Hotels can not live without them, and yet it is their best enemies. Booking.com, Hotels.com (Expedia Group), HRS ... The booking sites online have made themselves indispensable. Hoteliers seek to fill the gaps, but also expand their customer base, including foreign chambers.
Once the contract is signed, the hotels make available some of their rooms on the booking site that loads to promote. But the conditions imposed by the booking sites, in addition to the average commission of 18%, are in the process of transforming hoteliers subcontractors.
To prevent abuse of these sites, the PS deputy Razzy Hammadi announced Aug. 16 that he would propose amendments to the bill on consumption presented by Benoît Hamon. Contacted by Rue89, MP says:
"We must anticipate to avoid the whole French hotel industry is controlled by booking sites. Must referring sites remain in their mission to SEO. "
Hotels are not free in their prices
Among the conditions imposed by these sites, the bristling most hoteliers is the clause "Price Match". Didier Chenet, president of Synhorcat, the union of hotel, sees "the main problem" of the moment:
"Hotels can not sell for less than what is stated on the website, online booking room. When she is assigned directly to the customer, the hotel does not pay commission. So the room is cheaper and it could make a rebate. But no: it is forbidden by contract. And it becomes hard to retain the customer, hence, does not see why he would bother to go through the hotel. "
If the contract is not fulfilled, it is the sanction: exclusion of the site. And assurance of financial difficulties, especially in peak periods.
Taxing in France booking sites
A scandal to Razzy Hammadi, which offers a framework booking websites in three ways:
a more rigorous definition of economic dependence;
the prohibition of tariff parity by contract;
the taxation of booking sites: the vast majority of sites do not pay taxes in France but a drain hotels who themselves pay taxes.
Razzy Hammadi finds:
"It's not because it's digital we can not tax them. The United States has already implemented a tax on digital commerce. "
The site has an obligation to show "there is no more space available on our website." Before, it was only stated "there is more space available." (Screenshot by Booking.com)
"A battle to moralize these sites"
Didier Chenet, of Synhorcat laments:
"This is not a battle against Internet. It's a battle to moralize these sites. There have been too many abuses and there still. "
The confusion is already fear a dangerous hegemony by Marc Tarabella, MEP:
"I continue to be amazed [...] is a global leader opinions on hotels (Tripadvisor) website belongs to the world's leading hotel booking (Expedia and Hotels.com its subsidiary). The slippage is inevitable when one is judge and jury. "
The battle began in 2011 when some hotels have challenged, in court, the power of booking sites. Fed up with the abuse, the owner of the hotel Guilguiffin sued Expedia, the parent company of Hotels.com:
"No one dared go in their cabbage. Everyone was afraid. We are partnered with another hotel [hotel in the Place du Louvre, ed] and we went there. [...]
When booking on their website, they marked that your hotel was full so there was simply no room on their website. So, customers placed their way. But we were still there. We always care for not paying their commission. "
Expedia has been condemned and stopped the practice. But the struggle continues. On July 2, UMIH, the union bosses for hotel, took the competition authority for "Anticompetitive" practices.
Dependent hotels
Sites like Booking.com have become indispensable for hotels. More than 20% of their revenue comes from these sites. Customers, especially foreign, through the better referenced on search engines platforms.
For the hotel Guilguiffin, the transition was rough:
"They took us to their sites after the complaint. There was a big drop in bookings. "
The Hotel de la Place du Louvre, an ally of the hotel Guilguiffin during the trial continues to work with these sites:
"Unfortunately, there is too much need. One bedroom comes with a commission of 18% is better than no room sold at all.
We try to limit. Not exceed 14% of our rooms sold by one or more of these sites. There, for example, it has exceeded our quota. But need to run one or two rooms a day so they do not see us from their sites. "
The service provided can quickly overwhelm the hotel who benefits:
"Once the customer is used to, it remains faithful to Booking.com for example. You become addicted. This is not good.
There are hotels that make 70% of their numbers through these sites. If the sites are increasing their commissions, they are finished. "
Hotels live under the perpetual threat. The manager of the Hotel de la Place du Louvre says the booking sites have tried to increase their commission.
Possible political consensus
For now, hotels have managed to cope against this risk effectively. But the three points of the amendment should be adopted for all definitively withdrawing the threat.
In Synhorcat, we say pretty confident. Razzy Hammadi weighs heavier than a backbencher, he is also president of the ECCP (Review Board business practices). Above all, it is a subject on which political consensus is possible, says the deputy:
"I do not see why the right would object. "
This optimism does not seem excessive. In 2011, Frédéric Lefebvre, Secretary of State for Tourism, had already addressed the issue.
Museums, breakfast: rebates in kind
Meanwhile, in hotels, we cope as we can. At the Hotel de la Place du Louvre, failing to reduce prices, we make rebates in kind:
"It is suitable for the museum, free breakfasts ... It was the law. And customers are very happy, it allows us to retain them.
It's up to us to make them understand that it is more beneficial for them and for us to dispense with intermediate sites. "
Other hotels are trying to emancipate themselves through creative initiatives, such Fairbooking.fr, booking site launched in 2013 by Nantes hotel angry. Their goal: to focus on direct booking, that is to say, on the site of the hotel rather than a booking site. An initiative which proposes to fund Razzy Hammadi.
http://rue89.nouvelobs.com/2013/08/26/hotels-sites-reservation-meilleurs-ennemis-245102
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