Marketing

💬 Jun 11, 2025: Hospitality marketing is evolving with "dark social," which includes private shares through WhatsApp, email, and DMs, labeled as "Direct" traffic in analytics. A Refine Labs study reveals a 90% attribution gap between analytics and actual influence. Private recommendations drive faster bookings with higher trust. Ignoring dark social risks misattributing conversions and missing referrals. Hotels can respond by creating shareable content, using social listening, and training staff to capture word-of-mouth insights.

🏨 Earlier this year, visits to Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui's website rose by 596%, with availability checks up 767%, driven by the third season of "The White Lotus" filmed at the resort. Similar trends were observed in Maui and Taormina, locations for previous seasons. A survey revealed 88% of Millennials viewing "The White Lotus" have a positive outlook on Four Seasons, with 71% eager to visit. Millennials and Gen Z make up 57% of the Four Seasons guest base.

📅 Hotel Royal Hoi An in Vietnam partnered with STAAH to address a digital infrastructure gap, improving direct bookings. Within weeks, STAAH’s booking engine contributed 25% of weekly bookings, while their Get Google feature attracted nearly 30% of direct bookings. The onboarding process took two weeks. The hotel now thrives with enhanced visibility and control, offering seamless guest experiences. The integration significantly improved the hotel's digital distribution strategy.

📊 Boutique hotel GMs face challenges juggling 12 roles, including guest experience and revenue management, without corporate or digital agency support. A poor digital presence, such as a subpar website and Google Business Profile, impacts guest perception and visibility. Despite the lack of resources, optimizing these digital assets can boost direct bookings. A well-structured website and optimized profile are crucial for trust and rankings, offering a potential solution for overstretched GMs seeking better online visibility.

📰 Marketers face a dilemma due to digital content demands. Brands need thousands of creative pieces across platforms like Meta, Google, and TikTok, which demands high-volume production. Meta reports a 60% conversion drop after four exposures, while diverse creative can cut CPA by 32%. AI tools help meet this demand, like Mars’ creation of 87 ad variants in one day. Ultimately, balancing creative consistency and platform-specific execution is crucial for brand success.

📈 Hoteliers, are you losing direct bookings? Common mistakes like slow-loading sites, non-mobile-friendly designs, and complicated booking processes are driving guests away. Ensure your website loads in seconds, is mobile-first, and has clear “Book Now” buttons. Transparency in pricing and availability is key, as is offering direct booking perks like free breakfast. Use STAAH’s tools for a seamless three-step booking process, real-time syncing, and detailed analytics. Small changes can significantly boost your bookings and revenue.

📈 Jun 3, 2025, independent hotel launch tips: Global travel bookings to hit $1.5 trillion by 2023. Use tools like Agency360® for market analysis and competitor review. Build SEO-optimized websites; showcase virtual tours. Ensure presence on TripAdvisor, Kayak, Trivago. Optimize OTAs and GDSs; monitor bids on metasearch. Partner with local businesses and DMOs. Implement data-driven pricing, forecast demand for revenue strategies. Access Amadeus Hospitality's guide for full insight.

🗺 Jun 2, 2025, Booking.com ended thousands of small affiliate partnerships, affecting travel bloggers and content creators, with just 30 days’ notice. This was aimed at reducing costs and fraud, part of Booking Holdings' plan to cut $400M–$450M in expenses. Smaller affiliates were directed to platforms like CJ, Awin, and Affnetmedia. The move led to backlash and a shift to competitors like BookDirect.com and Stay22, with concerns over trust and brand equity.

📧 81% of customers prefer personalized experiences, both in person and digitally. 21% of marketing emails land in spam due to poor targeting. Hotels can improve engagement by segmenting guests based on stay dates, origin, rate codes, room choice, and booking channels. This method increases email deliverability, ROI, and fosters repeat bookings. Segmentation doesn't require complex data; basic insights suffice to tailor marketing efforts effectively and avoid generic communication pitfalls.

📹 Fairmont Hotels & Resorts launches its new global campaign "Make Special Happen," directed by Jean Claude Thibaut, shot at Fairmont Royal York, Toronto. The campaign celebrates Fairmont's legacy of hosting historic events like the UN Charter signing and Truman Capote's Ball. Launched in May 2025, the campaign spans video, print, and social media across key regions: North America, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Featuring unique offerings, the initiative aims to make every moment special at Fairmont's 92 properties in 30 countries.