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GHO leads the way towards Hotel Alliance 3.0
GHO leads the way towards Hotel Alliance 3.0
Great Hotels Organisation (GHO, http://www.ghorg.com/), a London-based luxury sales and marketing alliance representing some of the world’s finest independent hotels, revealed its aspirations to become Hotel Alliance 3.0 at its Annual Members’ Conference 2008.
The Conference, held this month at the Plaza Resort, Anavyssos Beach, Athens, informed Great Hotels of the World (GHOTW, http://www.ghotw.com) and Special Hotels of the World (SHOTW, http://www.shotw.com/) members of GHO’s long-term plans to become the hotel alliance of the future and to stay a step ahead of their competitors.
The conference program included a range of expert key-speakers from around the globe who delivered insightful presentations and discussions on important topics affecting the hospitality business today. Among the speakers was travel industry expert Peter Dennis, President of Time Communications Group, discussing ‘the changing face of the hotel guest’, Stephen Broome, Assistant Director of PricewaterhouseCoopers, discussing ‘how to overcoming the challenges of an economic slowdown’ and Charles Human, Managing Director of HVS Hodges Ward Elliot discussing ‘the changing landscape of hospitality’.
The expression Hotel Alliance 3.0 is based on the web 2.0 concept which describes the changing trends in the use of internet technology and web design that aims to enhance creativity. GHO is embracing this idea and has taken it one step further – creating Hotel Alliance 3.0.
Richard Barnes, COO at GHO comments “The world of hotel distribution is changing and so are the tools needed to master it. After a number of years of enormous growth in the travel industry, it’s been easy for hotels to grow their business. But it’s going to get harder in times ahead for hotels to develop and gain market share. We aim to provide Hotel Alliance 3.0 which will help hotels master the necessary skills needed in tomorrow’s market place. One example of how we are always thriving to innovate is the launch at the end of the year of Great Hotels Rewards which is the first loyalty program allowing independent hotels to compete against the hard brands.”
GHO’s recently launched websites (http://www.ghotw.com and http://www.shotw.com/), which will be continually updated with the latest technology is the first step to realising this vision. With user-interactivity encouraged by uploading photos and leaving hotel comments, the organisation is embracing the web as a platform to display its strengths and reach a global audience.
To create a traditional hotel alliance with a new twist, GHO will combine continual technology and software development, high investment in consumer and digital marketing, increased sales forces and international expansion to reach their goal of becoming Hotel Alliance 3.0.
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For press enquiries please contact
Brooke Jester
Marketing and pr assistant
Great Hotels Organisation
+44 (0) 20 7380 8561
bjester@ghorg.com
Note to editors:
Great Hotels Organisation’s family of brands include Great Hotels of the World (http://www.ghotw.com) and Special Hotels of the World (http://www.shotw.com/), a forerunner among luxury hotel marketing alliances representing over 240 of the world’s finest hotels and resorts. Both brands are driven by six core values, notably to keep members’ costs down, to view each member as unique, to be innovative with technology, to value the power of the alliance, and to maintain the quality and integrity of the brand. Whichever brand is right for your property, Great Hotels Organisation has a different and customer-driven approach to hotel sales and marketing. Great Hotels Organisation manages the “GW” private label GDS chain code and toll-free voice reservation numbers operate in the USA and Europe.
Further information on Great Hotels Organisation can be found at http://www.ghorg.com/
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