When engaging with online travel agencies (OTAs) in these volatile times, hoteliers must adequately understand the value and costs of all distribution channels. Any relationship weighted in favour of an OTA to the detriment of a hotel’s bottom line needs to be reviewed, and steps should be taken to maximise direct bookings. Hoteliers Should Explore OTA Alternatives For many hoteliers,
Question for Our Hotel Marketing Expert Panel How are hotels expanding their presence on the newer social platforms, e.g., TikTok, ClubHouse, Instagram Reels? How does this impact a hotel’s strategy and resources? How can success be evaluated? Our Marketing Expert Panel Natasha Robertson - Independent Consultant, Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne Moriya Rockmani -
Customer behavior is evolving from search to interaction, and mobile is driving this shift. Hotels that rethink their guest communication to meet new and changing behavior will boost their visibility and drive their direct bookings. This article reveals the mobile behavior trends shaping the hospitality industry and how hotels can leverage them to improve their guest experience and increase direct
When you hear the word automation, it may conjure up images of a future where artificial intelligence and robots take over jobs. The reality, however, is much more nuanced. The notion of automation generally remains ossified in this physical, machine-replace-labour frame and is perceived as another step toward automation-led obsolescence. Automation in Everyday Life Discussions about automation all too often
The Brussels-based boutique hotel Made in Louise had a major leg up on many competitors during the pandemic thanks to its advanced tech stack. This helped them get through the corona crisis and make the most of the beginning recovery phase. Martin Duchateau, General Manager and owner of the 48-key Made in Louise hotel, shares how he navigated the pandemic
Question for Our Hotel Marketing Expert Panel With travellers spending increased amounts of time consuming online content, how can hotels leverage VR (virtual reality) technology to capture their attention? Our Marketing Expert Panel Reshan Jayamanne - Digital Marketing & Sales Strategist, Bnb Optimized Susanne Williams - Performance and Revenue Director, Journey Hospitality Andrew
Question for Our Revenue Management Expert Panel: How will hotel revenue management be affected by the introduction of the new “TripAdvisor Plus” from TripAdvisor? Our Revenue Management Expert Panel Paulo Aragao - Revenue Management Professional Patrick Wimble - Managing Director, Lightbulb Consulting Theresa Prins - Founder, Revenue Resolutions Pablo Torres - Hotel Consultant,
The role of an online travel agency, or OTA for short, has become increasingly important within the hotel industry, because they provide a convenient way for customers to compare hotels and book them over the internet, from the comfort of their home or on the go. In this article, you will learn more about online travel agents and the best
Question for Our Hotel Marketing Expert Panel How can hotel chatbots best contribute to a contactless / low-touch guest experience? Our Marketing Expert Panel Dr. Betsy Stringam-Bender - Professor of Hotels & Resorts, New Mexico State University Tamie Matthews - Revenue, Sales & Marketing Consultant, RevenYou Andrew Kavanagh - Group Sales and Marketing
The hotel industry employs many unique key performance indicators. ADR (average daily rate), RevPAR (revenue per available room) and Occ% (occupancy) naturally come to mind. These metrics reflect the unique nature of our business, but their existence also drives our attention and actions. Watching your hotel’s KPIs translates into optimizing key activities to influence those KPIs positively. As the old
TripAdvisor has recently launched a new service called TripAdvisor Plus, which operates on a subscription model, allowing customers to pay an annual membership fee in return for various member-only benefits, such as discounts on hotel rooms and exclusive perks. Additionally, the service now allows direct participation from hotels too. In this article, you will learn more about the service and
Question for Our Hotel Marketing Expert Panel With many marketing budgets facing cuts, how can hotels drive the best ROI possible? Our Marketing Expert Panel Susanne Williams - Performance and Revenue Director, Journey Hospitality Reshan Jayamanne - Digital Marketing & Sales Strategist, Bnb Optimized Andrew Kavanagh - Group Sales and Marketing Manager, FBD
All kinds of businesses use upselling to enhance their customer experience and maximize revenue on existing sales. From the McDonald’s server asking, “Do you want fries with that?”, to airlines offering seat upgrades. Upselling provides the opportunity to maximize the value of every customer. Not all upselling efforts are well-received — particularly efforts driven by the sole desire to make
Question for Our Revenue Management Expert Panel: With rising trends of staycations & workcations, is there a greater appetite amongst guests for upselling (e.g., room upgrades) post-pandemic to maintain physical distancing or to “treat” themselves? Our Revenue Management Expert Panel Patrick Wimble - Managing Director, Lightbulb Consulting Theresa Prins - Founder, Revenue Resolutions
No one can be blamed for prioritising the survival of their business in the past year, which was challenging to a degree no one could have expected. As hospitality gears up to welcome guests again, it's clear that some priorities have shifted permanently. However, there are many, like the journey towards environmentally responsible tourism, that will undoubtedly return as matters
Question for Our Hotel Marketing Expert Panel What has been your biggest learning in guest communication over the past 12 months? Our Marketing Expert Panel Colleen Buckley - Hospitality Marketing Executive Reshan Jayamanne - Digital Marketing & Sales Strategist, Bnb Optimized Nicolas Lajambe - Head of Ecommerce, Freehand Hotels & Generator Hostels Teri
Question for Our Hotel Marketing Expert Panel With mobile traffic stats continuing to rise, how have you adapted your hotel's digital strategy in response to that? Our Marketing Expert Panel Colleen Buckley - Hospitality Marketing Executive Reshan Jayamanne - Digital Marketing & Sales Strategist, Bnb Optimized Nicolas Lajambe - Head of Ecommerce, Freehand
Question for Our Hotel Marketing Expert Panel Keeping well connected with our guests has been particularly challenging during the pandemic. What tips can you share for maintaining guest interest and keeping engagement high? Our Marketing Expert Panel Kaylie Holley - Founder, Up Travel Marketing Teri Freisen - Director Brand Management, Accor for Mövenpick