Editorial Board   Guest Author

Ms. Papenhoff

Michaela Papenhoff

Managing Director, h2c

Michaela Papenhoff is Managing Director of h2c, a Germany-based company that specializes in hospitality commerce supporting hotel chains and large individual properties increasing success when selling online and offline. Building on 25 years of hospitality experience, Ms. Papenhoff early recognized the initial stage of electronic and Internet distribution and the great potential of global marketing. Prior to founding h2c 10 years ago, Ms. Papenhoff worked as Director of E-Distribution and E-Marketing at a leading European representation company with more than 200 member hotels. She implemented the company's first central reservation system and was accountable for all properties' revenues via electronic channels. Concurrently, she set up a CRS specialist's team which trained all associated hotels, thus providing an on-demand knowledge pool. Ms. Papenhoff has worked in several functions prior to founding her own company including front desk, reservations, sales development and public relations at international hotels chains. Clients benefit from h2c's expert team in the areas of distribution strategy development via international and national channels, implementing effective SEO/SEM strategy, training how to improve processes and technology, market research and business intelligence. In her beginnings with h2c, Ms. Papenhoff also served as PhoCusWright's Inc. Managing Director Europe representing the company in this region, holding speeches during industry events and conducting high quality research. Today, h2c assists PhoCusWright in carrying out market research projects with a core focus on the European and Middle East countries. By completing her International Executive MBA at the Rotterdam School of Management/Erasmus University, Ms. Papenhoff could deepen her skills in marketing, finance, leadership development und change management; her industry insight initially began with a professional hospitality education program.

Ms. Papenhoff can be contacted at 49-211-239-8360 or papenhoff@h2c.de

Coming up in January 2020...

Mobile Technology: Meeting Tech Expectations

What once seemed futuristic is now the norm, owing to the escalating developments in mobile technology, and hotels must continue to innovate in order to meet guest expectations. In a recent study from Mower, 65 percent of guests said they would gladly pay more for a hotel that provides the mobile technology they deem essential. The same study shows that 44 percent of travelers are more likely to book a smart hotel, and nearly 7 in 10 want to use smart devices provided by the hotel. And how do guests wish to use all this technology? A majority expressed a desire for mobile check-in and check-out, and mobile payment options. They also want to be able to stream content from their phone to the TV; to make service requests of the hotel staff; to control in-room lighting, temperature and sound; to order food and beverages; and to request a wake-up call - all from their mobile device. Guests also expressed preferences for robust wi-fi and convenient device charging ports throughout the hotel. They also appreciate the use of hotel branded apps which allow a guest to book a room, access loyalty programs, receive discounts and rewards, and even use the app to choose the room, floor and view they prefer. Some hotel apps also allow a customer to track their charges throughout their stay, rather than waiting to receive a bill at the end. Finally, mobile tech lounges are popping up more frequently in some hotels. These lounges offer guests the opportunity to perform tasks like airline check-ins or access to local info guides, but they also provide a place where guests can comfortably get some work done outside their room. The January Hotel Business Review will report on what some hotels are doing to meet their customers' expectations in the mobile technology space.

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