Marketing

🏠 Claire Llewellin-Davis, General Manager of The Lensbury Resort, discusses hosting elite sports teams, including Manchester United, the All Blacks, and the Lionesses. She highlights the resort's distinct approach to meeting precise dietary needs in collaboration with team nutritionists and chefs, managing logistics like equipment and routine changes, ensuring privacy and dealing with crowds (episode aired on Sept. 13, 2024).

🏠 TPG Hotels & Resorts to manage the AC Hotel Tuscaloosa Downtown in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, featuring WiFi, smart TVs, a 24-hour room, on-site business center, and 1,500 square feet of event space. Close to Riverwalk, Amphitheater, museums, and the University of Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium. AC Kitchen offers croissants from France, while AC Lounge serves tapas and drinks. TPG focuses on enhancing performance and growth in U.S. college markets.

🏖️ Ascendant Capital Partners, Highgate, and Centerbridge Partners opened the renovated Monterey Beach Hotel in Monterey, Calif. Originally built in 1967, it now features 192 rooms and over 40,000 square feet of space. Spark by Hilton debuted in Canada with its 72-key Toronto Markham hotel, aiming to expand Hilton's Canadian portfolio by 50% in five years. Glokal Group and Blue Road began construction on the $40 million Dolce by Wyndham Miami, set to open in 2026. Choice Hotels opened the 119-room Radisson Hotel Fairview Heights – St. Louis.

🏡 Sutton Hall, a Georgian house in Norfolk, offers an exclusive 12-person country retreat with 6 en-suite bedrooms and amenities including an open-plan kitchen, hot tub, and pool room. Implementing the STAAH booking engine and channel manager resolved previous guest booking and distribution issues, enhancing the online experience and increasing revenue, while also connecting to 500+ OTAs. STAAH's customer support was commended for helping the property harness the full potential of these tools.

🍴 Restaurateurs Alexis Gauthier, Jon Davis, Mandy Yin, and Will Beckett join OpenTable's advisory board to provide local insights and expert perspectives. They represent Gauthier Soho, The Ivy Collection, Sambal Shiok Laksa Bar, and Hawksmoor respectively. The group aims to guide OpenTable in supporting restaurants in the UK, leveraging their decades of experience. OpenTable's VP of EMEA, Laure Bornet, seeks to enhance the company's impact with this collaboration.

🏨 Increase your hotel's direct bookings through Google Hotel Finder by optimizing your hotel's listing and pricing on the platform. Learn how to enhance visibility, add your hotel, update listings, and manage rates. Article details provided by Hotelogix Marketing on September 6, 2024.

📍 Wyndham introduces Registry Collection Hotels in the U.S. with The Mining Exchange in downtown Colorado Springs, a 128-room lifestyle hotel in a building from 1902 featuring dining venues, a spa, gallery, and 15,000 sq ft event space. Drury Hotels to open a 252-room property in Charleston, S.C., with amenities like complimentary breakfast and a pool; their second in South Carolina, seventh in the Carolinas. RIU reopens Riu Palace Bavaro in Punta Cana with 994 rooms, including 255 family rooms and 108 Elite Club rooms, post extensive refurbishment. IHG to launch Vignette Collection in the Maldives with Noku Maldives in Noonu Atoll featuring 50 villas, joining IHG's five properties in the Maldives post-December refurbishments.

🏩 With 28 years of experience, the new Director of Operations plans to implement personalized services, team skills training, and a culture of passion for Scottish hospitality at Cameron House. Attracting people to the industry, engaging and retaining talent, and supporting the Resort Director are outlined as main goals. Initiatives include a Graduate Programme, partnering with educational institutions, and mentoring to identify talent. Cameron House also focuses on sustainability, with 11 beehives, over 200 trees planted, and 1,018 trees for an umbrella hire scheme.

📈 Expedia research reveals consumers visit an average of 277 websites before booking travel, a significant increase from 38 websites in 2013. The trend suggests either an inundation of choices or the rise of passionate travel research. The value of time is questioned in relation to the extensive travel planning process. Meanwhile, the role of creativity in marketing is contrasted with the reliance on large budgets to achieve success, highlighting the importance of constraints in fostering creativity. Additionally, the article discusses the parallels between Founder Mode in tech and the hands-on approach of hotel General Managers, suggesting that direct involvement in projects is crucial. B2B marketing challenges are examined, with insights from Linkedin and Forrester research on buying dynamics. Hotel management trends are also touched upon, referencing JLL research on management agreements in APAC. The article concludes by emphasizing the strategic use of freebies in hospitality to enhance guest satisfaction.