Recent Articles in Hotel Marketing & Sales

Lessons that Hotels Should Learn from the Airlines
Nov 6, 2012

Three Lessons that Hotels Should Learn from the Airlines |
By Jean Francois Mourier

Mixed Reviews - Three Tips on How to Respond
Nov 6, 2012

There is much being said about how to respond to negative or positive reviews.  However the reality is that many reviews are mixed.  When hotel or restaurant guests write reviews, they often have both something good and bad to say about their experience.  I have noticed that mixed reviews either have a management response that glosses over the less-glowing feedback, or no response at all.  When review responses ignore challenging feedback in mixed reviews it is easy to see which hotels and restaurants are closely reading and absorbing feedback, and which are posting canned responses.  Customers want to know that they have been heard, so if you don’t address constructive feedback in a mixed review, it may seem that management isn’t really listening to customers.

Hotel Brand Hijacking by OTA, it should be banned …
Nov 5, 2012

If OTA claim to bring incremental business, why do they advertise on hotel brand names? Shouldn’t they focus on destination searches instead? It seems the larger chains have convinced the OTA to refrain from this practice. However to independent hotels or hotel management groups they are not showing much consideration. This SEM hijacking or brand keyword robbery needs to stop.

U.S. Lodging Industry Capital Expenditures Continue To Accelerate In 2012
Oct 31, 2012

Following three years of limited capital expenditures beginning in 2009, U.S. lodging industry capital expenditures for existing hotels are accelerating. The forecast for the coming year is for capital expenditures of approximately $5.0 billion, a 33 percent increase over 2011's $3.75 billion, which reflected an increase of 39 percent over 2010 levels, following decreases of 40 percent in 2009 and an additional 18 percent decline in 2010. The 2012 levels represent a significant increase but still 10 percent below the $5.5 billion in capital expenditures for U.S. hotels in 2008.

Dr. Bjorn Hanson

Is TripAdvisor’s 'Show Prices' CPC Program a Viable Direct Online Distribution Channel in Hospitality?
Oct 30, 2012

How does the TripAdvisor CPC Program work for independent hotels, resorts and casinos? HeBS Digital has been involved with the TripAdvisor CPC Program for several years now with undeniable success. On average, our clients’ return on ad spend is between 1,000% and 1,500%, varying by location, brand equity, and rate parity.

10 Online Marketing Terms You Need to Know Now
Oct 30, 2012

Online marketing is just like any other industry in that it is full of jargon and acronyms that are unique to that industry alone. In order to stay on top of the game, you need to know what they mean and how to use them in order to be successful.

Many terms and acronyms you already know, like SEO (search engine optimization) and PPC (pay per click). But there are some that you might have never heard before, or maybe you’ve heard but weren’t sure what they meant.

 

Who Has the Perfect Hotel?
Oct 30, 2012

 

Conde Nast 2012 Traveler Readers' Choice Awards

4Richard Branson on Finding a Work-Life Balance
Oct 30, 2012

Richard Branson on Finding a Work-Life Balance

Making The Most Out Of Your Hotel's Google+ Listing
Oct 29, 2012

  Google knows how to generate buzz for their new products from the get-go, even if that particular endeavor isn't being rolled out to the public until much later. So, while it may seem like all that hype about Google+ back in June 2011 was anticlimactic, Google had a master plan brewing. With Google's strategic approach to put Google+ on the map (both literally and figuratively), it's time to make your hotel's Google+ presence shine above that of your competitors.

A Hotelier’s Viewpoint on the Current Status of the Flash Sales Model
Oct 29, 2012

Five Tips for Getting the Most Out of Online Advertising
Oct 24, 2012

Hotel Owners: Better, Worse or About the Same?
Oct 22, 2012

HOSPITALITYEDUCATORS.COM FACULTY MEMBER DAVID BRUDNEY HAS GENEROUSLY AGREED TO SHARE SOME OF HIS EARLIER COLUMNS THAT GENERATED READER FEEDBACK AND INTEREST

Hotel Owners: Better, Worse or About the Same?