EDITORIAL LETTER

And one of the things that makes me feel at home the most is the free internet connection offered by many of the hotels in the region. Arriving at an establishment and feeling that you can interact with the world, inform yourself of everything that has happened in a certain region of the planet, by the means you want to read and not those that force you is freedom. The truth often becomes uncomfortable to have to turn on the television to watch one or another newscast.

But when I arrive at a hotel and realize that to use the Internet I have to pay, I feel a deep disappointment, because I very respectfully think that this should be a free service, like television, radio and in many cases the telephone. I feel like trapped, incommunicado, in other words I stop feeling at home. I do not know operationally the value of offering this service, but I would not like to think that it is too high for some hotels to have chosen not to provide it.

I once spoke with the CEO of the Wyndham chain and he told me that the Internet was one of the added values they were offering guests as a tool to differentiate themselves and stay in these difficult times, that although they talk about an economic improvement this will not be seen definitively until next year.

When I learned that the Wyndham was doing it, I felt some satisfaction, because I think I am not the only one who lacks Internet, especially in these days when one feels the enormous need to find out immediately about almost everything that happens. Very often I repeat to myself: "I don't know how I could live without the Internet." When I leave a hotel where I was restricted this service I simply exclaim and think "how could I be these days so far from the world".

Many of our hotel friends fell into the serious mistake of reducing their investments because of these phenomena. Perhaps it was an instant reaction, however, those who had already budgeted to renovate their hotel or build a new one in a Latin American country looked for technological offers that in principle were economical and viable within the budget.

Serious mistake! A hotel not only needs to offer you the best of customer services, it must also take into account that security in its infrastructure is as valuable as the satisfaction of a guest, and therefore must consult with companies that have the ability to offer the latest technology.

Care! Many of you hesitate to make your choice, because of the price. But, why not analyze that almost always the cheap is expensive and the constant repair or renovation of those equipment that you acquired for an economic value can be worth much more than if you had decided on a more expensive system, although with a much more convincing guarantee.

This is not the case of all hoteliers and with this I do not mean to say that the industry is sinning as conservative, but I have known cases exposed by important integrating companies that at the time of offering their solutions are rejected by the cost, without even listening to the value added proposal.

Think that this is an investment that the guest will thank you indirectly, because at present the client analyzes even the smallest detail when it comes to staying in a hotel. Make a significant investment in security systems, in saving water and energy, which in the future will see the fruits.

The executive I was interviewing was from Rate Tiger, a company that produces online execution software for travel management. In the hospitality segment it is used for the management of a hotel to integrate all the web platforms it has, so if a property works with 10 or 15 different distribution channels, the software integrates everything in a single input, that is, a single channel.

But what is really important is the course that the interview took when the executive of the firm stated that the worst strategy that a property could adopt in times of crisis was to compete based on prices, for the simple fact that its competitors did it. The interviewee's argument was: "a hotel that lowered its rates indiscriminately during the time of crisis could lose many businesses when the recovery arrives, because it will have taken fame of a cheap or low-class property."

Later the interviewee said: "I do not think that lowering prices is the best strategy although everything can be considered. That depends on the strategy that the hotel has and if what you are looking for is to have more people per room or get the most benefit for that particular room. If a property works with 20 different segments, lowering the rates in each of them is a mistake, but instead the most important thing is to identify which is the segment that is giving the highest profitability so as not to lower the rates of that group. "

The conclusion of the interview is that it is not about lowering prices without control, but being sure of which segments are being served, which represent better figures for the property and how you can obtain greater benefit or at least maintain it with respect to that population group. The key is in the study and analysis of the reality of the hotel.

However, I would like to ask myself what can be done to captivate that customer who is approaching a counter for the first time and who did not have any reference to the hotel? I believe that the treatment and the way the staff of the establishment conducts it is fundamental for the guest to achieve the objective that is set when booking a hotel: to be equal to or more comfortable than at home -remember that one does not sell products or services, but sensations and satisfaction to the needs-.

At the time I write this editorial I am on a work trip and the motivation came from the experience in the place where I am staying. It turns out that there has been an unparalleled incompetence to resolve the inconveniences that have arisen. Moreover, it is supposed to be a city, which although it is not Spanish-speaking, nor even English-speaking, receives a large number of tourists from all over the world. But among all the staff I did not find a single person who spoke English to an acceptable degree and who would allow him to give me a little peace of mind, after more than 15 hours of travel.

What can the management of an institution think when it is not foreseeing these situations and does not invest in the training of its human resources? Are you fully entering the era of globalization? Very probably this hotel was not very interested in what I raise in this letter, but I believe that in Latin America we should not give ourselves these luxuries and we should learn from the mistakes of others so as not to commit them in a foolish way.

Everything seems to indicate that tourism in the region is in a stage of frank growth, so my suggestion is that opportunities are not missed more for details such as not having at least bilingual staff. In lean times, those who risk a little more drink the milk that remains.

Currently in Colombia there are two cases that concern me within the industry, basically because of the way in which they are being presented. The first has to do with the alarm signal sent by the Hotel Association of Colombia (Cotelco) to indicate that in this nation there is an excessive increase in the hotel offer.

The entity clarified that this could be dangerous for the industry in the short and medium term, due to the current financial crisis, which is why they made an invitation to investor prudence.

However, large hotel groups see high possibilities for growth in Colombia. I, for my part, invite you to carry out an in-depth analysis of the real state of the national market, with which it can be determined if indeed the South American nation is prepared for a great hotel demand.

In that country, the industry invested a total of US$550 million in 2008 and that figure could grow by the end of this year to US$700 million. Entrepreneurs say these investments are planned to bear fruit during 2010 and 2011. It will dawn and we will see.

I also consider it important to mention another issue that concerns the industry in Colombia, the "parahotelería". According to Cotelco, the phenomenon has decreased revenues by around US $ 126 thousand, which means notable losses for establishments.
Legal.

These sites, in addition to not paying taxes, rent a room to double or triple the number of people you can receive. Unfair competition. The Colombian Government will have to take action on the matter and improve in some points the decree 2590 that regulates the services of tourist apartments, in order to avoid that those who do business in a correct way continue to be harmed.