Marketing & Guest Loyalty

I recently wrote an article for Entrepreneur.com that I wanted to share with our Insights Audience and expand further on in relation to the 2023 Guest Experience Benchmark Report. In today’s digital era, where every consumer interaction can be broadcasted globally in seconds, reputation management has never been more challenging or crucial. As businesses grapple with the power of online reviews and social media, proactively managing and safeguarding a brand’s public image is essential for sustaining long-term success and consumer trust.

LinkedIn is more than just a platform for networking—it’s a critical tool for career advancement and professional visibility. Leveraging insights from the recent meeting of the HSMAI Sales Advisory Board members, here are seven tips you can use to become a LinkedIn thought leader.

Embarking on a hotel renovation? Armed with a Property Improvement Plan (PIP) but unsure where to start? We’ve got you covered with insights learned at the recent Hunter Hotel Investment Conference in Atlanta where industry experts spoke from a diverse range of experience on one of our favorite topics – PIPs and Capex investments.

Earlier this year, I wrote an article about the hard work it takes to make something look easy. I quoted several people from sports, entertainment and business. The gist of the article was that we work hard to make doing business with us easy. Consider the quote I used from Steve Jobs of Apple, who said, It takes a lot of hard work to make something look simple.

Guest data: Your greatest asset … and potentially your greatest liability.

Scaling demand for location-based services and personalized guest messaging is forcing hotel owners and operators to rethink the strength and reliability of their wireless networks. To compete effectively and support guests’ mobile devices and a property’s IoT devices, hoteliers must upgrade their network infrastructure. This is not only table stakes by which guests, conference attendees, and other visitors choose one hotel over another, but it dictates whether or not guests will return.

Why do commercial strategy silos persist? Here’s a perspective from a marketer, undoubtedly biased but fueled by a desire for unity and efficiency.

"Where are you from?" A seemingly simple question that I constantly grapple with. Does it refer to my place of birth, my current residence, or the roots of my culture? These days, I often say: "I was born in London, my heart is Brazilian, and I live in Amsterdam." Yet, simplifying it to just "Amsterdam" frequently prompts an odd look and a follow-up question: "Where are you from originally?" – which gets me struggling again...

It used to be that you’d find the perfect hotel by contacting local travel agencies or searching on good old Google. But a new report shows that search methods are changing, especially for Gen Z consumers. Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok are becoming increasingly popular for discovering hotels.

Among the various forms of electronic word-of-mouth, online reviews are often labelled as the most prominent and successful in influencing consumers’ purchase decision. In February 2024, Statista reported that the number of reviews on TripAdvisor has grown substantially and already exceeded the one billion mark in 2021.