Distribución y Revenue Management

🏨 Spanish hotels increased occupancy levels with average room rates at €162.8 during the first three quarters of 2024, marking a 10.4% year-over-year rise. Marbella led with the highest rates, averaging €323, a jump from €296 the previous year. Following was Baleares at €209.5, up from €190.4 in 2023. Barcelona's average rate was €193.6, Madrid €166.8, Málaga €160.6, and Canaries €154. Occupancy rates grew moderately to 75.4%, 2.4% higher than last year, with Málaga topping at 85.3%.

🏨 The first Hyatt Centric hotel in the Caribbean, located in Ensanche Piantini, Santo Domingo, offers 130 rooms and suites. It features meeting space for 358 people, an 11th-floor terrace for weddings and events, a gym, and a rooftop pool. The hotel boasts four dining options, including a restaurant with local and international flavors, a lobby bar, a café, and a rooftop bar with a live DJ. Luis Emilio Gómez García, the general manager, aims to create memorable guest experiences and showcase Piantini's culture and attractions. Hyatt Centric is a lifestyle hotel brand with 60 properties worldwide.

🏡 The HOSTELTUR Ranking lists executives from the top 35 Spanish hotel chains by revenue, based on sales data for 2023 and 2022. The headquarters of 80% of these companies are located in just three autonomous communities: Balearic Islands (14 companies), Catalonia (8), and the Community of Madrid (7). Revenue data for 2023 began to be published in October. Upcoming reports will analyze sales evolution over the last decade and compare revenue growth with room number increases. Additional rankings will be released in 2024, detailing the number of hotels and rooms for over a hundred Spanish hotel chains.

💳 In Sevilla, during the Tourism Innovation Summit, Antonio Morales from Voxel—a company part of Amadeus—emphasized the need for digital transformation in hotels, particularly for B2B travelers, for greater effectiveness and convenience. Jorge Sánchez of Accenture highlighted how digitalization has changed payment methods, while Jesús Ferreiro from Outpayce noted the irreplaceable value of in-person interactions. They concurred on the importance of managing everything from a single platform, improving payment security and the traveler’s experience, and the distinction between digitalization and digital transformation—the latter being a change in organizational processes. B2B clients are also vital, as they bring in business, and the industry must ensure they're satisfied with efficient and fast processes.

📍 Pedro Fiol, president of Aviba (Asociación de Agencias de Viajes de Baleares), warns of unethical practices by airlines, accusing some, such as Ryanair, Easyjet, Volotea, and Vueling, of price speculation. He highlights a low-cost carrier's unfair price increase for the first checked bag through travel agency channels. Fiol emphasizes the importance of monitoring transactions to protect residents' interests, stating no irregularities in the 75% airline bonus utilization have been found. Aviba's role is to share information among members to detect and address such malpractices.

💰 Destinia cut ties with Trivago over a pricing policy change effective October 22, citing a shift from variable to fixed commission rates that nearly doubles costs from under 4% to 8-9% per sale. The move is expected to result in a 10% revenue loss for Destinia, whose 35% repeat customer base after 12 months is at odds with Trivago's pricing. Google Hotels is expanding in Europe with 11.2% market share versus Trivago's 1.3%. Expedia and Booking may benefit as smaller OTAs struggle with new costs.

🏡 The Ayuntamiento de Cartagena, led by Mayor Noelia Arroyo, is in advanced talks with the Ministry of Defence to purchase the Fajardo military complex, aiming to transform it into a luxury hotel while preserving its history. AC Hoteles by Marriott, headed by Antonio Catalán, expressed interest in managing the hotel under The Luxury Collection brand. The announcement was made on October 25, 2024, with the project expected to place Cartagena on the map for quality tourism.

💸 Destinia ended its partnership with Trivago due to a significant commission increase announced by Trivago to combat the effects of Google on hotel bookings, potentially resulting in a 10% loss of revenue for the OTA. Trivago informed online agencies in early October about the new fixed commission rate, effective from October 22, which could amount to 8-9% of each sale, nearly doubling the previous rate that rarely exceeded 4%. Destinia’s CEO, Ricardo Fernández, expressed the company's refusal to pass these costs onto customers despite the risk of losing 10% of their turnover.

✈ Easyjet is offering over €200,000 as a starting salary for pilots at Gatwick Airport to compete with its rival, British Airways. The demand for pilots increased post-pandemic due to an unexpected recovery in tourism and travel, requiring airlines to expand their schedules. The shortage has been exacerbated because pilot training was halted during the pandemic, leading to a salary war in London, particularly at Gatwick Airport, where Easyjet leads and British Airways operates primarily long-haul flights from Heathrow. British Airways, through its subsidiary EuroFlyer, offers lower salaries but with promotion prospects outside of Gatwick.

📈 Daniya Denia, part of Daniya Hotels group with 122 rooms, after positive results in 2023, sought Mirai Consulting for improvement potential analysis in terms of occupancy, ADR, Revpar, distribution, direct sales, and revenue. Following the early-year action plan, by mid-2024, the hotel witnessed substantial increases in all metrics, with even better prospects for direct sales. Carlos Buedo, the hotel's director, expressed satisfaction with both the process and the economic results, considering similar strategies for Hotel Daniya Alicante.