The technology embedded in Google Earth and Google Map is very helpful to provide street-level views of a landmark or location. In South East Asia, Thailand is the second country that provides the service after Singapore. The initial cities available in the technology are Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai.

Suraphon Svetasreni, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor said it was a step ahead for the country to be featured in Google Street View. He said every county in the region and across the world is doing their best to improve the tourism industry, so it becomes the reason why Thailand has to grab the chance.
He said GSV give new opportunities for travelers who are searching for something unique and new. In the country, there are numerous different activities and places that can be publicized through the technology.

People who plan to visit the country can use the technology to find out more about the destinations and plan itineraries without surveying the places beforehand. The tourism industry is expected can gain benefit from the implantation of the technology.

Ariya Banomyong of Google Thailand said internet is used by everyone to plan their journey. “It is a good advantage that they are able to see the destinations that they are about to visit in the first place,” Ariya said.
Tourism business can embed the GSV on their sites to give opportunities to the potential customers to have the first glance before traveling to some place in Thailand.

Suraphon said by using GSV, people can find the best value hotels in Bangkok, the most worth to visit natural attractions in Phuket and the most exotic historical sites in Chiang Mai.

All the people in the world surely ever feel stressful situations. When the stress attacks, we tend to act carelessly. We often fail to read the situation clearly because of the lack of mental clarity. It is true that stress is unavoidable while we are still living, even if we live as hippies that always try to have fun with the life. But it does not mean we have to take for granted the stressful situations that can cause disasters. We have to deal with the stress feeling by implementing some stress management techniques. It is extremely important especially if you are running an hotel business. Here is a list of 3 stress management techniques that might be useful for you to bring down the burden and come back with fresh mind.

1. Make a procedure

Stressful situations often drive us to ignore the cause and effect principles. We often decide something without thinking of the short term and long term result. We have to make a step-by-step procedure in case the stress attacks. Learning from the mistakes we did before under stress can be very useful in creating the procedure. Looking back to the past mistakes is important so we will not do the same mistakes again in the future.

2. Always be open to the others

People tend to be defensive under stress. Once we get defensive, it is hard to us to receive new information from the surrounding environment. Absorbing opinions from the others is very useful because we do not need to solve problems by ourselves.

3. Always be steady

It is very common that people often want to run away from the problems they face. It is like human being’s nature to escape the danger. But running away is not a solution. Great leaders are those people who can make a right decision under stormy weather situation.

Being persistent and professional is surely one of the most difficult things to do about running a hospitality industry. We have to make sure that we treat all the customers equally, regardless of the personal problems we face, the time of the service, etc. The best way to be professional and persistent is always focus on the job. Do not let any interference distract your attention. If you are really unable to manage your concentration, just take a break for a while. Back to your desk after you can cope with your feeling.

Honoring customers is not merely praising them all the times and doing everything they want us to do. Just do some simple acts such as giving thanks to them for selecting your business instead of picking the others, throwing genuine smiles consistently without trying to be exaggerating and something like that. You have to make sure that you show your respect in each assistance service you provide for them. You also have to love your jobs. It is very significant. Once you no longer love what you are doing, you will work half-heartedly. Talking about loving our own jobs, it means we have to honor ourselves.

Honoring ourselves is the most important thing to do before start honoring the others. Be proud of what you are doing. By taking pride in the job you do, you can easily honor yourself, your colleagues, your boss and of course your customers.

William Shatner

But don’t worry as the spokesman for the company has pointed out that they would still continue working together as William Shatner is “still under contract.”

Here is the press release from the company:

“The Priceline Negotiator has become very strongly associated with the priceline.com brand and the concept of negotiating to get a deal on a hotel room. However, Priceline.com customers don’t have to negotiate themselves to get a deal. Without bidding, they can choose from over 200,000 quality hotels around the world, with thousands of them on sale every day at rates we’ve negotiated for them.”

The company said the customers will understand their decision to kill the famous negotiator. The Negotiator himself said he doesn’t really clear about his future in the company. He said he was left “on the same cliffhanger you’re on.” The contract term left is now approximately a year according to the deal.

It is a brave step from Priceline.com to kill their negotiator. It is very risky because the company has been popular for the signature offer of letting the customers naming their own deal.

The only one who knows their plan is just the team behind the website. They know they have strong competitors and behind the killing of their important figure, there must be another innovation that they create to make the people come and use their service.

Anyway, there is about one year of contract left for Shatner. Who knows the company will use him again for the next innovation? Only time will tell.

Official Source: priceline.com

Marriott International Inc.

Marriott has been operating in China for 22 years and opened its own hotel, Marriott-branded, in 1998. It makes China as its second best marketplace after US. According to Simon Cooper, Marriott Internationale’s president and managing director, Asia Pacific, China is a very potential market that it is second to the Marriott’s plan to make continuous growth and to extent its market plan throughout China. Eventually, Marriott had had its growth solid and consistent to be the leader in hospitality sector in China.

Being the market leader in China , Marriott has its Asia-Pacific Headquarter opened in China, because they realize that Asia is the key to this business, while Asia itself is driven by China. So, by opening a HQ in China, they expect to be able to run this business effectively with the direct access to communicate face to face with their business partners. Therefore, they can manage to fulfil their partners’ expectation in real time.

Marriott International, Inc. is well known for its luxurious. One of its hotels, the Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong, was nominated as the best hotel in the world by Conde Nast Traveler magazine. With its Rirt-Carlton hotel-brand spreading in China, the Marriott has noted to be the leading luxury hotel brand in the country.

Commenting on this, Cooper said that Marriott is looking to push the limit by promoting their brand outside the key marketplace while it is enjoying operating in the key cities. He believes that their brand will have good respond from customers even though they operate away from China main urban cities.

So, how to increase bookings but stay healthy in terms of the economic condition? Here is a list of 5 simple hotel marketing tips to increase the bookings at your rental:

1. You have to keep updated with the latest trend and pay attention to the season. If there will be special occasions such as Christmas or New Years Eve, decorate your rental to have a more holiday look. It is a concept that everyone, a family in particular, wants to see when they travel on holiday in some places. Do not make the customers bored with common and monotonous decoration when there is a special occasion. It is very likely that the customers will visit your place again in the next holiday season.

2. Be a good guest to your visitors. Do not let them down into the feeling of disappointment by not telling them about special places or events that are worth a visit around your place. If it is possible, list the most attractive places in the neighborhood, from landmarks, parks, restaurants, bars or cafes and shops and put them in one leaflet so the visitors could pick by themselves what they think the best for them. If they are not from the same country, inform them about the local culture so they can adapt well.

3. If you have hotel special offers and best hotel deals, be clear with your ad. You don’t want to disappoint the customers by telling vague information. If a glass of tequila is free without any condition, than tell them it’s free and no need to pay for anything to get the tequila.

4. A surprise gift is a great idea, especially when there is a special occasion like Christmas. Don’t give the customers too much. Chocolate or dolls for kids if they come with their family, or a bottle of champagne is enough.

5. Tell to the world that you got something special for the people at your place. Explore your creativity to spread the ad wider so you can get more people to come and stay in your property.

This hotel is opened in Tlemcen. The city itself is known for its art and history. The hotel offers the best view of the city since it is built in a perfect view point of Plateau Lalla Setti. The building itself is designed in an Arab-Moorish fee. The guests will be able to taste the feel to rest within the architectural building.

The hotel offers 204 luxurious rooms and suites. The hotel also has various amenities for more comfortable stay for the guests. The Renaissance Tlemcen hotel features dining restaurant, outdoor tennis court, hamman, Spa, swimming pool and fitness center. The location of the hotel is also exquisite since it is close to various places and destinations in the city. The atmosphere of the hotel’s location includes Great Mosque in Tlemcen which was completed in 1136.

Try the hotel’s restaurant, Al Bustan, is one of the best restaurant in the city with Mediterranean foods. Taste the unique flavors of the region. The guests can also try Arabesque restaurant with unique taste of traditional Asian Cuisine. Enjoy also comfortable lobby lounge and bar area as well as the Mirage Night Club.
This is a big and complete hotel. It also has meeting and special events with flexible space up to 2500m with two reception rooms, a conference room with six simultaneous translation booth as well as high speed internet connection. The hotel is built to satisfy the traveler who wants to enjoy the entire combination of local cuisine, design and luxurious amenities.

Renaissance Tlemcen hotel is always ready to please every guest on their arrival.

How to Improve Hotel Business Significantly?

Today’s competitive environment requires us to be more than just an average person.

We have to work harder than ever if we want to be more successful in developing the Hotel business.

Here are tips to be the best person in the battlefield.

Best Practices

You may have already gained knowledge about this one. We can learn to get significant benefits by using the best practices properly. There are three things to remember when using best practices.
- Best practices are strongly connected only with performance. See them as ideas to get some solutions instead of merely answers to the problems.
- Among the numerous useful sources, pick press media, trade associations, fellow hoteliers, customers and suppliers information, and books.
- Be very careful before applying a practice. You have to grasp a thorough understanding before using it in your business.

Refurbishing

Renewal process brings advancement. Pay attention to the 6 cornerstones of the refurbishing process below:
- Note how the process occurs, not how it should occur.
- Evaluation of the steps taken is really important
- If possible, don’t use estafet system because the error potential is high in this system.
- Prioritize error minimization instead of pace.
- Do not take steps sequentially. Steps parallelly.
- Lessen the processing time variance

Do not underestimate benchmarking

While it is largely forgotten in the process of improvement, benchmarking turns out to be a simple idea that can lead to a great accomplishment of hoteliers. The process of benchmarking concerns about grabbing the best ways to be the best by doing the best.
Here are 4 benchmarking types:
- Intercompany benchmarking: The analysis of key areas’ performance.
- Competitive company benchmarking: It is a process when you visit your competitors and analyze their practices.
- Similar company benchmarking: It is a process when you visit your fellow businessmen that run a business whether in the same field or just similar.
- Functional benchmarking: The process of analyzing a certain function of companies.

Pegasus Solutions (www.pegs.com) is an organization that provides services of electronic commerce and transaction processing to the hotel industry across the world. Their report that was released on January 24 said during December 2011hotel market around the world enjoyed the increases of the 2010’s average daily rates paid by customers.

The rates of leisure hotel in North America grew 6.3 percent. On June, the rates even reached +6.5 percent. Meanwhile, the market beyond North America got a great leap 7.5 percent from December 2010. The corporate rates are in North America grew 5.4 percent, and those on the outside of the territory only gained a 1.7 percent increase.

The CEO of Pegasus Solutions, Mike Kistner, explained that global bookings were great in December. However, compared to the gains in December 2010, there was a 4.6 percent decrease. But rates raised significantly either on global or regional levels, he said.

The reservations for leisure occasion in North American had a 5.7 percent decrease compared to the data in 2010. Perhaps, it was caused by the lack of the snow in the ski resorts destination.

The temperatures were also rather warm considering the winter season. In the meantime, the market beyond North America grew with a 3.3. percent increase on bookings. But the worldwide corporate bookings decreased 3.4 percent of the prior year, while in North America, the decrease was 4.5 percent. If the other markets were combined, the dropping levels were 2.7 percent.

The report published in The Pegasus View was collected from billions of transactions processed by Pegasus Solutions every month. It represents the information obtained from both ADS and GDS transactions. The number of hotels involved in the data are about 90,000 from all around the world.

The face of travel world will soon be transformed by the development of new technology and social change. There is a report that connects technology and travel namely “From chaos to collaboration” with subtitle “how trans-formative technologies will herald a new era in travel.”

So, are you ready to welcome the new age, the age of technology that will change the face of the world, even without the presence of Steven Jobs? The report published by The Futures Company that concerns about the partnership of travel and technology industry said that the customers would like to remove the stress, chaos and uncertainty feeling that is generally connected with the act of travelling in the era of 2000s. In the same time, they expect deeper, richer and also more personal experience in traveling.

The report was yielded from a research that involved many experts in technology, travel industry, futurists, and social trends from countries like the US, China, Brazil, Russia, UAE, Spain and the UK. There were 6 keys that they explored to analyze the possibility of the deployment of innovation and technology in the future:

1. The new traveling experience
Travel experience will be transformed by the presence of technologies like gamification and augmented reality (AR).

2. Automatic transit
The system of transiting in one place to get to the other place will be changed by new systems brought by advanced technologies like biometrics, chips, etc.

3. Pay with memory
A digital system created for the payments will be used in travel industry.

4. Intelligent suggestion
Travelers will have the chance to get a richer experience by examining the recommendations of other travelers that have posted reviews about some place based on their own experience.

5. Get rid of the stress
People tend to get stress when there is an unexpected occurrence happening when they are in the middle of a travel. Mobile-Health application could be the solution.

6. The business tourist
The rise of business tourist requires efficiency and speed. And it means advanced technology.”