Utell Hotels Employ Lanyon's Negotiated Rate RFP Technology to Capture More Global Corporate Travel Business

16 July 2002

Utell announced the implementation of an agreement with Dallas-based Lanyon that allows Utell's hotel members to submit responses to corporate and travel agency request for proposal (RFP) bids online. Using Lanyon's Web-based PropertyVault(TM) and RFPpublisher(TM) applications, Utell's hotel members can easily input room rate information in an online database and respond to corporate and travel agency consortia RFPs. Utell, a subsidiary of Pegasus Solutions, Inc., is the hotel industry's largest third-party marketing and reservations provider, with nearly 5,400 member properties around the world.

The addition of Lanyon's automated RFP services underscores Utell's commitment to providing its hotel members with the technology to effectively pursue new business. "With hotel room buyers under increasing pressure to maximize savings in all aspects of corporate travel, Utell's inclusion in the solicitation process gives buyers more hotel options to meet the needs of their traveling workforce," said Mark Wells, Utell's president and chief operating officer. "In particular, the rollout of Lanyon's tools gives our members in Europe and Asia the means to get their properties and room rates in front of travel managers on other continents." More than 1,000 Utell hotels  have signed up for the service, with an additional 500 anticipated to be registered by December.

Lanyon's standardized applications also save time for hotel employees that previously spent countless hours responding to individual paper RFPs. "I've filled out numerous forms, each one asking for the same information, over and over again," said Rebbeca Hedinger, director of sales and catering at Boulder Broker Inn, a 118-room property in Boulder, Colo. "Utell's tools are remarkably efficient, allowing me to accomplish other revenue-generating tasks and limiting my RFP issues to the occasional updating of rates." 

The simple format makes it easy for corporate travel managers to request rates and integrate Utell's diverse collection of independent properties into any managed corporate travel program. RFPpublisher requires no downloading of software, giving properties the ability to quickly enter descriptions and rates, eliminating redundant data entry and costly manual processing. The program is designed to be error-proof, alerting users to incomplete or inaccurate information. Utell also provides pre-population of static data from its central reservation system, ensuring further speed and accuracy.  

Once properties complete the information required for a specific bid from a consortia or corporation, the data is submitted online through RFPpublisher. Utell then downloads this information and provides the travel manager with an electronic file, thus cutting down the significant burden of paper contracts for the soliciting agency or corporation. 

"The introduction of Lanyon's progressive RFP response technology to our portfolio of member services reinforces our commitment to helping members attract more corporate bookings," added Wells. "The independent hotels and small hotel chains that represent the majority of our membership typically have  numerous hurdles to overcome in building relationships with corporate travel managers. This technology, combined with ongoing efforts of our worldwide sales force, will undoubtedly raise the profile of our member hotels by delivering prompt responses to global and regional corporate bids."

"We're pleased to add Utell's prominent collection of hotels and resorts to our client base," said Todd Tyler, Lanyon's chief executive officer. "Consolidating RFP responses under RFPpublisher will greatly enhance productivity, allowing properties to bid for more business and build incremental revenue. This relationship should also please hundreds of agencies and corporations that can look forward to the benefits of electronic bid submission from Utell hotels." More than 50 hotel companies use RFPpublisher, representing over 100 brands.