5 Tips For Getting More from Facebook

December 11th, 2009

In continuing with my series of quick social media tips I’m covering some tips for business use of Facebook here. I’ve actually written about some of these tips in great detail before, but this can act as a quick primer for folks who like their info snack sized like this.
1. Fan page – Facebook had [...]

[ Read more → ]

Tags: Internet Marketing · Social Media Marketing for Hotels

If Travel Industry is Struggling, Why Are Travel Web Sites Doing Well?

December 9th, 2009

Both Priceline and Orbitz reported higher revenue and profits than expected in the third quarter, despite a travel industry-wide lull. So, why are the online travel agencies doing well when other aspects of travel are flailing?
Some say it’s because the leisure travel market is recovering faster than business travel, but I also think that an [...]

[ Read more → ]

Tags: Hotel Marketing · Travel Marketing

Anonymous hotel reviews to become obsolete

December 3rd, 2009

User reviews generated anonymously will become obsolete moving forward as consumers seek professional advice backed up by recommendations from friends and family.
Oyster unveiled its service in June and currently provides hotel reviews for major cities in the US as well as Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Hawaii and the Bahamas.
Elie Seidman, co-founder and chief executive of of [...]

[ Read more → ]

Tags: Hotel Marketing · Internet Marketing · Social Media Marketing for Hotels · Travel Marketing

Successful Ritz-Carlton Business Model: Location, Products and People

November 30th, 2009

Simon Cooper, who has led Ritz-Carlton for the past eight years, talks with Forbes magazine about what makes Ritz-Carlton, well, the Ritz.
Ritz-Carlton has become a leading brand in luxury lodging by rigorously adhering to its own standards. It is the only service company in America that has won the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award twice, [...]

[ Read more → ]

Tags: Hotel Marketing · Travel Marketing

For the Hotel Industry, Recovery is a Long Way Off

November 27th, 2009

Hotel operators, who recall past cycles when booming growth came after business downturns “have to get over the idea that things are going to get back to the way they were,” said Lalia Rach, the dean of the hospitality program at the Tisch Center.
Every couple of months, I like to take the temperature of the [...]

[ Read more → ]

Tags: Hotel Marketing · Travel Marketing

Customized and Digitized Postcard to Target Travelers

November 26th, 2009

The current economy is a bumpy trail for many travel marketers. But Backroads is finding a clear path thanks to postcard mailings using personal URLs and other digital enhancements.
The high-end adventure travel company — which markets trips typically costing between $2,500 and $4,500 — first tried the tactic last winter with a 30,000-piece campaign that [...]

[ Read more → ]

Tags: Hotel Marketing · Internet Marketing · Travel Marketing

What makes an excellent Hotel Website?

November 24th, 2009

There are numerous factors that will determine whether a hotel website is great. Such factors like simplicity of navigation, easy understandability of information and powerful functionality could all affect the user experience which in the end will be the deciding report card of the hotel website.
Hotels often take great extend in trying to provide the [...]

[ Read more → ]

Tags: Hotel Marketing · Social Media Marketing for Hotels · Travel Marketing

RevPAR down 19.2%, but worst should be over for Europe

November 23rd, 2009

A report produced quarterly by Deloitte, the business advisory firm, has found that year-to-September hotel performance fell across Europe. Revenue per available room (revPAR) performance in European hotels was down 19.2% to €58. This decline was driven by a 12.3% drop in average room rates to €108, while occupancy levels fell to 61.6%.
Commenting, Alex Kyriakidis, [...]

[ Read more → ]

Tags: Hotel Marketing · Travel Marketing

The Time is Now for Hotels to Create Social Media Marketing Strategy

November 20th, 2009

A healthy skepticism can be a good thing when it comes to social media, as it is a new idea for most hotels and destinations. But for the general public, your target audience, social media has become a part of everyday Internet life. The benefits of social media are real, abundant and measureable.
The Internet has [...]

[ Read more → ]

Tags: Hotel Marketing · Internet Marketing · Social Media Marketing for Hotels · Travel Marketing