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Stop Throwing Money Away! 5 Direct Booking Mistakes Costing You Big
Historically, most independent properties and small chains relied on third parties to deliver business to them. Many are still behind the curve, relying too heavily on third parties and OTAs. Don’t let your hotel fall into these common traps: ⛔𝗢𝗧𝗔𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝗻: Max Starkov recently pointed out in a post that OTAs on average spend 250 USD per hotel per month at the most. The more money they make from you, the more powerful you are making them against you. ⛔𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: Having a user-friendly website with a robust booking engine that is being fed qualified traffic to strategic digital marketing spend…
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Rethinking Everything: What ‘Think Again’ Taught Me About Hospitality Leadership
I just finished this eye-opening book called ‘Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know’ by Adam Grant.’ It got me thinking about how we approach leadership in hospitality. You know how our industry is all about processes and control, right? Well, this book really challenges that mindset. It made me realize that maybe we’re being a bit too rigid in a world that’s constantly throwing curveballs at us. Grant drops some real truth bombs in this book. Check these out: 👉🏼“Confirmation bias: seeing what we expect to see. The other is desirability bias: seeing what we want to see.” 👉🏼“Most of us take pride in our…
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Is hospitality a lousy employer?
*Trigger warning - this post contains potentially upsetting content*Is hospitality a lousy employer?A colleague recently lamented that none of Thailand's top 50 employers of choice are in the hotel business (link in the description). This came as a surprise given that hospitality is one of the main industries in this tourism-driven country.There may be bias in the selection of samples, and the ownership and business structure of a hotel corporation may make it difficult to think of it as a single major employer. Still, there are systemic and historical problems with the hospitality industry that may make one hesitant to recommend hotels as good places to work. Here are the key…
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Ten questions hotels need to ask to tackle China as a source market
Most hotels in the region are exhaling a collective sigh of relief as China opens its borders and eliminates quarantine requirements. Any hotelier who is serious about taking on this market must ask the following questions to assess their readiness and develop a strategy. Do I go after this market myself, or do I leave it to OTAs and other agents? What proportion of business should come online versus offline? Do I really need a discounted rate or an offer? Will it leak outside of the Chinese market if I do? What has changed in China in terms of digital marketing post-pandemic? How can I reactivate my Baidu, WeChat, Meituan,…
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The top pitfalls that hotels must avoid in 2023
Everyone I speak with is upbeat about the coming year. This year may be the closest to normalcy since the pandemic. It is easy to get carried away or feel laid-back. Here are some things hotels should be aware of:Revenue versus budget: As the year progresses, demand may be higher than anticipated. It may be lower in rare cases. The benchmark should be market performance, not budget. RGI is the best option.Over-reliance on social media: Just because you have complete control over what you post on this channel does not mean it is the most effective. There are ads galore, and their reach is shrinking as personal content is prioritized.…
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What are the most important review sites for hotels?
For hoteliers, TripAdvisor and OTA reviews have always had a higher mind share. According to ReviewPro, TripAdvisor’s 2022 share of reviews hovers around the 10% mark. Close to 73% of all hotel reviews come from Google and Booking. Let us zoom out a bit because the review ecosystem is much larger than just hotels. According to a recent Reviewtrackers report (link in the comments section), 88% of business reviews (not just hotel reviews) are found on just four websites.Google (73%).Yelp - 6%Facebook - 3%TripAdvisor - 3%👉🏼 Thanks to Android phones and Google Maps, Google can prompt users to write reviews based on the locations they visit.👉🏼 It is part of a…
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Why do hotels make such a big deal out of one-day festivals and events?
One question I've had is why hotels feel the need to devote so much of their marketing budget, content space, and effort to single-day festivals or events. To be sure, they are a good way to promote yourself and catch the attention of some people. But ignoring all the other guests who need a place to stay for a long time before and after the event seems like a missed opportunity. Consider Loy Kratong or Christmas (or add your own festival here). They get a lot of attention in marketing plans and are promoted weeks or months ahead of time. Packages and offers compete with everything else for promotional space…
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Top five elements influencing conversion rates on your hotel website or app
There are various outside elements that determine how well your website or booking engine converts visitors into bookings. I'd say that most of the convincing happens before guests even come to your website. However, once they are on the booking engine, the following are the most important considerations:✅ Pricing is by far the most important consideration. You convert more if you have the "best rate guarantee" (BRG) and your rates are better or the same as elsewhere online.✅ Choices: More guests will book when the options for accommodation types, pricing, and packages are balanced.✅ Visuals: It helps if you can include a hero shot as well as links to the…
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Top ten questions to ask your OTA market manager
Most hotel team members meet or call their OTA market managers on a regular basis. It is important to keep them on their toes in order to maximize the revenue potential for your property.👉🏼 Can you influence my ranking and how much does it matter?👉🏼 Will the promotion or discount generate incremental revenue?👉🏼 How can I raise volume while keeping the average distribution cost per booking stable?👉🏼 How can I increase or maintain my market share?👉🏼 Will the increased advertising add to my existing commission or margin (distribution) costs?👉🏼 What can I do to reduce unilateral discounts, vouchers, and point-of-sale offers?👉🏼 What am I doing wrong in comparison to my…
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Four unconventional strategies to boost your RevPAR
Some strategies may look like discounts or freebies, but if you use them well, they could help you make more revenue overall. The following recommendations are intended for independent properties and small chains. If you have a high number of loyalty program guests, there may be less room for these tactics.💡 Upsell at a discount: Unless you expect to be completely booked, you can offer some guests the option to upgrade to the next category at a discounted rate. You free up more lead in rooms that may sell well in general and sell higher categories that may remain vacant.💡 Upgrade direct guests: If they paid full price, they will…
