Metro Hotels Partners with Big Picture Film Festival

Metro Hotels is a Foundation Partner of an innovative new Sydney film festival designed to inspire people to get involved in social justice causes and to raise money for children in poverty.

The inaugural Big Picture Film Festival was held from 23 February - 5 March 2013 at Event Cinemas in George Street, Sydney, during which time 12 social justice documentaries were screened. All profits from the festival will go to the Bill Crews CharitableTrust, which helps poor and often homeless children in Thailand, Hong Kong and Africa.

Metro Hotels was the only hotel group to partner with the festival and sat alongside other prestigious Foundation Partners including the City of Sydney, Event Cinemas, Channel 7 and the Macquarie Radio Network.


As part of its partnership, Metro Hotels provided complimentary accommodation for the lead actors and directors from many of the films who attended the festival, as well as donating a two night accommodation prize which was auctioned on the festival’s closing night.

Metro Hotels’ Chief Operating Officer, Mr George Bedwani, said the Australian hotel chain was committed to supporting major international shows while in Australia by hosting performers for the duration of their shows.


“In the past, we have hosted the Japanese performing troupe Drum Tao, the Chinese classical dance and music company, Shen Yun, the African dance troupe Mother Africa and the performers from the theatrical dance spectacular The Merchants of Bollywood for the duration of their stays,” Mr Bedwani said.


“We were particularly impressed by the social justice aspect of the Big Picture Film Festival, which gave us an opportunity to work for The Bill Crews Charitable Trust.


As well as providing complimentary accommodation, Metro Hotels also used its eMETRO newsletter to promote the festival and encourage its clients to attend by providing 20 double film passes and gift packs to films screening during the festival.

Metro Hotels is the public face of Transmetro Corporation, an Australian owned public company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.

The Group currently provides a national accommodation network of properties, with over 1000 rooms in key locations and major cities across Australia.

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Metro Hotels Sees Robust Results After Switch to Sabre Hospitality Solutions’ Comprehensive Distribution Solutions

Sabre Hospitality Solutions, the industry’s leading global hospitality technology company, announced today that Australian hotel group, Metro Hotels, has reported a more than 70 percent increase in bookings as compared to market growth of 4.5 percent after switching to Sabre Hospitality Solutions’ distribution technology and marketing services.  

 

The hotel company migrated to Sabre Hospitality Solutions’ SynXis Central Reservation System in November 2011 to connect seamlessly to all channels including distributing rooms and rates through all four major Global Distribution Systems (GDSs), as well as hundreds of online travel agents.

Metro Hotels has 14 properties throughout Australia and is the oldest 100 percent Australian owned and managed hotel chain.  The hotel group has offered accommodation in key cities and popular holiday and tourist destinations for more than 30 years. 

 

“We have seen huge improvements across the board since our switch to Sabre Hospitality Solutions,” said, Carlie Tait, Group eCommerce Coordinator for Metro Hotels.  “The high level of support, responsiveness and product knowledge we get from Sabre’s Australia based team, as well as the functionality and efficiencies of the system, have made a noticeable impact for our hotels.  I have yet to find anything negative.” 

 

More specifically, the SynXis CRS took Metro Hotel’s turnaround time for rate loading from over a week to just one day.  The enhanced system functionality also allows for a higher volume of information and images that Metro Hotels can load for each property giving the chain the ability to capture a wider audience.

 

“Metro Hotels is taking full advantage of our CRS solution and their results show how the functionality of the system can really make a difference,” said Patrick Andres, vice president Asia-Pacific for Sabre Hospitality Solutions.  “They are also armed with accurate and useful reporting that gives them comprehensive insight  around key source markets and areas that require additional focus.”  

Read on at Metro Hotels Press Releases