A highly passionate sales professional with decades of a love affair with the hospitality-tech industry and an avid traveller, meet Kevin Tatem – Managing Director STAAH Southeast Asia

Let’s know more about Kevin!

(Career in hospitality/technology and the journey to STAAH)

During the early days of my career, I worked in several hotels and restaurants, had some great experiences from pot washing, reception duties to serving food and drinks; you name it and I’ve done it.

It was after the GFC in 2008 that my career in sales and sales team management shifted and I sort of accidentally stumbled into the world of Hospitality SAAS software.

Before joining the hospitality-tech sector he has a bagful experience in finance and sales.

It was when the world was just launching itself properly in the online digital age and good cloud-based technology was emerging, Kevin had joined the hospitality technology industry.

I was in the right placee at the right time. My career in the industry led me to South East Asia which I always loved as I was brought up in Malaysia and Hong Kong. I have lived in Thailand for three years which was culturally interesting.

I moved to a cloud-based PMS business before joining STAAH, a company I had heard good things about in the market.

Kevin has proved to be a great asset for the organization, as He comes out to be a perfect blend – having an in-depth understanding of the South-east Asia region plus enriched experience and proficiency in the hospitality sector.

What do you like most about STAAH and your job?

I like the openness within the business. I am fond of innovation, enjoy collaborating on new initiatives, ideas and strategies, taking the unconventional path at times and glad to have a supportive leadership team around me.

I am lucky enough to lead a team of young and passionate professionals spread across South East Asia. The dedication and enthusiasm of the team have never ceased to amaze me.

I love STAAH’s technology and distribution mix. It’s great to meet our wonderful clients, talking to them, and know-how our products & solution benefits them. I truly appreciate the sense of contentment that we help them and make their lives better. STAAH has got some pretty cool stuff, a fantastic product portfolio and I’m glad to be part of a great team.

Your success mantra?

The more you put out into the universe the more will come back to you.

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

I have travelled around 45 countries over the years. I am fond of cooking and you will always find me tinkering with recipes in the Kitchen. I love experimenting with food, especially African and Asian cuisine.

Travelling has always been a passion and I have been to quite a few places. I think, travel helps you grow, it helps you in any role you play if you have an understanding and appreciation of the broader world, it’s all about meeting new people, having some interesting conversations and embracing diverse cultures.

Connect with Kevin Tatem here

With 90% of Travelers Booking Flexible Rates for This Winter and Longer Stays on the Rise, Booking.com Maintains its Outlook on Long-Term Industry Recovery

As the travel industry sets its sights on the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, Booking.com is sharing key booking trends, including the importance of flexibility and longer stays, to help its property partners prepare for the winter season, capture bookings and continue to rebuild their businesses.

Confirming earlier optimism that while slow, recovery is on its way, Booking.com is seeing that more than one-third of searches on the platform are for the upcoming winter months, back in line with the proportion of searches seen at this same point in 2019.*

This measured confidence in recovery is further reflected in Booking.com research which found that 71% of accommodation partners surveyed are cautiously optimistic about the future of their business and 62% expect to see an increase in interest for travel in 2021.

This optimism is reflected in consumer mindsets too as two-thirds of global travellers (66%) are feeling more hopeful about travelling in 2021.**

90% of travellers are booking flexible rates for this winter. Validating earlier indications that travellers value the ability to change dates or cancel now more than ever, Booking.com has revealed that 90% of travellers are booking flexible rates for this winter.*

If you would like to learn more about how to easily convert some of your rate plans to being flexible click here.

* “Winter [months]” defined as stay dates between 1 June 2021 – 31 Aug 2021

** Research commissioned by Booking.com and conducted among a sample of adults who are planning to travel in the next 12 months. In total 28,042 respondents across 28 countries and territories were polled (including 1003 from Argentina, 1002 from Australia, 1000 from Brazil, 1001 from Canada, 1000 from China, 1002 from Colombia, 1001 from Croatia, 1003 from Denmark, 1002 from France, 1005 from Germany, 1004 from Hong Kong, 1000 from India, 1002 from Israel, 1000 from Italy, 1000 from Japan, 1002 from Mexico, 1000 from Netherlands, 1000 from New Zealand, 1003 from Russia, 1000 from Singapore, 1003 from South Korea, 1005 from Spain, 1001 from Sweden, 1000 from Taiwan, 1003 from Thailand, 1000 from UK, 1000 from USA and 1000 from Vietnam). Respondents completed an online survey in January 2021. stats credits: Booking.com

STAAH’s partnership with Google following its announcement of free hotel listings promises increased reach and direct bookings.

Firstly, you’re not the only one in this boat.

After switching its shopping service and flights to mostly free listings, Google has announced another major update – free hotel listings on google.com/travel. The listings will appear below-paid results in Google hotel search.

To make the most of this new feature, leading hospitality distribution specialist, STAAH has completed its integration with Google. Partner properties can now push rates and availability in real-time to the search giant. The feature, called Get Google, is available to all STAAH Booking Engine customers.

“It’s easy to set-up, seamless and an opportunity that could bring fantastic results to properties who have faced a tough 12 months and keen to improve profitability by growing their share of commission-free direct bookings,” says Tony Howlett, Chief Operating Officer, STAAH Ltd.

Pricing, click-through rates and landing experience have been identified as indicators that will be used to rank properties in the available spots for chosen keywords.

“Accuracy of availability and dynamic rate management via the STAAH booking engine helps properties bring their A-game to the metasearch giant and puts them in greater control of their guests’ online booking experience,” adds Tony Howlett, COO STAAH.

This latest move aims to create a comprehensive user experience, giving users more information so they can make confident choices, further establishing Google as their trusted source when searching for the best bookings options.

“It’s a great change, at a point in time when the industry can take all the help it needs,” says Tony.

“It would be a pity for properties to miss this opportunity.”

How to get started?

The feature can be enabled for existing STAAH booking engine customers within 48 hours, subject to certain terms and conditions, and a nominal monthly service fee.

STAAH Existing Customers can request for Get Google on STAAH Extranet

Get started by enabling the feature in your STAAH Extranet or emailing the STAAH team at sales@staah.com with the subject line Get Google and your property details.

New properties/ Non STAAH Customers can signup for STAAH Get Google feature here

Continuing the trend of updating you on STAAH products (what, why and how) here is a quick tip on STAAH Max Promo codes.

Offers, Hot Deals, Special prices, Discounts and more, this is something the guests are always looking for, isn’t it! Something that would delight your guests and help your hotel in driving more bookings.

Are you having the Promo Code Feature enabled and are you making the most out of it?

Promotions and Discounts are undoubtedly one of the most powerful marketing tools for the Hoteliers, helping them in filling their rooms faster. Promo codes when marketed using the right channels, strategy and amplified to the right audience through social media platforms results in attracting more visitors to your hotel website, increase direct bookings, and save OTA commissions.

INDEX

• How could Promo Codes benefit your property?
  • Partnerships / Tie-ups with Corporates & SMEs
  • Special Discounts for frequent Guests or repeated guests
  • Referral Discounts
  • Event Discounts
  • Weekday/ Weekend Discounts
  • Season Discounts
  • Travel Agent Discounts
• Where and How to set-up Promo codes?
• What difference does the Promo code Counter feature make?
• Where to set-up the Promo Code Counter feature?

Cloud-based technology STAAH Ltd., has been chosen by Airbnb as their preferred software partner for 2021. It has been recognized for its exceptional performance in connecting hosts around the world to Airbnb’s growing community.

STAAH, through its innovative channel management and one-stop solutions, constantly engages with online platform partners globally. With its best-in-class technology, STAAH has met the targets set for every criteria in this partnership programme.

The integration with Airbnb has produced exceptional results for STAAH properties and is continuously helping them to connect with millions of guests worldwide. 

“The STAAH team is thrilled to be recognised as a Preferred Software Partner for Airbnb,” says STAAH’s founding director, Gavin Jeddo. “Our innovative distribution technology competes with the best in the world and we are delighted to be a part of this partnership helping our clients grow their online revenue ” added Gavin Jeddo

About the Preferred partner program

The preferred partner program by Airbnb was launched in October 2018, to ensure hosts have a great experience connecting with Airbnb, through recognised and certified partners who offer fully integrated connectivity solutions that exceed performance benchmarks. 

STAAH Airbnb collaboration has helped in increasing online reach, enabling quick and reliable connections for more than 10000+ properties, in more than 90+ countries around the world.

Find out more tips on Airbnb and STAAH integration and how it can help STAAH properties here

Continuing the trend of updating you on STAAH products (what, why and how) here is a quick tip on the STAAH Smart Pricing feature for all STAAH Booking engine users.

Do you have a set of targeted guests, whom you would like to offer some discounts and grow your direct bookings? Before we go in-depth let’s make it easy for you to decide and ask yourself do you often target Mobile bookers or offer your guests a special rate if they book from a mobile device?

Whether you want to target a set of guests from a specific region and offer them discounted deals or create deals for advance purchase. Smart pricing is the perfect tool that would help you in setting up discounted rates easily and attract visitors to book directly from your property website.

Overview Tab:

• What is Smart Pricing
• Types of Discounts
  • Advance Purchase
  • Device
  • Multi Nights
  • Region
  • Pay Now
  • Last Minute Deal
• How is this information displayed in Bookings Module?
• Some standard rules and conditions
• Benefits of using Smart Pricing tool

Need more convincing? Here’s Why do you really need a Smart Pricing feature?

She’s strong, confident, a travel enthusiast and a highly passionate about her profession and deeply engrossed in the hospitality-tech industry. Meet the Sales Guru – Michelle Yong, Senior Business Development Manager – STAAH Southeast Asia.

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

I started my career at Carlton Hotel in Singapore and since then I have been working in various departments that provided me with a wide scope of hospitality operations and management.

After working in Singapore for several years, I decided to explore a different experience in a hotel pre-opening located in Malaysia. Thereafter, I had joined other industries, but my passion for hospitality just made me continue my journey in this glitzy industry.

Having worked previously in OTA companies, I got the opportunity to explore different technologies, data, analytics as well as sales & marketing strategies, something that changed the way online platforms operate and have evolved over the years. I learned the behavioural patterns and trends on how people search for hotels & book a room.

“I always had a keen interest in knowing about managing online distribution at the time I use to work for OTAs. I got to elevate my curiosity and desire on how technology-enabled a seamless experience for the guests and help the accommodation providers in driving more bookings. At the time I got the opportunity with STAAH, I had no hesitation and provided a big YES despite foreseeing a few challenges.”

What do you like most about STAAH and your job?

The technologies in the hospitality space have evolved in recent years and the industry has been changing rapidly adapting to innovations with respect to tech and operations. STAAH with its flexible and dynamic approach has been successful in upgrading itself as per the industry trends and providing advanced products and solutions for accommodation providers of all types and sizes, helping them grow their business and increase revenue.

Also, we are deeply connected with our clients as we are always up to offer consultations and recommendations along with our wide range of technology solutions to meet the unique requirements of our customers.

It is a feeling of accomplishment when the Hoteliers accept our suggestions that later result in business growth and expansion.

“I am fortunate to be able to work with different backgrounds of team members. Over the years, I have learned a lot from my teammates and colleagues – dedication, enthusiasm, resilience, and perseverance. The company actively encourages us to be more creative and innovative, as we are involved in other areas of business may it be; Product Development, Marketing etc. which helps us grow across different areas of business.”

I have always been excited and proud to share What is STAAH and How can we help hoteliers – may it be Small hotels, motels, hostels, large groups and chains or even Vacation Rentals.

Your success mantra?

Never say NO to challenges, Opportunities always lie within. Have the courage and faith to challenge yourself and the accomplishments are rewarding.

Work hard, work smart, stay humble!

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

“I like gardening and have been able to engage with nature. Seeing the growth of a small plant till it blooms with flowers, is highly fulfilling. Also, it always inspires me how important it is for us to nurture and develop a growth mindset; resilience is essential for great accomplishment. I embrace this behaviour and attitude every day.”

Of course, but not least. I love to travel – go to places with great history and be able to witness the success and failures of the past and what can we learn. Travelling has always been fun not just meeting new people, learning about different cultures but I also include a charity in the itinerary, which makes my trip fruitful. I always believe it’s our responsibility to give it back to society for a better future and a magnificent next generation.

Get in touch with Michelle  at michelle@staah.com

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.

Agoda Promotions

Booking.com Messaging

Booking.com messaging will enable the accommodation providers to engage with their guests effortlessly using the STAAH Max interface without having to log on to Booking.com.

What is new?

• Retrieve messages and conversations at property level
• Historical conversations are now included (if any)
• Customers can now share images through message

Click here to read more.

Airbnb Discounts Feature

Properties need to get innovative while they are planning to run offers and discounts. Along with weekly and monthly discounts, the Airbnb Basic Discount feature now supports new types of discounts:

• Early Bird
• Last Minute Deal
• Discounts on the Length of Stay
• Non-Refundable discounts

Click here to read more.

MAX Booking Engine Email – New User Interface

The Booking Engine notifications that you receive now has a new look and feel.

1) The Logo is displayed next to the banner

2) The Guest details label can now clearly be viewed in darker font

3) The room booking details are highlighted along

4)  The package description included in the email notification

MAX Booking Engine – Applicable Guest Information

An online booking experience needs to be simpler, easier, and more convenient. The STAAH Max Booking Engine has now added an icon for the booker to indicate how many people are included in that price.

Here is a reference on how it will appear

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.

What is CRS (Central Reservation System)?

A CRS is the nerve centre of a well-planned hotel distribution strategy. It relays data from and to the PMS (Property Management System) like room inventory, rates, availability, and reservations and distributes them in real-time to all third-party channels, including the call centre.

A user-friendly CRS is critical to help reservation agents accept and manage reservations with ease.

How to Manage CRS Bookings on STAAH Max Pro Channel Manager?

Step 1) Go to the Settings option in  STAAH Max Pro extranet and click on  Reservations.

Step 2) Under the Reservations tab Click on CRS.

Step 3)  To make or manage a booking, you have to click on “From” date and then click “To” date for applicable Room Type. You will see a pop up with the options to Book, Manage or Block rooms.

Step 4) You can select the relevant package details, capture guest information and confirm a booking.

Step 5) Select the specific payment option (preferred payment gateway).

What do our properties have to say that are using CRS?

“STAAH’s additional features, including the Central Reservation System to manage rates/ availability and restrictions have been critical in our success” – Shrigo Hotels & Resorts, India

” The channel manager simplified inventory management with features such as Central Reservation System (CRS), Stop Sell Limit and Revenue Control providing us with all the levers needed ” – Hamurana Lodge, New Zealand

This feature is available for STAAH Max Pro customers. If you want to enable CRS you need to contact your Sales team at sales@staah.com

In case you missed our recent product updates read here

STAAH is delighted to announce that it has recently become a New Zealand FernMark Licensee. The FernMark acts as a ‘tick of approval’ from the New Zealand Government and gives confidence to our clients that STAAH is a New Zealand based technology company.

The FernMark Licence Programme is a government initiative designed to protect and promote New Zealand products and services to the world.

STAAH, being headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand and operating since more than a decade, having the FernMark licence was a cherry on the cake for the STAAH team globally. This FernMark Licence means we’ve met all the eligibility criteria, which includes being GST registered in New Zealand, having a substantial level of New Zealand ownership, governance and employees, and having exported (delivering our service) for at least 12 months.

“We are gratified with this move”, says Tarun Joukani, Director – STAAH, He added, “The criteria also states that our products and solutions were developed in New Zealand, and the New Zealand Government is happy for our business  to represent the country around the world giving our clients a level of confidence across the globe that we are a 100%  New Zealand based company.”

From now on, you should start seeing the ‘FernMark’ (the Government’s trademarked Silver Fern) appear on some or all of our company literature and collaterals. The FernMark acts as a ‘tick of approval’ from the New Zealand Government.

What it means for STAAH Ltd.?

This ‘tick of approval’ means we’ve met all the New Zealand Government’s eligibility criteria, which should give you huge amounts of confidence.

The Programme employs a global monitoring service, Corsearch Brand Protection, that trawls the web for illegitimate use of the FernMark. This means that when you see the FernMark on a product or associated with a service, you know it’s an authentic New Zealand product or service.

About The FernMark Licence Programme

The FernMark Licence Programme is managed by the New Zealand Story Group which is
the custodian of the New Zealand FernMark. New Zealand Story is a government initiative
working to enhance New Zealand’s reputation beyond natural beauty. A licence to bear the
FernMark is a formal recognition of a business’s role as an ambassador of the New Zealand
Story.

For more information about STAAH refer to this link 

Tourism New Zealand is helping Kiwis take the mystery out of finding the perfect gifts for their loved ones with the launch of its new Gifting Hub on NewZealand.com.   

Enabling Kiwis to skip the pre-Christmas rush, giving a gift that will mean as much to them as they do to you is as simple as scrolling through the Hub this holiday. Home to more than 300 incredible experiences that are available across the country, it’s a treasure trove of ideas that are ready to be gifted to your nearest and dearest to enjoy. 

After a challenging year, it has been created as part of Tourism New Zealand’s efforts to help Kiwis do something new this summer and create unforgettable memories.   

Perfect for finding something with a little more meaning, the Gifting Hub enables Kiwis to easily give friends and whānau experiences on their bucket list, create special moments that last a lifetime and gift something that’s guaranteed to go under the tree on time for the 25^th December, while supporting the tourism sector.   

The Gifting Hub exclusively features experiences and tourism operators that offer gift vouchers, so that your loved ones will be able to take up their present at their convenience. The majority of vouchers are valid for at least 12 months, with some even remaining valid for up to three years. 

Visit the Gifting Hub here  

Tourism New Zealand is responsible for marketing New Zealand as an international and domestic visitor destination.   We believe that tourism needs to contribute more to New Zealand than it takes. Tourism must create jobs, restore nature, enhance our heritage, build our national reputation and make us proud. It must inspire and enable us to celebrate who we are, our unique people and place. Our purpose is to enrich New Zealand by maximising the contribution of visitors, we deliver this by maximising the impact domestic and international visitors have across the four well beings of nature, society, culture and the economy.

If you are a STAAH customer and would like to get listed on the Gifting Hub click here 

STAAH customers can seamlessly drive more revenue and upsell efficiently to their guests by using Upselling Platforms that integrate with STAAH.

Each platform has unique features and personalization tools that can help you cater tailored needs of your guests. With STAAH’s integration to Upselling partners, STAAH customers can have a look at these awesome platforms to try for their accommodation:

Oaky

Oaky is a commission-free upselling platform which helps hotels maximize profit and enhance the guest experience.

What does it do?

Oaky is a hyper-personalised and automated upsell engine that helps hotels drive additional profit from their existing customers by delivering a superior guest experience. Browsing from best-selling upsell offers, hoteliers can add personalised guest-facing deals in a few clicks, and promote them through perfectly timed guest communication. Oaky is trusted by innovative hotels, groups and chains across the globe, including the likes of Amaris Hospitality, Onyx Hospitality & Radisson Hotel Group.

To connect with Oaky click here

GuestJoy

GuestJoy truly automates the entire guest journey for boutique hotels and apartment providers.

What does it do?

With GuestJoy, you can upsell services and room upgrades, provide online check-in, distribute door codes, or gather reviews all in one easy-to-use platform! And even with all these features, you can be up and running in less than an hour. We take great pride in ease of use and our excellent support!

To connect with Guest Joy click here

KAI

KAI is an upsell tool enabling hotels to supercharge their upsell strategy by selling the right experiences to the right guest at the right time.

What does it do?
KAI’s AI-driven upsell tool engages guests throughout the entire guest journey from booking to check out on all channels. Automating targeted upselling of personalised experiences for each individual guest, resulting in higher upsell conversion and guest experience.
KAI’s partnership with STAAH, hotels can seamlessly start automating their upsell strategy with ease.

To connect with KAI  click here

UpsellGuru

When looking into an up-selling tool, you want it to be automated, personalized and most importantly: to increase revenue and improve guest experience.

What does it do?

UpsellGuru allows you to up-sell the right product, with the right message, to the right client at the right time – pre-arrival and during the stay.

Additionally, UpsellGuru is the only system that allows guests to bid on an upgrade. This adds excitement to the guest journey, which returns more upgrades and revenue. Increased guest satisfaction guaranteed by allowing them to tailor-make their experience by upgrading rooms and pre-booking ancillary services.

Set-up the system in minutes and start your risk-free up-selling journey. Monthly contracts and you pay only a 15% commission on revenue generated.

To connect with UpsellGuru click here

To find out more about CRM connection via STAAH extranet contact support@staah.com

An efficient automated pricing feature increases revenue by capitalizing on the ever-changing market demand and implementing the optimal price point at all times.

How to use the Revenue Management feature in STAAH Max?

Two ways to use the revenue management feature

1. Dynamic Rate – Room Type level
2. Dynamic Rate – Property level

1) Dynamic Rate – Room Type level

Dynamic Rate can be set up for individual room types based on seasons (High, Low, Peak, etc.).

These rates are updated automatically to the Booking engine and OTAs as per the Dynamic rules set-up.

Step 1 – Set up Season – Select dates > Select Season > Save

Step 2 – Set up Dynamic Rates > Select Season for Room > Enter From and To > Enter rate for this room slab > Save > Sync

Step 3 – Set up Rate Mode – Select Dynamic > Select Rooms from drop-down > Enter Date Range > Save

2) Revenue Control – Property Level

Dynamic Rate can be set up based on the total occupancy of the property.

Depending on the occupancy of the property, rates are updated to the Booking engine and OTAs as per the Dynamc rate setup.

Step 1 – Set up Master room 

Step 2 – Set up Seasons

Step 3 – Set up Pricing (Default, Peak, High, Shoulder, Low)

Step 4 – Set up Formula

Step 5 – Confirm Pricing > Finish & Submit

Step 6 – Select Rate Mode > Dynamic > Room Type > Date Range > Save

To find out more on the Revenue management feature click here

In case you missed tips on STAAH Thoughtful Thursday read here

She is stylish, trendy, and flamboyant, someone who loves art and culture, a confident travel enthusiast and most importantly a highly passionate sales professional who’s fond of the hospitality industry. Meet Manaswee aka Milky, Senior Business Development Manager – Thailand, STAAH

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

Technology is my passion because it treats everyone equally. Availability and benefits of technology are independent on gender, religion, business, or who you are. I believe this is a double bonus for me as I get to live my passion every day for the industry that I work for.

I come with over 9 years of experience in the hospitality space, it all started from being a guest service agent in a hotel to managing sales and business development of software solutions for the accommodation providers. I specialize in driving sales target, maintaining healthy customer relationships, connecting to people, time management and organization.

What do you like most about STAAH and your job?

I got the opportunity to join STAAH in July 2021. I won’t deny that my first impression of STAAH Product Portfolio was the features of the flagship product – The Channel Manager, while I compared it to distribution solutions of leading tech providers in the industry, I must say STAAH is right there at the top, we have the most feature-rich and advanced distribution solution.

I appreciate being a part of a team that is the driving force behind long-term growth and success in the world of tourism, simply because technology helps expedite numerous bookings, automate complex operations and make the hotelier’s life a lot easier – ensuring a steady growth of the industry.

That’s why today I’ll be putting all of this into a perspective by enabling the accommodation providers to integrate technology and solutions into their growth strategy to drive better results.

Your success mantra?

“Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life”

When you are passionate about what you do, you will do it even when you are not getting paid. You will thrive to do it better each day with more efforts and enthusiasm to obtain better results. And that’s what makes you successful.

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

I love to travel and have got a dream to travel the world one fine day. Travel takes us out of our comfort zones, inspiring us to see, taste and avail new experiences. It challenges us, not only to adapt and explore new surroundings but also to engage with different people – cultures, customs and food. Travel allows us to embrace adventures as they come and to share new and meaningful experiences along with our friends and loved ones.

I love visiting Art galleries, it makes me aware of world geography, showcasing life, cultures, communities and people. Sometimes Art galleries makes me look at the outside world differently.

I also love to explore new places by walking and experiencing something local. It’s more exciting for me if I go to a place where they don’t speak English. That’s the best way to learn about a new culture, try to understand their norms and values.

Get in touch with Milky manaswee@staah.com

STAAH and Neoteric Nepal announce a partnership to offer integrated online distribution solutions for hotels and vacations rentals.

Leading cloud platform for hospitality, STAAH, has forged a strategic partnership with Neoteric Nepal – a world-class leader in information technology. The partnership is expected to benefit properties who can leverage the STAAH platform to reach global travellers, automate the live room rates, availability and increase bookings. 

This partnership is also a reflection of STAAH’s continued growth in the Asian subcontinent that a leader such as Neoteric should recognise the benefit of working closely with them to enhance guest acquisition for its strong customer base.

Commenting on the partnership, Sanjay Golcha, Managing Director of Neoteric Nepal said, “Nepal’s tourism industry is pegged to boom once global travel restrictions ease and travellers worldwide embark on their once-in-a-lifetime experiences – travel to Mount Everest making this list. However, manual and complex price adjustments are still dominant in Nepal’s hospitality industry, placing it on a backfoot when international borders open.”

“Collaboration with STAAH allows us to bring world-class guest acquisition and booking technology to the hospitality industry by enabling them to market themselves to a much broader audience and deliver a seamless digital experience that the modern traveller is used to. We believe this partnership marks the start of a significant step forward for Nepal’s hospitality and tourism industries..” 

Neoteric is a key driver to the expansion of STAAH’s portfolio in Nepal which currently comprises 50 hotels, serviced apartments, resorts and spas. 

“STAAH offers a platform for hoteliers to attract, reach and convert guests from all corners of the globe. In doing so, they can get booked faster online – to increase revenue at a low cost – while taking advantage of powerful data that provides full visibility to their online performance and the capability to forecast ahead,” says Rajesh Ghanshani – Director of Business Development India & subcontinent. 

This partnership is expected to be hugely beneficial for properties, whatever the size, to efficiently manage business processes without deploying additional manpower and automating an adaptive availability and rates management system. “In today’s dynamic online booking landscape, this functionality brings with it a huge competitive advantage – whatever the size of the property,” adds Rajesh.

The partnership was announced at a special Hi-Tea event hosted by Neoteric Nepal and STAAH, at the famous lawns of Hotel Shanker. who also are using STAAH technology to boost their revenue. Prajwol Sreshtha, Executive Director at Hotel Shanker ensured that the guests enjoyed the evening.

The event was graced by select dignitaries from the industry like Shreejana Rana  Executive Director Annapurna Group and President of HAN ( Hotel Association of Nepal ) that has over 3500 members, Shaguni Sakya, MD KGH (Kathmandu Guest House) Group of Hotels & Resorts are one of the 1st customers of STAAH in Nepal. Here are some highlights from the event

Properties in Nepal can join the STAAH network by contacting sushmita.thapa@neotericnepal.com.np

Upselling is like a multi-functional power tool for hoteliers: It allows you to work towards several goals at once.  STAAH Partner Oaky shares with us the benefits of automated upselling.

Upselling includes letting your guests customize their stay, providing a well-rounded, personalised experience and boosting your revenue. But if you’ve ever tried upselling or cross-selling in person, you know how time-consuming and challenging it can be.

When you’re short on staff, in-person upselling can feel even more difficult. That’s where automated upselling tools come in. They do most of the work for you and free up your time for other important tasks. But how do these tools work? And do they really yield results that make them worth the investment, especially in times of lower demand?

How automated upselling and cross-selling tools work work via Channel Manager

While each tool operates a little differently, the overall process of fully automated upselling usually follows the steps below:

1. Guests book a room via your website or an OTA.

2. The upselling system pulls the guest data from the Channel Manager. Then, it automatically sends them relevant offers to customise their stay.

3. Travellers can browse these deals and book the ones they’re interested in.

4. The upselling platform notifies the appropriate departments of the guest’s requests via the hotel’s internal communication tool.

Either way, an upselling platform will make it much easier to reach more of your guests with special offerings.

You can go even further and integrate your CRM with your upselling tool.

The team at ONYX Hospitality Group tested this approach and were impressed by the 300% increase they saw in direct bookings as a result.

 Top 3 Benefits of using automated upselling and cross-selling solutions at your hotel

Automated upselling has three additional advantages on top of the obvious benefit of getting more eyeballs on your offers.

1) Personalised guest experiences at scale

While in-person upselling lets guests tailor their experience, it’s not a scalable approach you can use for all your guests. If you let your upsell tool take over the outreach instead, you can extend upsell offers to many more travellers. This, in turn, allows a greater number of guests to check out and opt for the add-on services that match their needs.

Many upselling platforms let you take personalisation even further through segmentation. The system uses guest data from the PMS to determine the most suitable offers to pitch.

For example, families travelling with kids may receive deal suggestions like an in-room cinema setup. Solo business travellers on the other hand might see options for express check-in/out or breakfast to go. This hyper-personalised approach lets your guests easily create the stay they really wanted. Delighted travellers and great reviews are the results.

 2) Streamlined operations

Automated upselling tools save you valuable time on many fronts. First, most of today’s solutions are easy and quick to implement. Many of them come with templates for upsell offers and messages, so you can hit the ground running. And once you’re live, you’re likely to start generating revenue within just a few hours.

Since the system handles the most time-consuming parts of upselling (outreach and guest profile updates), the administrative side of it fades into the background. This takes the burden off your team’s shoulders and leaves them with more time for other tasks. Especially with many properties struggling with staffing, this is a big plus.

3) Increased revenue

What do you think: would guests spend the same on upselling during both high and low demand periods? If you said ‘yes,’ you’re right! Data showed that even as occupancy rates plummeted in 2020, guests still treated themselves to similar levels of add-ons. In short: conversion rates stayed the same.

This proves that upselling is an effective way to drive extra revenue in all seasons. It also helps boost guest spend in departments other than rooms, such as F&B, recreation or the spa.

Of course, the amount of upsell revenue you can generate depends on many factors, including your location (e.g. city vs. countryside), property type (e.g. luxury hotel vs. hostel), target market and the quality of your deals. Curious how much revenue you could generate at your hotel? You can work out the average incremental revenue for your hotel using this ancillary revenue calculator.

How to get started with automated upselling

First, pick an automated upselling tool to implement. Once it’s set up, involve your team in brainstorming and putting together your deals and offers. Make them part of the process, so they see that they’re still indispensable, despite this new automated tool. After all, the idea isn’t for the upselling platform to replace your staff but to support them.

As you keep sending out your offers, keep an eye on your data. Evaluate your open and conversion rates. Check how your deals are doing and which ones may need a facelift to boost sales.

For the best results, host periodic upsell meetings and go through this process regularly. Reviewing and updating your offers will keep things fresh and interesting for guests and ensure you see a solid ROI.

To find out more about Oaky CRM connection via STAAH extranet contact support@staah.com

Accommodation providers can manage their OTA promotions on STAAH Max without logging into the extranet of the OTAs. 

Types of OTA promotions you can manage through STAAH Max

• Booking.com
• Expedia
• Agoda
• Go-MMT

To find out more on OTA promotions by each OTA click here

How to Manage OTA promotion on STAAH Extranet?

Here is an example of how to manage Booking.com Promotions on OTA Promotion feature (Mobile rate)

To find out about all other OTA promotions listed, contact support@staah.com

If you are a STAAH Instant Booking Engine user we have made it easy for you to add Vaccine mandate requirements in the booking journey.

STAAH Instant Booking engine users in New Zealand and Australia can add vaccine mandate requirements for their guests by simply following the steps below.

We suggest adding the Vaccine Requirements in the below locations in your STAAH Booking engine setup:

1) Terms and Conditions

Vaccine requirements can be added to the Terms and Conditions of your property. This will be visible to guests on the bottom of the Booking Engine page and guests need to tick the Accept Terms and Conditions Tick Box before confirming the reservation.

 Steps to update Terms and Conditions are as below:

ConvertDirect > Terms and Conditions

2) Email Header

Vaccine requirements can be added to the email confirmation of a booking made through the Booking Engine.

Steps to add a email header are below:

Settings > Profile > Email Header for Booking Confirmation

3) Rate Plan Description

Vaccine requirements can be added to the rate plan description. This information will be visible on the Booking Engine when a guest is reserving a room.

Steps to add Description to a rate plan are below:

Settings > Rate Plans > Edit a rate plan > Description

4) Booking Engine Alert

A pop-up box can be added to the Instant Booking Engine. This will display as soon as the guest has selected the dates and clicked search.

To add a pop up to the Booking Engine, follow the steps below:

Convertdirect > Daily Deals > Booking Engine Alert > Add Alert

Booking Engine Alert will only work on the Booking engine if you have the BAR view (Best Available Rate)

To find out how to set vaccine mandate requirements on STAAH MAX Booking Engine? Click here

If you have any questions regarding this feel free to contact your local support team at support@staah.com

If you are a STAAH Max Booking Engine user we have made it easy for you to add Vaccine mandate requirements in the booking journey.

STAAH Max Booking engine users in New Zealand and Australia can add vaccine mandate requirements for their guests by simply following the steps below.

We suggest adding the Vaccine Requirements in the below locations in your STAAH Booking engine setup:

1. Terms and Conditions
2. New Text Box
3. Package descriptions 
4. Confirmation Email header

1. Terms and Conditions

You can add a point in your terms and conditions for the Booking Engine.

Terms and conditions are visible on the bottom of the booking engine and guest’s need to accept them before the booking is confirmed and also it goes out in the email confirmation.

Steps to add terms and conditions are: 

Settings > Profile > Terms

2. New Text Box

Steps to add text are below:

Under profile > website display you will find a tick box > Add text for the Booking Engine

which once ticked will allow you to add some characters in it.  You can add in the vaccine requirement text there.

Please note that this is a text field, which means this portion can be overwritten by the Booker.

This is how it will display on the Booking Engine:

3. Package descriptions 

This will be visible when a guest reads the package information.

Steps to add it to the packages are as below:

Settings > Packages > Inclusions

This is how it will appear:

4. Confirmation Email header

You can add a line or two in the email confirmation headers. This will make sure that every booking that is made via the Booking Engine, has the text on it.

Steps to add it in the Email confirmation header are below:

Profile > Website Display > Thank you page header

This is how it will appear on the confirmation screen:

This is how it will appear in the email notification of the guest:

To find out how to set vaccine mandate requirements on STAAH Instant Booking Engine? Click here

If you have any questions regarding this feel free to contact your local support team at support@staah.com

We are excited to announce a Dynamic integration feature with Booking.com where this exclusive feature will enable STAAH Max users to directly connect & manage their property listing on Booking.com through the STAAH extranet.

You will now be able to manage the following dynamic features at the click of a button.

• Contracting
• Content & Room and Rate Management
• Photos   

Benefits from managing Booking.com platform through STAAH extranet:

1) Contracting

Efficient contracting – A fully automated contracting process that you can complete in under 30 seconds.

Full control – You have complete control to add new properties and set them live.

2) Content & Room and Rate Management

Automatically update and create room types and rate plans in one place – You no longer need to manually create and manage rooms and rate plans on Booking.com platform. 

Reduced errors, no parity issues and no lost revenue – No more discrepancies or parity issues between websites, leading to better performance and no risk of lost revenue.
Increased bookings – Properties with a 100% content score get up to 18% more bookings than other properties with a lower score.

Full control – Be in full control of all of your property content through the STAAH Max extranet.

3) Photos

Ease of use – Add, delete and change photos quickly and reliably through the STAAH Max extranet.

Control over photos –You can choose how your property photos appear on Booking.com

More bookings – Easy bulk photo upload lets you reach a 100% Property Page Score faster, which can increase bookings by up to 18%.

Licences for Vacation Rental Properties

Retrieve licence requirements on property and unit-level –  Property managers can easily see which licences are required in order for their properties to go live on Booking.com.

Submit and verify licence information – Property managers will be able to verify whether the submitted licence information still meets the updated requirements, on the unit or property level.

Go to STAAH MAX Extranet > Settings > Mapping > Select ‘Booking.com’

To enable this feature contact support@staah.com