The iconic Devon Hotel in New Plymouth, New Zealand has the region’s highest rating as a Qualmark 4 Star Plus gold-rated hotel and conference centre. They put their visitors on the doorstep of the CBD and all the most visited attractions in New Plymouth. They’re also committed to supporting local communities and sporting groups and have been providing Bartercard members luxury accommodation for the past 23 years.
Bartercard has become a valuable part of what the hotel can offer its guests. In this Bartercard member update, we talk to Managing Directors Peter and Rosemary Tennent to find out why Bartercard is so valuable to their business.
Why did you join Bartercard?
“Hotels have the most perishable stock on the planet – if we don’t sell a room tonight, it’s never available for sale again. Most retailers, if they don’t sell their product today, it’s still available for sale tomorrow. It’s not the case with hotels, the sale is lost. Bartercard is another tool we use to ensure those rooms are full and don’t sit empty.”
“It’s become a really effective way of selling our facilities as it’s opened up a new market for us and has helped us secure guests that are not in the cash market.”
As the Devon Hotel’s Managing Directors, how do you utilise your Trade Dollars in your business?
“We have met some great individuals and have been able to benefit a large number of people and organisations utilising the Bartercard exchange, as well as enjoying increased profitability I’m sure!”
“We constantly analyse our market. Like all members, we would prefer to make a cash sale and there is always the risk of our cash customers converting to Bartercard. To some extent that happens, and we track it pretty closely. However, the fact we have remained in Bartercard for as long as we have is tantamount to confirming the net advantage we continue to see by being a part of the network.”
Be the next Bartercard success story
When we asked what their most memorable Bartercard experience has been, both Peter and Rosemary were unanimous in their reply…
“The pleasure we’ve seen when others have redeemed Bartercard vouchers that we’ve given out, and they’ve been able to do things that would have otherwise not been possible… now that’s pretty cool!”
If you have excess stock or rooms sitting empty, find out how Bartercard can turn your unutilised capital into increased profits.
