WORLDHOTELS: Driving better relationships with travel agencies via the BAR program

WORLDHOTELS, the hotel group for individual hotels, wanted travel agents and travellers to know they will always get the best available rate. The Amadeus BAR (Best Available Rate) guarantee enables them to do just that.

80 per cent of WORLDHOTELS reservations come through the GDS so, as Christine Butsmann, WORLDHOTELS Director of Electronic Distribution, explained, good relationships with travel agents are critical. “We want travel agents to know that we are on their side, and that we value them.”

That is why WORLDHOTELS is part of the Amadeus BAR (Best Available Rate) programme. Under the scheme, participating hotels guarantee to supply Amadeus with rates that are the same or lower than those available through other distribution systems, branded websites or the hotel’s own call centre. Travel agents, booking through Amadeus, have the reassurance that they always get the best deal on their bookings.

Over 70 hotel brands have signed up to the Amadeus Best Available Rate programme since it was launched. A sample of seven of the largest hotel chains to participate, representing over 6,000 properties, all saw their bookings through Amadeus increase following participation in the programme. In the majority of cases, bookings grew by between 10 per cent and 30 per cent.

WORLDHOTELS joined the BAR programme in February 2006 and soon had hotels across its 500 strong portfolio participating. “Initially a couple of hotels needed a little prompting to understand how to get the most from BAR. We had to explain that they needed to adjust their BAR for each and every day in each season. They soon got the hang of it – and today they love the programme.”

As well as fostering relationships with travel agents, Christine Butsmann believes Amadeus BAR helps protect the integrity of hotel brands. “Bookers have confidence that the hotel is giving them value.” For Revenue Managers, she sees a further advantage with the ability to focus on a single rate, rather than a rash of variable promotional rates.

Hotels using Amadeus BAR are happy, and so it appears are travel agents. Since WORLDHOTELS implemented Amadeus BAR in February they have seen a significant and steady rise in reservations coming through the Amadeus GDS.