Preferred Hotels & Resorts is preparing to launch a portal for travel advisors in this year's fourth quarter.
Preferred's president, Michelle Woodley, announced the news during
the company's Global Conference in Lisbon. According to Woodley, the
portal will be a user-friendly platform through which advisors can check
rates, make bookings and manage those bookings.
The portal rollout comes as Preferred's invitation-only Preferred
Platinum advisor programme continues to gain traction. Preferred
Platinum grants advisors access to client perks like complimentary
breakfast and a welcome amenity.
"Bookings for Preferred Platinum continue to grow, as does revenue,"
Woodley told attendees. "Those were both up over 50% last year, and we
are looking at a sizable increase for this year, as well."
More than 250 Preferred-member hotels participate in the Preferred
Platinum programme, which produced approximately 13,000 bookings and
around US$22 million in revenue last year.
During an update on the North America, Europe and SAMEA (Southeast
Asia, Middle East and Africa) regions, Kathleen Robb, Preferred Travel
Group's vice president of global sales for North America, told hoteliers
that the Preferred Platinum platform "every year continues to outpace a
lot of our other programmes”.
She encouraged hotels to include travel advisors in their call to
action when sending promotions to customers. "This shows that it's a
true partnership," Robb said.
She added that fam trips are a beneficial tool for both advisors and hotels.
"It's a great way for them to learn a destination and learn your
hotel," said Robb. "And they're being asked by their clients, 'Have you
been there? Have you experienced the hotel?' Fams give them that
additional confidence in what they're booking."