Five Habits of a Successful Hotelier

Whether you’ve been running a hotel for decades or are brand new to the game, reflecting on your practices as a hotelier is always a valuable exercise. Nobody’s perfect, but taking the time to consider your methods and improve where you can points you in that direction. Curious if you’re doing everything in your power […]

Social Media Dos and Don’ts: A Hoteliers’ Guide

It’s doubtful any hotel owner in this day and age needs to be convinced of the importance of social media marketing (it isn’t 2004 anymore or even 2014). But acknowledging the need to be on social media platforms isn’t enough. You need to make sure you’re doing it right. Here are the most important social […]

If You List It, They Will Come: A Hotel’s Guide to Google Business Profiles

Most people planning a vacation start with a Google search. That’s why you work so hard to optimize your website’s search results placement with SEO strategies. And you should. But it’s not all you can do to make the platform work for you. Maintaining your Google Business Profile is an important step to stay competitive […]

How an Independent Motel Can Be a Lodging Superstar

When we think of a roadside motel, we don’t think of a business with five-star service and amenities. Ironically, that’s why independent motels are uniquely positioned to surprise and delight; guests don’t expect it.   Designed to serve roadtrippers with convenient, affordable accommodation, motels are the preferred choice for many travelers—travelers who expect to get nothing […]

Repackaging Hotel Packages

Every hotelier wants to add revenue, whether you’re looking to increase direct bookings, lift your ADR, or find the right promotional rates.  But you’ll need more than four walls and a reasonably priced bed to keep your guests coming back. The advice you’ll find time and again is to create value-added packages, so we thought […]

Here Come the Baby Boomers. Is Your Hotel Ready?

A group of baby boomers at the beach

There’s been much ado about Millennials (born early 1981 through 1996)—and for good reason. As the largest generation in the U.S., tech-savvy Millennials have driven the evolution of hospitality (think online presence, mobile apps, social media, and personalized experiences). However, in our warranted efforts to please the young people, we must be careful not to […]

How to Use Guest Segmentation to Increase Hotel Revenue

Guest Segmentation

The word “target” comes up a lot in marketing, which makes archery a useful analogy. When shooting a bow and arrow, you need to have a target or you’re simply shooting arrows all over the place no matter how skilled of an archer you are. Now set up a target, complete with concentric circles and […]

Innovative Hotel Digital Marketing Trends that Inspire Bookings

Innovative Digital Marketing

We love the hotel digital landscape, not just because we’re hotel tech nerds (although that is true), but because there’s always some new technology developing, some new trend emerging, some new campaign that gets us excited. It never stops evolving!  This makes sense because, for most hotels, digital marketing is the leading driver of revenue. […]

A Hotelier’s Guide to Social Media Messaging during the COVID-19 Crisis

Social Media Messaging

As a company and brand it can be hard to know what to say when the whole world seems to be grinding to a halt and business is far from usual. For the time being, travel restrictions and physical distancing have devastated demand for travel services, including airlines, hotels, restaurants and attractions. While COVID-19 is […]

Email Marketing Tips for Independent Hoteliers in the 2020s

Email Marketing for 2020

Businesses are reaching out to customers today in more ways than ever before—by social media, chatbot, mobile messaging, SMS, phone call, email, online advertising, TV and radio ads, and print… Phew! But of any marketing channel, email still delivers the best return on investment (in both time and money) and remains the key strategic channel […]

How Independent Hotels Can Show Guests Some Love This Valentine’s Day

Valentines Day 2020

The month of love is almost upon us—is your hotel ready to woo guests? Whether you personally relish the romance of Valentine’s Day or think it’s nothing more than a marketing tactic, Valentine’s Day is a prime opportunity to boost the bottom line of any business in the hospitality industry. Here are some ideas to […]

How to Win Holiday Bookings

Christmas Hotel Room

Here we are almost at the end of 2019! As the year winds down, business heats up for hotels all over the world. Both a joyful and stressful time, the holiday season brings a torrent of travelers into the market. While this typically means an increase in bookings for most accommodation providers, the ever-expanding selection […]

Boost Off-Season Occupancy with Staycation Bookings

Staycation Bookings

As we leave the peak travel season behind us, it’s time for hoteliers to implement strategies to maintain occupancy as best as possible. Beyond dropping room rates there are more resourceful ways to boost reservations—marketing your property to staycationers is one of them. A staycation is a vacation taken close to home, normally within a […]

5 Essential Website Features for Independent Hoteliers

Website Content for Hotels

The online world might feel like it’s changing every day, but a professional website is still (and will continue to be) the cornerstone of any business’s internet presence. It’s responsible for showcasing your property to the world, communicating credibility to interested parties, and facilitating direct bookings. A hotel website can make or break your business, […]

Tips for Insta-Success: An Instagram Checklist for Independent Hotels

Instagram For Independent Hotels

It used to be photos in magazines and scenes on television that inspired us to travel, but the internet has made the world much more accessible, inspiring our dreams anywhere, anytime. While we are still motivated by traditional media and recommendations from friends and family, we’re also now constantly influenced by online campaigns and social […]

Small Things Hoteliers Can Do that Make a Big Difference to Guests

It's The Small Things

Customer satisfaction is a top priority for any business, but for those in the hospitality industry it’s the entire purpose. Most hoteliers do what they do because they are passionate about making every guest’s stay special. And what makes anyone feel special? Simply feeling valued. From a warm greeting to a good cup of coffee, […]

Paid to Post: A Hotelier’s Guide to Influencer Marketing

Millennial Taking Selfie

Influencer Marketing. It’s likely a term you’ve heard thrown around in the last year or two, and perhaps is something you’ve considered doing yourself. You wouldn’t be alone; Hotel brands like Starwood Resorts, Fairmont, and Hilton Hotels are just a few of the businesses that have capitalized on this new opportunity. And a recent post […]

What to Post: Ideas for Creating Engaging Hotel Social Media Content

Social Media

Social media is an integral part of any marketing strategy. To stay competitive in today’s marketplace, you need to regularly post content that is engaging, entertaining, and informative. That can be an overwhelming task; It takes consistent work and creativity to run an effective account. In fact, for many businesses, managing social media is an […]

Data is All Around: How to Harness it for Hotel Success

Data Is All Around

From check-in to check-out and beyond, every action and interaction in a hotel generates data. But don’t let that daunt you. With the right systems in place, the right data can be harnessed in real time and accessed as needed to improve the guest experience and your property’s bottom line. What data and what for? […]

Google Ads 101: A Hotelier’s Guide to Advertising with Google (Part 2)

Google Ads

In part 1 of this blog, we discussed how Google’s advertising service, Google Ads, works, and how to determine if it’s a platform you should be using. Part 2 will outline the steps required to begin marketing on this powerful platform. Getting Started Set up account >> To begin, navigate to the Google Ads site, and click […]

Google Ads 101: A Hotelier’s Guide to Advertising with Google (Part 1)

Google Ads

If you’ve done any marketing at all, you’ll have heard of Google Ads. The advertising service provided by Google is used by millions of businesses worldwide. Which makes sense. Google handles billions of search queries every day, so it’s a platform with the potential to reach any target market you desire. And as the tech […]

5 Hospitality Trends to Look Out For in 2019

Front Desk Bell

A new year is beginning, and it’s the perfect time to take stock of what’s working, what isn’t, and start making a plan for finding success and wowing customers in 2019. Need a change but lack inspiration? Here are a few hospitality trends that will dominate in the new year: More Mobile The transition to […]

A Hotelier’s Guide to the Holiday Season

Christmas

You’re probably just beginning to take down your Halloween decor, but pretty soon you’ll have new decorations to put up. Christmas is fast approaching, and you need to be prepared. The holidays are an excellent time for hotels to increase occupancy, up-sell bookings, and delight guests. So, it’s time to start planning. Here’s a quick […]

Pillow Mints and Pumpkins: A Hotelier’s Guide to Halloween

The summer is ending here in the Northern Hemisphere. We hope it was a good (and profitable) one. But there isn’t any rest for a hotelier, so it’s time to turn your attention to the fall. With the busy season slowing down you should start thinking about new ways to boost occupancy and generate buzz for […]