The Raintree Hotel, Annasalai announced its tie-up with Summit hotels and resorts, part of the international hospitality company Preferred Hotel Group, in Chennai on Friday. The tie-up is an attempt to expand the international visibility of the Raintree and enhance its online services.
As part of the tie-up the Preferred Hotel Group will provide The Raintree with customised corporate, leisure and group sales support, integrated marketing solutions, global connectivity, reservation services and electronic distribution.
The hospitality group has global offices in over 30 cities around the world and over 650 associate hotels. The Raintree, Anna Salai would also be able to offer its guests the ‘iprefer programme’, a guest loyalty and benefit program, which entitles members to enjoy a variety of benefits and earn miles (for travelling by flight) through online airline frequent flier programmes.
“We believe that this tie up would broaden our visibility in the international market and enhance our guests experience at our hotel,” said C Subba Reddy, Managing Director of Ceebros Hotels which runs Raintree.
The association will entail The Raintree a fixed term fee and a transaction fee for the bookings that result out of the tie-up.
“With numerous international and domestic hotel brands making entry in Chennai city over the past few years, our alliance gives us yet another opportunity to prove ourselves among the regional independent brands. With an international sales, marketing and electronic distribution partner like this, we can not only effectively compete and perform, but also very efficiently maximise operating profitability to their ownership,” he said.
Speaking about the affect of the global downturn on the hospitality industry, the Managing Director said that over the last one year there has been a visible decline in the sales.
“It is has not reached the level of a crisis but it is more of a cycle. We expect better days ahead,” he said.