Text: Lois Hoyal // Fotos: iStock

HHotels are well aware of the high value of corporate customers, who bring repeat business, increased occupancy during the week and off-season, and check in late and out early. That is why savvy hotels are increasingly joining HRS Marketplace to provide more access to corporate business and connect the demand of HRS corporate sourcing customers with strategic supply.

Advantages include a simplified, smooth sourcing process; support for compliance; consulting and training for HRS’s digital eRFP (Request for Proposal) tool for optimal rate bidding for corporates, and the demand potential of millions of room nights via HRS Marketplace.

More bookings

“We’ve seen more bookings from employees of a giant in Silicon Valley since we started using HRS Marketplace three years’ ago, especially in Chicago, Seattle and San Francisco,” said Mailene Ogalino-Cline, National Account Manager for business travel at Staypineapple, a brand of ten privately owned and managed hotels in the US cities of Seattle, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston and New York.

Up to now, four Staypineapple hotels have joined HRS Marketplace, namely Staypineapple The Loop, Chicago; Staypineapple Union Square, San Francisco; Staypineapple The Maxwell Hotel, Seattle, and Staypineapple Hotel FIVE, Seattle. All four hotels are based in city centres with 25-30% of guests as corporate travellers. As of the 2020 RFP season, however, all ten Staypineapple properties will become HRS hotel partners.

Saving time

HRS’s sourcing programme has succeeded in increasing Staypineapple’s brand presence and additionally saved staff time. “As a non-brand hotel, my biggest challenge is not having the brand recognition of other hotels. Working with HRS, I am able to get the recognition that big brands typically get,” continued Ogalino-Cline. “We also save immense time by not having to chase travel managers to respond to our proposals.”

Ogalino-Cline also praises the exceptional customer service provided by the programme. “Rowena Montafia, our HRS Account Manager, is like an extension of our sales team. Her knowledge of HRS accounts and the market is amazing.”

More benefits

Other benefits include almost immediate response time and the reminder email or call sent by HRS when an RFP is due, she added.

The fee associated with participation was initially a hurdle for Ogalino-Cline. But after making a calculated decision to join HRS Marketplace, the results have exceeded any concerns Staypineapple had about the initial investment.