Marketing

💸 In response to AI-driven booking trends, major OTAs are intensifying their "Rate Parity" efforts, fearing losing price-sensitive bookings. Strategies may include banning individual property names, conducting manual audits, and enforcing API restrictions. Property managers should focus on enhancing guest experiences, boasting a high NPS like Fieldtrip's 87. Strategies include smart email marketing, creative pricing, evolving SEO, social media leverage, and diverse OTA usage. Fieldtrip's ~50k followers demonstrate social media potential for new revenue.

🛩 eDreams ODIGEO: Fiscal Year 2026 results show 20% membership growth, reaching 7.5 million members. Quarterly growth hit 205,000, achieving €39 million in profitability, an 8% increase. A €20 million share repurchase, 80% completed since May, boosts stock liquidity with €2.5 million daily trading volume. A new €20 million buyback and redemption of nearly 3 million shares aim to enhance earnings per share.

🏠 Airbnb is implementing a 15.5% fee hike, aiming to unify all hosts under a single commission structure as a precursor to introducing tiered commissions in 2026. This change is part of a 12-18 month strategic rollout, fundamentally altering host-platform interactions. Hosts are encouraged to find ways to future-proof their businesses in anticipation of these shifts, as this move marks the beginning of a broader strategy rather than a standalone adjustment.

💰 Airbnb's Q2 revenue rose by 13% to $3.1 billion, yet management warns of upcoming challenges including tariffs and regulatory issues. They've invested $200 million in new services like haircuts and cooking classes, but Wall Street remains unconvinced, causing a drop in stock value. Past attempts at diversifying into "Experiences" were abandoned due to poor cash flow. Meanwhile, Booking Holdings, with consistent inventory offerings, is valued at over twice Airbnb, highlighting the latter's current volatility.

📰 Asia, Middle East, and Europe are seeing a rise in regional OTAs like Traveloka, MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, and HRS. These platforms target specific markets, increasing visibility and conversion rates. STAAH connects to over 2,000 OTAs, enabling seamless management of global and regional channels. Real-time updates, dynamic pricing, and integration with PMS make it efficient for hotels to manage multiple platforms, ensuring significant reach and relevance without additional workload.

🏨 When analyzing hotel marketing, focus on identifying the dream guest's psychology, crafting a consistent brand story, and measuring ROI beyond vanity metrics. Ensure high AI search rankings and implement systems for guest referrals and loyalty. These factors reveal marketing gaps and readiness for strategic growth. If your team struggles to answer these questions, it may explain underperformance in your marketing efforts.

🏨 Nido Living partners with eviivo to expand into short-stay hospitality across its Iberian portfolio, focusing on Madrid's Nido Príncipe Pío and Valencia's Nido Malvarrosa. Since late 2024, over 18,000 guests have stayed, with Nido Príncipe Pío setting a record of 782 room nights in one day. Nido Malvarrosa exceeded 2,000 room nights in its first two weeks and achieved over 80% occupancy by May 2025, surpassing the regional average of 55%. 🏨

🛌 Had a GM call last week about Booking.com’s 23% commission on reservations. His boutique hotel missed visibility in Google Hotel Pack—meant for hotels, not OTAs like Booking. His Google profile lacked photos and proper descriptions, and his 2015-era website was ineffective. Advised him to optimize his online presence, manage reviews, and fix local SEO, which could take 6-18 months for results. Key focus: ensuring guests find his hotel directly, bypassing OTAs.

📡 May 30, 2024, Nilay Patel discussed Google's massive influence on the web ecosystem. Google, through its search engine, Chrome, and ad technologies, impacts website traffic and revenue generation. The "Google Zero" theory suggests Google may stop directing traffic to third-party sites. Gisele Navarro's blog highlighted how SEO manipulation by big players is harming small sites like HouseFresh. As Google evolves, small businesses face challenges, questioning the future of online content distribution.

✉️ Hotels should prioritize quality over quantity in email marketing. Poor email list hygiene reduces deliverability and engagement, impacting revenue. Engaged subscribers, those interacting within the last 6 months, are crucial. A 4,400% ROI is possible but not with inactive lists. Unsubscribe rates over 1% and spam rates above 0.2% need investigation. Personalization, purposeful design, and monitoring tools like Google Postmaster enhance performance. Saying farewell to unengaged contacts aids growth and revenue.