Take Direct Bookings through Facebook
With three billion monthly users, Facebook is the place to be on the internet. The social media giant cannot be ignored by any business that wants to engage with customers. Chances are you already invest plenty of energy into cultivating your property’s Facebook presence, and we think that’s great! Now it’s time to get an […]
If You List It, They Will Come: A Hotel’s Guide to Google Business Profiles
Most people planning a vacation start with a Google search. That’s why you work so hard to optimize your website’s search results placement with SEO strategies. And you should. But it’s not all you can do to make the platform work for you. Maintaining your Google Business Profile is an important step to stay competitive […]
Responding to Positive Hotel Reviews: Are You Making These Common Mistakes?
You have no doubt given much thought to responding to negative reviews, but what about the positive ones? Responding appropriately to positive reviews is also important for maintaining your hotel’s reputation and increasing guest loyalty. Don’t miss this opportunity to build stronger connections and highlight your property’s winning attributes to potential guests. Responding appropriately to […]
6 Ways Hotels Can Boost Midweek Occupancy
Filling rooms during slower travel times is important to ensure your business’s long-term success and relevancy. Contrary to instinct, drastically reducing room rates won’t guarantee midweek bookings. In fact, it eats into your profits and undermines your hotel’s credibility. While price is a major factor in planning travel (especially with current inflation and for millennial […]
Travel Trends and Guest Expectations by Generation
It’s a tall order to find common ground in a group of people born between 1946 and 2012. Spanning four generations, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y/Millennials, and Gen Z play influential roles in shaping the travel industry for different reasons. Much of what you do to target a specific generation will invariably appeal to […]
Pandemic Hotel Trends That Are Here to Stay
The pandemic is slowly fading, and people are just as enthusiastic for travel as they were before. However, the hospitality industry is not returning to 2019 but instead moving forward with innovative concepts and technology accelerated by the pandemic. To look ahead, we need to look back at “pandemic trends” that are now the norm. […]
Why and How to Identify Your Hotel’s Compset
Learn how you stack up against the competition by building an accurate hotel compset. Short for hotel competitive set, this is a group of lodgings that are direct competitors with your own. Analyzing your hotel’s compset unveils information to help you stand out from these competitors and become the most desirable option. Basically, you must identify […]
A Hotelier’s Guide to Social Media Marketing by Channel
The internet is a big place filled with office memes, cat videos, and competitor hotels. And while you don’t have to be everywhere, you do have to be where your target audience is. In addition to a mobile-friendly website, your hotel needs to be on the right OTAs and social media channels. An estimated 4.9 […]
How to Attract Price-sensitive Guests without Slashing Prices
With Covid lockdowns fresh in our memory, the desire to travel is still strong. But as inflation and high flight prices persist, the revenge travel surge may start to wane. As the cost of living continues to rise, so will travelers’ price sensitivity. Hoteliers should keep this in mind as they strive to balance profit […]
Best Practices for Managing Your Online Hotel Reviews
There’s plenty of research to support the fact that reviews turn lookers into bookers with nearly half of US consumers trusting reviews as much as recommendations from family and friends. To boost bookings, accommodation providers not only need to accumulate online reviews but also respond to them effectively (more than half of consumers say they […]
Off the Beaten Path: How to Market Your Destination When No One’s Heard of It (Yet)
Not every hotel enjoys a renowned location like London, Paris, or Bali. Though these popular—and packed—destinations attract guests without trying, places off the beaten path also have great potential to snag bookings. Guests are more aware than ever of sustainable travel and overtourism (you know it’s bad when articles start talking about “tourists per head […]
How to Inspire Guests on Social Media
Social media isn’t a flashy new trend anymore; it’s a fundamental marketing cornerstone. Fifty-two percent of travelers have chosen to visit a place after seeing its image or video in their peers’ social media, and even more (60 percent) post photos on vacation. Any accommodation business that wants to amplify reach and drive bookings should […]
Big Advantages of Running a Small Hotel
Running a small operation amidst large chain hotels may seem daunting, but there are many advantages that set independent properties apart from the competition and appeal to today’s consumers. With greater flexibility to innovate and create and define their image, small and boutique hotels are an ideal traveler choice for excellent service and unique, memorable […]
Getting to Know Your Guests: How to Gather Guest Data
In our digitally connected world, consumers expect increasingly personalized service from the businesses they choose to deal with—especially from those in the hospitality industry. To stand out in such a competitive market, hotels need to provide individually relevant (and therefore memorable) guest experiences, the key to which lies in guest data. Guest data has long […]
Zero Stars and Scandal: How to Handle a PR Crisis at Your Hotel
Going viral isn’t always a victory. If your staffer gets caught kicking a service puppy or a guest calls their room “revenge of the roaches,” going viral can be downright, well, viral to your reputation, whether or not the accusation is true. People prefer to do business with brands who share their values, and your […]
Weird and Wonderful Hotel & Travel Campaigns to Inspire You
If you’ve ever found yourself in a crowd of kids, you’ll know how noisy it gets when each one talks louder and louder in an attempt to be heard. While this blog post is not about kids, this analogy is an example of what hotel marketing can feel like sometimes! Can you relate? Marketing emails, […]
Attract High-Value Guests with Expedia Members Only Promotions
Online travel agencies (OTAs) like Expedia provide a reliable source of bookings, bringing more visibility to your property than you could reach alone. While many travelers prefer to book direct, others choose to use trusted OTA sites to compare prices and book travel because of the convenience and perks OTAs offer, including loyalty programs. Expedia […]
Celebrate Spring with Style: A Hotelier’s Guide to Easter
The last of the Valentine’s Day chocolate has barely been finished and there’s already another sweet (and potentially profitable!) holiday around the corner. Easter is celebrated by 80% of Americans, and if you play your cards right, they could celebrate with you. Here’s a quick guide for independent hoteliers to make the most of this […]
An Independent Hotelier’s Guide to Virtual Hotel Tours
Advertisers have always tapped into the power of imagination. In fact, it’s the first step in creating desire. Studies show that the imagination increases guests’ intention to travel and imagining experiences can impact purchase decisions even weeks later. “Evoking the imagination as a strategy of influence” (Petrova and Cialdini) is not a new concept for […]
Building a Brand: An Independent Hotelier’s Guide
“Design is the silent ambassador of your brand.” – Paul Rand Does your hotel have a brand? The answer is yes, even if you said no. Everything from your website design to the language used in your emails to room decor says it all about your hotel. And if you haven’t put any effort into […]
Love the Locals: How to Spice Up Your Staycation Offerings
Even as travel has opened up, staycations remain an appealing option for many potential guests. According to a 2022 survey by The Vacationer, 67% of respondents said they had taken a staycation or planned to take one that year. And why wouldn’t they? They can explore new facets of their local area… and order room […]
How to Create Booking-boosting Hotel Videos
Hotel videos not only let guests know what to expect, they establish an emotional connection. Guests don’t book based on logic alone; they book based on what makes them excited. Videos can increase conversion rates by as much as 80 percent, if they are well-produced, and you have an effective marketing strategy. Video is simple […]
7 Simple SEO Tips for Independent Hoteliers
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an essential part of your marketing initiatives. Think of your website as a Broadway musical: the images and videos are the stars of the show while the website design plays a supportive role. Where is SEO in this analogy? Backstage, making sure the show goes on! The right keywords, meta […]
5 Sustainable Hotels to Inspire Us
By definition, sustainability and hospitality go hand in hand. To be hospitable means to be friendly and welcoming to guests, but it also means providing an environment that’s pleasant and favorable for living in. The bigger picture for hotels is how they contribute to the environment that surrounds them so that Planet Earth continues to […]