Marketing

💸 OTA undercutting is not only a pricing issue but also a marketing problem, with SHR research indicating a 47% increase in cost-per-click and a 36% higher expense than hotels with a direct rate advantage. The competition for branded search terms intensifies when OTAs bid higher in paid ads due to lower rates. The consequences include higher ad costs, lower conversion rates, and reduced marketing budgets. Despite some hoteliers believing they are not OTA-dependent, underlying dependencies may still affect their marketing power.

💾 STAAH’s Channel Manager offers real-time OTA synchronization and pooled inventory, aiming to eliminate hoteliers' challenges such as manual updates, rate disparities, and overbookings. Its features include instant rate plan and promotion push across OTAs, an intuitive interface for easy channel mapping, and built-in analytics for data-driven decisions. Properties worldwide use STAAH for distribution and revenue management.

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality since 1999, previously wrote for The New York Sun (2005-2008). In Thailand (1992-1997), he contributed to Manager magazine and Asia Times. Graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University (1990), studied at Peking University and Nanjing University (1988-1989), and attended Le Cordon Bleu (1986). Thorn's column won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award and he was president of IFEC in 2005. Inducted into Disciples d’Escoffier (2014), authored entries in Oxford food encyclopedias (2012, 2015). Hosts a podcast, expert in French cuisine, Asian cuisines, restaurant trends. Contact: [email protected], LinkedIn, Facebook: Bret Thorn, Twitter and Instagram: @foodwriterdiary.

🔑 Morse Watchmans, a developer of electronic key control systems, created the KeyWatcher product over 30 years ago to manage physical keys in hospitality and other industries. KeyWatcher allows hotel security administrators to assign users, track key usage, and set automatic reports and notifications. The systems are modular, scalable, and integrate with other security technologies, providing real-time data and centralized security management for hotels of all sizes, increasing safety, efficiency, and reducing risks of lost keys and expensive re-keying.

💸 The quote from a media planner highlights skepticism towards retail media investment, noting that while being findable is necessary, it's not the top priority for the first dollar spent. After a period of rapid growth in retail media, marked by platform launches and high year-over-year (YOY) growth figures, 2025 brings a new phase of maturity due to economic uncertainty. Media planners and brands are applying a critical lens, questioning retail media's value in media plans and joint business plans. An ADWEEK article suggests that retail media may not provide advertising value but rather acts as a forced spend to increase retailers' margins without driving incremental sales. The industry is moving towards a more transactional phase with increased negotiation and scrutiny between brands and retail media owners.

🏨 Portuguese hotel chain Octant Hotels has unveiled Latitude, a new platform featuring over 200 curated experiences around their hotels. After extensive research and months of planning, Latitude offers guests the chance to explore local culture, gastronomy, arts, and crafts beyond conventional tourist attractions. Filipe Bonina, marketing director at Discovery Hotel Management, emphasizes Latitude as a travel manifesto for purposeful immersion in each hotel's unique region.

📝 Under Donald Trump's presidency, the United States' reputation has plummeted, as indicated by public perception surveys. A survey by IFOP for NYC.fr revealed a decrease in favorable views of the U.S. among the French from 65% (2010) to 25%—a 40-point drop. Moreover, only 26% of French people now believe the U.S. shares "similar values" with them, a significant decline from 49% in 2004. U.S. tourism potential has also fallen by four points compared to 2022, with New York being the exception, still favored by 62% of French respondents. Across Europe, a YouGov study showed more than 20-point drops in positive views of the U.S. between August 2024 and February 2025: Germany (from 52% to 32%), Sweden (49% to 29%), and Denmark (48% to 20%). This disaffection impacted travel, with Accor hotels experiencing a 25% drop in U.S. bookings and Voyageurs du Monde reporting a 20% booking decline compared to the previous year.