Lodging Interactive Blog

Link2Brand Empowers Branded Hotels To Manage Their Own Marketing Campaigns – No Website Needed

Lodging Interactive, an award winning interactive and social media marketing agency servicing the hospitality industry, today announced Link2Brand an innovative marketing solution for branded hotels. With Link2Brand hotels can launch their own marketing campaigns without the need of a dedicated hotel website; Link2Brand links directly to the brand's website.

“Our innovative Link2Brand marketing tool solves a long standing issue for branded hotels – how to create short, personalized and descriptive promotional links that seamlessly pass through brand SRP booking codes,” said Mr. DJ Vallauri, Lodging Interactive’s Founder and President. “Link2Brand empowers hotels to provide their own local web marketing for events and groups such as soccer tournaments, military reunions and to offer local businesses their own branded links to easily make online reservations. Link2Brand enables hotels to deep link into the hotel brand’s booking engine.”

For example this SHORT link with the hotel’s name:

http://myhotelpackages.com/SheratonBirmingham/Midweek

Sends visitors to this LONG link, deep into the brand’s booking engine and passes through the SRP code “DAYBAR”:

 http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/search/pre_decider_all.html?propertyID=115&ratePlanName=DAYBAR&IM=SOP_TITLE_179WD_SI_115_ATL

Complete ROI Tracking – With Link2Brand every link counts. All clicks are recorded in real time, and the hotel can simply log into its online dashboard to view click results. Monthly brand website referral reports will detail the number of Link2Brand referrals and revenue.

“We’ve made using Link2Brand so easy to use, hotels and marketers can create their personalized links in less than 60 seconds. Link2Brand can be used on Twitter, Facebook and blogs or micro-sites to drive business,” added Richard Walsh, V.P. Business Development for Lodging Interactive. “Additionally each hotel account can have up to 10 sub-users who can create and track their own unique links.”

Try Link2Brand Free For Ten Days

The Distribution Dilemma - New distribution channels are emerging seemingly every day. But are they relevant and do you need to be there? Here’s your answer.

Yes, it’s come down to this. Distribute or die.

OK, so that may be a little dramatic but no one care argue the fact that consumers are seeking to book hotel rooms through new and emerging channels. And hoteliers that aren’t in a space the guest is in when he or she finally makes that decision to buy, well, then, you’ll be stuck on the sidelines.

Suddenly new channels seem to appear out nowhere and everywhere all at once. For example, did you know that Facebook pages are now linking directly linking to booking engines? Well it’s those making the smart shift to these new arenas that are capturing more reservations. Oh yeah, and they’re avoiding third party booking fees too. Now that’s a win-win. 

via Glenn Haussman, www.hotelinteractive.com

Metasearch, review and nontransactional is increasingly where the action is. - PhoCusWright Connect

The days of straight forward travel booking on either an OTA or supplier site are rapidly coming to an end. The latest PhoCusWright report on Online Traffic and Conversion deals in great detail with this ever more complex landscape of what is also called the pre-booking phase. While the booking focused sites still dominate the market in terms of visitor traffic, a growing number of their present customers are expecting to be better served in their search for the most suitable trip options. The resulting gap between higher customer expectations and service provider functionality offered, needs to be addressed. It already is the focus of attention by a number of new market entrants attempting to close that gap. These developments are a further sign of the steady evolution of the travel industry and the move to the Web for more complex tasks that in the past were handled offline.

via connect.phocuswright.com

GDS reservations up by 7% in September, according to Pegasus

Pegasus data indicates average daily rate for global distribution system transactions has reached its highest point to date this year at $162 in September. The report also shows booking lead times remain short in both corporate-driven GDS and leisure-driven alternative distribution system transactions.

via www.hotelmarketing.com

Sabre, Amex Unveil Self-Booking Social Networking Platform

Sabre Travel Network today announced plans to launch by mid-2008 a social networking platform that delivers a communication forum for corporate travel programs, initially through American Express Business Travel. The application, called Cubeless, will reside in Sabre's GetThere online booking tool as an application module, as do its meetings and ground transportation booking applications.

Link: Sabre, Amex Unveil Self-Booking Social Networking Platform.

Thomson website topples Expedia

Link: Thomson website topples Expedia.

Online competitive intelligence service Hitwise has ranked Thomson Holidays ( www.thomson.co.uk) as number one for most hits on a travel agency website.

The figures shared were for the week ending 12 January 2008 within Hitwise's Travel Agency category based on share of UK visits.

Ahead of the Bell: Online Travel

NEW YORK (Associated Press) - An analyst started coverage of three leading online travel companies Thursday, saying each has potential for sizable future growth, but that all three face growing pains.

Credit Suisse analyst Scott Barry gave a "Neutral" rating to Orbitz Worldwide Inc., Expedia Inc. and Priceline.com Inc.

Bellevue, Wash.-based Expedia has positioned itself well for global business, especially in Europe and Asia, using its financial flexibility and superior reach, Barry said. Since the company can't always offer deep discounts to customers, Expedia relies heavily on user-generated reviews to drive customer loyalty, an angle that sets its apart from its peers, he said.

Link: Ahead of the Bell: Online Travel.

Hospitality Net - Industry News - Sabre Travel Network ensures lowest hotel rates with the launch of the Rate Assured hotel program

SOUTHLAKE, Texas | Sabre Travel Network today announced its Rate Assured hotel certification program, which ensures Sabre Connected travel agents receive the lowest publicly available rates inside the Sabre global distribution system that can be found on other travel distribution channels, including Web sites. The Rate Assured hotel program is the first program of its kind to extensively check rates at the property level to confirm individual hotel properties are providing Sabre with the lowest publicly available rates.

Link: Hospitality Net - Industry News - Sabre Travel Network ensures lowest hotel rates with the launch of the Rate Assured hotel program.

Online Travel Demographics Just Released

Pegasus buys Wizcom

Link: Internet Travel News - Pegasus buys Wizcom.

Pegasus Solutions has announced it has acquired Wizcom, a wholly owned subsidiary of Travelport.

The acquisition further establishes Pegasus as one of the leading providers of Global Distribution System (GDS) switch services – the alternative to GDS direct connects.