Rocco Forte, the luxury European hotel group, is focussing its attention on the travel agent community with a dedicated website and unique GDS (global distribution system) code.
The website, www.rfctraveltrade.com, is designed to provide a one-stop-shop for agents, allowing booking via GDS, a GDS help desk for technical problems or assistance, information on receiving commission, contact details for all regional Rocco Forte offices and numbers of all toll-free reservation numbers for booking over the phone.
Other features, such as hotel brochures to download, an online image library and hotel fact sheets are also available via the website.
Later this year, the group is to re-brand as the Rocco Forte Collection (hence the ”rfc” in the website) and break away from the Leading Hotels of the World”s (LHW) GDS with its own unique code, providing access to systems such as Worldspan, Amadeus, Sabre Travel Network and Galileo to some 780,000 agents worldwide. It will continue, however to be a member of LHW in terms of PR and marketing.
”Travel agencies and the travel specialists within them play an extremely crucial role in our business,” said Rocco Forte”s global director of sales, Mark Allvey. ”In many ways, they are the ”front line” sales team with an immense choice to offer their clients.
”We recognise the importance of this sector and are making great strides to ensure we arm them with the right information and product knowledge, allowing them to recommend Rocco Forte Hotels with confidence.”
In its ten years of operation, Rocco Forte has grown to include nine hotels such as The Balmoral in Edinburgh (pictured) and Brown”s Hotel in London. Later this year sees the opening of The Charles Hotel, Munich ” named after Sir Rocco Forte”s late father Lord Charles Forte ” as well as properties in Prague and Sicily in 2008 and one further afield in Marrakech, set for 2009.