Marketing

💰 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.

🗺 Thomas Cook resumes Tokyo holidays after nearly a year. Bookings are open until July 2026 via eSky Group. 25 hotels are bookable now, with more to follow. Departures from Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Newcastle. Prices start at £866 per person for seven nights from Gatwick on December 1 and rise to £1,960 per person for a five-star stay from Heathrow on December 3.

📅 In 2025, hotels face the challenge of balancing exposure and profitability across booking channels. OTAs like Booking.com provide global reach but charge 10-25% commissions. Direct bookings yield higher margins but need robust marketing. A strategic channel mix—combining OTAs, direct bookings, and niche platforms—boosts visibility and profits. Sustainability platforms like EcoBnb attract eco-conscious travelers. Rate parity ensures consistent pricing, while incentives like free parking enhance value. Google Travel and AI are shaping the future of bookings.

💻 Emerging Travel Group (ETG), parent of RateHawk, ZenHotels, and Roundtrip, partners with InnGenius PMS. The integration with InnGenius PMS Channel Manager enhances connectivity for accommodations in Turkey, the U.S., Cambodia, Thailand, and Indonesia. ETG gains access to InnGenius’ markets, expanding options for property owners to manage inventory and reduce overbookings. Simone Large emphasizes ETG’s goal to grow in high-demand regions by collaborating with more accommodation providers through this enhanced global distribution network.