2. Online travel agencies are a viable distribution channel that isn’t going away and Hoteliers must continuously evolve their strategies to best take advantage. It concerns many aspects: channel management, booking behavior, data issues and how the relationship has hurt and helped hoteliers. Nowadays each hotel decides for itself but the truth is the Hotels Can’t live with them and Can’t live without them…

6. Mark Lomanno, formerly of STR and now a board member of new BrandAnalytics

12. Paul Brown Hilton Worldwide HOLLYWOOD, Florida—Hilton Worldwide will take calculated steps and provide amplified resources in 2012 to assure its product is represented and sold appropriately across all channels, said Paul Brown, president of global brands and commercial services for Hilton Therefore, Brown said Hilton has formulated a four-pronged approach to distribution: 1) Direct channels must be ultimate truth and offer the best rates; 2) the entire portfolio of hotels must operate as a single system, otherwise the brand will appear schizophrenic; 3) suppliers can’t be “pennywise and pound foolish” about channel economics; and 4) third parties will be given inventory “once the hotel has its own house in order.”