THE Philippines is a vital market for RedDoorz online hotel booking’s growth in the Southeast Asian region, according to the company’s chief communications officer. “The Philippines is a super important market for us as it has continuously shown great potential,” Liviu Nedef, senior vice president for marketing and communications of RedDoorz said in a recent press briefing held in Makati City.
Nedef said the Internet booking platform is one of the major growth drivers of the company stressing that it simplifies the short-term transient rentals and bookings. He also noted the RedDoorz mobile app has drastically improved the speed and convenience factors that were once considered points of friction for travelers.
Meanwhile, the entry of RedDoorz in the local hospitality industry resulted in the changing of the balance of power between the slow-moving and inefficient luxury hotel brands and affordable hotels that appeal to smart, tech-savvy travelers.
Furthermore, Nedef said various payment options from different players—from credit cards, DragonPay (via bank transfer and 7-Eleven outlets) and “pay-at-hotel without credit card guarantee”—has made RedDoorz the primary destination for hotel guests resulting to repeat bookings. To reward loyal clients, the company has introduced the RedCash rewards system, exclusive discounts and partner deals through RedClub membership raises the bar on consumer perks and incentives.
“Affordability is the key to growth. We want to democratize the hotel accommodation in the country,” Nedef pointed out.
Stefanie Irma, country head of RedDoorz Philippines, pointed out that RedDoorz has embarked on huge expansion program over 150 hotels across 10 cities since the first quarter of 2019. It has directly supported the creation of over 1,000 jobs across those 10 cities where its hotels are located.
RedDoorz locations include Metro Manila, Baguio, Pampanga, Tagaytay, Palawan, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod and Davao with Bohol, General Santos City, Roxas City and Caticlan as new destinations.
By year-end, new RedDoorz outlets will open in tourist-heavy Boracay Island, Antique, Capiz, Negros Occidental, Dumaguete and Tacloban City. An even aggressive nationwide expansion is eyed in 2020.
Since majority of the travelers do not have budgets for four-star or five-star hotel accommodations, Irma said RedDoorz has developed packages catering to budget-conscious travelers from small and medium entrepreneurs to millennial backpackers. She said travelers only need clean rooms, clean sheets and basic amenities that will give them a pleasant travel experience.
This has resulted in a travel boom that has, in turn, revved up local businesses, opened up jobs, created support industries and benefited local governments. Most of all, little known travel destinations are being identified and given focus, making these revolutionary virtual hotel operators (VHOs) enablers in the government’s campaign to promote Philippine tourism.
Founded in 2015 by a team of senior executives with deep experience in the online travel and hospitality industry, and has grown into a regional powerhouse with operations in Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines and Vietnam, RedDoorz has been growing by five times year-on-year.
Raenald Renz de Jesus, country marketing manager of RedDoorz, said hotel partners could grow their businesses while streamlining their operations. He added RedDoorz’s solutions help partners manage distribution, pricing, marketing, and customer experience and technology solutions—offering an end-to-end platform powered by an advanced technology infrastructure.
As a tech-driven company, he pointed out that RedDoorz leverages the benefits of technology in its operations. It has an artificial intelligence-powered pricing, marketing and customer profile systems to help them craft their strategies. “Our long-term goal is to go where the Filipinos want to go,” he said.
Meanwhile, RedDoorz secured a fresh investment of $70 million at the start of third quarter of 2019, as part of its first close of Series C funding. This was announced less than two months after the company closed its Series B funding with $45 million in the second quarter of 2019; bringing the total funds raised to approximately $140 million since the launching of the company.
1 comment
what is the objectives of the hotel?