Single Supplements 'N' Stuff
Hotel guru and former operatot Jon Hartley looks at single supplements for customers and wants operators to play fair with hoteliers.
As the silver market grows, so does the demand for single accommodation, yet this is often offered with limited availability and as a supplement to double and twin bedded rooms. Why should single people pay more, why are they different?
Some hotels, especially those built in the 1960’s and ‘70’s, were built with plenty of single accommodation, as they were used by the commercial market, and that is all they were looking for. The larger hotel chains however, seemed to wish for more uniformity, and zip link beds gave them the option of a room being used for single double or twin occupancy, so bedrooms became the same size throughout the hotel. Many of the chains who moved into Europe from the US fitted many more double rooms, rather than twins – as preferred by tour groups into the UK, and in Europe did the opposite, where double rooms were limited whilst twins were plentiful. Confusing isn’t it? Add to this the fact that coach operators and clients see prices per person, and hotel operators see revenue per room – hence RevPar, Revenue per available Room, and this is where the single supplement comes in, for from the hotelier’s point of view, offering a bedroom for single occupancy costs them 50% of the revenue it should produce. Starting to make sense now?
It is possible to negotiate for no single supplements as part of your contract, and some Wholesale operators are now offering this almost as standard. They are able to do this as they contract in bulk, and are able to negotiate in finer detail that you may be able to as a single operator booking one off or ad hoc accommodation. It is also clearly dependant on just how much the hotel needs your business, and to the room mix they have to work with. Still, if you don’t ask.......?
Commercial hotel operators have a duty to maximise the income from their bedrooms, so will only give space to groups when they know they will have availability. These dates are called different names by different hotel chains, but tend to be Need Dates. These are usually over the weekend, but can include Mondays, Fridays, and even Thursdays. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the main corporate days, yet it can be possible to gets groups in, especially on Bank Holiday weeks, and during the period late July to early September.
Then we come to hotels with single bedrooms charging a supplement. In my opinion this is greed, unnecessary, and unacceptable. I would refuse to pay any supplement for these rooms, and move to another hotel if need be. It has to be remembered that we are the buyer, and have to purchase something that is attractive to our clients, and the addition of single room supplements cannot be seen as a good advertising tool for the tour.
The Wholesalers (and I am not one) can not only save time and money, but can produce a far better product with themes and ideas than most individual operators. Over the past few years they have included more and more holidays with either very low or no single supplements and they do this by employing skilled negotiators that are able to get the very best of deals, and pass the savings onto us – even after adding a small mark up.
Playing Fair
How would you like it if someone booked four of your five coaches for a five day trip – and then cancelled 4 weeks before departure? If a coach operator – either directly or via a wholesaler – reserves 28 of a hoteliers 32 rooms, imagine how he feels when you cancel 4 weeks out. Time for a little Quid pro quo?
If you know the tour is not going well, and bookings are slow, I urge you to be honest and tell the wholesaler/hotelier as soon as you can. Not many operators manage to sell everything, and it will do your name more good – not to mention your working relationships – by being up front and straight with your trade colleagues.
Trade Associations
You by now will be used to me letting off steam, but sometimes i am perplexed. I am a member of the Coach Tourism Council, and whilst not being able to attend every event, take part when I can. What I do not understand are the members who never turn up for anything.
I was at the recent Summer Barbeque where I sat on a table with the great and good of our industry, discussing everything under the sun, and spent the rest of the evening networking with suppliers and coach operators alike. It was fantastic, and some deals were done which were followed up later. Breakfast too was not wasted, as I joined other operators in a candid discussion that was more than a little useful.
Those that are members and never come to the AGM or meetings are missing out on opportunities to advance both their knowledge and coach travel in general.
