Marketing

📢 Google ended commission-based hotel ad bidding on February 20, 2025, shifting to upfront payments for clicks and impressions. This move away from paying only for bookings completed via ads increases financial risk for hotels, necessitating more strategic ad campaign optimization. Google's decision is influenced by tighter privacy rules and a decline in third-party cookies, emphasizing the importance of first-party data in marketing. Mews, a guest-first platform, helps hotels adapt by offering a commission-free direct booking engine, rich guest profiles for personalization, effective first-party data management, and data-driven insights for decision-making.

💎 Luxury brands utilize scarcity as a strategy to fuel desirability and perceived value, turning customers into collectors. True rarity includes Domaine de la Romanée Conti wines and Patek Philippe's Grand Complications. Controlled scarcity is seen with brands like Ferrari and Hermès limiting supply. Perceived scarcity includes Nike’s sneaker drops and retired luxury designs. The balance between exclusivity and accessibility is key to a luxury brand’s strength.

🛫 On Feb 27, 2025, despite the online travel industry's growth to an anticipated $1.19 trillion by 2029, travelers experience hidden fees, difficult bookings, and travel disruptions. Travel agents offer exclusive perks, discounts, and stress-free vacations, countering challenges faced with online platforms. Agents not only provide price transparency and handle disruptions but often save money through insider knowledge, contrary to the belief that they add costs. It's advised to discuss services, fees, and cancellation policies with agents beforehand.

🏦 On Feb 27, 2025, Seattle-based Expedia Group announced layoffs to enhance efficiency despite not revealing the exact number. Following a 2023 reduction of around 1,500 jobs, mainly in Product & Technology, the company continues to adjust, focusing on impactful business areas. Despite workforce cuts, Expedia's Q4 revenue increased by 10% to $3.1 billion, with adjusted net income rising by 30%.

👛 Akira Back at Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London celebrates International Women's Day with a dining experience throughout March 2025. Offer runs 1-31 March, for £60pp, including sushi, sashimi, rolls, and a glass of Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut. ABar Rooftop gives Sushi & Champagne diners an extra 30% off Moët bottles. Chef Akira Back highlights the event's aim to honour women with food, drinks, and memories. Reservations are recommended due to limited availability.

📝 Over 80% of travelers read reviews before booking hotels. Reviews come from TripAdvisor, Google, OTAs, and social media. Negative reviews can impact potential guests, but managing them appropriately can be beneficial. The guide suggests monitoring reviews proactively, responding swiftly and professionally, personalizing responses, taking offline conversations, showcasing improvements, encouraging positive reviews, and viewing negative feedback as marketing opportunities. STAAH ReviewMinder assists hoteliers by monitoring, alerting, identifying trends, and boosting positive reviews on multiple platforms.

🏨 Hyatt Centric plans to add 35 new hotels globally by 2028. Key European openings include Hyatt Centric Reims in 2025, Hyatt Centric Altstadt Hamburg and Hyatt Centric Reykjavik in 2026, plus the recently opened Hyatt Centric Malta. Middle East expansion features Hyatt Centric Madinah KEC in 2028 in Saudi Arabia. In the Americas, expected openings are Hyatt Centric Chicago O'Hare, Isla Verde San Juan, Queretaro in 2025, Cincinnati, Victoria – Old Town, Winnipeg Downtown in 2026. Asia Pacific growth includes Hyatt Centric Bengaluru Airport, Electronic City Bangalore, East Taipei, Shanghai Jinqiao, TODTOWN Shanghai, Tianxin Changsha, Vrindavan, The Ring Chengdu in 2025-2026, and Hyatt Centric Sapporo in 2026. The brand's Asia Pacific presence is projected to increase by 75%. Unique hotel features reflect local culture and include social spaces like rooftop bars.

💰 European OTA eDreams Odigeo's profits surged by 40% in the first nine months of 2024, with a subscriber increase of 26% to over 7 million. For the nine-month period, ebitda reached €123.7 million, a 40% rise from €88.6 million the previous year. The third quarter alone saw profits of €42.6 million, 70% higher year-on-year. The company aims to hit 7.25 million Prime subscribers with €180 million earnings by March 2025. For 2026, the target is set at one million new Prime members and earnings of €215-220 million.

🏂 Easter falls on 18-21 April in 2025, providing a prime late-season ski opportunity in Ischgl, Austrian Alps. Ischgl, with skiing until May, offers longer daylight, milder temperatures, and a high-altitude terrain that maintains excellent conditions. The Elizabeth Arthotel, established in 1976, offers luxury accommodations with ski-in/ski-out access and amenities like a spa, infinity pool, and gourmet dining. Ischgl celebrates 30 years of Top of the Mountain Concerts in 2025, featuring artists like Shaggy on 20 April, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike on 1 May, and OneRepublic on 3 May. The resort has 239 km of pistes, 45 lifts, and runs up to 11 km, including a connection to Switzerland's Samnaun region. Hotel guests can enjoy a six-course tasting menu and a 7,000-bottle wine cellar. Owner Mirjam Aloys highlights the unique late-season skiing experience at Ischgl.

📱 A blog post on "Hotel Content Marketing: Tips for Guest Acquisition" provides strategies to boost hotel bookings and brand trust. Authored by Manveen Kaur, the article lacks specific tips, statistical data, or actionable insights as the provided text primarily consists of metadata, webpage assets, and social media links. There's a mention of the article's aim to address guest acquisition challenges, but without the main content, no substantial facts are presented. The metadata indicates a publish date of February 20, 2025, with related images and social media profiles linked.