RFPAssist Continues to Drive New Event Sales Opportunities for Hotels
Lodging Interactive | January 11, 2021
5 Things to Share This Holiday Season on Social Media
Pipeline Social Media | December 21, 2020
Sales & Marketing
Google Is Eliminating Third-Party Cookies — What Does That Mean for Your Hotel’s Digital Marketing?
Gina Ciarrocchi Zech | October 8, 2020
By Gina Ciarrocchi Zech Earlier this year, Google announced it would phase out third-party cookies from its Chrome browser over the next two years. Marketers have since been speculating on the negative consequences this could have on targeted campaigns and reaching new customers. This reaction is understandable. Third-party cookies are integral to tracking users and delivering personalized ads that target users around the web. However, while big changes are afoot, it’s certainly not all bad news. It’s important to note this phase-out does not include first-party cookies. So you can still monitor how customers interact with your h...
GCommerce and The Hotels Network Announce Strategic Partnership
GCommerce | October 1, 2020
Park City, UT, October 1, 2020 - GCommerce, a leading, hospitality digital marketing agency, has partnered with The Hotels Network, an innovative hotel tech company providing a full-stack direct growth platform. With GCommerce’s proven marketing strategies and The Hotels Network’s tools, this partnership will give clients the potential to increase direct bookings, providing websites with personalized shopping experiences for users and strengthening relationships between hotel brands and guests. “The partnership between The Hotels Network and GCommerce is a natural fit,” stated Lindley Cotton, President & Partner of GCommerce...
Milestone Internet Marketing, Inc. Selected by Choice Hotels as a Qualified Vendor for Property Websites
Milestone | September 30, 2020
Milestone Internet Marketing, Inc., a premiere provider of digital marketing solutions for the hospitality industry, has been selected as a Qualified Vendor by Choice Hotels International, Inc. Milestone will develop property websites for Choice Hotels franchisees across the world in an effort to help drive guests to the properties. Milestone will provide its best-in-class, SEO-first CMS platform technology to Choice's independently owned and operated hotels. The developed property sites will include advanced mobile sites, schemas, speed, voice search, and search engine optimization. In addition to a sophisticated technology platform, th...
Anna Lawrence Joins Hawks Cay Resort as Director of Sales
Hawks Cay Resort | September 28, 2020
DUCK KEY, Fla. – September 28, 2020 – Hawks Cay Resort, an iconic destination resort in the Florida Keys, announces the appointment of Anna Lawrence as the resort’s new director of sales. Having worked in various properties throughout the Florida Keys for nearly a decade, Lawrence brings a deep understanding of the local market and experience implementing innovative sales campaigns. “The ability to create and drive fresh sales campaigns is imperative for the success of Hawks Cay Resort as we continue to adapt to new market trends and traveler preferences,” said Sheldon Suga, Hawks Cay Resort regional vice president and managing d...
Upgrade to a New Affordable ADA Compliant Website, on “Pay-As-You-Go” Model With No Capital Expense
Lodging Interactive and Commingle:Engage | September 21, 2020
PARSIPPANY, NJ – September 9, 2020 - Lodging Interactive, a full-service digital marketing, social media engagement, and reputation management agency exclusively serving the hospitality industry, is making it easy for hotels to upgrade their digital marketing presence through its HotelSiteXPRESS service. HotelSiteXPRESS provides an affordable way for hotels to upgrade their online presence with a new, fully responsive website and online marketing services on a subscription-based model with no capital outlay. “We believe hotels must make it a priority to upgrade their websites during the current slow-down in occupancies,...
Top 5 Things You Need to Know Now in Hotel Digital Marketing: September Edition
Margaret Mastrogiacomo | September 16, 2020
By Margaret Mastrogiacomo As the holiday season swiftly approaches, it’s important to keep a pulse on the evolving digital landscape to keep your digital strategy ahead of the curve. This month, Microsoft Ads expands LinkedIn targeting availability, Connected TV advertising continues to grow, and mixing realism with illustration is a design trend that arrives just in time for the holidays. From Search to Social Media and Design, here are the top 5 things you need to know now in hotel digital marketing. 1. Search: Microsoft Advertising expands LinkedIn profile targeting to more countries. Microsoft first opened LinkedIn Profile data ...
How to Use Facebook to Improve Your Hotel’s Digital Marketing
Cendyn | September 9, 2020
How to use Facebook Custom Events and Conversions Perhaps more than ever, social media is a valuable pathway for hotels to connect directly with travelers. It’s one of the channels where hotels can nurture relationships with past guests and surface new audiences that may be eager to escape the “work from home” reality faced by many. Social media can also be a place to waste a lot of money! Effective digital marketing has always been about results: capturing the most bookings at the best possible rates at the lowest cost. This imperative has been put into sharper focus due to the budget restraints triggered by the global pandemic. Th...
Reputation Management for the Post-Covid Hotel
Larry Mogelonsky | September 9, 2020
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) How has reputation management for hotel brands evolved in the wake of the pandemic? Do travelers rely more or less on third-party reviews? Have their top criteria for judging a property changed? Can we attribute a specific dollar amount for how much a good or bad review will cost an organization? These are some of the questions I ask myself when confronting this relatively new field. So that we’re all on the same page, when we refer to reputation management we are discussing the capacity of user-generated content (UGC) stemming from a guest’s experience to alter another customer...
Uniquely Yours: Personalized Offers for Your Guests
Vizergy | September 9, 2020
Often times we see specials and packages continually repeated while searching for a hotel. If you’re getting tired of seeing the same promotions, so are your potential guests. So get creative with your offers and generate far more interest in your hotel – from both new and returning guests. Here are some ideas how you can do this: Be “Something Different” What can your hotel offer that others can’t? Work creatively with local businesses for the win-win, showcase amenities unique to your property, and offer the little extras that just may make the difference. All of these are sure to pique the interest of potential guests. ...
Why You Should Not Invest in Metasearch Right Now
Stephanie Smith | September 3, 2020
By Stephanie Smith Buckle in kids, this is not a popular opinion. If you had asked me my opinions about MetaSearch pre-Covid, my response would be different. If you need a tutorial on what is MetaSearch, check out this article from Milestone. But, today, cash is tight. Budgets are being squeezed. While I still believe in “Book Direct” and the long time value of the customer, the customer has changed. Your loyal points fanatic is not traveling. Your corporate BT is not traveling. Who is traveling? Your local customer within a 1 to 2 hour radius of your hotel. Even if you leverage metasearch to get them to book direct on ...
Lodging Interactive Launches All-Inclusive Subscription Based Digital Marketing Services for Hotels
Lodging Interactive and Commingle:Engage | August 24, 2020
Lodging Interactive, a full-service digital marketing, social media engagement, and reputation management agency exclusively serving the hospitality industry, today announced the launch of its all-inclusive subscription-based digital marketing services for hotels. HotelSiteXPRESS provides fast, affordable website development and digital marketing services enabling any size property to effectively compete within their marketplace. “As the hospitality industry continues to move towards financial recovery, HotelSiteXPRESS has the ability to accelerate the recovery process for hotels by launching new, modern websites, supported by compre...
Las Terrazas Resort Selects GCommerce for Custom Website Design and Development
GCommerce | August 20, 2020
Park City, Utah, August 20th, 2020 - GCommerce, a hospitality digital marketing agency, has partnered with Las Terrazas Resort & Residences to design and develop a custom website for the resort. The property is located on the sandy beaches of Belize’s largest island, Ambergris Caye. The newly improved resort website features the resort’s one-of-a-kind dining and spa experiences as well as activities on the resort and across the island. The goal was to build a website design that captured the resort’s prestigious standing on the island by creating a clean, elegant design. Emphasizing the privacy and seclusion and the many activiti...
Your COVID-19 Recovery Plan Should Include These 5 Marketing Strategies
Amadeus Hospitality | August 20, 2020
Hoteliers have reopened their doors to a more competitive market than ever before. Travelers are spoiled for choice as every property (no matter what audience they previously catered to) is looking to win their business and keep revenue on the books. It will take a thoughtful approach to your hotel’s marketing plan to entice weary travelers in the era of COVID-19. With their heightened expectations for cleanliness, service, and a good deal in an uncertain economy, is your marketing strategy positioned to succeed? Here is your new 5 step action plan to marketing during a pandemic. Make decisions based on your market This may seem ...
Five-Star Laguna Beach Property Finds Success With Digital Marketing During COVID-19
GCommerce | August 18, 2020
Park City, UT, August 18, 2020- Five-Star Laguna Beach property, Surf & Sand Resort, partnered with GCommerce to run digital marketing efforts during COVID-19 to maintain brand awareness in key markets in order to secure market share upon reopenings. The resort placed all efforts on digital channels, with an emphasis on targeting in-state markets. GCommerce leveraged messaging that focused on leisure getaways and escapes, which was relevant while travelers were confined to their homes. The top-performing ad focused on the property being a family-friendly destination and the perfect opportunity to escape city life. Marketing budgets wer...
Are Hotels Finally Ready to Embrace Attribute-Based Selling?
Jos Schaap | August 18, 2020
By Jos Schaap Hotels have gone through many changes over the years. However, one thing that has barely changed is the industry's attitude towards room distribution. The way in which hotel rooms are sold today, and have been for the past 20 years, has remained relatively the same. With the current model the guest journey is essentially made of a few specific moments. The consumer begins by choosing a hotel and stay date and receives a list of rates. These rates correspond to combinations of room types and rate plans and each combination has a price. Similarly, both the room type and rate have their own attributes attached such as max gue...
Can Sales and Marketing Save the Hotel Industry?
HotStats | August 17, 2020
COVID-19 has knocked the wind out of hotel profits. No more so than within the conference business, a traditionally bustling moneymaker that has wilted amid the pandemic. Still, sitting on your hands until it all blows over is not the smart approach. What many don’t realize is that sales and marketing can be used to set the wheels toward profit back in motion. Wondering how? Here are some ways ... How COVID-19 Has Shifted Hotel Sales and Marketing It’s no secret that COVID-19 has demolished hotel and conference demand. But that lost demand is not permanent. It’s lying dormant as people remain hermetic, browse online and reassess...
Target Your Local Drive Market
Vizergy Digital Marketing | August 17, 2020
Reeling-in Regional Travelers Who are Reeling to Get Away With restrictions slowly lifting, travelers are looking for easy ways to get a break from their “new normal”. The focus now is staycations – where can locals go to take a break from everyday life? Industry experts are seeing that more people are driving to their destinations instead of flying. So how can you capitalize on this movement? You need to wave your arms up and let them know you’re here. Target your local drive market. Vizergy can help you get local-drive-market heads in beds with our Top Trending Cities Report tool. It’s right at your fingertips in the Vizergy...
Joel Contor Promoted to Director of Sales and Marketing at The Kimpton Gray Hotel
The Kimpton Gray Hotel Chicago | August 10, 2020
CHICAGO (August 10, 2020) - The Kimpton Gray Hotel announced today that Joel Contor has been promoted to Director of Sales and Marketing for the Chicago hotel, effective immediately. In his new role, Joel will provide strategic direction for the sales teams, actively respond to financial performance and ensure achievement of Kimpton’s short and long term goals. Originally from Brisbane, Australia, Contor has over fifteen years of experience in the hospitality industry. He started his career as a Cabin Crew Manager for Virgin Airlines Australia, before taking a leap of faith and moving to the U.S. in 2014 to find his true calling in hotels....
Understanding the Post-Covid Advantages of Sharing Economy Accommodations
Larry Mogelonsky | August 5, 2020
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Following reports in early July that travel searches on Airbnb (and also Booking) in many key markets are at a 12-month high, hoteliers would be right to be quite anxious as this represents a definitive marker for booking drivers and perceived value in the post-pandemic hospitality world. Why are guests returning faster to the sharing economy than traditional accommodation providers? In this great reshuffling of travel motivations following COVID-19, it would appear as though many hotel customers are switching to home sharing platforms for their next leisure stay. Below I present th...
Hotel Development: Are Better Feasibility Studies Actually Feasible?
Demian Hodari | August 3, 2020
By Dr Demian Hodari Hotel development is a complex and expensive process involving multiple stakeholders with unique and often conflicting objectives. Since investors, operators, lenders and consultants all use distinct criteria to evaluate a hotel’s projected value, they may green-light projects that are unlikely to satisfy the other parties' financial goals. In order to minimize such subjectivity, investment in a new hotel’s development is typically preceded by a feasibility study, the stated purpose of which is to provide the relevant stakeholders with the information and analysis necessary to estimate the project's financial viabil...
Autumn Offers Worth Driving For
Larry Mogelonsky | July 29, 2020
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) This is the summer for staycations. With group, convention and most corporate travel in stall mode due to COVID-19, you will need strong programs in place to motivate leisure guests from now-critical drive markets to continue to book with you through the autumn months. As part of this seismic shift in travel behavior, first consider the disruption to L2B timeframes. For the rest of summer, bookings at this point may mostly be last-minute as travelers hold out due to the vacillating news cycle on Covid numbers. Many rural resorts already have high occupancy and simply need a few nigh...
GCommerce Announces Strategic Partnership With Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa
GCommerce | July 16, 2020
The Forbes 5-Star Resort Engages GCommerce Digital Marketing Agency with its Performance-Based Fee Model Park City, Utah, July 16th, 2020 - Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, a Forbes 5-star and AAA 5 Diamond property, has partnered with GCommerce for digital marketing services. The resort is one of two Forbes 5-star resorts located in Palm Beach. Eau Palm Beach marks GCommerce’s 8th Forbes 5-star property that the company has partnered with, demonstrating the company’s digital marketing expertise in the luxury travel market. “GCommerce was the perfect fit for Eau Palm Beach with their vast experience working with many other Forbes ...
Change Is on the Horizon: What’s Next for Marketing in a Post-Pandemic World
Alan Young | July 9, 2020
It is time to shift from "here's why you should buy this service/product" to "here's how we can help" By Alan E. Young Around the world and across industries, marketers now face arguably one of the toughest challenges of their careers. There is, after all, no universally established gold-standard for marketing during a wide-spread pandemic, because a global crisis of this magnitude is hardly ‘textbook’. As the media coverage so often reiterates, we now find ourselves in uncharted territory. Although the importance of brand agility and frequent innovation is well-understood by business owners and B2B marketers, the coronavirus pan...
Looking Forward: How Hotels Can Safely Leverage Small Meeting Space
Ryan Hamilton | July 8, 2020
By Ryan Hamilton You glance at the clock in the top right-hand corner of your computer screen. It reads 1:27 PM, and you realize that, once again, your post-lunch work is about to be interrupted by another meeting. Of course, not a physical meeting. Rather, another Zoom call to add to the frequent barrage of virtual meet-ups that have consumed much of your days since the pandemic struck. While you relish the lack of a commute and the flexibility associated with working from home, you can’t help but acknowledge that the influx of emails, Slack notifications, Zoom calls, and meeting invites has paved the way to fragmented workflow over ...
1
Industry Happenings
2
Technology
3
Operations
4
All Things Independent
5
Market Reports
Today's News
Knowland Announces U.S. Meetings and Events Data for December 2020
How to Get Revenue Management Right for 2021
7 Content Marketing Tips for Every Hospitality Business Owner
The Role of Technology in Cleaning and Sanitizing in the Era of the New Normal
As the first news aggregate for the hotel industry, Hotel-Online is the industry’s must-read daily news source for everything hotel curated for busy professionals. Sign up today for industry news delivered to your inbox.