So Zomato, a restaurant discovery company, was the poster child of the media as they propped it up to be the headliner in India’s startup space. “Silicon Valley was heading East”, seemed to be the mantra.

The CEO – Deepinder Goyal happily accepted all the accolades pouring in from all quarters. All good, till it lasted.

But sometimes, things don’t go as planned and Zomato had a bad year. And how did the CEO choose to respond to this?

I’ll leave you to decide for yourself. Read the article here – http://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/revenues-fall-and-zomato-fires-about-300-people-here-s-how-their-ceo-explained-it-in-a-letter-247018.html

Rohit Seth

This episode is about Business Intelligence. Whether you’re actively aware of it or not, your Property Management System is constantly generating a ton of data on a daily basis. And this data, if sliced and diced the right way, can present you with some excellent opportunities to boost revenue. But the challenge is to find a way to effectively tabulate and measure this data.

Recently, I was made aware of a tool called Hotel IQ and the company behind it is Intelligent Hospitality. I reached out to them and they were gracious enough to give me an in-depth demo of what their system could do. I’ll be honest – I was seriously impressed! The ease and speed at which this system could work its way through enormous amounts of data was staggering. And it was one of the easiest platforms to operate. The best part – It is surprisingly affordable.

In this podcast, I speak with Apo Demirtas – The CEO and Founder of Intelligent Hospitality and we discuss the Decision Support tool as well as speak about opportunities that hoteliers can take advantage of. As Apo points out in the podcast, they’re not a technology company – They are hoteliers and business strategists who understand business intelligence.

Great conversation – check it out!

Stayful.com is a company that’s been making waves of late. They’ve been getting some excellent press coverage and the business model is extremely hotel-friendly. So I hopped across to check it out for myself. It didn’t take me very long to see why this is a great resource for hoteliers who want to sell off any unsold inventory for arrivals within the next 30 days. The best part – All reservations are final and the hotel gets paid within 48 hours.

I spoke with Roberta Seiler – VP of Sales and Partner Development, and she delves further into how hoteliers can maximize this resource to their benefit.

So if you are an independent boutique hotel, I highly recommend you consider Stayful.com.

I don’t think I need to elaborate on the case for independent hotels having their own website. Clearly, they do and we all understand that.

However, every once in a while, I do come across hoteliers that are representing properties that are under a “Flag” or established brands such as Howard Johnson, Ramada, etc. Normally, their online presence is their page on the brand website. And for the most part, they are quite satisfied with that equation. It is one less headache to worry about and the brand takes care of all the marketing, maintenance, and even Pay-per-click marketing.

Given that the incentive is so less for a hotelier to consider their own independent online presence, in some cases the brand strictly disallows hotels from having their own websites (closing the door for any discussion to begin with).  This post isn’t for those hotels.

This post is for those hotels where they DO have the option to have their own website.  And I’m on the side of the argument that if you do have the option, then take it!

I’m not saying that your presence on the brand website isn’t good. Not at all! This is about “supplementing” your online presence with your own hotel website.

Having your website gives you some very distinct advantages. Here are the top 5:

1. You control the narrative.
   An independent, custom designed website is in a position to showcase your property the way YOU want it showcased. You are no longer dependent on the rigid structure of the brand. If the highlight of your property is the location, then have a ball showing that location shot smack on the homepage – and rave all about it. If you think that your service levels are far superior to similar properties within the same brand or the competition, talk freely about that. The point is that YOU decide what the conversation centerpiece is going to be. Brand websites are not designed to be that flexible.
2. You control the visual experience
   I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… visuals matter! You should try and use the overall colors of the brand (so the guest can relate with the brand at some level), but beyond that, it’s up to you. I’m a big fan of using images and visuals to convey a message rather than pages and pages of text. You can have as many photo-galleries as you’d like. Ditto for videos. If your location is right in the middle of a bustling city centre, go ahead and add a Walk Score Map to your site to show how easily accessible your location is. Your visitors will thank you for it. Don’t expect your brand to display that Walkscore Map anytime soon.
   
3. You control the engagement
   So you are a firm believer in social media and you think you have the audience that will respond well if you had an active social media presence. Having your own website lets you do exactly that. A Twitter stream, Facebook updates and embedded YouTube videos are all possible and really easy to implement – right within your website. Sure, you can have an active presence in all these channels without having a website, but now, you have a “Home” where all these efforts coalesce. A visitor might click the “Connect with Us” link and arrive at a page where he/she sees all these social media streams in one place. It certainly gives your visitors a very accurate idea of how engaged you are with your guests. TripAdvisor recently came up with a widget that allows guests to post reviews of their stay with you right from your website. Here’s a video of how that works. How much easier does it get?
4. You own the visitor
   I’ll need to elaborate a bit here. Most hotel marketing professionals understand the value of OTAs such as Expedia, Travelocity, etc. They have a big role to play in the marketing mix. No denying that. However, the downside is that even if people looking for your hotel on those sites, their loyalties are being challenged every step of the way through better rates, location or service design. You have it relatively better with brand websites. Notice I said “better”, not “best”. A brand will still want the reservation on their system. It doesn’t matter to them which property gets it. So essentially, you don’t really own the visitor while they’re shopping on the brand domain. But if the visitor is on your own website, you control the conversation and the narrative – without any distracting elements to draw him/her away. On the contrary, you get a much better chance of securing that reservation by using various CTAs (Calls to Action) on high-traffic pages. Once you’ve been able to convince the visitors that your property is what they want, send them over to the reservation module on the brand website to complete the reservation.
   To put it simply, lets take Apple products as an example. Which environment is more “immersive” for their customers so they get the sale and can even upsell?  The Apple Store or Best Buy? You get the point, right?
5. You control the marketing efforts
   Not every brand can have its properties show up as the #1 search result on Google. So while they do their best to boost organic search results, help yourself by adding to the marketing effort. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) on your own website is completely under your control. Use a mix of tags, content, and links to shore up your organic search results. If there’s a big event happening around you, talk/write about it. Post links, videos. Chances are that people searching for the event may land up on your site. Did I mention that this kind of stuff helps your SEO activities a lot?

OK, so much for the advantages. I’d consider it irresponsible if I didn’t mention the downsides/costs/concerns associated with having your own website. So here are the things you need to be aware of:

• Development and Maintenance Costs
  Yes, if you want your own website, you’re going to have to spend money getting it developed. Depending on the type of solution you’re looking for, there could be maintenance and hosting costs involved too. I’d recommend listening to the episode of Hotel Website Design – Getting it Right. There’s some really useful stuff there.
• Marketing Costs
  This one is a variable, depending on how aggressive you want to go. I’ve seen clients drop tons of money on Pay-per-Click campaigns (that compete directly with the brand’s PPC campaign). Others take a relatively longer term approach and focus on free traffic from organic search results. Still others get creative and engage in competition profiling to attract traffic. Of course the one thing you DO NOT want to do is to do zero marketing. That’s really defeating the purpose of having a website in the first place. One of my favorite quotes is “Building a website without marketing it is dancing in the dark – You know what you’re doing, but nobody else does”.
• Legal stuff
  Don’t take this lightly. Always ask your brand what the guidelines are before you shell out big bucks on your website. Most brands will have a set of rules that you’d need to follow. Sometimes, they’ll relate to design and navigation, other times they may lay down what you can and cannot have on the website.
• ADR, Occupancy and RevPAR
  If you are selling your room via the Chain website reservation system, you are still selling at the published rate. Don’t expect to see a jump in ADR. However, if your website does a good job of product differentiation (clearly explaining the value add of higher priced rooms), then you will see a jump. Obviously, the better you are able to make the case that your property is what your visitors needs, the more favorably you impact your occupancy and ultimately, RevPAR.
• Don’t screw it up
  The last thing you want is to end up with a site that is a lot WORSE than the one your brand is offering. That would really destroy any credibility that the brand has built up for you. You also run the very real risk of damaging the brand itself. So if you’re going to do it, make sure you have the funds and expertise to get it right.

So there it is folks. Hope this helps you in making up your mind along the way. Of course, I may have missed a few points so feel free to post your comments in the comments section below.

Take care

Rohit Seth
Host – Hotel Marketing Podcast

On a recent business trip to Montreal, I stayed at a small, independent hotel where I knew the GM rather well. This hotel wasn’t my first choice, as it was far from where I normally like to stay, but it was the only place where I was able to secure a room for that period.

The check-in was rather impersonal and the front desk clerk had to make a genuine effort to deliver a fake smile. After checking in, I went up to my room and was pleasantly surprised to find a well appointed room that was clean and nicely done. I thought to myself – “Must compliment the General Manager – Philippe (name changed to save my rear from being sued) on a job well done.”

But the thought pattern changed when I lay down to sleep at night. The mattresses were really bad. They weren’t lumpy or anything, but just… bad! I tried every combination (even put my head on the other side of the bed, but couldn’t find one spot that was comfy.

Fast forward to 9:00am and with just about 2 hrs of sleep, I groggily stepped into the lobby to be greeted by Philippe. He escorted me to his office and after the usual small talk, he popped the question. “So how do you like the hotel?”  As I wrestled to find the best words to give an honest feedback, I realized that the man sitting opposite me could take it two ways:

1. Thank me for the honest feedback and look into it.
2. Glare at me as if I just called his kid ugly. People don’t like it if someone calls their kid ugly.

Here’s roughly how the conversation went.

“I love the rooms… great job done there”. I began.
“Thanks” he beamed.
“But have you stayed in one of your rooms lately”
He had a puzzled look on his face. “No, why?”
“The mattresses look like they might be due for retirement”
“Really? They look fine to me”
“Looking is one thing, sleeping on them is another”, I briefly related my experience to him.

*Pause…*

*Uncomfortable silence…*

“I’ll look into it” came the terse reply.

I know what you’re thinking… How did he react?

Well, I’m happy to report that he did take my advice and stayed in one of the rooms to test the mattress for himself. He called me the next week and thanked me for the feedback. Have they changed the mattresses? I don’t know. And frankly, from the perspective of this post, it doesn’t matter.

As hoteliers, one can learn a lot about the guest experience simply by being the guest at the property. Simply reversing roles allows you to see things that you might take for granted otherwise. Alternatively, ask a friend (with a reputation for brutal honesty) to do it for you. In this case, he might suggest a training session for the front-desk staff as well. Admittedly, small to medium independent hotels have more to gain from this advice compared to established flag properties, but you get the idea.

Sometimes, putting your own feet to the fire can be a good thing.

Rohit Seth
Host – Hotel Marketing Podcast

Reputation management for hotels can be a tricky one.

Just a decade ago, reputations were built by way-of-mouth referrals, extensive advertising and good ol’ fashioned public relations campaigns.

Not anymore.

The landscape has changed… and Facebook, Twitter, TripAdvisor are changing the way reputations are made (or destroyed). The power of a single dissatisfied guest has increased exponentially as technology allows the conversations to traverse thousands of people in a matter of weeks. They also retain their permanence in the online arena.

So how do hotels cope with this? Clearly, we’re talking about a double-edged sword here. A good online reputation can deliver a ton of business your way and vice-versa, a bad one can do some serious damage.

Here are some simple rules that can help hotels along the way. I say “simple” because this is a vast topic and I don’t want to undermine it’s importance by claiming that a blog post covers it all. Call this “The Essentials of Reputation Management“.

1. Who’s talking about you?
   If the conversation is about you, wouldn’t you want to be a part of it? Set up a system where you get alerted to whatever conversations are taking place about you. Google Alerts, TripAdvisor, Yelp, Google reviews… make the time to periodically check on these channels.
2. Get in on the conversation
   Positive or negative, you really should have an active say in the conversation. If the tone is positive, say “Thank you”. If it’s negative, acknowledge the person’s viewpoint and strive to see things from their point of view. Nobody is perfect. We all know that. But if you acknowledge publicly that there’s room for improvement, you’ve just done your reputation a huge favor. Quick tip – watch out for trolls.
3. Perhaps you can benefit from a negative conversation
   People who take to the social media to express their dissatisfaction with your brand have a latent qualification. If they are going to be so vocal about bashing you, they’re also likely to praise you publicly if you can resolve a matter amicably. It’s a great opportunity to turn a dissatisfied guest into a brand ambassador. As I said above, you will find a few clowns along the way… and you’ll just have to learn to ignore them.
4. Don’t take criticism personally
   People are generally more concerned about themselves rather than you. Agreed? They’re not on a mission to destroy you personally. Understand that and approach the matter in a non-judgemental way.
5. Don’t be modest!
   If you get praised, don’t blush and say “Aww shucks”. Revel in the moment. Respond back to show how delighted you are… Tweet it, post it on Facebook. Squeeze every ounce of mileage out of it. Heck you’ve earned it, so why not?
6. Too busy? Outsource!
   This can be a very real scenario. Yes, there are a ton of channels that one needs to monitor and you simply may not have the time to do it all. Look for companies that do this for you. Each week or fortnight, they can report to you about all the conversations/reviews they’ve spotted online. Now you can decide how you want to approach or deal with them. One tip – Never outsource the responses to reviews. Nobody knows your business better than you do. Take the time to address these issues yourself.

Hope these tips helped you with your plans to build a better reputation. Feel free to share this post with others who might benefit from it. It doesn’t just apply to hotels, you know… Use the links below.

Till next time…

Rohit Seth
Host – Hotel Marketing Podcast

Most online reservation systems offer the functionality of the “Post-Stay” email. This is the email that goes out to the guest after the scheduled date of the checkout thanking them for their business. Very often, this is an optional feature, meaning that the property may choose not to use it at all. The ones that do, use the standard, predefined text that the module comes with.

I think the power of this email is underestimated. It can be a powerful ally in so many ways. And the best part is that it takes very little effort to harness it’s benefits. Here are a few ideas on how to use it effectively:

1. Customize it. This email marks the first step towards guest retention. Set the right tone for future interaction. Don’t use cookie-cutter statements that people know you don’t mean. Talk about how your property tries to personalize its services to its guests, and what major improvements are in the works.
2. Offer a channel for feedback. Give out the email address and phone numbers of the General Manager or the person in charge of guest relations and invite the guest to share their experience. Positive or negative, you WANT to hear what they have to say. It’s only going to help you along the way. If it’s a positive experience, good for you! Respond with an email requesting them to share their experience on TripAdvisor.
   If it’s a negative one, chances are that by providing a channel for them to vent, they wouldn’t feel compelled to rant on TripAdvisor or Google. People who feel validated are far less likely to post negative reviews. And even if they are, they’re more likely to be objective about the review. Either way, please make sure you respond to the guest via email or phone. If you care about guest satisfaction, this is “walking the talk”.
3. Highlight current promotions. If you have a special running, why not put it there so the guest is aware of it for next time.
4. Reward programs. Not all hotels have these, but if you do, you’d do well to encourage the guest to sign up for it. If they booked you via an OTA this time, they’ll probably want to book direct with you the next time. You could have just pushed your net revenue by 25% on the next booking.
5. Track your emails. Email tracking systems are beautifully sophisticated these days. If your provider allows, review key metrics such as % of opens and click-throughs to your website. That info is solid gold.
6. Use it as a tool for permission based marketing. This one is easy – invite the guest to join your mailing list.

So there you have it. 6 uses for a little-used feature that all reservation systems provide. In most cases you’ll only have to put in the effort once. Totally worth it!

I came across an example of a brilliant Post-Stay email and have to show this to you. Its from Shashank Nigam on Simplifying.com. The Hotel that sent this was CitizenM in Amsterdam.

If you’ve used this feature effectively in your organization, why not share your thoughts with others? Feel free to post your thoughts in the comments section below.

Well, its finally here! It took some time and a lot of tweaking, but the Hotel Marketing Podcast website has a fresh new look!

New Sections

Blog: This section will have regular text based updates and thoughts on things that don’t necessarily warrant a full blown audio podcast episode. It also allows me to post content more regularly than before.

Resources: I was clearing our my bookmarks and realized that I have built up an amazing collection of online resources over the years. And I’d be happy to share them with you. So stay tuned for those updates.

Lastly, please feel free to post comments on what you’d like more of. Also, if you spot an error of some sort that might have been overlooked, do let me know.

Thanks

Rohit Seth
Host – Hotel Marketing Podcast

Hoteliers, lets talk about the biggest weapon in your marketing arsenal – your Website!  How do you get it right the first time?

We talk about the 3 key factors that make a website successful – Aesthetics, functionality and search engine visibility. Does your site use Flash? You’d be surprised by what you hear.

There’s also useful information on how to select the right designers/developers to work with… something that is always a bit of a gray area for hoteliers.

Resources: Links to add your website to local search results:
Google Local Business Listings
Yahoo Local (only US listings as of now)
Bing (only US listings as of now)

Click to listen to it or you can subscribe to it via iTunes or your podcast aggregator.

My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-d9ee7bc7bcec1e7c49b1298397210a2d}

Are your property photographs assets or liabilities?

In this podcast, we discuss the impact that photography has on your bottom line. There’s a story of a hotel that’s lost over a million dollars over the past 3 years. Something they could have fixed by spending a couple of thousand dollars… But the problem is that they don’t know it.

We also talk about setting up budgets, deciding what to shoot, finding the right photographer, a bit of legal stuff to safeguard your rear-end and getting the most bang out of your images.

I have also provided a sample “Shot List” as a pdf for download.

Click to listen to it or you can subscribe to it via iTunes or your podcast aggregator.