Forte plans to stop managers refusing business reservations

Forte plans to stop managers refusing business reservations

Report by DIANE SMITH

FORTEis building a system to stop hotel managers ignoring bookings from corporates or business agents who have a deal with the hotel chain.

Agent and corporate delegates complained that individual hotels either reject bookings or do not offer the rate agreed at the head office.

Forte’s sales director for the UK and Ireland Danny Barranger agreed that the situation caused problems. He said: “Each hotel is viewed as its own profit centre. Forte is building an IT infrastructure which will stop hotels doing that.”

BTI UK argued that the situation is unlikely to improve while hotels are viewed as independent profit centres. Chief executive officer David Radcliffe said: “While hotels continue to reward hotel managers for the profitability of their own hotel this is still going to happen.”

BTI UK managing director Mike Platt added: “It’s verging on the scandalous.

“Big companies do deals with hotel chains on the basis of their total volume.

“When they try and book it the hotel manager will make a judgement about whether he can sell that room for more. They make a decision on the night.

“We’re working on a number of systems including our own block allocation,” he said. “They expect corporates to control their overall spend when they can’t even control their general managers.”

Radcliffe expressed surprise that during the electronic voting nearly half the corporates were prepared to pre-book to guarantee availability, adding: “It’s only recently there’s been a resurgence.”

Barranger also told the conference that the hotel industry is behind airlines and car hire in having direct links. “We want you to focus on hotels like you do airlines and car hire,” he added.

“With the Internet we’re doing a lot of work on whether you’ll be able to have your own IDcard and get to last-minute availability.”

Barranger: agreed the situation had caused problems