In the world of hospitality, experience has always been the true product. But today, in the age of AI and digital overstimulation, the real question isn’t “what do you offer?” but rather “what vibe does your brand emit?”
Welcome to Vibe Marketing for hotels, where the goal isn’t just to fill rooms—it’s to spark desire, belonging, and emotional resonance.
1. Hotel Marketing = High-Frequency Trading
“Marketing = High-Frequency Trading”
In Vibe Marketing, reaction time is everything. Aesthetic, travel, or cultural trends aren’t planned quarterly anymore—they’re captured in real time.
If a celebrity posts from your region, is your hotel ready with content to ride the wave?
Can you launch a micro-campaign within 24 hours when your area goes viral?
💡 Hotels with fast, automated content systems will dominate. Those stuck in approval loops or dependent on outsourced designers will fall behind.
2. Goal-Oriented, Not Task-Based Marketing
“Don’t ask AI for a post. Ask it for 50,000 visits.”
Traditional hotel marketing was task-driven: “Make me a carousel,” “Write a blog for the season.”
Today, with AI, the game has changed—you give it goals, not orders.
I want to double direct bookings from Instagram.
I want to attract 1,000 leads interested in fly fishing in Patagonia.
I want to position the hotel as a retreat for digital nomads.
AI will decide whether that means a reel, a search campaign, or a meme.
Your job is to point it north.
3. Creativity = Orchestration + Human Perspective
“AI executes. You curate the vibe.”
In this new paradigm, the hotel marketer’s creative role isn’t to design assets—it’s to orchestrate emotion.
You’re the one who:
Decides if the hotel’s tone is bohemian, intimate, or luxurious.
Selects the kind of visuals that will resonate with your ideal guest.
Interprets cultural signals and turns them into branded moments.
⚠️ AI is great at doing. You’re great at feeling.
And that’s what your brand needs to come alive.
BONUS: The Alpha Is Now
“There will be incredible alpha for early adopters.”
In marketing, “alpha” is that edge you get from being early. And right now, in hospitality, alpha belongs to those who adopt AI + Vibe Marketing before it becomes the norm.
Automation doesn’t mean depersonalization—it means scalable emotion.
Creativity isn’t about making pretty things—it’s about building belonging.
Trends aren’t scheduled—they’re seized.
Conclusion
Today’s guests don’t just book beds—they buy meaning.
And that meaning is delivered through a clear, emotional, adaptive vibe.
Vibe Marketing isn’t just another strategy.
It’s the new language of brands that want to be felt—not just seen.
In the competitive world of hospitality, embracing state-of-the-art technology is crucial for delivering exceptional guest experiences. Smart rooms, a cutting-edge innovation, leverage the Internet of Things (IoT) to enhance comfort and convenience.
What is a Smart Room?
A smart room integrates internet-connected devices like smart TVs, lighting, and climate control, allowing guests to personalize their stay. IoT enables seamless interaction and control through smartphones or voice-activated assistants like Alexa and Google Home.
Benefits of Smart Rooms
Enhanced Guest Experience: Guests can control room settings, from temperature to lighting, creating a customized environment. See ETHEOS.
Operational Efficiency: Smart housekeeping tools streamline staff tasks and communication, improving service delivery. Here is a list of Smart cleaning tools and software to manage Housekeeping
Sustainability: Energy-efficient systems adjust based on room occupancy, reducing waste and costs.
Safety and Security: Technologies like facial recognition and mobile key access enhance security and convenience.
Transforming Hotel Rooms into Smart Rooms
Personalized Controls: Allow guests to adjust room settings via smartphones or voice commands.
Key Card Integrations: Implement mobile keys or facial recognition for secure room access.
Voice Technology: Use voice assistants to control room features and access personal services.
Interactive Walls and Mirrors: Provide real-time information and services through digital interfaces.
Conclusion
Adopting smart technology not only differentiates hotels from competitors but also enhances guest satisfaction, operational efficiency, and sustainability. Embracing these innovations is a strategic move to future-proof hotel operations.
Unlocking the Future: How AI-Driven Automation is Revolutionizing Hotel Management
Welcome to the future of hospitality, where AI-driven automation is transforming how hotels operate and deliver exceptional guest experiences. At Yelcho en la Patagonia, we're at the forefront of this technological revolution, implementing smart automation workflows that streamline operations, optimize efficiency, and elevate the guest experience to new heights. Here's a glimpse into how we're leveraging AI to revolutionize our hotel management.
1. Automated Booking System
In the fast-paced world of hospitality, efficiency is key. Our AI-powered chatbots handle bookings through our website and social media platforms, providing guests with instant, 24/7 service. With natural language processing (NLP), guests can make reservations using simple voice commands or text. The system seamlessly integrates with our property management system (PMS) to offer real-time availability updates, ensuring no room is left unbooked.
2. Personalized Guest Experience
Every guest is unique, and our AI systems help us treat them that way. By analyzing guest preferences from previous stays, we can offer personalized recommendations for dining, activities, and amenities. Automated messaging keeps guests informed and engaged, sending personalized welcome messages and customized itineraries right to their smartphones.
3. Dynamic Pricing
Gone are the days of static pricing. With our machine learning algorithms, we predict demand based on historical data, local events, and trends. Our system adjusts room rates in real-time to maximize occupancy and revenue, while continuously monitoring competitor pricing to ensure we remain competitive.
4. Housekeeping Management
Housekeeping is an art, and our AI systems ensure it's executed flawlessly. We optimize housekeeping schedules based on room occupancy and guest preferences, track and reorder supplies automatically, and even predict maintenance needs to keep everything running smoothly.
5. Guest Check-In/Check-Out
We believe in seamless experiences. Our mobile check-in and check-out services allow guests to bypass the front desk entirely. With facial recognition technology, check-ins become a breeze. Automated billing ensures that guests receive their invoices promptly, making departures quick and hassle-free.
6. Marketing and Customer Retention
Understanding our guests is crucial for effective marketing. AI helps us segment our customer base and create targeted campaigns. Automated Social Media marketing keeps our guests informed and engaged, while AI tools monitor social media channels to respond to mentions and reviews in real-time.
7. Energy Management
Sustainability is at the heart of our operations. Smart thermostats and lighting systems optimize energy usage based on occupancy patterns. Predictive analytics help us identify areas for energy savings, reducing our carbon footprint while cutting costs.
8. Security and Surveillance
Safety is paramount. AI-driven surveillance monitors our premises for unusual activity, while AI-based access control systems ensure that only authorized individuals have access. Automated incident reporting keeps our security team informed and ready to respond.
9. Customer Feedback Analysis
Guest feedback is a goldmine of insights. AI-powered sentiment analysis helps us understand guest opinions and identify trends. Automated response systems ensure that feedback is acknowledged and addressed promptly, while post-stay surveys provide valuable data for continuous improvement.
10. Staff Training and Management
Our team is our greatest asset. AI creates personalized training programs based on individual performance and learning styles. Shift optimization tools schedule staff efficiently, ensuring we have the right people in the right places. Performance monitoring and feedback systems help our team members grow and excel.
Embracing the Future
These AI-driven automation workflows not only enhance efficiency and reduce costs but also enable us to deliver a superior guest experience.
The Battle for Direct Bookings: Can AI Challenge the Dominance of OTAs?
The hotel industry is witnessing a fierce battle between traditional OTAs (Online Travel Agencies) and the potential of AI-driven direct bookings. OTAs have long dominated due to their extensive reach and the lowest available rates, creating an industry addiction that’s hard to break.
The Role of AI in Driving Direct Bookings
1. Personalized Guest Experience: AI can analyze vast amounts of data to tailor offers and experiences to individual guests, enhancing satisfaction and loyalty.
2. Optimized Pricing: Machine learning algorithms can dynamically adjust pricing based on demand, competition, and other factors to maximize revenue.
3. Improved Marketing Strategies: AI-driven insights can fine-tune marketing campaigns, targeting potential guests more effectively and reducing acquisition costs.
Challenges in Overcoming OTA Dominance
Despite these advantages, the reliance on OTAs persists primarily due to behavioral factors:
• Lowest Rates on OTAs: The industry often prioritizes OTAs for promotions and discounts, ensuring they have the most competitive prices.
• Volume of Bookings: Hotels receive a substantial portion of their bookings through OTAs, making it difficult to shift focus without risking occupancy rates.
• Behavioral Patterns: Consumers are accustomed to using OTAs for their convenience and perceived cost savings, making it a challenge to change this behavior.
The Future Outlook
While AI holds the promise of increasing direct bookings, it will not displace OTAs entirely. The symbiotic relationship between hotels and OTAs, driven by consumer behavior and industry practices, ensures that OTAs will remain a significant player in the travel booking landscape.
Conclusion
For hoteliers, leveraging AI is not about eliminating OTAs but complementing their strategies to balance direct bookings and third-party channels effectively. By enhancing the guest experience and optimizing operational efficiencies, AI can help hotels compete more effectively in this complex landscape.
Full Podcast here.
Original Post -Christiana Sciaudone, Skift- June 4th, 2024
AI in hotels can offer practical benefits across various departments, enhancing efficiency and guest experience.
Front Desk and Reservations:
Chatbots and Virtual Assistants: Use AI to handle inquiries and bookings, providing instant responses and freeing up staff for more complex tasks. An easy to configure chatbot could be Chatbase. A bot that can read excel (availability , stock etc) could be done with BotSheets.
Personalization: AI can analyze guest preferences, allowing for personalized service recommendations and marketing. ZooxsSmart is a great solution.
Housekeeping:
Predictive Maintenance: AI can predict when equipment needs maintenance, preventing breakdowns and reducing downtime. Fiix is probably the bes tool in the market nowadays.
Efficient Scheduling: AI can optimize housekeeping schedules based on guest check-ins and check-outs, improving turnaround times. Flexkeeping will do the job.
Food and Beverage:
Demand Forecasting: AI can predict dining trends, helping to adjust inventory and reduce waste.
Personalized Dining Experience: AI can suggest menu items based on guest preferences and dietary restrictions. Avero does a great Job into this subject and it starts with 300 U$D per month
Revenue Management:
Dynamic Pricing: AI algorithms can adjust room rates in real-time based on demand, competitor pricing, and other factors to maximize revenue.
Market Analysis: AI can provide insights into market trends, helping to make informed pricing and marketing decisions.
Security and Safety:
Surveillance Analysis: AI can enhance security by analyzing footage for suspicious activities and alerting security personnel in real-time.
Guest Identification: AI-based facial recognition can streamline check-in processes and enhance security.
Guest Services:
Smart Room Controls: AI can provide guests with in-room controls for lighting, temperature, and entertainment through voice commands or mobile apps.
Concierge Services: AI-driven concierge apps can offer personalized recommendations for local attractions and activities.
These applications demonstrate how AI can streamline operations, personalize guest services, and improve overall efficiency in the hospitality industry.
Mastering the Game of Profitability: Optimize Operations and Leverage KPIs for Hotel Success
In the competitive world of hospitality, profitability isn’t just a goal—it’s an essential game where only the best players thrive. For hotel managers and owners, fine-tuning operations, optimizing resources, and closely monitoring performance metrics are not merely tasks; they are imperatives that drive growth and success. In this article, we explore practical strategies to elevate your hotel's profitability and guide your business towards unparalleled success.
Streamline Operations for Enhanced Efficiency
Efficiency is the cornerstone of profitability in the hospitality industry. By streamlining operations, hotels can reduce costs while improving guest experiences. Consider implementing the following strategies:
Automate Routine Tasks: Use technology to automate tasks such as check-in/check-out processes, billing, and room assignment. Automation reduces labor costs and minimizes errors.
Enhance Staff Training: Well-trained staff are more efficient and can provide better service to guests. Regular training sessions can help improve operational efficiency and guest satisfaction.
Optimize Housekeeping Schedules: Tailor housekeeping schedules based on occupancy rates to minimize downtime and maximize productivity.
Resource Management:
Effective resource management ensures that every dollar is spent wisely. To optimize resources, hotels should:
Monitor Utility Usage: Implement energy-efficient solutions and smart systems to control lighting, heating, and air conditioning, significantly reducing utility costs.
Rationalize Inventory: Maintain a balance between having necessary supplies on hand and overstocking. Use inventory management software to track usage patterns and forecast needs.
Optimize Vendor Contracts: Regularly review supplier contracts and negotiate better terms to cut costs without compromising quality.
Driving Hotel Revenue Growth
Innovative Revenue Management Strategies:
To drive revenue growth, hotels must adopt innovative pricing and promotional strategies. Here are a few techniques:
Dynamic Pricing: Utilize revenue management software to adjust prices based on demand, competitor pricing, and other market factors.
Upselling and Cross-Selling: Train staff to upsell and cross-sell services effectively, such as room upgrades, spa packages, and dining experiences.
Leverage Direct Bookings: Encourage direct bookings through your website by offering exclusive deals or packages not available on third-party platforms.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Your Pathway to Success
Monitoring and Understanding KPIs:
KPIs are vital tools that help steer a hotel towards its business objectives. Essential KPIs for any hotel include:
Occupancy Rates: Reflects the percentage of occupied rooms at any given time. Aim to optimize your occupancy rates through balanced pricing strategies and effective marketing.
Average Daily Rate (ADR): Measures the average revenue earned per occupied room. Increase your ADR by enhancing room offerings or by incorporating upselling techniques.
Guest Satisfaction Scores: These are indicators of the quality of the guest experience. High satisfaction scores are often correlated with repeat business and positive word-of-mouth.
Actionable Insights from KPIs:
Set Clear Objectives: Use KPIs to set achievable targets for your team and create strategies to meet these goals.
Regular Reviews: Conduct regular reviews of KPI data to understand trends, identify areas for improvement, and adjust strategies accordingly.
Employee Involvement: Ensure that all staff members understand the importance of KPIs and how they can contribute to improving them. This encourages a unified approach to achieving business goals.
Conclusion:
Profitability in the hotel industry is not achieved by chance but through meticulous planning, operational excellence, and strategic oversight. By fine-tuning your operations, optimizing resources, and employing a rigorous KPI monitoring system, your hotel can achieve substantial revenue growth and long-term success. Remember, in the game of hotel profitability, every detail counts—make sure your hotel is set to win.
A simplified way to understand how different aspects of marketing work together in the context of a hotel
Advertising: If your hotel places an ad in travel magazines or online platforms showcasing its amenities and inviting guests, that's Advertising. It's about creating and placing these ads to reach potential guests.
Promotion: If your hotel offers a special package deal, like a discounted weekend stay or a complimentary spa service for early bookings, that's Promotion. It's about creating special offers to increase interest and boost bookings.
Publicity: If a famous travel blogger stays at your hotel and writes a rave review about their experience, leading to media coverage, that's Publicity. It's gaining media attention, often without direct payment or control over the message.
Public Relations (PR): If your hotel hosts a charity event or a community project and builds a positive relationship with the local community and guests, that's Public Relations. It's about strategically managing your hotel's reputation and fostering good relationships with all stakeholders.
Sales: If your front desk staff persuades a walk-in guest to choose a premium room by explaining its additional benefits, or if your website effectively convinces visitors to book a stay, that's Sales. It involves direct interaction and persuasion to convert inquiries or interests into bookings.
Marketing: If your hotel conducts market research to understand guest preferences, develops a brand strategy, plans the advertising, promotion, PR activities, and aligns sales efforts to attract specific target markets, that's Marketing. It's the comprehensive process of identifying guest needs, creating strategies to meet those needs, and ensuring that the hotel's offerings are known, attractive, and accessible to the right audience.
Revolucionando la Gestión Hotelera: El Poder de Notion AI
Introducción: En la industria hotelera, donde la eficiencia y la gestión efectiva son clave para el éxito, la tecnología juega un papel fundamental. En este contexto, Notion AI emerge como una herramienta revolucionaria, ofreciendo soluciones innovadoras para la gestión y organización en el sector hotelero. Este artículo explora cómo Notion AI está transformando la manera en que los hoteles operan y mejoran la experiencia tanto para los huéspedes como para el personal.
El Auge de la Tecnología en la Hotelería: La hotelería siempre ha sido un sector que se beneficia enormemente de la adopción de nuevas tecnologías. Desde sistemas de reservas en línea hasta la automatización de la gestión de habitaciones, la tecnología ha permitido a los hoteles optimizar sus operaciones y ofrecer servicios de mayor calidad. En este panorama tecnológico, Notion AI se destaca como una herramienta versátil y poderosa.
¿Qué es Notion AI? Notion AI es una plataforma todo-en-uno que combina la gestión de tareas, la creación de bases de datos, la planificación de proyectos y la inteligencia artificial. Esta herramienta permite a los usuarios crear sistemas personalizados para la gestión de información y procesos, lo que es ideal para la compleja operativa de un hotel.
Aplicaciones de Notion AI en la Hotelería:
Gestión de Tareas y Proyectos: Notion AI permite crear tableros Kanban, listas de tareas y calendarios para gestionar todo, desde la limpieza de habitaciones hasta proyectos de renovación a gran escala.
Centralización de Información: Con Notion, los hoteles pueden centralizar toda su información operativa, desde manuales de procedimientos hasta políticas de servicio al cliente, accesible fácilmente por todo el personal.
Planificación y Seguimiento de Eventos: Los hoteles pueden usar Notion para planificar eventos, gestionar reservas especiales y asegurarse de que todos los detalles estén cubiertos.
Capacitación y Recursos para Empleados: Notion sirve como una plataforma para almacenar materiales de capacitación, lo que facilita la formación continua del personal.
Automatización y Mejoras con IA: La integración de IA en Notion ayuda a automatizar tareas rutinarias y a analizar datos para sugerir mejoras operativas.
Beneficios de Notion AI para Hoteles:
Eficiencia Mejorada: La organización y accesibilidad de la información ahorra tiempo y reduce errores.
Flexibilidad y Personalización: Cada hotel puede adaptar Notion a sus necesidades específicas.
Mejora en la Comunicación Interna: Facilita la comunicación y colaboración entre diferentes departamentos.
Toma de Decisiones Basada en Datos: La capacidad de analizar datos ayuda a tomar decisiones más informadas.
Conclusión: Notion AI no es solo una herramienta de gestión; es un cambio de juego en la industria hotelera. Al integrar esta plataforma, los hoteles pueden mejorar significativamente su eficiencia, comunicación y servicio al cliente, posicionándose así para el éxito en un mercado cada vez más competitivo. La adaptabilidad y la innovación son cruciales en la hotelería, y Notion AI es un aliado formidable en este viaje hacia la excelencia operativa.
Imagine you have a box full of Legos, and you want to build a cool scene like a castle or a city. Instead of using physical Legos, Neural Radiance Fields (NeRF) help you create these scenes using a computer.
NeRF is like a magical recipe that helps the computer understand how to build a scene in 3D. It uses something called "neurons" (which are tiny building blocks in the computer's brain) to remember the colors and shapes of objects in the scene. NeRF is really good at learning how to create realistic-looking scenes that seem to pop out of the screen!
Now, imagine you can move around this 3D scene and take pictures of it with a camera. NeRF is so smart that it can figure out what the scene should look like from any angle, just like you can walk around your Lego creation and see it from different sides.
In short, Neural Radiance Fields (NeRF) is a cool computer technique that helps build realistic 3D scenes that you can explore and take pictures of, just like playing with real Legos.
Start learning about Zip-NeRF technology
Zip-NeRF is an exciting technology that combines deep learning with 3D scene reconstruction. To start learning about Zip-NeRF, I recommend the following steps:
Familiarize yourself with the basics:
Learn about neural radiance fields (NeRF): Understand the concept of NeRFs and how they are used to represent and render 3D scenes.
Study differentiable rendering: Get to know how gradients can be computed for image-based loss functions to optimize NeRFs.
Read the original Zip-NeRF paper:
Take your time to read the original Zip-NeRF paper by Keunhong Park, Utkarsh Sinha, and Steven Seitz. This will give you a deep understanding of the method, its motivation, and its applications. You can find the paper at https://arxiv.org/abs/2109.12064.
Understand the key improvements in Zip-NeRF:
Faster convergence: Learn how the authors improved the convergence speed of NeRF training using hierarchical optimization and other techniques.
Better compression: Study how the authors achieved higher compression by incorporating structured latent codes into the NeRF representation.
Experiment with the Zip-NeRF code:
Find the official implementation on GitHub (usually linked in the paper) and familiarize yourself with the codebase. If available, follow the setup and usage instructions to run the code on your own machine or a cloud-based environment.
Try to reproduce the results from the paper using the provided datasets and compare your results to the original.
Engage with the research community:
Join relevant forums, mailing lists, or social media groups to discuss Zip-NeRF and related topics. This will help you stay updated on the latest advancements and provide opportunities to connect with researchers and practitioners in the field.
Explore related work:
Read about other NeRF-based methods and their applications, such as NeRF-W, NeRF++, and MVS-NeRF. This will broaden your understanding of the field and inspire you to think about new ways to improve or apply Zip-NeRF.
Apply Zip-NeRF to your own projects:
Think of a problem or application where Zip-NeRF could be useful and try to implement it. This hands-on experience will deepen your understanding of the technology and help you identify potential areas for further research or improvement.
Remember that learning a new technology takes time and patience, so be persistent and don't hesitate to ask questions or seek help when needed.
Traditional marketing used to be the silver bullet for increasing sales and obtaining more customers. It could incite loyalty in existing clients and coax new prospects into trying your products or services. This is no longer the case. People have been bombarded with marketing messages, ad campaigns, and sales pitches for decades. People have grown accustomed to having every moment in their day inundated with unsolicited, unwanted messages.
As a society we've grown calloused to their efforts. We are forced to watch ads before we view videos, delete spam from our in-boxes, and scroll past them to read the content we are after. The common person considers them a nuisance at best. At worst it's a violation of our personal space and an insult to our intelligence.
We can never stop 'marketing' to people, but if we can view it in another light we may be able to change the way people react to it and engage with our companies. Here are 3 reasons we need to begin thinking of marketing as serving our clients instead of selling to them:
1. Captive Audiences No longer Exist
The days of the captive audience disappeared with the invention of TiVo. As soon as people realized they didn't have to watch commercials they started to become hyper-aware of the ads they were having thrust upon them. As a society this become a release from the shackles we had been accustomed to for so long.
You are probably wondering questions like: what about ads in places like sporting events or movie theaters? Well, people are opting out of those too, mostly by staring at their phones. If it's not relevant to their life, they are not going to let you invade their mental space.
Relevance is the best way to truly reach your ideal audience. By targeting the people who would benefit most from your offerings you can narrow the field in which you play. Once you have condensed your audience you need to prove to them you are worthy of their attention.
Give them something. Not a coupon or seudo 'benefit'. Actually give them something useful! Don't worry about giving away the farm for free, be more concerned about helping them. Serve your potential clients. A genuine attitude of service will win the hearts and attention of the people you want to reach.
2. Competition for People's Attention is Fierce
Everyone is clawing for the attention and loyalty of new customers. If you use a traditional marketing campaign you will just be pushed to the side with every other marketing strategy. You will be ignored! This is a nail in the coffin. Once people get the feeling that you are trying to sell to them, they shut you out. 'In your face' marketing and advertising techniques will cause you to lose more clients than you will gain.
How do you stand out from the rest of the marketing campaigns? Once again, the answer lies in serving the people that need your products or services. If you can provide true help to people that need it (read: Serve them) you will not only cultivate customers that are more loyal you will have others seeking out your help.
Sure, you may get burned a few times in the process. There will always be people looking to take advantage of a free consultation or trial, but being genuine in your desire to help will increase your chances of actually reaching your audience.
3. People are Protective of Their Time and Influences
The digital age has allowed people to become smarter with regards to the way they accept influences in their lives. They are very cautious of where they place their loyalty and standoff-ish with regards to commitment. No one wants to invest their time and emotional energy into any company that just wants their patronage. Not only are people protective of themselves, they are very protective of how they influence those in their network. There is a fear that we will be lumped in with the people that forward chain emails and alienate their friends.
You are probably wondering how to overcome this. Be genuine. If you want people's loyalty you have to earn it, not ask for it. Serve someone so well that they are compelled to share it with their network. Never ask someone to sell or promote your offerings. If they are helped enough, they will want to preach your benefits to the world!
People are quick to post bad reviews, but it takes a very special experience for someone to promote a product or service to their friends. If you work hard at serving and helping, people will feel responsible for helping you become more successful.
Taking on an attitude of service can change the public's perception of what you provide to your clients. No one wants to feel like a 'prospect'. However, everyone likes to feel served. Choose to serve your clients well and endorsements will spread like wildfire! Be enthusiastic about helping your clients and make sure you are genuine in your efforts!
Original Article by Joshua M. Evans, Founder & CEO at EnthusiasticYou!
By and large, the existing destination apps republish storehouses of existing net-ready content, map-integrated by current location. Sometimes for a single city, sometimes as part of a connected network of locales. This content includes: rated merchant, tour, area of interest, and venue listings; links to providers of hotel bookings and restaurant reservations; weather reports; transportation maps; and Groupon-style offers-of-the-day. More advanced applications, common in the larger metropolises, provide: wayfinding, custom routes and itineraries, journaling, movie-ticket sales, augmented reality, photo-sharing, and the ability to push marketing communications to users in specific "geo-fenced" areas. We see geolocation enhanced by machine learning as the critical new frontier for this new breed of application. With GPS, Bluetooth beacons and WiFi positioning, a location context can be found even indoors. The path of a user's journey while traveling reveals ever more detailed profile information about their likes, dislikes, and behavior—and this more detailed profile allows the app to tailor content and communications in the ways that are most relevant and pleasing to the user.
What aspects of the hotel industry can Airbnb not compete with?
Airbnb is great at providing unique and immersive experiences, and delivering a lot of value to consumers. This uniqueness is also a challenge, especially for business travelers who value consistency and reliability more highly than leisure travelers. For business travelers, they likely will want to be located in business centers, not in remote, though quaint, neighborhoods. For this reason, business traveler bookings at Airbnb are around 10%. HT is in comparison over 50% business travel.
However, business travelers also want uniqueness and authenticity - and this need is best met for them at boutique hotels. These hotels bring a unique vibe and personality, which the consistency, high service levels, and convenient location that business travelers require.
That said, I see turbulent times ahead for hotels that are not differentiated and which have no personality. All the consumer trends are moving away from this type of lodging.
Last point here is that hospitality and lodging is an enormous market. Airbnb will be hugely successful and hotels will remain successful as well - especially ones that take the best of Airbnb’s authenticity and package it with a consistent experience.
Here are the trends and techniques we'll be covering:
Increasing Profitability
Seizing the Moment with Book Direct
Planning Ahead
Better Data (Tools)
Technology
Cost per Acquisition
Mobile
Embracing Collaboration
Sharing the Knowledge
Keeping In the Loop
1. Increasing Profitability
Increasing profitability is ultimately what we're all trying to do. However, after challenging years where 'heads in beds' was almost the entire strategy, the focus today is shifting to ways to maximise your return on each channel in use. This includes both online and offline strategies.
What are the most important steps to achieving this? Start by evaluating the true value and cost for each channel, and developing a clear strategy for your approach to each channel. Without accurate cost of acquisition insights for each channel, you cannot know if the pricing strategy in use is actually the right and ultimately most profitable one.
For evaluating your online channels,
try a hotel OTA spend calculator – it can be a good starting point to evaluate the cost of online channels, and show you the potential savings of increase direct bookings: here's a good one to check out.
In our Revenue Management white paper, we compiled a list of the KPIs we recommend you monitor for your online channels in order to build direct bookings:
Hotel Website Traffic
Measure traffic per source
Measure traffic per device
Measure ratio of New v Returning visitors to the website
Measure traffic per location
Hotel Website Conversion rate
The conversion rate of visitors to bookers
The conversion rate of searches to bookers
Don't forget – Look at the drop off points in the sale funnel
Identify the key pages at the start of the search funnel
Bookings per channel:
Set a target for direct bookings especially on key demand dates
Maximum bookings through each other channel
Profit per channel
Net ABV per channel
Net ARR per channel
Max commission you are willing to pay daily – link these to rate bands if possible
Evaluating offline channels like phones and walk-ins is, in some ways, a bigger undertaking than evaluating your online channels. When it comes to the non-digital world, it's not as simple as taking account of commission alone and you don't always have access to the advanced data that is available online today.
Here are some relevant, insightful sources to get you started:
Here's a good explanation of Adjusted RevPAR (ARPAR) from Ira Vouk, cofounder of Irates. It explains that ARPAR is a clearer reflection of bottom line profit than RevPAR alone, and why.
This article details the methods you can use to calculate the distribution costs per channel.
Ira Vouk gives a short, insightful interview here, with 3 clear tips for revenue management tactics:
Dynamic pricing: Truly flexible prices, based on current demand
Non-pricing strategies: This involves managing items like sale restrictions, channels, and over booking
Automated Revenue Management Tool: these tools are data analytics and decision-making tools to assist you in your day to day
2. Seizing the Moment with the Book Direct Movement
With heavy hitters like Marriott, Hyatt and Hilton putting their book direct campaigns front and centre, the book direct message has been pushed to the forefront.
There is momentum in the book direct movement, and a higher awareness of the message with consumers. However, what exactly constitutes a solid book direct strategy?
A few USPs marked with ticks are not a book direct message. Your message should a clear statement, and it needs to take prime real estate on your hotel's website and all relevant marketing material.
Don't think of it as just an item on the site – it has to be part of the overall marketing message for the property, and embraced through all departments. Don't forget! Your book direct message is your opportunity to sell the consumer on the merits of booking directly that are not purely price driven, but also focused on the value of the product.
From a consumer point of view, this article from Techly gives a glimpse of the kind of benefits that appeal to them. They mention the opportunity to get the cheapest price through reward and loyalty programmes, and the fact that OTAs might actually be driving prices up as hotels are forced to raise their prices to cover the commission costs they pay to OTAs.
An article from the LA Times has a similar point of view: they tell consumers that hotels are offering perks to those that book direct, and that the variety of these perks is a reflection of the modern hotel's need to stay competitive in a world where comparisons can be made at a click of a button.
When you convince guests to book direct, you can encourage customer loyalty. which in turn raises the lifetime value of the guest. Here's an insightful read from Kelly McGuire on how you can calculate customer lifetime value.
3. Planning Ahead
We've all witnessed this: you create an offer within a week of an event or a seasonal holiday and think, "Ah yes, I have built the offer – now they'll book in droves!"
It worked a treat for Noah and Kevin Costner, but for the rest of us, let's plan ahead. Not just next month, but next year. Ideally, plot out the next 5 years! In a way, that's no different to our lives outside of work. We need short and long term plans to keep us motivated and focused. Think about what's needed to achieve your revenue goals, and how best to implement them.
Using a monthly planner to detail out the focus for each month and the key activities taking place.
Make your plans in conjunction with ongoing use of revenue management strategies, to make sure you're maximise potential returns – here's a good summary of core element from Xotels: Revenue Management Strategies for Hotels
4. Better Data (Tools)
For hotels today, there's no shortage of data – in fact, there's often too much, and the noise starts to outweigh the signal.
Because of this, hoteliers are now focused on how to deal with big data. They are looking at the challenges of collating the volume of data available into a useful format, how fast data can be collated, and how to use quality data to inform and qualify decisions in a timely manner.
There is a need for robust reporting and analytical tools to support this.
One player that's recently stepped into the ring is Snapshot, a company founded by David Turnbull and Michael Heinze. Snapshot is a cloud-based analytics tool that promises to provide "a comprehensive overview of your hotel data on a powerful yet intuitive dashboard" for any size hotel. It tries to give you what the name suggests: A clear snapshot of where your hotel is at in terms of all the essentials, from benchmarking to pricing to performance, bringing all your disparate streams of data into one collated dashboard.
Lennert De Jong is a great example of a forward-thinking hotelier with a good perspective on the need for better data tools. He works as Commercial Director for citizenM, and in a recent article, he discusses the importance of better data – specifically, better analytic and reporting tools for that data. He says, "We should not have data discrepancies between our finance systems, PMS, forecasting systems, and CRM… The roles in organizations have changed and so have the responsibilities."
De Jong says that the most important aspect for revenue managers to focus on right now is the data they aggregate, and how they aggregate it. He believes that in this respect, independents are actually doing a much better job than the chains: they live by the grace of guest feedback, and they have decision-making power and ability to move swiftly that chains do not.
In an ideal world, there should not be issues over whether, for example, certain forms of revenue are classed as 'technology spend' or 'marketing spend'. Instead, hotels should attempt to build an integrated system that lets them see the true value of each channel.
Here are a few types of tools that are immensely useful:
Customer Relationship Management software
Enterprise Resource Planning software
Online Reputation Management software
5. Technology
When you're making your plans, there is no shortage of tech options that are targeted at making revenue analysis and accurate decision-making an easier task. Some are solid, some are trendy, and others may just be style over real substance.
Your options range from revenue management systems to channel managers, benchmark reports, rate shopping tools, review systems and everything in between. See where your business intelligence gaps lay and research which systems help you best reach your goals. Demo, trial, question, review and don't forget to ask peers for their insights on the product.
As a recent article from IDeaS illustrates, a day in the life of a revenue manager with automation is very different from a day in the life of a RM without automation. Those RMs without the benefit of an automated revenue management system are often "handcuffed" to manual data entry, more focused on logistics than strategy, and relying on more limited data than the RM benefiting from automation – not to mention the work-life balance issues!
The bottom line is that automation, properly done, frees you up to do analysis, make long-term strategies, and gives you access to more usable data for decision making.
6. Let's talk about CPA
Yes, it's another acronym in the alphabet soup that is the world of revenue management. This is one of the big ones, though. CPA (cost per acquisition) is a fundamental metric to evaluating the real return on your investment.
Other metrics are still important, and no one item holds all the answers. Having said that, CPA is a crystal-clear measure of how your campaigns are truly performing. It is vital that you are looking at this metric, and understanding whether your CPA % result is positive or negative.
Your CPA should be a KPI set for every campaign. For example, an optimal CPA % ceiling for a brand campaign might be approximately 12%. It depends on your hotel's rate strategy and availability.
The concept of a cost per acquisition ties in with hotels adopting an unlimited budget in terms of brand campaigns: why 'turn off the tap' by restricting your spend on a campaign when you're below your optimal CPA% ceiling? If you're below your ceiling, you're acquiring bookings at a lower cost than you can through other channels. You'd be throwing money away!
7. Mobile
According to a Criteo study, mobile accounts for most of the overall growth in travel bookings since 2014. The share of mobile bookings has increased from 12% to 23% from 2014 – 2015.
More than ever, hotels need to make sure their message is clear on mobile and the user experience is optimal.
Our expert on mobile, Susan O'Driscoll, wrote a great guide on how mobile has changed so drastically, how that's affected your guests' online behaviour, and the steps you need to take to adjust.
Here's the bottom line: to grow revenue from mobile, you need either a responsive or adaptive website, and you need to follow conversion best practices on mobile.
Net Affinity's own data on mobile shows that as of Q1 2016, an average of 47% of traffic is on mobile devices. 25% of all transaction on hotels' websites today are made on mobile – a figure which has increased by 32% over the last 12 months.
Don't underestimate how important a revenue stream mobile is. Be prepared!
8. Embracing Collaboration
The importance of collaboration isn't a new topic – but it's key to growth. At Net Affinity, we're seeing that the hotels reaping the benefits are the ones who are breaking down departmental silos, and adopting a more inclusive and collaborative approach.
When you're talking about breaking down silos, the changes needs to apply to allaspects of revenue generating, not just HOD meetings or progress updates. Otherwise, your picture of events will be incomplete. Think of it this way: if your left hand and right hand are working without a 'brain' – a collaborative, information-sharing center – between them, how can you expect them to work efficiently? Shared information is your hotel's brain.
For a rough estimate of how your hotel's doing, consider how often you encounter the "holy trinity" at sales, marketing, revenue and strategy meetings: how often are the General Manger, Marketing Manager and Revenue Manager all present in the meeting at the same time?
A recent interview with Hilton's CMO Geraldine Caplin cites the benefits of collaboration in their recent Stop Clicking Around book direct campaign. These benefits include increases in achievement, learnings and consistency from merging their digital and marketing departments:
"Last year at this time, Hilton's marketing and digital departments were closely aligned, but they were still separate and autonomous units. In September 2015, Hilton merged the two departments."
What was the eventual result of all the cross-departmental work that went into Hilton's Stop Clicking Around campaign? Well, aside from a stellar Book Direct campaign, they got this:
"[The campaign and strategy behind it] also resulted in a shared culture throughout the team. It bonded our digital and marketing, it bonded our brands teams, and it bonded us across the world, because we all have a single mission. We're all aiming for the same thing. So when everything went live, whether that was on the Grammys or at Prague Airport, the elation among everyone seeing that come together was for me as much about our team as it was for the customers."
Your hotel team should be similarly sharp and focused on a goal, and you should all be working together to achieve it.
9. Sharing the Knowledge
The phrase 'Knowledge is Power' was not followed by the line, 'So hold onto it for dear life and tell nobody about it'. Knowledge management is a key part of a successful revenue management strategy.
Just as departments need to work together, you need to share knowledge with each other, challenge the norm and stretch your ideas further – which is a lot easier if you've got a couple of brains working together. Again, this applies to all aspects of revenue generation for your hotel!
One example of this is your website booking engine. Your website booking engine is your direct online channel. When, for example, you hold back on sharing accurate knowledge on how the website performs in relation to overall sales and in relation to online channels, your provider only sees one part of the pie. If you don't know where your weaknesses are, there's no way you can improve and succeed.
Knowledge management, when properly done, has historically saved leading companies millions of euro each year. A good knowledge management system involves having people and a culture dedicated to using the system, a team that knows the benefits they can get from it and are motivated to share the knowledge, and the technology to achieve it all.
10. Consume Industry News & Info
We are all busy, but it's important to take a pause to read up on what's topical in industry. If you can fit it in before the daily rush takes over, you'll be able to lift your head and see what the industry at large is talking about.
Checking in with the big picture can help reassure you that challenges you are facing are not unique to your property, help you see what new tools are on the horizon, and glean insights into trends and potential items to research or implement.
It's also a great way to stay engaged with this industry we are all so passionate at about. There's no shortage of resources to choose from, including newsletters, blogs, webinars and workshops. Here's a few of the ones we regularly follow, many of which you'll probably be familiar with. Check them out, skim an article or two and figure out which sites suit you best.
How to Create a Management Team Pt. 3: Solving Problems
There are some common arguments that will arise as you conduct your manager meetings. More likely, and this is just the nature of the business, you’ll hear rumors and rumblings about problems but your team may not actually approach you with them.
Try to avoid this by creating an atmosphere where other’s ideas and opinions will be heard.
They differ on how the business should be run.
I hate to say it this way, but if you’re the leader in the restaurant there is really only one way the business should be run: your way. I know just a minute ago I said that you should try to value other’s ideas and opinions and I meant that, but during the onslaught of a dinner rush or a holiday weekend there should only be one person in charge.
You don’t have to be Gordon Ramsay and yell and scream and berate your team into doing things your way, but make it clear that no matter what’s going on, things should be done according to your plans, with your goals in mind.
Their goals should be handled during employee evaluations and monitored as you see fit.
Something I always told my team was this: I realize that my way may not always be the best way. But there’s a time to discuss better ways and options and it’s not during the busy times. During those times, stick to what’s been practiced and then we can reassess procedures later.
That gives you time to plan and train so that things aren’t too hard on the employees dealing directly with the guest.
They differ on how a guest situation should have been handled.
This is a common argument that usually boils down to miscommunication.
A guest will make a request. A mistake is made and the guest is not satisfied. The guest calls later and complains. Maybe the guest was promised a complimentary room. Maybe a bottle of wine.
But somehow the situation is handled incorrectly, further complicating things until the guest gives up and asks for a refund while you and your team are left with a lump in your throat knowing that things could have been handled better.
What happens next is a heated discussion on how the guest should have been handled or there’s bickering over who didn’t tell who what.
The only way to prevent mistakes like this is to make sure that there is a clear way in which managers or employees are supposed to communicate and handle complaints.
In the past, there was the infamous “Red Book” that we were all supposed to use to communicate in-between shifts. Nowadays there are programs and apps which make this simpler and in real time so your whole team knows about a problem the minute it happens.
Take advantage of those but just make sure you have some system in place.
They differ on how an employee situation should be handled.
There are two components to this situation.
In one, the employee is shown favoritism. In the other, the employee makes a mistake that is unforgivable but is such a good staff member that it would hurt to lose them.
In either situation the decision on how to discipline the employee will come down to you. All you have to do is be fair and remember that once you make a decision on what the punishment will be, it must be the same for everyone afterward.
The worst thing you can do is to also show favoritism. Employees begin to form cliques and when they feel they must band together to get what they feel they deserve there becomes an “us” against “them” atmosphere. Think back of house vs. front of house or night shift vs. day shift.
Over the course of my career, I’d say I’ve worked on 25-30 different management teams. Of course, I’ve also formed my own teams within that time.
When meeting a new team or starting a new team, there is always one thing that they all have in common: the honeymoon period.
This is when everyone (including regular staff members) is just getting to know each other, everyone is trying to put their best foot forward to be as helpful as possible while you transition over, and to genuinely make an attempt at making the new team work.
The unfortunate thing about a honeymoon is that it ends.
So the honeymoon is over.
Inevitably, there comes a time within all teams that members will have differing opinions about how the business should be run, how a guest situation should have been handled, or how employee situations should be handled.
There are many pieces of advice I’ve gotten from my mentors in the past about what to do when you’re new to the team. I remember one of the first General Managers I worked under said,
For the first week, just be quiet, stand in the background, and observe. Then, the second week you walk in and immediately DROP THE HAMMER!
That may have been a good tactic for him and, believe it or not, that is a common tactic across the business world, but it’s not the best way to deal with the situation in our industry.
A better way.
I prefer another General Manager’s approach. This is someone I trained under when I was very young and keep in touch with to this day. He was sort of like a father-figure to me. He exemplified leadership and creating a family atmosphere amongst staff.
Once he spotted an employee refusing to treat me with the respect that a Manager in Training deserved. He pulled me and that employee into his office and asked the employee point blank,
Do you have a problem with him?
The employee (and I) were so shocked that the employee felt compelled to apologize. He never acted that way towards me again. That went a long way in helping me get things done. It also taught me a lesson in being bold enough to be assertive.
This was his approach to the end of the honeymoon period.
This is the time when you’ll need to show your patience, listening, and problem-solving skills. Consider this a teaching moment. Most of the time you’ll be working with team members that are younger than you. They may still be in college, or even high school, so they haven’t fully developed their ability to keep emotions or personal bias out of a manager meeting or discussion.
Hopefully, you have a management team with members you think will eventually develop those skills if they don’t already have them.
Original article by Serviceable.
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