commitment to Innovation

“While it’s an honour to receive such accolades, it’s our customers who have continually helped us to evolve," says Ivo Minjauw, Director of Product. “When our partners told us it’s not enough to rely on historical data to make decisions — a truth all the more amplified as the pandemic caused leaders to make decisions on the fly in real time, even more so than required just months or even days prior — we got to work.”

We learned from our customers that forward-looking data was a top priority for making informed decisions about their business that could help to drive revenue and stay steps ahead of the hotel across the street. And, it was something that mattered even more as the pandemic continued to rage on.

“Because markets have become unpredictable, and we can’t rely on historical data anymore, flexibility is more important than ever,” says Paul Nojaim, Area Director of Revenue and Sales at Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. "I can make confident, data-driven pricing decisions. I also have a leg up on the competition because I see demand emerge early on and can adjust my rates quickly for maximum results. Knowing how and when travel will return gives us something concrete to plan for; it feels like we’re seeing light at the end of the tunnel. Being among the first to see where this initial demand will flow and which source markets they’re coming from also gives us a massive advantage over the competition.”

The hospitality recovery is on everyone’s minds, but some hoteliers might be trying to figure out next steps as the industry continues to shift. If all that historical data was dated before, it definitely became even less relevant within the past year. A better solution emerged — one that allowed for a clearer picture of what travellers searched for as they were cooped up at home during lockdowns. In other words, hospitality leaders needed indirect insights from their own customers and potential guests. They needed a way to see what these customers wanted without having the ability to directly ask them.

“Recently, we’ve been looking closely at the evolution of both flight and hotel search levels. This has helped us determine buyer confidence and when the first signs of increased demand might appear. We can use this advanced outlook to plan for the recovery phase, make data-driven pricing and distribution decisions and thus get a head start on our competitors,” says Derek Brewster, Director of Revenue Management, Lotte New York Palace.

Data quality: get it right

The problems we experienced in 2020 won’t end as we head further into this year. In fact, new challenges are likely to appear as the world continues to change.

“One thing that is certain: high-quality real time data will be vital in 2021, as no one knows when exactly demand will return," says Gino Engels, co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer at OTA Insight. “This year, we will put upper funnel, forward looking search data into hoteliers hands, helping our customers through the recovery, so that they can thrive when travel takes off again. And, we’ll continue to listen — and innovate with intuitive products that provide actionable insights.”