Upstart Harmony Hospitality Group to Upend Hotel Industry By Confronting Excessive Brand Standards, Mandates, Restrictions and Fees

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., April 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Providing hotel owners and operators with relief from excessive restrictions and exorbitant fees charged by the major hotel brands is the goal of Fort Lauderdale-based Harmony Hospitality Group, with the announcement and launch of its Hotel Alliance membership program, an owner-friendly and all-encompassing co-branding program, offering an online travel agency (OTA) platform in tandem with the most appealing attributes of brand affiliation.

According to founder and CEO Christopher Tompkins, a 35-year hotel industry veteran, the new company is ready to shake up an industry that has become too complex due to ever-changing brand standards, mandates, fees and long-term contracts that drive up costs, reduce investor returns and tie up hotel assets.

"All of the brands charge their fees based on top-line rooms or total hotel revenues, regardless of the booking source," said Tompkins. "The brands collect on reservation sales from online travel agents, volume accounts, travel agents, brand.com, and direct hotel sales efforts. Owners and investors are frustrated. Our team has given a great deal of thought to our company's offering. It's truly one-of-a-kind."

Harmony Hospitality Group uses a membership model offering year-to-year agreements. Hotels pay a one-time initiation fee, then an annual membership fee plus 10 percent only on reservations generated through the company's property search engine: www.explorehhg.com. Unlike other hotel brands, there is no charge on many reservation codes including OTA's, AAA, AARP, global distribution systems (GDS), or volume business transient or group account bookings that have been achieved through the direct sales efforts of the hotel.

Membership benefits include a long list of programs and services valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars for Hotel Alliance members. Among them:

• No Booking Engine Transaction Fees including explorehhg.com
• iHotelier Booking Engine 4.0  -  iHotelier PMS Integration  -  iHotelier OTA Sync
• Revinate Customer Reputation Management and Guest Satisfaction Surveys
• Rate 360 and Demand Reports
• Quality Guest Assurance Software Program
• Certified Central Reservations Services
• STR Reports

Tompkins says his company's core principal is "to do the right thing, for the right reasons, for the benefit and betterment of everyone."  The company's commitment to owners and operators is reflected in its tagline, "Working Together...In-Sync™."

Three Co-brands Based on Market Segments

The company's primary focus is independent hotels. Hotels get to keep their name and unique identity.  Its then placed into one of Harmony Hospitality Group's three distinct membership co-brands; Harmony Hotels, Inns and Suites for mid-range and upscale properties; Apricity Hotels & Resorts for business, leisure and group travelers in the upscale segment, and Christopher Resorts for true resorts in the luxury segment.

The company is also focused on owners of hotels that have existing brand agreements set to expire. According to Tompkins, many feel trapped.  If they change flags, the cost to rebrand is in the millions. The cost to remain with their current flag most often requires significant, costly property improvements (PIP.) If they go independent they become heavily reliant on OTA reservations charging an average 25% to 35% commission.   

Their co-brands do not compete with one another, nor will they suffer from market over-saturation like operators face with multiple same-family-brands and similar hotels on every corner.  Alliance members have a protected geographical territory.

Harmony Hospitality Group Features Team of Pros

Tompkins, who was recently Chief Operating Officer at B Hotels & Resorts, Fort Lauderdale has worked for Hilton, Hard Rock, Starwood and Carlson and has national and international experience. He has assembled a team of non-hospitality professionals in technology, creative services, digital, multi-media, financial services and more.

He has also forged solid service provider and partnership relationships including:

• TravelClick
• Revinate
• Nuvola
• Travel Outlook
• Seawood Builders
• FITECH

Harmony will begin taking Hotel Alliance Members beginning April 24, 2017.  Its consumer hotel booking engine – explorehhg.com - will debut in September, allowing the company time to set up member hotels with all of their services and load them into the global online platform.  An aggressive consumer advertising program will commence with the booking engine's debut.

"Harmony is an industry game-changer," said Tompkins.

For more information, visit www.harmonyhospitalitygroup.com. 

SOURCE Harmony Hospitality Group

Related Links

http://www.harmonyhospitalitygroup.com