While the InnDependent Boutique Collection platform was initially created for independent hotels, the company is now white-labeling its central reservation system for brands, soft brands and management companies serving hotels, apartments, B&Bs and villas, effective immediately.
“IBC is trending, and we are helping the hospitality owners and operators get a grip on their revenues and guest data through new direct bookings from Google, metasearch channels, optional GDS, international vacation hotels distribution and more,” said Pamela Barnhill, IBC CEO. “It’s not enough to just own an asset today; you must also own the personality of the building, the social experience of the guest, the reservations processes and the online marketing. The beauty of the independent market – which represents 300,000 hotels and growing – is that each has a unique story.
“You can own a 59-room tree-hut lodge or a 1,200-room luxury high rise downtown property in Minneapolis,” she said. “It’s not the size of the property; it’s the story the property shares and connects with the world that matters most. The challenge for independent hotels and smaller groups is having the channels to tell that story and to do it efficiently and affordably. That’s where IBC is having the biggest impact."
IBC drives consumer demand by connecting more channel managers and more property-management systems with more distribution channels than any other independent hotel solution, Barnhill said. IBC also manages meta cost per click and cost per acquisition within a prescribed ROI that drives more direct business at a higher net rate than any other solution. When a hotel can integrate into a variety of systems to drive net rate by channel and receive full guest information, everyone wins. Among an ala carte of offerings, a lesser known opportunity within IBC is the purchasing platform which lowers operating expenses on average by 11 percent; those are real dollars to the bottom line.
A year ago, IBC was providing for the exclusive digital marketing needs of about 190 hotels; at the end of 2016, that number increased to nearly 1,700 hotels. While rapid growth continues to scale for IBC, Barnhill said her goals for 2017 are focused on cultivating relationships and refining technology rather than growing the company’s portfolio.
