Marketing

🏨 Hoteliers looking to reduce OTA dependency can enhance profits and guest relations by encouraging direct bookings. A mobile-first website design, clear CTAs, and fast loading speeds, ideally under three seconds, are fundamental. Exclusive perks, such as discounts, value-added services, and loyalty programs, incentivize direct bookings. Streamlined booking engines, transparent pricing, and secure payment options are crucial. Digital marketing via SEO, PPC, and social media, relationship-building through email marketing and retargeting ads, showcasing unique selling points, and constant strategy optimization, including A/B testing and tracking metrics, are recommended tactics. RevOptimum offers personalized revenue management services for the hotel industry, aiming for revenue optimization and operational efficiency.

📺 NORTH BETHESDA, Maryland—Choice Hotels International, Inc. launched a global marketing campaign, “Check Into More,” in collaboration with Keegan-Michael Key, 72andSunny New York, and Choice Hotels. The campaign focuses on the insight that 95% of U.S. travelers seek new experiences and features six TV and digital spots running through 2025. With over 7,500 properties, the campaign highlights hotel versatility and the rewards program, Choice Privileges. The media strategy targets families, young professionals, and business travelers across various platforms, including Hulu and Amazon, and incorporates a "Time Off Toolbox" with messages from Key.

🏨 STAAH's "Get Google" feature in 2025 helps hotels increase direct bookings by leveraging Google's travel research and booking platform. Advantages include increased direct bookings, improved guest trust, enhanced visibility, and actionable insights from STAAH's dashboard. Preparation involves optimizing digital presence, syncing real-time inventory, leveraging local search features, mobile optimization, performance tracking, and team training. Sign up with STAAH to activate integration, sync inventory, and go live on Google Search, Maps, and Hotel Ads.

🔥 In Southern California, four wildfires have led to at least 24 deaths and forced over 100,000 Los Angeles County residents to evacuate, with an additional 87,000 under warning. Approximately 60 square miles have burned. The Hotel Association of Los Angeles lists 60+ hotels offering Wildfire Relief Accommodations with discounted rates. Hilton and Wyndham amended reservation policies due to the fires, waiving fees for stays until January 13. California's price gouging law restricts excessive pricing post-emergencies. The ALIS conference in downtown Los Angeles from January 28-30 remains scheduled despite the fires.

🏠 Bob W, a tech-powered hospitality operator, signed leases for three properties in Munich, Germany—Bob W Münchner Freiheit, Bob W Munich Old Town, and Bob W Munich Schwabing. This expansion adds 198 units and nearly 4,000 square meters to their German portfolio, now totaling 15 properties. The properties will offer serviced studios, apartments, penthouses, and rooms with hotel services and 24/7 support. The lease was brokered by Miles Knoll of BNP Paribas Real Estate GmbH. Bob W Munich Schwabing features 71 serviced apartments and won a German design award in 2024. All properties are privately owned and part of Bob W's growth strategy in the DACH region. Bob W launched in 2019 and operates in 18 cities across 10 countries.

🏨 Key facts from the article include tips on boosting hotel occupancy rates, such as marketing strategies, seasonal offers, and targeted advertising. The article was published by Vanshikha Dhar on Hotelogix's blog on January 12, 2025. It emphasizes year-round room filling techniques. The blog is associated with Hotelogix, a platform offering advice on hospitality trends. The article is available online with a dedicated AMP version and linked to Hotelogix's social media.

📱 MONOGRAM, launched in January, rapidly grew as a leading marketing agency for luxury hospitality and entertainment. By 2025, it celebrated a transformative year with significant achievements in the industry. The agency was covered by Travel And Tour World, highlighting its success.