Marketing

🔔 Sara Masterson, President of Olympia Hospitality, discusses onboarding four new hotels set for April 1st, focusing on seamless transition for field teams. Olympia's brand, encompassing Marriott, Hilton, Choice, Hyatt, and independent hotels, prioritizes culture and owner expectations over promoting its own brand. Sara emphasizes the importance of staff experience and transparency to uphold hospitality standards 24/7, 365 days a year.

💾 Shoaib Ali, National Sales Head for India at STAAH, emphasizes the importance for hoteliers to master online distribution to remain competitive. Hotel industry's shift towards OTA and metasearch engines challenges hoteliers to optimize distribution strategies, aiming to maximize revenue and enhance guest loyalty. OTAs account for a large percentage of global bookings but charge high fees, prompting a balance with direct bookings, which incur no commission. Metasearch engines like Trivago and Kayak play a crucial role in hotel visibility, while data analytics empower hoteliers to refine distribution methods. A new eBook, "Hotel Online Distribution 2.0," guides hoteliers on leveraging various platforms for increased revenue and occupancy. Hotel distribution mastery has evolved from an option to a necessity in the industry.

🏨 Eva Klausner, Director of Guest Experience at Numa, discussed creating a guest-focused culture on March 12, 2025. Hosted by Danica Smith, founder of MorningStar GX, the episode offers insights for businesses to enhance their service. Numa's commitment to guest satisfaction is underscored by their strategic approach to employee engagement in guest experiences.

🏩 Josiah Mackenzie became the #1 influencer in hospitality, sharing his learnings and providing resources on Hospitality Daily. Notable mentions include music produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound. The episode encourages sharing insights with teams to implement ideas for business and service improvement. No specific dates, locations, numbers, or statistical data are provided within the extracted content.

🎶 Concerts and music festivals lead to increased hotel bookings, impacting hotel occupancy. This article serves as a guide to help hotels attract festival-goers, to maximize occupancy and revenue during music events. However, the article's actual content, including specific numbers, statistics, or actionable strategies, is not provided. Therefore, only general information about the relation between music events and hotel bookings is mentioned with a publication date of March 6, 2025.

📢 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.

👛 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.

🏂 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.