The modern hotel industry, revolutionized by E. M. Statler, was founded on the concept of location, location, location serving as the basis of fame and differentiation. In the future, “location, location, location” will again be the hallmark of the industry leader – this time, with three new types of virtual locations. Search Engine ranking, Social Media reputation and Location Based Promotion effectiveness will dictate who are the respective winners and losers in the arena of hospitality marketing.
Archives for October 2009
Multiple Persona, Trip-centric Travel Has a Name – EveryYou
October 21, 2009 By 4 Comments
Travel is a complex process that differs significantly from other online purchases. Traveler destination, hotel, airline and travel itinerary selection decisions are not only highly personal in nature, but also may be based on very different criteria depending on the nature of the trip being planned. By applying multiple persona marketing concepts against specific trip-centric attributes provides a multi-dimensional traveler profile that is far superior to conventional frequent traveler information maintained by online travel sites, hotels, airlines and car rental companies. EveryYou is the term given to the concept by blogger Tim Hughes in a presentation prepared for the Web In Travel Conference at ITB Asia in Singapore.
Freedom of Choice in Expedia Contract Negotiations?
October 19, 2009 By 5 Comments
Contract negotiations between Choice Hotels International and Expedia have broken down, resulting in Choice brands being removed from Expedia’s websites. As negotiating power now favors Online Travel Agencies, hotel brands must maintain discipline to retain mutually beneficial terms. Seeing continued declines in both occupancy percentage and average rate, hotel owners may be willing to exchange future margins for immediate business volume. Hotel brands are challenged to maintain chain-wide pricing integrity and competitive positioning the economy improves. Hotel brands able to maintain strategic alignment with its hotel portfolio will have the best prospect to emerge stronger when the industry recovers.
Erin Andrews Peephole Video Demands a Proactive Hotel Industry Response
October 8, 2009 By 11 Comments
Erin Andrews victimization by a stallker who modified a peephole and filmed a video using a cell phone camera has been well documented. What has not been publicized is that unmodified hotel peepholes do not put a guest’s personal privacy at risk. Hotel management is able to take three basic measures that can help to eliminate the risk of future peephole related security issues. One distressing recommendation that has arisen as a result of the publicity is the recommendation for women traveling alone to block the hotel room peephole. Instead, women should always use the peephole before opening a hotel room door to avoid the risk of entry by unwanted visitors.
New FTC Rule Helps Improve Social Media & Travel Reviews
October 5, 2009 By Leave a Comment
The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) took a much needed positive step forward by introducing guidelines designed to differentiate between legitimate personal opinions and sponsored commercial endorsements made through social media. Individuals blogging or posting product reviews are now required, under threat of fines up to $11,000 per post, to disclose any material connections between themselves and the companies selling the products they are reviewing. This will improve the accuracy and reliability of hotel reviews and help eliminate unethical practices designed to artificially improve travel industry product rankings.
