When An Upgrade Is A Viable Option

- Li Haohan

A hospitality industry veteran, Mr. Cetin Sekercioglu has a long and distinguished career marked by key leadership positions at Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts where he was EVP Southeast Asia, and at Millennium Hotels & Resorts, Asia Pacific where was president. Well-regarded as a leader in strategic direction and an advocate for innovation and technology, Mr. Sekercioglu has founded a new company that seeks to bring tech-led innovations to the process of purchasing hotel upgrades.

Called Upgrading.cc, the new company has an online platform where guests can purchase upgrades for accommodations, and access to facilities and services to make a hotel stay more convenient and comfortable. The facility allows upgrades to be completed online anywhere from three months to even a day prior to travel instead of on arrival at check-in counters. “You are assured of an upgrade when you reach your hotel, instead of taking chances purchasing one on arrival,” Mr. Sekercioglu says.

Upgrading.cc will also help hotels sustain positive growth in terms of revenue per available room (RevPAR), Mr. Sekercioglu says, adding that most hotels are not focused on upselling, which can potentially add anywhere from 40 to 90 per cent revenue gains.

Portfolio caught up with Mr. Sekercioglu to go over the features of the Upgrading.cc platform, and how it will help both customers and businesses.

Portfolio: What prompted you to start Upgrading.cc?