The integration will allow STAAH partner properties direct access to sell their inventory on HappyEasyGo.

India’s second-largest online travel agency in terms of flight bookings, HappyEasyGo, has announced a partnership with the global hospitality industry’s leading cloud-based distribution and booking platform, STAAH. The agreement enlists HappyEasyGo among the 250+ channels integrated with STAAH’s Instant and Max Channel Managers.

“As a global distribution giant and a leader in this space in the Indian market, partnering with STAAH was an obvious choice,” says Sanjeet Kumar Singh, Director – Hotel Business, HappyEasyGo.

As a leading OTA in India, this partnership presents STAAH’s growing portfolio of partner properties an opportunity to reach and attract more guests from the Indian subcontinent and beyond.

“We are very happy to partner with HappyEasyGo, providing our accommodation partners yet another channel to market their inventory and availability through,” says Tarun Joukani, Commercial Director – STAAH. “Each of HappyEasyGo’s hotel clients benefits from their local presence and commitment to developing both the domestic and global travel market.”

Hotel managers who are listed on HappyEasyGo say they are excited about the opportunities and efficiencies that this integration brings, especially as times are tough and every booking matters.

HappyEasyGo is rapidly expanding to cater to the travel needs of its widening customer base in India. In late 2018 HappyEasyGo started online hotel bookings featuring Hotel content through multiple suppliers and now HappyEasyGo has developed their own hotel distribution platform through in-house technology and are ready to establish long term direct relationship with hotel partners.

About HappyEasyGo
An Online Travel Platform established in May 2017, HappyEasyGo is one of India’s leading online travel agencies majorly funded by 10Fund, Samsung, KIP, CITIC capital, ZigExn and UOB bank. Within just 2.5 years of its inception, it became the No. 2 OTA in the country in terms of flight booking volume with over 25,000 flight tickets booked daily through its various platforms. The company among the top 5 travel portals in India having offices in Gurugram, Shanghai, Singapore and Hong Kong with current headcount of over 700+.

As the industry is seeing early signs that people are starting to book travel again. STAAH partner Booking.com shares some advice and insights for accommodation providers to look into.

To help you attract these guests, STAAH partner Booking.com has created a Recovery Toolkit which contains advice and insights to support you and your property as we begin to emerge from this difficult period.

Focus on your fundamentals:

High-quality content.

Update your content to the current situation to reassure potential guests on hygiene measures.

Availability.

This comprises three simple and understandable steps.

• Set up your rooms in your calendar.
• Load rates and availability for all your rooms.
• Attach policies so that guests can make informed decisions.

For more information please visit HERE

Set-up sustainable rate plans.

Offering a mix of different rates can help you gain higher visibility and attract more bookings. Booking.com’s pricing foundations advice will help you set up rate types to drive more occupancy. Read more HERE

Secure future bookings.

Boost your visibility and capture domestic demand as it starts to pick up again.

Setting Country rates can target domestic travellers – Read more HERE and easily set your domestic rates via STAAH HERE

As mobile devices are increasingly used to search, consider setting mobile rates as part of your strategy – Read more HERE and easily set your mobile rates via STAAH HERE

Offer flexibility to travellers.

Booking.com is making it easier for guests to find properties that allow free cancellation. Consider the advice HERE

If you need more guidance around what to do please refer to Booking.com‘s Property Recovery kit HERE

Continuing the trend of bringing you the best, here is a quick list of product updates, enhancements and features, that you should take note of, for the near future.

Here is a quick list of product updates, enhancements and features, that you should take note of, for the near future.

STAAH MAX CRS – Package Information

When making a booking, it is important for the booker to know what they are getting for the price they are paying. The new package information tool allows you to see what is included in the package while making a booking through the CRS module. Allowing you to sell the package that best meets your bookers needs. To find out more click here

STAAH MAX – New Feature Email Sender

We are happy to introduce ‘Email sender feature. Currently all booking notifications generated via STAAH, using a dedicated STAAH email address. This new Email sender feature allows properties to select their own email address as the sender, for email notifications generated by STAAH. To find out more click here

Enhancement – Group level promo code Package/Property selection

New Integrations and Enhancements

Integrations:

Bedandbreakfast – Online Travel Agent
Happyeasygo (GetAPI) – Online Trave Agent
Network LLC – Payment Gateway
Red Dot – Payment Gateway
HDFC – Payment Gateway
Openhotelier – Property Management System

New Features / Enhancements

Sagepay:  Charge Card now available
Channel Insights: 
– Property breakdown (group level) – a breakdown display of each property. Default display is the total. To view all channels select the View More arrow.
– Option to export channel insights.

Hope the above excites you as much as it excites us. We will keep you updated on new enhancements, features and releases, as we continue striving towards building great experiences for our partners.

Feel free to browse our blog for the latest tips and trends in Hospitality Industry. Do connect with us at support@staah.com in case you need any support around our products.

Forward-thinking hotels are using gift vouchers as COVID-19 almost dries up the cashflow.

STAAH property owners reported selling more than (NZD) $500,000  worth of vouchers using the STAAH Gift Voucher Engine from January to June 2020 (six months). The cutting-edge gift management system is used by properties across the globe.

With a greatly reduced demand worldwide for hotel stays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, forward-thinking initiatives on gift vouchers are benefiting guests who are prepared to invest now and reap the rewards later, says Edwin Saldanha, Regional Manager – Oceania, STAAH Ltd.

“The biggest winners are hoteliers for whom this cash injection is just what is needed to ride this wave.”

Often underrated in a property’s marketing mix, gift vouchers have a high return on investment (depending on how you manage and promote it). Another huge bonus is the low redemption.

“Nearly 30% of the gift vouchers are never redeemed according to various surveys,” says Edwin. “This means instant revenue and bottom-line profit.”

STAAH’s Voucher Engine is an off-the-shelf, feature-rich e-shop. It bolts into a hotel’s existing website and is completely customisable to fit the existing brand look and feel. The result is an attractive gift voucher shop for your hotel’s website that is easy to use and simple to manage at the backend.

The set-up is easy and once hoteliers start promoting it, including selling the experience on their booking engine, the results can be almost immediate.

We saw two of our properties bank nearly (NZD) $5,000 – Chateau Tongariro Hotel and Wairakei Resort Taupo – within two weeks of being set up on the STAAH Gift Voucher Engine, says Edwin.

He attributes the stellar result to a combination of smart promotions like offering gifting ideas, today deals, exciting packages, etc and tying in with the booking engine to sell the experience – or upsell where possible.

Heritage Hotels, Chateau Tongariro Hotel, Wairakei Resort Taupo, etc are among other New Zealand properties that are using the STAAH Gift Voucher Engine. The platform is especially designed to meet the needs of the hospitality and tourism industries.

Commenting on the technology and product plan, Edwin says, “We continuously evolve our products to ensure our technology stays ahead of the industry needs.”

“With STAAH Voucher Engine, we’d like to continue its seamless integration with the booking engine, adding in online redemption as another feature.”

With the effects of the pandemic already affecting almost every property owner, now is the time to work out how you will increase revenue and cashflow. Gift vouchers present the perfect opportunity.

Property managers keen to increase the online potential of their properties can enquire about integration with STAAH Gift Voucher Engine via their STAAH Partner Service contact or get in touch with an account manager.

The two-way connection will allow property managers to synchronise their property data and increase their reach online.

Leading cloud distribution platform, STAAH has announced its partnership with HomeAway, one of the largest global providers of bookable holiday rental inventory. The connection will enable mutual customers to capitalise on the demand for holiday rentals once global travel restrictions following the COVID-19 pandemic are eased.

For busy property managers, this means a seamless information connection as updates made to rates, availability or listing details on STAAH are automatically reflected on HomeAway. Bookings made via the holiday rentals platform will automatically sync to your STAAH channel manager. STAAH partners on both Instant and Max cloud distribution platforms will benefit from this real-time connection.

The pursuit of authentic and personal experiences put holiday rentals top-of-mind for modern travelers,” says Tarun Joukani, Commercial Director from STAAH. “For managers of such rentals, this has meant finding an efficient booking and distribution platform to reach these travelers. We’re proud to partner with HomeAway that does a fantastic job of filling this need. 

The STAAH–HomeAway connection, which went live at the end of April 2020 has already seen a quick pick-up among property managers keen to back into the game post COVID-19 by expanding their reach via multiple online booking platforms. The connection saves property managers hours in managing updates manually across platforms while avoiding possible errors.

With daily rates and availability management taken care of, property managers can focus on growing their business,” says Tarun Joukani, Commercial Director at STAAH. “And here, STAAH’s detailed insights come in handy, allowing property managers to make informed decisions around revenue.

The STAAH platform comprises of cloud-based channel management, booking engine, website builder, online reputation management, and a gift voucher management platform. With more than 10,000 partners globally, STAAH’s meteoric rise is attributed to its sound technology and high reach combined with a user-first approach that makes it very simple to use.

Property managers keen to increase the online potential of their holiday rentals can enquire about this integration via their STAAH Partner Service or view the connection flow here

Continuing the trend of bringing you the best, here is a quick list of product updates, enhancements and features, that you should take note of, for the near future.

STAAH MAX- STRUCTURED CANCELLATION POLICY

Creating cancellation policies specific to your property requirements. Cancellation policy created at group level will be visible to all properties within the group. To know more click here

STAAH INSTANT – Group Export Booking Function

We have added a function in group login/ account which allows property to extract booking report for all properties linked to the group account. A report can be extracted for a maximum of 10 properties. To know more click here

STAAH MAX ROOM PRIORITY DISPLAY

This feature is available for STAAH MAX Booking Engine. It allows you to change the priority of the room type display as per the setup in booking engine. To know more click here

INSTANT ENHANCEMENT Booking.com High Demand date Opportunities

This module provides a platform for OTA partners to highlight business opportunities that can help a property improve their performance or guests experience. Data is retrieved from OTA via an API (Provided by OTA). To know more click here

STAAH MAX Integrations & Enhancements

Integrations: now available in MAX2

Roonsoft

iHotel

Bobobox

ABS

Roiback

Netroomz

Stayingat

e-Globe

Rateping

Callistacloud: PMS now supports receiving deposit amount (Live in Instant/MAX/MAX2).

Booking Engine: Display Sold Rooms – Flexi View

The feature allows a property to display all rooms on the Flexi view booking engine.

Option to enable via available in extranet.

Login > Booking engine > Booking engine permission > enable toggle.

Properties without MAX plan – flag is via Superadmin permissions page.

By default, rooms that have availability for 14 days from the selected date are displayed.

Package display: Package tile is visible when 2 or more packages are available for selected dates.

By default, the package tile is not visible when one package is available.

Booker can view package info by selecting the package info or (i) icon.

WMR widget: STAAH has changed the display name of OTAs on the widget.

Agodaycs – now Agoda (Instant and MAX2).

AirbnbContent – now Airbnb (MAX2)

Dashboard: STAAH has added Tips and Trends tiles to the MAX dashboard. Your dashboard will now display:

Your Services

Tips and Trends

Inactivity Logout:

Users will be logged out of the Extranet after 30 minutes of inactivity.

5 minutes before logout, users will receive and alert that the session is about to expire.

Hope the above excites you as much as it excites us. We will keep you updated on new enhancements, features and releases, as we continue striving towards building great experiences for our partners.

Feel free to browse our blog for the latest tips and trends in Hospitality Industry. Do connect with us at support@staah.com in case you need any support around our products.

She’s trendy and fashionable, a travel enthusiast, theatre-artist, a multi-talented happy-go personality, and most importantly very passionate about her career.

Meet Aishwarya Naik, Business Development Manager from STAAH India.

Tell us a bit about your career in hospitality/ technology and the journey to STAAH

Well… I started my career working for an IT Company as a MEAN Stack Developer, right after pursuing a Master’s in IT. It was a great learning experience into the corporate environment, I was working on various projects for clients in the USA and Africa, gathering their requests, developing, and delivering the same on a regular basis.

Soon, I realized I’m more of a People’s person rather than a PC person, and that’s when I decided on making a switch. After taking a short break of a few months I came across STAAH through LinkedIn, and couldn’t resist myself from applying for an exciting opportunity with the company, having over 10,000 partners globally across 90+ countries.

2. What do you like the most about STAAH and your job?

In the past, I was working for a local company, the work environment was quite rigid, wearing the uniforms every day made it feel like School days. But here at STAAH, I have been enjoying my work as everyone is open to new ideas, asking for inputs, having the freedom and liberty to get the work done in your own way, I also get the required support and guidance whenever in need and we all work as a team.

“I am fond of traveling and here I got the opportunity to visit hundreds of properties in different cities of Western India; it was a wonderful experience, organizing a few STAAH Big connect events.”

Pertaining the current scenario the past few months have been challenging, but looking at the brighter side, it has been a learning experience, it has allowed me to get involved at many levels, learning more about our customers and channel partners; I’ve conducted many team building activities within the department.

“I am optimistic and motivated to bounce ideas around and see how we can move forward when things get tough.”

3. Your success mantra?

“I always believe that “Actions speak louder than the words”.

4. Your interests outside STAAH. Do they help you do your job better?

I love traveling, it makes me feel alive. I have touched down more than 20 countries by this year and looking forward to finishing my bucket list by the next 10 years.

Also, I am actively involved in acting, initiated as a theatre artist then I got the chance to do several projects on a professional basis including – music videos, short films, and commercial ads.
Finally, in between the two jobs, I got a big break into a movie as lead and it was the most wonderful experience so far.
I think all these experiences, build your persona better, helping you to do your job more confidently and efficiently.

Aishwarya Naik is from STAAH India, based at the STAAH Surat Office. If you are looking for a hospitality solution for your accommodation property, you may get in touch with her at aishwarya@staah.com

The Khyber Himalayan Resort & Spa in Jammu & Kashmir, India chooses STAAH as its distribution partner.

Leading cloud distribution platform, STAAH has announced the addition of the luxurious Khyber Himalayan Resort & Spa to its network. Located in the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir, the 85-room resort boasts views of the mighty Himalayas and conifer forest, spa, a heated pool, and a number of dining options. Located a short walk from Gulmarg’s top attractions, the gondola, and wildlife sanctuary, it is a magnet for leisure travelers, from families to couples.

As it aims to strengthen its domestic footprint and expand global reach, the luxury accommodation provider has chosen STAAH to provide seamless distribution via its Max Channel Manager and stay ahead of the competition with RateSTalk. STAAH Max channel manager integrates with more than 200 online travel agents (OTAs) globally.

“STAAH, in my opinion, is the most well-rounded and comprehensive distribution management system that allows you to efficiently and effectively reach and attract guests,” says M. C. Dashora, Director Finance, The Khyber Himalayan Resort & Spa.

STAAH Max is a real-time channel manager that is customizable and scalable to meet the unique needs of every property. Founded on STAAH’s reliable and sustainable technology, it offers advanced smart rates and availability management features including dynamic pricing and drip feed that allows you to maximize the profitability of every room.

“The connection has already seen our reach increase and we’re seeing bookings go up despite the current travel environment.”

He also commented on STAAH’s simple interface. “It is designed with a user-first approach. We have been able to easily train our staff and get up and running with STAAH in no time.” He is also appreciative of the hands-on support the local STAAH team extended to the group to set-up and manage the platform.

“We are delighted to be the technology partner of choice for The Khyber Resort & Spa,” says Tarun Joukani, Commercial Director – STAAH. “We are confident our distribution solution will allow the resort to increase its global visibility and increase bookings, profitably.”

STAAH’s industry-leading channel manager provides properties with connections to more than 200 booking sites, payment gateways, property management systems, and GDS. The channel manager powers bookings to more than 10,000 hotels across more than 90 countries.

About The Khyber Himalayan Resort & Spa

The Khyber Himalayan Resort & Spa is an 85-room luxury resort located in the lap of the Himalayan Pir Panjal ranges. Designed to pamper, it offers plush interiors, fine cuisine and restorative treatments in its world-class spa. A ski resort by winter and summer haven, the property is an attractive retreat for leisure travellers year-round.

The leading Indian hospitality group opts for the STAAH Gift Voucher System to bring in additional revenues in a slow market.

An early adopter of innovative hospitality practices and the fastest going hotel chain in India, Lemon Tree Hotels, has added gift vouchers to its marketing mix. It’s the latest offering will be powered by the STAAH Gift Voucher Engine, a plug-and-use, feature-rich e-shop to sell gift vouchers on the brand’s website.

“There is no quick-fix for the current crisis faced by the travel and hospitality industry,” says Prasad Iyer, Vice President – Digital, e-commerce, Distribution & Rewards, Lemon Tree Hotels. “By taking innovative steps, the impact of the pandemic on revenues can slowly be reversed. The addition of gift vouchers in our marketing mix adds another revenue stream, to counter the reduction of revenue from the corporate segment.”

“For our guests, both existing and new, the addition of gift vouchers brings in greater flexibility to enjoy the Lemon Tree experience.”

Prasad also pointed to the long-term benefits of gift voucher marketing as it brings instant cash flow into the business. “This revenue will immediately add to the topline and a part of it (unutilized vouchers) will go to the bottom line.”

The gift vouchers will market all of the group’s 81 properties across 49 destinations. Launched in August 2020, Lemon Tree is currently offering cash discounts via its gift vouchers. “The plan is to expand this into offers, tailoring it based on seasonality, demand, and availability to grow it into a robust and highly profitable revenue stream.” Guests can expect experiences around food and beverage, wellness, etc. as part of this offering.

Gift card marketing has seen a significant uptake in recent months as hospitality businesses look for alternate revenue streams in these difficult times.

“Our New Zealand partners reported more than half a million dollars (NZD) in gift voucher sales in the first six months of 2020,” says Tarun Joukani, Commercial Director STAAH India Ltd.

“For guests, gift cards bring flexibility to book and go for attractive offers. When combined with their easy online access and redemption, they make a popular purchase,” he adds. From a property’s perspective, instant cash injection apart, gift vouchers present an opportunity to increase the visibility of your property and showcase its features.

It can be effectively combined with the hotel cancellation policy where gift vouchers are offered for guests looking to cancel non-refundable rates. “Building loyalty and being flexible in times like this is critical to business sustainability,” says Tarun.

The STAAH Gift Voucher Engine is an off-the-shelf e-commerce platform that can be plugged into the hotel company’s brand website. The engine can be customized to fit the look and feel of the hotel brand. Easy-to-use, it takes the hassle of managing gift card sales and redemption off the operations team, making it a seamless experience for both the guest and the property.

“STAAH is an existing distribution partner,” says Prasad. “Their technology is reliable, scalable, and easy-to-use. Partnering with them for gift voucher marketing made sense.”

When it comes to promoting the gift vouchers, all relevant channels will be activated, including email, search, and social marketing. “Offline promotions will also be pushed as we aim to leverage the loyalty of guests who have experienced our brand.”

About Lemon Tree Hotels

Lemon Tree Hotels Limited is India’s largest hotel chain in the mid-priced hotel sector, and the third-largest overall, on the basis of controlling interest in owned and leased rooms, as of June 30, 2017, according to the Horwath Report. We operate in the upscale segment and in the mid-market sector, consisting of the upper-midscale, midscale, and economy segments. We deliver differentiated yet superior service offerings, with a value-for-money proposition.

LTHL opened its first hotel with 49 rooms in May 2004 and currently operates: 8,050 rooms in 81 hotels (including Keys hotels) across 49 destinations, in India and abroad, under its various brands viz. Aurika Hotels & Resorts, Lemon Tree Premier, Lemon Tree Hotels, Red Fox Hotels, Keys Prima, Keys Select, and Keys Lite. As the current pipeline becomes operational, LTHL will be operating 108 hotels with ~10,700 rooms, across 69 destinations, in India and abroad.

Lemon Tree Hotels, including Keys Hotels, are located across India, in metro regions including the NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai, as well as numerous other tier I and tier II cities such as Pune, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Indore, Aurangabad, Udaipur, Vishakhapatnam, Kochi, Ludhiana, Thiruvananthapuram and Vijayawada.The company expanded internationally with hotels opening in Dubai in December 2019 and in Bhutan in February 2020. New hotels are also set to open internationally in Bhutan and Nepal.

The growing Middle east hospitality group has turned to STAAH’s cloud-based technology to increase visibility and drive bookings.

The Al Khoory Group that owns five hotels in Dubai, operating as Al Khoory Inn Hotel and Urban Al Khoory Hotel, announced STAAH as its distribution partner. The partnership will see STAAH streamline the distribution of Al Khoory properties to online booking channels and grow direct bookings via its websites.

“We chose STAAH for its connectivity and seamless integration,” says Arun Kumar, GM Hospitality, Al Khoory Hotels. “It is being used for one of our new hotels since the beginning of 2020 and we hope this partnership only strengthens with time.”

Mr. Kumar added that the STAAH platform provides a hassle-free user journey. “On the website, bookings can be completed in the matter of a few clicks.”

Al Khoory uses STAAH Max Booking Engine, a high-performing booking solution that is rich in features, completely customizable, and built to improve guest acquisition.

Working in the dynamic landscape of an online world and driving a complex pricing strategy meant the Al Khoory Group also needed to adopt a flexible, autonomous, and easy-to-use distribution solution that the hotel staff could adapt quickly.

STAAH Max Channel Manager filled this requirement well. With more than 200 connections, STAAH has enabled Al Khoory to reach further and increase yield and RevPar. It ensures quick, real-time updates and a systematic way to manage inventory and rates.

“STAAH’s user-friendly interface has helped us to concentrate more on the business instead of technical hassles of online distribution. The mobile app helps in managing inventory and the rates on the go,” says Amit Kumar, Revenue & Reservations Manager, Al Khoory Hotels.

Commenting on the partnership, Tarun Joukani, Commercial Director for STAAH India Ltd. says, “STAAH provides every hotel an opportunity to acquire more guests and we’re delighted to support Al Khoory Hotels with this. Thanks to the automation our platform brings, Al Khoory Hotels can focus on really enhancing that experience for today’s traveller who seeks comfort and detail.”

Al Khoory Hotels’ properties are located in key places across Dubai. The 69-key Al Khoory Inn Hotel in Bur Dubai offers guests a delightful and satisfying stay – cozy and comfortable. Located close to the business center and local attractions, it is perfect for both leisure and business travelers. 92-key Urban Al Khoory Hotel offers an innovative, vibrant, and modern ambiance in a magnificent part of Dubai – Al Qouz. Handy to shopping, local attractions, and the business district it offers indulgent views of Dubai and taste of the city’s high life.

“Al Khoory hotels are located in a prime position to capitalize on both international and domestic travel,” says Tarun. “We look forward to further fuelling their growth and success.”

About Al Khoory Hotels

The Al Khoory Group currently has five Dubai properties in its hospitality portfolio under the Al Khoory Hotels (www.alkhooryhotels.com) brand, a name that has differentiated itself in the marketplace by aligning its business activities to Sharia principles of hospitality. Al Khoory Hotels is part of the diversified company, which in addition to hospitality, has expanded in a variety of industries including real estate, automobile, equipment trading, and servicing, water pump assembly, electric control panels, waste disposal bins and chutes and electric generators. The group has established its presence all over the UAE and Oman.

Continuing the trend of bringing you the best, here is a quick list of product updates, enhancements and features, that you should take note of, for the near future.

STAAH MAX

MAX – CRM Partner

How does it work?·

1. Property interested in upselling tool, to contact preferred CRM partner
2. Obtain all product information, cost, agreement etc directly from CRM partner
3. Arrange contract directly with CRM partner
4. CRM integration is available to all MAX subscribers at no additional cost
5. Once contract established with preferred CRM partner, simply proceed to enable connection via MAX extranet.

For all information read here

Booking.com Opportunities – High Demand Date

This feature highlights upcoming popular stay dates (based on guests’ searches on Booking.com’s platform), alongside your most popular rooms.  Properties are alerted when they no longer have inventory available on Booking.com for popular dates. For more information read here

STAAH MAX RateSTalk

It is now time for a fresh design and some new features. We have revamped RateSTalk and ready to release this new look.

What is new?

1. Layout and design
2. Menu with dashboard
3. Calendar Grid with 14-day display
4. Rate Audit View > Indicating lowest rate offered on various channel(s) for each day
5. Month View
6. Report module
7. Option to configure minimum length of stay

To know more

STAAH MAX Booking Engine

Disable Bedding Options in MAX Booking Engine

We have provided properties with the ability to hide the bedding option on the STAAH MAX Booking Engine. This means that bookers will not be able to see/select the bedding options available for a specific room type. To know more read here  

STAAH MAX – Advertisement Feature

Property can use this feature for advertisements e.g. an event, promotion, partner. It is displayed on booking confirmation page, allowing your bookers to select the advertisement as soon as the booking is made.

Feature available to MAX Booking Engine subscribers. To know more read here

Pay Now / Pay Later with MAX Booking Engine

STAAH MAX – New Feature – Add Service

The new add service feature allows you to add an additional service to an existing direct booking. This is automated and gives you the option to upsell the booking. To know more read here

STAAH MAX – CRS Payment link

Changes to the CRS payment link, means a new fresh design. The new layout highlights the information that is important to the booker, making the user experience easier . To know more read here

STAAH MAX VR

STAAH MAX – New Feature  – Security deposit

A feature for VR properties, allowing you to apply security deposit charges. Security deposit is easy to use and gives you the flexibility to choose the room type(s) to apply to. To know more read here

WatchMyRate Enhancement

Blackout dates, option to select packages applicable to WMR discount and tool to customise the colour of WMR widget.

Flex view

Room information will be displayed in ‘Read more’ link, the current bed icon will be removed.

Hope the above excites you as much as it excites us. We will keep you updated on new enhancements, features and releases, as we continue striving towards building great experiences for our partners.

With a bag full of experience in the tech and hospitality industry, Meet Pete Bejraksa, Senior Business Development Manager, STAAH Thailand.

Tell us a bit about your career in hospitality/ technology and the journey to STAAH

I hold a Master’s degree in Information Technology therefore after graduation, I started exploring my world with the Tech Companies from Start-Up to big corporations, including Hardware to Software, B2B to B2C, and ended up with Tech for Hospitality with my beloved STAAH now.

Before joining STAAH Thailand,  10 years back, I worked with Inspire Venture, a company that creates, launches, and operates businesses for solving and filling unique value-chain gaps faced by Southeast Asia businesses and consumers.

I  have also worked with 2 other companies (Promandate and Tapsey). After that, I explored my career in Boost Thailand where I always worked closely with Hotel owners and hotel chains.

I always found myself enjoying working with the hospitality industry and it led me to join STAAH Thailand as a Senior Business Development Manager.

What do you like most about STAAH and your job?

I have fallen in love with the Hospitality Industry. The job gets me to associate with hoteliers, travel around and experience the beautiful, well-decorated properties, being surrounded by smiling faces. I love people’s behavior in our industry. I enjoy myself when I offer our customers various technology solutions from the STAAH.

Revenue management is the key for the accommodation providers, post Covid19 and I feel like I work at the right place where I can assist Thailand’s major industry to have a better tomorrow.

Your success mantra?

My success mantra is having the right balance between mind, body, and soul. Finding the way to a sense of well being. Encouraging awareness of how we move through our day. Live better, work better.

Your interests outside STAAH. Do they help you do your job better?

I like to spend my free time with friends in the Travel and hospitality industry. The best part about being connected to this industry is; we can work, travel, eat, and have fun at the same time. Visiting a cool hotel is also a great idea. Yes, it helps me to work better.

If you are a Thai based accommodation provider looking for a perfect solution to increase your online reach and direct bookings feel free to get in touch with Pete Bejraksa at pete@staah.com

What you need to know about the

• Airbnb New Fee Structure

• Covid-19 Safety practices for hosts

• Quality reliability standards for Airbnb’s guests and hosts.

If you are an Airbnb host, here are few new things to take note of that can help you in your listing.

On Dec 7, 2020, simplified pricing will apply to all your listings. Simplified pricing is a fee structure that gives you more control over your price and helps attract more guests by eliminating the guest service fee.

Split-fee pricing will no longer be available for your listings. That means a 15% service fee will be deducted from your payouts, and no fee will be charged to your guests—what you set is what guests will pay.  Existing bookings won’t be affected, but this change will apply to all bookings made on or after December 7th.

What do you need to do?

• Check your prices – Since a larger service fee will be deducted from your payouts, you may want to adjust your prices through your Software Provider to ensure your earnings don’t change. Before adjusting your prices, keep in mind that it’s important to stay competitive. Airbnb observed that hosts who switched to simplified pricing and kept their prices competitive got an average of 17% more bookings*.
• Add your VAT number. To prepare for this change, please make sure that you have added your VAT information to ensure Airbnb does not withhold VAT on your host fee on Airbnb.

 *Average observed bookings increase for hosts using simplified pricing in Europe between November 2019 and February 2020. Actual results may vary for each host.

 How to adjust your prices?

1. Your new service fee structure will apply to all bookings made on or after December 7th, 2020 at 00.00 UTC. Wait until right before then to make any adjustments.
2. Use your STAAH Channel Manager to check the prices on all of the platforms you use.
3. On December 7th (or earlier if you switch before then), check that your prices are what you expect. You can test this by searching for the same trip dates across the different platforms you use. For example, compare the prices for a trip from December 20-23 to make sure your prices are still consistent.
4. Finally, keep in mind that there may be additional factors like discounts and promotions that are causing price differences.

 How to update pricing on STAAH Channel Manager?

Instructions to manage your rates via STAAH Instant Channel Manager here and  STAAH MAX here

Can a host switch to Simplified Pricing before Dec 7, 2020?

You can switch now. It will make the transition smoother and you can update your prices before the switch. It may also help you access the benefits of more control over your price sooner, such as improved guest visibility and more competitive pricing. To adopt simplified pricing now, click here.

Airbnb has developed a standard of cleaning, made specifically for hosts. Earlier this year, they partnered with health and hospitality experts to create their enhanced cleaning protocol, a set of guidelines for cleaning and sanitization. These guidelines were developed with your well-being in mind, from recommended gear to step-by-step checklists.

Airbnb is now requiring their host community to agree to their 5-step Enhanced Cleaning Process, and wear masks and social distance when interacting with guests. Airbnb’s guest community will also agree to wear masks and social distance when they confirm a booking on Airbnb. Hosts that don’t agree to these requirements by November 20, 2020, may have their calendars blocked from future bookings.

Please login to your Airbnb account to review and agree to these commitments.

Airbnb is updating their guest and host reliability standards to continue to foster a foundation
of trust within their community. They are expanding their guest reliability standards to include
new criteria in the following areas:
● Unauthorized late checkouts
● Disregard of check-in time periods
● Unauthorized pets (excluding any assistance animals )
● Interference or removal of approved security devices
● Lack of respect for your house rules that reflect Airbnb’s policies
Between now and the end of the year, Airbnb is going to invest in improvements to their
systems and processes to help make progress toward ensuring consistent enforcement,
quicker response times, and more overall accountability with their guest community.
Airbnb has also identified a few signals that point to good hosting on their platform , which
includes:
● Accuracy of listing descriptions and photos
● Dependability as a host
● Host responsiveness
● High star ratings
● Hosts that uphold Airbnb’s community standards
In the same way that Airbnb will be removing guests to help protect the Airbnb community, they will also be suspending or removing listings that show a consistent pattern of serious issues or that regularly received low review ratings and failed to meet guest expectations. In most cases, hosts with impacted listings have already been notified.

Please visit your Performance Hub on Airbnb for more info.

Looking to multiply its keys, India’s Accord Hotels and Resorts found its technology match in STAAH. Read more about its growth here.

Spread across some serene locations such as Chennai, Puducherry, and Ooty, Accord Hotels and Resorts is widespread in South India. Redefining affordable luxury, the group which began operations in 2006 with 162 keys has grown to 452 keys with another 240-key project near completion.

What sets Accord Hotels and Resorts apart is the ability of each of its three properties to offer an authentic yet immersive experience. Guests to the Accord Hotels and Resorts are treated to warm spaces, fine dining, and prompt service.

Each of our hotels is built specifically to make sure that guests are treated with utmost attention,” says Ravi Sankar .R, General Manager, Accord Chrome. “Our hotels are located in prime destinations and offer a homely and indulgent experience.

Modern technology for a modern hotel

Every hotel’s success story has a few key ingredients – an experience that guests aspire for, service that is second to none, and technology that drives efficient and effective growth.

Accord Hotels and Resorts offers the perfect mix of these ingredients, creating a dish that guests love.

Technology plays a key role in our experience,” says Ravi. “Every room in our hotels is equipped with the latest technology. From finding us on key online channels to a two-step booking process and online check-in, it is the right technology that enables us to deliver a seamless experience.

STAAH has been a part of Accord’s growth journey through its cloud-based channel management platform (STAAH Max Channel Manager) and top-of-the-line guest booking solution (STAAH Max Booking Engine).

“The STAAH platform is something you can set and forget. It is very easy to get started – by almost anyone in the team – and support, when needed, is almost instant,” says Ravi. “We greatly value the human touch STAAH provides, much like our own ethos when it comes to customer service.”

Responding to challenging times

COVID-19 has left very few untouched. The Accord Hotels and Resorts with its mix of leisure and domestic audience that extends within and beyond the Indian subcontinent is also reeling from the economic and travel standstill due to coronavirus.

“Guest safety and comfort are at the forefront of our response,” says Ravi.

“Along with making adjustments to our operations in response to the guidelines set forth by the government, we’ve had our hotel audited by multiple agencies, including Deloitte and Parikshaan to ensure no health and safety standards are compromised.”

Rigorous cleaning and sanitization, social distancing, wearing of PPE and regular training of employees are carried out to fight the virus.

Still aiming high

The virus may have slowed down the pace of growth for Accord Hotels and Resorts, but the group still has lofty goals.

“We are aiming to have a minimum of 3000 keys and 100 hotels in the next five years and at least one hotel in every continent,” says Ravi. “With the right partnerships and a continued focus on guest experience, this goal is well within our reach.”

Accord Hotels and Resorts offers supreme amenities and dedicated services to all its patrons to make their stay an unforgettable one. To find out more visit www.theaccordhotels.com

STAAH family welcomes the super talented and dynamic Kate Langer, Business Development Manager in New Zealand. We take pleasure in knowing that Kate brings to STAAH a good amount of experience and expertise acquired during her stint in the travel industry over the years.

Live wire as we would describe her, Kate is hardworking and a go-getter.  She is a post-graduate in Business Administration and Economics. Prior to joining STAAH, she has donned multiple hats ranging from a project manager, consultant, and business development. She puts her heart and soul into any project that she undertakes and ensures seamless delivery on her part. Her irresistible personality, commitment and an eye for detail is what makes working with her fun.

Here are some of the snippets during our tête-à-tête with Kate!

STAAH – Tell us a bit about your career in hospitality

Kate: I started to work for a tourism company when I was still pursuing my studies. My first job as a corporate travel consultant was quite exciting. I was managing end-to-end travel booking for a large corporate along with some customer service activities. Everything was new for me – I did not have any experience and understanding about the subject, nor did I know what I needed to do. But Yes! I had a sense of confidence and belonging to one of the world’s largest service industry.

Being a traveler, I always wanted to work for the tourism industry, as I wanted a profession that would give me the freedom to travel.  I have accepted challenging roles at different stages of my career, but hospitality always had my heart.

STAAH- How has your journey been at STAAH so far?

Kate: It has been lovely (laughs). I got to know about this role at STAAH through a friend. And it just clicked that this is the organization that I was always wanting to work for and I’m happy with my decision.

STAAH: What do you like the most about STAAH and your job?

Kate: Every day is different, and my colleagues are super friendly. No matter where they belong to, team members are open to discuss ideas and share experiences. I enjoy developing relationships with clients and prospects, offering properties a viable solution to boost their revenue and bookings. I have experienced amazing results that makes me feel even better.

STAAH– What’s your mantra for success?

Kate: Right Mindset has been my mantra for success. Right from the projects I take to my own personality. I believe it takes the right mindset that leads the path to success. It’s powerful when you reach where you are comfortable with yourself. And discover, who you are.

Your interests outside STAAH. Do they help you do your job better?

Apart from work I enjoy Tennis and Skiing, it helps me recharge my batteries to stay the “Live-Wire” that I’m.

Kate is rightly an asset to us, the experience, passion and hard work she brings to work is highly commendable. We wish her a great start and a prosperous journey at STAAH.

Welcome aboard Kate!

If you are a New Zealand based accommodation provider looking for a perfect solution to increase your online reach and direct bookings feel free to get in touch with Kate Langer kate@staah.com 

STAAH completes distribution connection with IRCTC – a website processing more than half a million bookings every day.

In a collaboration that is set to benefit many accommodation providers, the IRCTC has confirmed a two-way connection with the leading cloud-based hospitality distribution platform, STAAH. The partnership enables STAAH’s huge partner network of more than 100 hospitality chains, including more than 2,500 hotel partners, to expand their reach via the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism (IRCTC) website, which processes more than half a million bookings every day – arguably India’s most booked website.

IRCTC is a Public Sector Unit of Indian Railways and handles catering, tourism, Rail, and Flight online ticketing operations.

“We are absolutely thrilled to complete our connection with Indian Railways IRCTC, the backbone for travel within the Indian subcontinent,” says Tarun Joukani, Commercial Director for STAAH. “The limitless array of booking options that are now available to consumers has borne a rising trend of travelers who are looking to their preferred travel suppliers. For India, the rail-travel is the perfect fit here. By making accommodation available on their booking platform, it helps consumers complete their itinerary and escaping browser fatigue.”

He added that consumers typically book their railway tickets first, but there is a growing appetite for them to book their accommodation at the same time, or even before their journey on IRCTC rail and air ticketing websites. “By offering a broader suite of accommodation to complement their rail and air travel through the IRCTC website, consumers can be confident they are receiving the best package,” he says.

“Consumers typically book their railway tickets first, but we know there is a growing appetite for them to book their accommodation at the same time, or even before their journey on IRCTC rail and air ticketing websites.“By offering a broader suite of accommodation to complement their rail and air travel, consumers can be confident they are receiving the best package.”

Domestic travel in India is slowly opening up in face of the global pandemic with people looking at getaways, especially to tourist towns near metros. Already properties in these towns are reporting occupancy rates that are higher than 80%. “The desire to travel – especially domestic – is strong. This collaboration places IRCTC well placed to continue servicing the needs of consumers while presenting properties around the country with a unique opportunity to expand their reach.

The two-way XML connection between the IRCTC website (hotel.irctctourism.com) and STAAH channel manager will now be live with all hotels and accommodations choosing STAAH technology to boost their revenue.

“We use STAAH for all our distribution needs, so we are very thrilled to have the IRCTC connection added to our product offering,” says Mandeep Singh Gandhi, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Le Roi Hotels and Resorts, who has been instrumental in taking the STAAH-IRCTC association forward. “Through this partnership, we now have the ability to distribute our inventory to millions of Indian travelers.”

The option to connect to the IRCTC website is available to all STAAH partners via their channel manager dashboard. The STAAH partner services team is available to enable this connection where needed.

About IRCTC

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC) is a “Mini Ratna (Category-I)” Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Railways, Government of India. IRCTC was incorporated on 27th September, 1999 as an extended arm of the Indian Railways to upgrade, professionalise and manage the catering and hospitality services at stations, on trains, and other locations and to promote domestic and international tourism through the development of budget hotels, special tour packages, information and commercial publicity and global reservation systems.

Its travel portals, irctctourism.com, irctc.co.in and air.irctc.co.in process more than half a million bookings every day, ranging from rail travel, air travel, packages, Tourist trains to cruise bookings

Travellers can now create their own Rotorua experience or gift one on Rotorua tourist attractions NZ, a click and go voucher system powered by STAAH.

Rotorua tourism operators have come together in an initiative to promote their region collectively – rotoruatouristattractions.nz. Spearheaded by Mike and Annemarie Gallagher of Arista Group of Motels, the website is designed as a click and go voucher system where users can access accommodation, activities, and eateries in Rotorua – either using the platform to create their own itinerary or gift an experience to whanau and friends.

“From adventure to tranquillity, Rotorua has it all,” says Mike Gallagher. “Unfortunately, not everyone knows about its best spots and activities – some are hidden gems. rotoruatouristattractions.nz brings together these local experiences and shows Rotorua in a different light. Who better to highlight the best sights and experiences than the locals themselves?”

“We are also marketing the experiences on the website differently – as a gift,” adds Mike. “Users are encouraged to buy a voucher for the experience/s listed on the website, gifting it to themselves or whanau and friends.”

He adds that by pitching the experiences as a gift, voucher sales are expected to increase, providing businesses with much-needed cash flow to get through this current pandemic. For users, it is an opportunity to experience Rotorua at their own pace.

rotoruatouristattractions.nz is powered by STAAH’s industry-leading cloud-based gift voucher management technology. A ready-to-use and completely customizable e-shop, STAAH Voucher Engine is designed with a user-first approach for both the front and back-end. It can be plugged into an existing website and presents an opportunity for business to hack their revenue growth.

“The pandemic has certainly rewired consumer preferences as they seek out local experiences,” says Edwin Saldanha, Regional Manager – Oceania and Head of Marketing, STAAH Ltd. “Gift vouchers are a way for operators to monetize this preference and build a much-needed revenue stream that brings in an instant cash injection.”

Gallagher said “The STAAH team have done an incredible job of customising the GIFT voucher software to meet the Tourism’s requirements. All suppliers have access to their own tool kit to manage their own packages. This has been key”

Over 70 packages of local activities, accommodation and restaurants are already featured on the site with many others showing interest. Participating businesses pay a commission on bookings generated through this platform with the funds generated being used to deliver a strong marketing plan.

“We’ll be promoting the website through mainstream media and direct marketing to New Zealanders looking to do something new,” says Gallagher.

“Longer term, we hope to build a platform Kiwis keep returning to as they find their new in our region. In the shorter term, a more tactical offering tied in with Christmas and the summer season is expected to get bookings up.”

Visit www.rotoruatouristattractions.nz to see the exciting voucher deals.

#dontbystuffbuyanexperience  #easychristmasshopping

While 2020 has seen dramatic shifts in the way we live, work, and travel, our desire to see the world remains strong, with travellers continuing to find unique ways to safely explore near and far.

We have looked at data Booking.com released around guest behaviours which were based on research from over 20,000 travellers across 28 countries, coupled with their own data insights, to share some insight on guest behaviour.

Focus on Providing Value

The financial strain of the pandemic has been felt by many throughout the world. While travellers may still want to resume travelling as soon as it’s safe, we can expect people to prioritize value, booking transparency, and flexibility now more than ever, with these behaviours predicted to last years.

​With the pandemic impacting job security and financial growth across the globe, travellers are now far more focused on value when booking their trips. More than half (62%) of travellers will be more price-conscious when searching for and planning their next trip, and 55% are more likely to hunt down promotions and savings. Many are looking to the travel industry to offer greater value and better choices in accommodation and transportation options to help meet these evolving traveller needs.

Data courtesy: Booking.com

Data courtesy: Booking.com

Be Transparent with Policies

With travel restrictions changing often, it can be difficult to plan for a trip – as a result, three quarters (74%) of travellers said they want booking platforms to increase transparency about cancellation policies, refund process and trip insurance options.

Data courtesy: Booking.com

Target Customers using Tools and Programs Available

As guests are looking for better value and pricing consider how you wish to target these potential customers. Booking.com have programs such as Genius and Preferred that can increase your property’s visibility, and we also recommend having strong pricing foundations targeting all types of travellers – which can be set up via STAAH. As we have also seen that booking windows are getting shorter, STAAH also has the capability to let you set promotions to target last minute guests thereby increasing your visibility on Booking.com

If you would like to learn more about the research Booking.com has released, as well as read some of their other articles, click here.

The commission-free STAAH booking engine comes to hoteliers’ aid as the accommodation industry comes out of a pandemic-struck 2020.

STAAH has revealed the top online booking channels for 2020. Varying across the world’s top tourism destinations, the lists reveal the successes of both direct booking strategies for accommodation providers and the growth strategies of online travel agents.

“It is clear that accommodation providers across the board are actively seeking to drive direct bookings, through greater knowledge and technology innovation by distribution platforms,” says Tony Howlett, Chief Operating Officer at STAAH Ltd. “It is heartening to see that the STAAH booking engine is delivering results to our partners as they recover from an unprecedented year.”

Direct bookings via STAAH have climbed up globally from the number 6 spot to number 3, beating some of the top online channels.

Among online travel agents, Booking.com comes up strong in helping properties acquire guests. “As a preferred partner for Booking.com, our platform has evolved and added many features to ensure a seamless connection with this channel that delivers reach and optimise conversion through a dynamic rate management strategy,” adds Tony.

The debut of Airbnb in the lists across countries represents how the vacation rental sector has been adopted by hoteliers as they see the benefit in selling authentic experiences and not just a room. In the last year as sales have dipped across the board, Airbnb has taken key measures to remain relevant, including adding flexibility into its bookings via refunds and adding the now essential health and safety layer.

Expedia made it to the top three in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines and Sri Lanka. India continues to be dominated by go-MMT.

The hotel distribution giant partners with more than 10,000+ accommodation providers across 90+ countries via its 300+ online connections.

New Zealand

Australia

India

United Kingdom

Malaysia

Thailand

Indonesia

Philippines

Singapore

Sri Lanka

STAAH is integrated with 300+ partners around the world so you can reach further globally. To know more about STAAH’s list of integrations please click here.

The Man with a licence to walk the ramp, someone whose sartorial charisma, magnetic personality and flamboyance is just enough to make him the centre of attraction on the dais -be it a conference, panel discussions or even business meetings. Meet Rajesh S. Ghanshani, a highly professional industry veteran, a charismatic leader with an in-born business acumen and a fashionista by heart.

Rajesh S. Ghanshani is the Director of Business Development for India and Sub-continent at STAAH. Since the past two years, Rajesh has proved to be a key contributor to the growth of STAAH business in India and the Sub-continent. He has been remarkable in every sense when it comes to driving the team to go beyond and get the best results. His dedication, eye for detail and immense passion towards the hospitality industry has been unmatchable. In a candid conversation with us, Rajesh shares his experience on the journey with STAAH so far.

A little more about Rajesh

Diligent, Hardworking and a Visionary as we would describe him, Rajesh is full of enthusiasm in whatever He has been engaged. Self-driven by nature, Rajesh has always been open to innovation and incorporating new ideas and cutting-edge technology.

Being an alumnus of the highly prestigious IIM (Indian Institute of Management), Ahmedabad – Rajesh has mastered the art of leadership and new business development in key regions.

Born into a family of garment retailers, fashion comes naturally to him. A very few might know that Rajesh has even walked the ramp for some of the renowned brands in India.

He served as a Managing Director for his family business “Topsons” for decades and then went ahead and launched his very own garment line with a brand called “Blue Tonic”. Being an honourable faculty at the biggest fashion management institution of India NIFT, Rajesh’s broad array of executive leadership certifications, combined with extensive experience propels him to continue creating wealth for the organisation as well as it’s partners and associates.

Here’s a sneak peek into our candid conversation with Rajesh.

Tell us a bit about your career in hospitality/ technology and the journey to STAAH

“I met Gavin once at a party on a terrace and he was just about to introduce the Product – Review Minder, His passion and the twinkle in his eyes to make a difference is something that I resonate much with. That meeting somewhere stayed with me for long. Many years later and having known Tarun for long, I accompanied Tarun to a Make My Trip Party and was taken aback with the respect that STAAH and Tarun commanded in the Hospitality Industry.”

Respect can only be earned, so I would say – the software boom and an opportunity to provide optimum yield to the hospitality industry by offering some highly advanced technology lured me to STAAH, that’s when I expressed my wish to be associated with the Brand.

“I am glad to part of a movement and played a small role in the road of the success journey of STAAH.”

What do you like most about STAAH and your job?

My association with STAAH is not a job, it’s an experience. A joyous experience that allows me to explore the best version of myself. My attachment with STAAH is more than a job, it’s about being a part of the journey of success and winning a million hearts, rising to unimaginable heights. It takes the heart and soul of the people who are involved with STAAH to unimagined peaks of respect and satisfaction.

“It’s a privilege to be associated with STAAH that has provided a platform for me to bloom, enjoy, learn and most importantly grow. I like the fluidity and the opportunity to explore the best part of the culture at STAAH. I love challenges, it Stimulates me.”

Your success mantra?

Dream. Believe. Achieve.

Your interests outside STAAH. Do they help you do your job better?

I love creativity and the simplicity of nature intrigues me. Nothing like a wonderful evening with some good music with family and friends. I also love to learn something new. All of this keeps me motivated and breasted to enjoy the challenges to the fullest at my role at STAAH.

If you are an Indian – subcontinent accommodation provider looking for a perfect solution to increase your online reach and direct bookings feel free to get in touch with Rajesh Ghanshani rajesh@staah.co.nz