Entrepreneurialism and innovation sit at the heart of the hospitality industry, we have seen this to be true in the past few years, perhaps more than ever. Through new ideas and it is fair to say, often in times of adversity, entrepreneurs create new ideas which sometimes stop us in our tracks and make us think, why didn’t I think of that?
At EP we are proud to provide a platform for entrepreneurs and their often inspiring innovation. We have written many times about the need for personalisation within the hospitality industry, and this desire for consumers to have a personalised experience is here to stay. One such innovative company looking to change how we personalise the accommodation industry is GauVendi.
But what is the problem and how can hotels make the most of this opportunity to engage with consumers on a more personalised level?
Around two decades ago, hotels began clustering their room inventory into simple categories that could easily be sold online. Since then, it can be argued that many have lost control over how their own room inventory is priced and distributed. Third-party booking platforms now often drive a large part of a hotel’s revenue.
Many Online Travel Agents and Tour Operators have successfully commoditised hotel experiences by making hotel products very comparable in order to standardise them. In addition, the hotel and hospitality industry can be sometimes seen as a real estate industry. With room inventory mainly defined by a few basic categories, the unique features of each room — like specific views, layouts, and location — have been lost at the point of sale. This could be a missed opportunity for hotels to maximise the guest experience as well as create a trusted and transparent relationship with the guest at the time of booking.
GauVendi (a combination of two Latin words: Gaudium, meaning joyful, and venditio, meaning selling) believes that it has the solution to help revitalise idle inventory.
GauVendi was founded by Carina Stegmayer, Markus Mueller, and Duy Nguyen to address the lack of differentiation and personalisation in the accommodation industry. As experienced industry professionals, they recognised the need for a system that allows for hyper-personalized guest experiences, starting from the moment of booking.
The founders were frustrated with the limitations of simplified room categories and the inability to offer personalised options, such as booking connecting rooms, high floor or specific views. Additionally, as former operators and marketing alliances, they understood the need to differentiate accommodation brands and drive RevPAR premium.
GauVendi’s solution is to hyper-personalise the guest experience, allowing hospitality brands to differentiate their brand, offer personalised room options, and ultimately increase direct bookings and RevPAR premium. The solution provides a transparent booking experience for guests and helps operators to increase their value proposition to owners.
Please contact Izzy.mchattie@epmagazine.co.uk for additional information.
Comments