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1. Mobile Presence
2. Local Presence
3. Social Presence
4. Content Marketing
5. User Experience
6. Paid Search Presence
7. ROI Analysis – Cross Channels
8. Understanding Your Customer Journey
For more:Â http://bit.ly/1Bnw44D
Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Marketing Update: “Trends and Budgeting For 2015” (Infographic)
Filed under Finances, Hotel Industry, Hotel Restaurant, Management And Ownership, Social Media, Technology
To improve the overall guest experience, hotels should leverage their unique position as a supplier, said Bernard Ellis, vice president of industry strategy at Infor Hospitality,
a software provider. “You know more about your property than anybody else, so you can maximize that with things like early check-in and late checkout, room type, food and beverage—all based on looking at the guest’s past preferences,†Ellis said.
Hotels that establish meaningful relationships with guests can maximize revenue opportunities and increase customer satisfaction, travel industry experts said during the Digital Marketing Strategy Conference, which was hosted by Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International in Manhattan last week. Here are some best practices panelists shared for using technology to engage with guests before, during, and after their stays.
Before They Arrive
Google’s industry head for travel, Tiffany Miller, said that during the pre-booking period, consumers visit 18 travel-related sites. “You have two and a half weeks to inspire the traveler to book your property,†she added. To make an impact, marketers should take creative approaches, like using celebrities or YouTube stars to boost engagement or allowing consumers to spread the message through self-generated videos.
For more:Â http://bit.ly/1NACu5k
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Filed under Employee Practices, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Social Media, Technology
[vimeo https://vimeo.com/121258482Â w=500&h=281]
Petra Risk Solutions’ Loss Control Manager, Marco Johnson, offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Report – ‘How to Help Protect Your Hotel’s Computer Network and Information Systems’.Â
P3 (Petra Plus Process) is the Risk Management Division of Petra Risk Solutions – America ’s largest independent insurance brokerage devoted exclusively to the hospitality marketplace.
For more information on Petra and P3 visit petrarisksolutions.com or call 800.466.8951.
Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: “Cyber Security”
Filed under Crime, Hotel Employees, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Technology, Training
Biometrics (voice recognition, fingerprint or retina scanning) is quickly
becoming another method of user authentication…Actual credit card data is exchanged only within the bank and payment network, not directly tied to the customer’s interaction with the merchant, removing the merchant from handling that data.
By the end of this year, it’s estimated that 70 percent of all credit cards and 40 percent of all debit cards (about 1.1 billion in total) worldwide will be EMV capable. This payment system, also known as chip and pin, adds dynamic data to the transaction stream that renders replay of payment transactions impossible. And since every card contains its own microprocessor chip, EMV (which stands for Europay, MasterCard, and Visa) cards are nearly impossible to counterfeit.
There’s no need for the card to leave the customer’s sight, and there’s no swiping. The credit card number isn’t exposed on a screen. Though not entirely fail-safe, the technology is a global standard and makes transactions hundreds of times more secure. In Europe, which has had EMV for years, reports indicate that card fraud has fallen as much as 60 percent over the last decade, whereas here in the United States, it’s increased about 50 percent over that same time period.
For more:Â http://bit.ly/1B2Dzwd
Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “How to Prepare Your Hotel for Smart Payment Systems”
Filed under Crime, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Technology
Information on guestrooms, hotel amenities and features on property are still top of mind for guests arriving to the hotel. When figuring out a content marketing strategy for Hotel Josef and Hotel Maximilian, Amiraux found that guests do want to see information specific
to the properties…Sharing property information on social media is one way to market and showcase the “nuts and bolts†of a hotel. “Any of our social media is leading our guests to our website. We want our content there to be the best (high-res photos, videos, fresh content, etc.),†Amiraux said.
Hoteliers can connect with travelers on a deeper level—without adding much extra cost—by implementing content marketing as a permanent fixture within their marketing strategies, panelists said during a recent webinar.
During the webinar titled “Content marketing 101 for hotels,†hosted by Leonardo, two independent hoteliers discussed low-cost, effective ways to implement content marketing strategies for their respective hotels.
“Content marketing is wonderful because you have relevant content on the Internet that is drawing potential customers straight to your website,†said Adele Gutman, VP of sales, marketing and revenue for Library Hotel Collection. “It’s not that you’re selling to them. They’re finding you because they’re looking for that information.â€
Gutman manages content marketing for the collection’s four Manhattan properties in New York City, and because her hotels don’t affiliate with a brand, the marketing budget tends to be smaller. “We have to be more creative,†she said.
For more:Â http://bit.ly/1ETuM0l
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Filed under Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Social Media
Also of concern to hotels is the Dark Horse Virus, Shortz said. This virus is meant to capture sensitive data business travelers might have on their devices.
She said it presents itself as a system update when a user logs onto a hotel’s Wi-Fi network and is prompted to type in their name and room number…Data hacks will continue to happen in the hotel industry, the presenters said. During an interview with Hotel News Now following the session, Garfinkel said it’s not a matter of if a hotel company is hacked, but when.
Lara Shortz surveyed the crowd Tuesday at the Hospitality Law Conference and asked attendees to raise their hands if they’ve been involved in a data breach.
“If you haven’t raised your hand, you should,†Shortz, an attorney at Michelman & Robinson, said during a session titled “Anatomy of a hospitality data breach.â€
The session was especially timely given reports that White Lodging was again targeted by data haxkers. In 2014, malware was found in the food-and-beverage outlets of 14 of  its hotels a year ago.
For more:Â http://bit.ly/1G81ko8
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Filed under Conferences, Crime, Employee Practices, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Technology, Theft
Developers with sustainability goals can use the LEED credit list and become certified, but Beckman says those things aren’t always sensible. He sees a bigger payoff in selecting sites that are polluted and need fixing.
“Now, you’re taking care of a site that has had some industry on it and has left some residue behind that needs to be cleaned up,†he says. “So you’re doing something positive for the urban environment, for the city, and for yourself.â€
As the U.S. economy continues to strengthen, the architecture and design industry is gaining momentum. Gordon Beckman, principal and design director at John Portman & Associates, an architectural and engineering firm with more than 60 years of expertise in designing hotels and other buildings, discusses opportunities and trends in hotel design.
All About Authenticity
Hotels across the country are focused on providing locally relevant and authentic experiences. As a result, lobbies have evolved into active social hubs with flexible spaces for work and play, featuring cafés, bars, libraries, computer stations, game rooms, and more. “The more interactive things you have, the better—whatever you can do to connect people and make it less of a hotel and more of a place,†Beckman says. By incorporating flexible design elements, hotels can more quickly adapt to consumers’ changing tastes and preferences. “There’s a certain flexibility that gets built in to allow for change, because more and more people see hotels as an evolution of place rather than a static brand.â€
For more:Â http://bit.ly/1DmhV9L
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Filed under Employee Practices, Hotel Industry, Hotel Restaurant, Maintenance, Management And Ownership
Marriott International’s Renaissance Hotels has adopted a hybrid approach that combines technology and personal service:
a global hospitality program called “Navigator†that provides guests with resources allowing them to be “in the know†and to discover a destination’s hidden gems
The role of the hotel concierge might never disappear entirely, but advancements in technology (and changing attitudes from the guests who use it) are supplanting the need for human contact in many hotels around the world.
“The current role of the concierge is to provide information and services to guests,†said Kevin Murphy, chairman of the Hospitality Services Department at Rosen College of Hospitality Management in Orlando, Florida. “Their role will never diminish, but it’s going to be a much more specialized type of service that they’re providing.â€
According to Les Clefs d’Or, an organization for professional hotel lobby concierges, there are 595 concierges wearing the group’s crossed gold keys insignia in the United States, a 14% increase since 2009.
For more:Â http://bit.ly/1zBaoMM
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Filed under Employee Practices, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Technology
The speakers, panelists, roundtable hosts, and facilitators of the 2015 Hospitality Law Conference represent the full spectrum of key roles in the hospitality industry:
Private attorneys, hotel and restaurant corporate counsel, risk managers,finance executives, real estate developers, human resources managers, loss prevention managers, insurance brokers, and hotel and restaurant owners, managers, and operators
Hospitality Insurance and Loss Prevention Summit:Â The Petra Risk Solutions Hospitality Insurance and Loss Prevention Summit converges insurance, risk, LP, legal and finance to break down the silos of these functional areas. As we do each year, we begin with the top claims that have occurred over the last twelve months and the best practices to prevent them from occurring at your hotel or restaurant. As Worker Compensation Claims are becoming more of a challenge for the industry, we will take a deeper dive into best practices for prevention, claims handling and back to work policies.
For more:Â http://bit.ly/1zX3RBh
Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Conference Update: “2015 Hospitality Law Conference”
Filed under Conferences, Employee Practices, Hotel Employees, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Training
The key lies within providing a balance between introducing new technology and relying too heavily upon it. 
Technology that is implemented to make a guest’s stay more convenient and interesting is definitely a worthwhile investment.On the other hand, technology and gadgets that are incorporated just to seem swanky and impressive are just another type of gimmick; in essence creating a hotel with a ‘technology theme.’
Technology often progresses faster than consumers can keep up, and small boutique hotels as well as big chain hotels are plying tech-savvy travelers with all sorts of gadgets and goodies to keep them interested. However, where is the line drawn between defining your hotel brand and just keeping up with a trend?
Does the Technology Add Value to your Guests?
(Not so much in these cases)
Hotels like the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas have used technology to make their rooms more futuristic and, supposedly, more comfortable. When guests enter their room the curtains open, music plays and the climate control switches on. Preferences are even stored for their next visit. Thank goodness, because I’ve always found flicking the lights on as I come into my room and turning the AC up from low to medium a really arduous task.
Hotel 1000 in Seattle has rooms with built in infrared sensors to detect body heat, therefore the staff can know automatically that guests are in their room and that they shouldn’t disturb them. They also have a “virtual golf club†which uses advanced technology to analyse your golf swing before you head out into all that pesky fresh air and play on a real golf course instead. No one enjoys doing that.
For more:Â http://bit.ly/1CSBcxA
Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Tech-Savvy Hotels: How Technology Can Differentiate Your Brand”
Filed under Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Technology
