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Great Hotels of the World the London-based hotel sales and marketing alliance added 63 new member properties to its global hotel portfolio in 2010. Since January 2010, Great Hotels of the World received over 400 membership applications to its niche sales and marketing alliance, accepting just 63 of these. 18 hotels were added to the Great Hotels of the World Luxury Collection – the most luxurious hotels in the world, while 33 hotels were added to the Great Hotels of the World Premium Collection – for upscale, superior hotels and 12 were added to the Great Hotels of the World Classic Collection – for mid-range properties.
The growth of Great Hotels’ membership has been steady thanks to their diverse product range, constant innovation, product development and improved sales and marketing strategies. Great Hotels’ growth in 2010 can be attributed to a complete overhaul of its sales and marketing strategy with the launch of the new ‘Pure Lifestyle Collection’ niche-travel programmes including a series of websites (http://www.purehotelscollection.com) that utilise the power of social media to give travellers inspiration, information and reviews. Hoteliers who join the Lifestyle Collection now benefit from tailor-made sales and marketing services in a number of niche sectors including Heritage, Art & Design, Lakes & Mountains, Honeymoon and many more. In addition, Great Hotels also consolidated its former brands to form one stronger and more globally recognised hotel brand – Great Hotels of the World.
Carly Gotz, group director sales & marketing and Great Hotels of the World comments "As the global economy emerges from recession, it’s clear to see hoteliers are looking for a little extra help and we’ve developed our services to respond to the ever-changing demands of modern hoteliers. It’s an exciting time for us with our brand new Pure lifestyle collections and we’ve already seen a massive surge in demand for membership which we anticipate to grow even further in 2011 and beyond."
Amongst the new members added during 2010 include hotels in new destinations including The Savoy Hotel in Moscow, Russia, Mantra Samui Resort & Spa in Koh Samui, Thailand, Casas Brancas Boutique – Hotel & Spa in Buzios, Brazil, The Grove in Hertfordshire, UK and The Ayu in Bali, Indonesia.
Membership of Great Hotels of the World is by invitation only and hotels applying for membership must meet strict criteria before being accepted by Great Hotels’ quality assessment committee. Membership is tailored towards a hotel’s individual needs depending on which markets they are targeting and products range from MICE sales and events and tradeshow representation to online marketing activities, annual directory inclusion and GDS representation.
Great Hotels of the World provides global hotel reservation, sales and marketing services for an exclusive portfolio of primarily independent hotels and resorts worldwide. Great Hotels of the World provides a range of products, services and innovative technology solutions for over 250 hotels worldwide through trade shows, e-marketing, business travel sales, meeting and incentive sales, public relations, Meeting Forums and a private label GDS chain code (GW).
By acknowledging that each hotels core business is different, Great Hotels of the World help’s hotels and consumers to "find their niche" by categorising member hotels into niche travel markets. Great Hotels’ dedicated programmes are aimed at the leisure, meetings and incentive and corporate markets, whilst the individual leisure collections reach precise areas of the market in which the hotel specialises in including gourmet, spa, golf, honeymoon and many more.
Membership of Great Hotels of the World is split into three tiers: the Luxury Collection, the Premium Collection and the Classic Collection and is by invitation only. Hotels must meet strict criteria before being accepted into the brand.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
