Hotelbird 2021
Looking back ahead to a successful year
Monday, 10.01.2022
A turbulent but also inspiring year 2021 has come to an end. The sixth year for our young company. For our customers and users, it was unfortunately under the dark star “Pandemic second round”. For us at Hotelbird, this raised the question: What can we do, how can we help?
Already in the previous year of the pandemic, the idea of “digitization for all” had emerged, which we now started under high pressure – and which, thanks to our great development team, also quickly took shape on the software side. We have now implemented digitization for all in our Free Package for the free basic digitization of hotels of all sizes and technical requirements. Back in September, we received the IHA Product Innovation award from the German Hotel Association for components of this. In October 2021, our new homepage went live – with the new self-sign up for the new Hotelbird freemium usage model with the Free-Package.
A free digitization offer for hotels, by the way, which quickly developed the momentum we had hoped for: Usage rates of our solutions have increased by 78 percent. And the feedback from our users shows: Free digital check-in function, digital registration form and digital guest directory make it significantly easier for our hotel customers to achieve greater efficiency at the front desk and better implement hygiene concepts.
But a lot has happened outside the Free-Package, too. Six new partners have joined in 2021. We were pleased to welcome the cloud hotel software experts from Guestline , the developer of modern access systems Onity, Hotek and 4Suites, also in the area of payment systems Six Payment and Payone – We are very much looking forward to this cooperation. Furthermore, we were able to go live with the online check-in via Booking.com – which, in addition to the check-in for Booking.com bookers, also makes the sign-up for the Free-Package super easy for our new users among the hotels.
In December, the moment of truth arrived: Is our “digitization for all” idea catching on? – The user numbers of the Hotelbird Free-Package showed: It is coming! The goal of more than 100 new users on board was achieved. More than 100 predominantly smaller chains and owner-managed hotels now also rely on our free digitization basic package; some also got in deeper right away. A great market launch. New hotels and hotel chains are joining all the time. – 2021 was also a growth year in other respects: Several well-known, large hotel chains, such as Accor, Meininger Hotels, Best Western and Dorint, also started using the Hotelbird Platform last year.
“We are very much looking forward to working with Hotelbird. The technology company is a market leader in this area and we have a strong partner on our side here. Hotelbird is able to adapt to our requirements and interfaces in such a way that we get a good solution. Thus, a contemporary professional care of the guests is possible from the first contact”.
Thomas T. Hagemann
COO MEININGER HOTELS
And don’t forget: We also received widespread attention as an employer and team for the first time in 2021: We were delighted to be named “Top Start-up Employer” in the competition of the same name by the magazine “Business Punk”, together with the renowned data service provider Statista. The exciting thing about this ranking is that the companies do not apply there; the award is made via social listening, the analysis of company, growth, fluctuation and tender data from a total of around 2,500 German startups.
Whether super launch of a free digitization package for all, strong network or outstanding employer and thus actually team qualities: Without our great, constantly growing and agile team and our great customers and partners, none of this would be possible! – We hope you had a wonderful Christmas season and wish you many positive signals and rays of hope for 2022. Let’s start the coming year together and optimistically – then the next challenges will also make us and the entire hotel industry even stronger together!
So, should you have asked yourself the question while reading the first lines of this post: So, after six years, is the proverbial 7th year coming – as a year of rest for Hotelbird? Not at all. The team’s planning pipeline is already full to bursting with launches, new functions and even the already initiated integration of the planned official digital vaccination passport – and many other partner integrations and offers. In addition, we continue to be open to new and unplanned features and suggestions from our customers and partners. Welcome is what moves the hotel industry forward and supports hoteliers.
We will report.
Your contact person!
If you have any questions regarding the digitization and simplification of your hotel processes, we are always at your disposal. We would be happy to advise you on how to make your hotel business fit for the future.
Maurice Sausse
SENIOR SALES MANAGER
PHONE +49 (0) 89 215 380 134
E-MAIL maurice.sausse@hotelbird.com