Lodging Interactive Awarded for Exceptional Website Design

Lodging Interactive continues its website design winning streak. This month the company earned two Interactive Media Awards™ for Outstanding Achievement in website design. Presented by the Interactive Media Council Inc. (IMC), Lodging Interactive was recognized in the Hotel/Resort category for Green Mountain Inn and Lakeway Resort and Spa projects. This makes seven honors presented to Lodging Interactive by the IMC since 2011.

"Over the last three years, the Interactive Media Council has bestowed numerous awards to Lodging Interactive for our team's talent in designing, developing, managing, supporting and promoting hotel websites," said DJ Vallauri, Lodging Interactive Founder and President. "This is a huge honor that we do not take for granted. As a full-service digital marketing agency exclusively servicing the hospitality industry for more than a decade, we believe in maximizing results for our clients' sites; that includes managing website content, guest reviews, and our customers' overall online reputations. It is this comprehensive approach to e-marketing that makes our customers' websites stand out and achieve maximum optimization."

Lodging Interactive is a full-service digital marketing and social media engagement agency exclusively servicing the hospitality industry. Since 2001, Lodging Interactive has provided more than 650 hotels, resorts, spas and restaurants in over 35 countries with proven ROI-driven online marketing services, including: website design and development, search engine marketing, social media marketing, and online reputation management. The Interactive Media Awards™ recognize the highest standards of excellence in website design and development and honor individuals and organizations for their outstanding achievement. IMC serves as the primary sponsor and governing body of the award program.

Green Mountain Inn, located in Stowe, Vermont, and the Lakeway Resort and Spa in Austin, Texas, were selected by IMC as exceptional websites that increase the standards of excellence on the Internet. The sites are fresh, easy to navigate, use photos masterfully, are continually updated, and feature the latest seasonal promotions.

In addition to selecting Lodging Interactive for their Website designs, both properties are relying on the digital marketing agency for expanded SEO and pay-per-click services to enhance the efficiencies of each site. Green Mountain Inn also has tapped the talents of CoMMingle by Lodging Interactive, an outsourced social media marketing agency that works with hotels to grow and manage their use of social media channels, provide reputation and consumer sentiment monitoring, and more. Green Mountain's website and brand imaging also is mirrored via Lodging Interactive's eNewsletter service to send a consistent message from the hotel to its email list.

Website Design and So Much More . . .
Leveraging a team of more than 50 highly skilled online content experts, Lodging Interactive also offers a host of services to complement and support each hotel's site:

• HotelWebShows -- A service enabling hotel marketers to add a personal touch to their websites by using crisp HD Video. All video produced through HotelWebShows by Lodging Interactive are 1080i quality and delivered in TV, Web and Mobile formats. Videos are available in 30 second, 60 second and 90 second lengths, and will include music and graphics.

• InnterACT Performance Portal -- A website analytics and social service providing real-time website analytics, key performance metrics, and the latest social media monitoring tools.

• Guest Review System -- Collect guest reviews directly on the hotel website. The Guest Review System enables hoteliers to manage and reply to guest reviews from one easy system for one low fee. Real-time guest review alerts are provided. Online reports can be viewed and downloaded.

• eNewsletter Service  -- A fully managed program that mirrors the hotel's website and brand imaging, and includes professional copywriting, creative design, email list management, distribution and analytics reporting. Distributed monthly, the eNewsletter service contains content and offers that past, present and prospective guests will find informative and inviting, helping to build loyalty and revenues and driving prospects to the hotel's website. Analytical data related to the campaign is provided.

• Mobile Website Development -- A FREE service made available to all new customers contracting full agency services, including website design and development, search engine marketing, social media marketing, and online reputation management. Through this service, hotels received a condensed version of their online website in a mobile format.

"There is so much more to Lodging Interactive than just website design," Vallauri said. "We offer a full suite of digital marketing and social media engagement services, exclusively tailored to the hospitality industry. Our ability to provide a customized approach for each client and superior customer service, really separates us from the pack.”

Is Your Hotel Part of the Social Media Conversation?

Are you participating and/or encouraging conversation on your hotel's social media channels? Is your social media presence consistent? Do you know the right social networks to target for your audience and social search? If you're unsure, it's time to call CoMMingle. An outsourced social media marketing agency from Lodging Interactive, CoMMingle develops customized solutions for hotels, restaurants and spas to help craft their social media marketing messaging to keep travelers thirsting for more informational content . . . more dialog . . . and more fun.

"One of the first questions we get asked at CoMMingle is: What social networks do we need a presence on and how do we market to that audience without overselling ourselves?" said Rosella Virdo, Director of CoMMingle Social Media Marketing. "Creativity, posting content consistently, remaining fluid with the ever changing tides of social media, and having a message that is relative to each audience is the key to engagement and social media success.

"You don't have to win a popularity contest on social media to connect with your past, present and future guests," Virdo said. "Hotels should keep in mind the 'social' aspect of social media. In the last five years, social media has evolved from both the user standpoint as well as the business side. People interact on social networks to be engaging, without being bombarded by marketing and advertising."

The question becomes: “How does a hotel share its offerings, promotions, specials, location, etc. without strong arm marketing?” This is where the softer -- or conversational  -- side of marketing comes in.

"We are not standing on top of a mountain shouting our message and expect everyone to listen," Virdo said. "Climb down the mountain, mingle with the people and talk. It's simple. Just talk. Now is the time to softly market your property while adding a human voice to the business. These conversations will become an integral part of social search."

CoMMingle serves as a consultant to its customers, advising hotels how to deal with social media, reputation management on review sites, online issues that arise as more social media channels become an extension of customer service, and giving them tools to manage their social presence effectively. For instance, CoMMingle will nip a bad review in the bud by working with hotel management to learn the details of an issue, formulate the response to adhere to third-arty website policies and manage the conversation online for the client. A neglected Tweet can turn into a negative Facebook post and eventually turn into a devastating TripAdvisor review. CoMMingle assists in managing the reputation of the hotel in online conversations and comments, as well as enhancing reputation by addressing issues with the transparency needed on the social networks to remain authentic.

"As CoMMingle clients, hotels are not buying Facebook 'maintenance,' but rather they receive a vast array of social media and reputation management services that can be adjusted to a client's specific needs as well as allow the client to stay visible where the conversation is taking place," Virdo said.

Lodging Interactive's Guest Review System is Enhancing Hotel Bookings

A recent study conducted by the Cornell School of Hotel Administration confirms that online guest satisfaction has a direct impact on the financial performance of hotels. "The Impact of Social Media on Lodging Performance" report validates "a direct link between online customer satisfaction and a property's overall revenue performance." The study showed that "if a hotel increased its online review score by 1 point on a 5-point scale, the hotel can increase its price by 11.2 percent and still maintain the same occupancy or market share." Armed with this knowledge, hoteliers can immediately begin driving revenues while increasing loyalty, expanding their social media presence and improving their online reputations using the in-demand Guest Review System from Lodging Interactive.

Lodging Interactive is a leading interactive and social media marketing agency exclusively servicing the hospitality industry. The company's Guest Review System is a web-based tool that is successfully helping hotels verify, review and display customer comments directly on hotel websites. By allowing management to respond to comments in real time, hotels are improving two-way hotel-to-guest communications and boosting guest retention and loyalty. Based on the aforementioned Cornell research, hotels can also raise average daily rates and receive higher revenues per available room without any resistance from guests.

"Industry studies continue to show that travelers consider feedback from other travelers as valuable sources of information when researching and planning a trip, and many won't make a reservation until comments have been perused," said DJ Vallauri, Lodging Interactive founder and president. "Hotels that may have thought about adding a guest review program to their websites but didn't have the time or resources to manage it, should think again now that it has been proven that an interactive guest-review process has a direct impact on revenues. Being proactive when it comes to guest reviews, really does pay off."

With the Lodging Interactive Guest Review System, hotel managers receive real-time alerts advising when pending guest reviews pop up. This eliminates delays in addressing concerns and turns potential problems into new opportunities. The system also puts a stop to fake reviews posted by competitors or dishonest guests looking for refunds, helping hotels to maintain their reputations. More importantly, directing guests to the hotel's website to post comments and reviews keeps them from being redirected to an OTA where they will never come back to book direct. Removing OTA's from the equation and taking ownership of the guest-communication process also keeps more revenues in owners' pockets. Additionally, hotels that don't have the staff or flexibility to respond in a timely manner can count on Lodging Interactive to manage the reply on their behalf.

"It's important to note that unlike the Lodging Interactive GRS, some third-party websites restrict hotels on what they can and cannot include when responding to a review," Vallauri said. "Here are five tips when responding to guest reviews:"

1. Respond immediately to a review post. Good or bad, a hotel needs to put its best foot forward; that means never issuing a "canned" response. Consumers read more than one review; make sure the response is fresh and appropriate. If possible, personalize the response by referring to the reviewer by his or her proper name and not a nickname. This is possible with the Lodging Interactive GRS, but not with many of the third-party sites. If a guest is not happy, apologize, then offer a resolution and always ask the customer to come back. For example, Lodging Interactive's GRS enables hoteliers to offer a solution to an issue by sharing a package that would have been better suited to their needs. For example, if parking fees were an issue, the hotel can offer a package with parking included for the next stay. This type of customization is restricted on many of the major review sites as well as in OTA review responses.

2. Provide contact information for ongoing communication. Managers should never sign comments as "Management," but instead provide the responder's name. This builds consumer confidence and shows guests that someone cares. With the Lodging Interactive GRS, responses can be signed by any member of the management team, not just the third-party site log-in account names (example: F&B Manager when replying to a catering issue).

3. Double check responses for content accuracy and don't use over-complicated words. A big vocabulary is not important to guests; sincerity is. Check spelling, especially the reviewer's name.

4. Be kind, never defensive. Remember: the customer is always right. Be hospitable and thank the reviewer for his or her comment, good and bad. A demeaning tone could scare away future guests for good.

5. Verify that the reviewer was actually a guest before posting the response. Knowing if a review is legitimate or not is a critical step in managing an online reputation. Lodging Interactive has the processes in place to validate the authenticity of all posted reviews.
No matter what, managers and staff should always take the time to ask guests about their stay. Always encourage guests to visit the hotel's website at their convenience and post a review. If there has been a problem, this will prompt the guest to inform management prior to leaving the property. If the attempt at a resolve fails and a negative review is still posted, management can restate their resolution offer, thereby protecting the hotel's reputation and showing other potential guests that good customer service is a top priority.

Rallying Reviews on Facebook
"Remember the 1980s Faberge Organic Shampoo commercial in which actress Heather Locklear said: 'It is so good, I told two friends about it...and they told two friends...and so on, and so on....'" Vallauri said. "Now advance 30 years. Thanks to the world wide web and social media, that same commercial could go like this: 'It was so good, I posted on Facebook, and my 200 friends told their two hundred friends and so on, and so on.....

"An added benefit of the Lodging Interactive Guest Review System is that it enables travelers to share their reviews on Facebook with their network of friends, opening up avenues to new booking audiences, and again, more revenues," Vallauri said. "Last month, Lodging Interactive created a Facebook Widget that links comments from the hotel's website to its Facebook page in real time. This enables potential guests to read guest reviews on Facebook and enables past guests to leave reviews directly on Facebook as well. Leveraging social media as a communications platform for guest reviews is a natural extension for Lodging Interactive's solution. Better yet, there is no additional cost to implement the Guest Review System on Facebook and our team will even handle the set up for the hotel.”

Hotels looking to boost revenue performance can do so easily and affordably by calling Lodging Interactive today and getting a demonstration of the Guest Review System. A video showing the value of a GRS for hospitality is available on YouTube by clicking here. For more information on the Lodging Interactive Guest Review System, visit www.guestreviewsystem.com.

Lodging Interactive Expands Reach to Australia

Regardless where in the world you own or operate a hotel, the challenge of maintaining control over the guest experience and the property or brand reputation is universal. That's why Lodging Interactive is taking its in-demand Guest Review System to Australia and New Zealand. Through a distribution partnership agreement with Australian-based Technology 4 Hotels, travelers visiting the Oceania region will be able to post their comments and reviews about hotel stays directly on each properties' website, removing Online Travel Agents (OTAs) completely from the equation.

"You can't be online today without reading something about the success hotels around the world are having with Lodging Interactive's Guest Review System," said Technology 4 Hotels Founder and Director Brendon Granger. "This product can easily be utilized in the Australian and New Zealand markets to solve a really big challenge -- getting out from under the thumb of the OTAs and companies like TripAdvisor as reputation managers. Back in the late '90s, while everyone was sleeping, OTAs took a tremendous amount of business away from hotels; and TripAdvisor has the potential today to do the same. It's time the industry wakes up and takes back control of their business and their online reputations. Utilizing a tool that enables guests to post reviews directly on the hotel's website is a great first step in regaining that control. Add in the ability for managers to be alerted to comments and instantly respond, and hoteliers are back in the drivers' seat. We at Technology 4 Hotels believes that no company does this better than Lodging Interactive, and we are proud to take their GRS to market."

With customers such as Accor, Hilton, Hyatt, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Langham Hotels International, Pan Pacific Hotels Group, Quest Serviced Apartments, Rydges Hotels & Resorts, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Stamford Hotels and Resorts, Toga Hospitality and others, Granger said he believes adoption of the Lodging Interactive GRS will spread quickly.

"Hoteliers of the right mindset and who understand the importance of social media will quickly see the benefits of the Lodging Interactive GRS as a way to polish their online images, and use vehicles such as Facebook and Twitter to not only post reviews on their pages, but to quickly see those reviews shared among their network of friends," Granger said. "And because the GRS validates that each review is being posted by a legitimate guest and not an imposter, hoteliers can rest assured that reviews posted on these channels are valid."

Since 2001, Lodging Interactive has provided hotels, resorts, spas and restaurants in more than 35 countries with proven ROI-driven online services, including: website design and development, search engine marketing, social media marketing, and online reputation management. Today, the company has become the hospitality industry's leading provider of interactive Internet marketing services.

"We are delighted that Technology 4 Hotels has joined our distribution network," said D.J. Vallauri, Lodging Interactive Founder and President. "This hotel-based guest review system ensures there are no delays in communication, and the appropriate staff can immediately fix any pending problems before the guest leaves the property or has the opportunity to post negative reviews on third-party websites. It's a tool that hoteliers around the world have come to depend on, and we look forward to adding new properties and new brands across Oceania to our portfolio of satisfied customers."

Hotels need to stop losing business and sending potential guests to third-party review sites. Click here for a You Tube video that shows how to keep guests where they belong -- writing reviews on the hotel's own website.

Lodging Interactive Facebook Widget Linking Guest Reviews from Website to Wall

Lodging Interactive has created a Facebook Widget for its popular online Guest Review System that links comments from the hotel's website to its Facebook page in real time. The Guest Review System’s Facebook widget enables potential guests to read guest reviews on Facebook and enables past guests to leave reviews directly on Facebook. 

“Leveraging Facebook as a communications platform for guest reviews is a natural extension for our Guest Review System,” said D.J. Vallauri, Lodging Interactive’s Founder and President. “There is no additional cost to implement the Guest Review System on Facebook and our team will even handle the set up for the hotel.”

Since 2011, a number of hotel companies have announced plans to integrate guest reviews into their own websites—either through partnerships with TripAdvisor or by launching their own programs. But relinquishing control to a third party isn't savvy with hoteliers who want to maintain complete control over their online reputations. Likewise, having the human resources and skill needed to continually scrutinize reviews and respond immediately to comments isn't always financially feasible. That's where Lodging Interactive comes in; the company is staffed to manage the review process and reply to guests' comments on the hotel's behalf.

"Some hotels rely solely on brand sites for their website, so having a proprietary landing page for guest reviews isn't an option," Vallauri said. "However, every hotel does -- or can -- have a Facebook page. Therefore, the Lodging Interactive Guest Review System Facebook Widget is an easy way for hoteliers to establish an online guest review repository. Now they can interact quickly and easily with guests and prospective new customers. Our Guest Review System opens up another avenue for hotel marketers to collect reviews and make them more valuable by broadening the market of readers."

Lodging Interactive Rolls Out eNewsletter Service for Hotels

To complement its comprehensive set of integrated marketing and social media management services, Lodging Interactive is offering a turnkey email newsletter (“eNewsletter”) service for hotels. Lodging Interactive’s eNewsletter service is a fully managed program that includes professional copywriting, creative design, email list management, distribution and analytics reporting. 

According to recent polls, more than half of North American hotels (58 percent) are projecting marketing budget increases by at least 10 percent in 2013, and a StrongMail survey cites more than 56 percent of marketers planning to grow their email marketing budgets.

“Email marketing continues to be under utilized in our industry as hoteliers continue to juggle online marketing activities, mobile and social engagement.  Hoteliers simply don’t have the resources and copywriting skills to produce a consistent and professional monthly email newsletter,” said DJ Vallauri, Lodging Interactive’s Founder and President.  “As a result many hoteliers are opting to use generic email templates, which often look amateurish and often are ineffective.”

Using its team of skilled bloggers and copywriters, Lodging Interactive creates a dynamic monthly eNewsletter on behalf of the hotel that isn't a sales pitch. Rather, it contains content and offers that past, present and prospective guests will find informative and inviting, helping to build loyalty and revenues. The monthly eNewsletter may contain a welcome letter from the General Manager, news about happenings or points of interest in the local market, and a section that contains property offers for the month.

"Like all Internet marketing programs we offer at Lodging Interactive, this service is backed by data analytics that hoteliers can use to determine the effectiveness of their eNewsletter program," Vallauri said. "Hotel marketing managers can view analytical data related to their campaigns, from the number of eNewsletters sent and opened to the number of click-throughs on embedded links, the number of people who shared the eNewsletter with someone else, and where it was shared on the social channels, such as Facebook or Twitter.”

Lodging Interactive's eNewsletter service delivers a consistent message from the hotel to its email list. The hotel's email database is uploaded into Lodging Interactive's servers and managed on the hotel's behalf. This is the easiest and most professional way to enlist a professionally managed eMail marketing campaign that mirrors the hotel's website and brand imaging. Plus, it's being produced, distributed and managed by a team of more than 50 highly skilled online content experts who are vested in the hospitality industry.

Lodging Interactive Establishes World's Largest Hotel Gift Card Website

If your hotel or spa sells gift cards, Lodging Interactive has just made this task easier for you in 2013. Today, the interactive and social media marketing agency for the hospitality industry introduces a new website called "Gift Hotel" which is the world’s largest portal website exclusively marketing gift cards for hotels, resorts and spas. Gift Hotel enables properties to create gift card listings on www.GiftHotel.com and receive qualified sales directly to their websites where transactions are processed. There are no commissions to pay or revenues to share.

"In 2012, the gift card market delivered $110 billion in U.S. transactions that were purchased by nearly 85% of the U.S. population; yet, until now, there hasn’t been a single website solely focused on matching the buyer’s needs related to the purchase of hotel or spa gift cards," said D.J. Vallauri, Lodging Interactive founder and president. "‘Googling’ for hotel or spa gift cards by location, hotel amenities and spa facilities simply results in a frustrating list of useless links. We felt there had to be a better way for hotels and spas to increase their online marketing reach and maximize their gift cards sales, so we built Gift Hotel. As an interactive website, Gift Hotel by Lodging Interactive drives gift card sales directly to hotels and spas. It's that simple."

Here are some fun facts: If you laid the number of gift cards sold in the U.S. in 2012 end to end, it would extend 5,318,813 miles long, cover a surface area of 5.4 square miles, or blanket 32 NFL football fields 82 times (according to CEB TowerGroup Research).

Currently representing 84 markets, Gift Hotel enables hotels, resorts, spas and restaurants to create their own listings, including photographs and videos showcasing their location, amenities and services.  Consumers search the site based on their criteria and are returned a list of businesses that meet their needs.  When ready to make the gift card purchase, Gift Hotel links shoppers to the business’ website where they buy direct.

Gift Hotel also includes integrated Google mapping technologies, guest reviews and social networking components for sharing listings with family and friends.

"We believe Gift Hotel will help properties sell hundreds of thousands of gift cards in 2013, driving revenues to their bottom line and new customers to their doors," Vallauri said. "Gift Hotel not only puts the hotel in charge of the gift card transaction, but also provides in-depth analytics information for the hotels. Properties can log into their accounts and view the number of page views, click throughs and we even report on phone calls made to the property.”

Online Guest Reviews Replacing Need for Star Ratings, Surveys

According to newBrandAnalytics, in 2012 online customer reviews rose by 25 percent. In an article titled "Social Intelligence Trends for 2013," the social market intelligence group said: "The explosion of online customer feedback is transforming how businesses will use social intelligence to deliver a quality customer experience." newBrandAnalytics predicts that businesses will stop investing in solicited surveys in 2013 due to consistent, reliable and free customer feedback coming from the web via guest reviews. The company also predicts that star ratings will become a thing of the past, as they are being recognized by consumers and businesses as "misleading, unreliable and not actionable." Instead, "consumers will seek verbatim reviews in making their purchase decisions; businesses will decipher the true meaning and uncover important themes discussed in these unstructured reviews to drive improvements." 

With travelers now using smartphones and tablets for making hotel reservations, remote check-in/-out, mobile room keys, etc., hotels are fast becoming mobile-rich environments. While the dramatic shift from PCs to smartphones/tablets is providing travelers with unprecedented conveniences, it poses new challenges to owners and operators for reputation management. Should a hotel guest have a bad experience, he or she can tell the world -- or at least his or her personal universe -- in a matter of seconds. Lodging Interactive, hospitality's leading provider of interactive Internet marketing services, proposes that hoteliers prioritize adding online guest review processes to their websites in 2013. By responding instantly to travelers about their stay experience, hotels are improving customer relations and turning around a potentially damaging situation and much more.

Lodging Interactive Founder and President DJ Vallauri says the business intelligence driven by its Guest Review Systems is vital, and in many cases, it is replacing other costly procedures.

"Lodging Interactive's Guest Review System was hugely successful in 2012 for a number of reasons," Vallauri said. "First, GRS technology is enabling hotels to do things never before possible. By encouraging guests to leave a review on the hotel's website -- not on the OTA -- hotels are maintaining control over the guest experience, the guest relationship and the hotel's reputation. Directing guests to the hotel's website to post comments and reviews keeps them from being redirected to an OTA where they will never come back to book direct. By implementing a web-based Guest Review System, hotels are removing OTA's from the equation and taking ownership of the guest-communication process. Second, private replies to the guest are sometimes warranted. Lodging Interactive's GRS dashboard provides hotel managers with the reviewers email address, facilitating direct-to-guest communication. You can't do that on OTA's. Capturing this critical data goes a long way in establishing and maintaining loyalty and supporting future marketing efforts. Third, a review posted to the hotel's proprietary website gives management the ability to validate that the guest is real before the review is posted publically. Again, that can't be done on OTA's. For years hotels have turned over control of their inventory to third parties. They shouldn't be at the mercy of OTA's for guest reviews too. It's time to take a stand."

Providing a repository for online guest reviews also serves as an important way to hold employees accountable for their performance. According to newBrandAnalytics, "social intelligence will drive the real-time 360° performance evaluation system of the future." Hotels can find immediate value in using online guest feedback to "assess performance, make hiring/firing decisions, and motivate staff."

Fueling the Social Channels
Lodging Interactive's Guest Review System ensures there are no delays in communication, and the  appropriate staff can immediately fix any pending problems before the customer leaves the property or has the opportunity to post negative reviews on third-party websites. Additionally, travelers can share their guest reviews on their Facebook wall and to their network of friends. Because the Lodging Interactive GRS validates the legitimacy of the guest, hoteliers can rest assured that reviews posted on the social channels are valid. 

Lodging Interactive is now offering a FREE 10-day trial of its Guest Review System. There is no contract to sign, no credit card required, and hotels can cancel anytime. Click here to begin.

"There has never been a more critical time for hotels to add an online Guest Review System to their websites and social media channels, especially since close to 50 percent of consumers said they will not book a hotel that doesn’t have online reviews (Forrester Research)," Vallauri said. "If you don't have the time, knowledge or resources to manage this process, Lodging Interactive is here to help -- affordably."

Roman Aluisy Joins Lodging Interactive as Director of Business Development

Lodging Interactive is proud to welcome hospitality industry veteran Roman Aluisy as Director of Business Development. As the interactive and social media marketing agency continues to introduce new services and robust business models for hotels, resorts, spas and restaurants, Aluisy will use his expertise in business planning, sales and marketing, vendor relations, financial analysis, management, and process implementation to grow the company's portfolio.

"Roman has been helping hotels market themselves since the early 1990s, and has a clear understanding of what a hotel goes through from an outsider looking in," said DJ Vallauri, Lodging Interactive President and Founder. "His full-service hospitality sales background, from soliciting print advertising to hotels at Hotel Travel Index to selling hotel franchises and reservations technology makes him ideal for this business development role. As travelers' adoption of the Internet and mobile devices continues to reshape the hospitality and travel landscapes, Lodging Interactive is positioned to assist General Managers, Revenue Managers and Directors of Sales and Marketing by giving them back the precious time they lost in trying to manage online marketing and social media processes themselves. It is this service message that Roman will take to his infinite contacts across the hospitality sector, thereby growing our website design and development, search engine marketing, social media marketing, and online reputation management business exponentially in 2013."

Prior to joining Lodging Interactive, Aluisy served as sales manager for InnVite CRS powered by InnLink LLC and director of business development for REZlink International. On the hotel front, Aluisy worked as sales and marketing consultant to Vantage Hospitality, regional vice president of franchise sales and development for Country Hearth Inns & Suites, and director of franchise sales and development for both Suburban Lodges of America (Southeast) and Cendant Corp. (now Wyndham Hotel Group). He is a graduate of Northeastern University in Boston.

"The one thing that is always working against us is time; people are asked to do more, but the amount of time they have to accomplish the task remains constant," Aluisy said. "Lodging Interactive is all about freeing up hoteliers' time to do more important tasks, like providing personalized service to guests and leaving the complicated and somewhat confusing job of social media management and online marketing to the experts. Lodging Interactive has an impressive team of analysts that manage online marketing processes daily for hundreds of hotels, creating, hosting, managing, responding, planning and coordinating on a hotel's behalf so they can do what they do best: put heads in beds and make sure the guests' stay is as enjoyable as possible.

"DJ Vallauri is a visionary, and Lodging Interactive is setting hoteliers up to be successful today and long into the future," he said. "It is the entrepreneurial culture of Lodging Interactive that attracted me to this job, along with the company's impeccable reputation. Lodging Interactive customers really enjoy working with us and our employees are proud of the jobs they are doing. The bottom line is that Lodging Interactive will be extremely successful in 2013, and the hotel companies that partner with us will be equally as successful and well positioned to socialize and engage with their target audiences."

Since 2001, Lodging Interactive has been providing hotels, resorts, spas and restaurants in over 35 countries with proven ROI-driven online services. Hugely successful in 2012 was the adoption of Lodging Interactive's Guest Review System which enables guests to post comments about their stay experience directly on the hotel's website and provides hotel management with the ability to respond in real time when reviews are received. Replying to reviews is giving travelers confidence that they are booking at a hotel that will take care of their needs. Aluisy will continue to expand awareness of the Lodging Interactive GRS in 2013 to ensure that the 71% of travelers who say they want a way to read and post reviews online (according to Forrester Research and TripAdvisor) have the opportunity to do so.

If your hotel needs to be seen in 2013, then it's time to call Roman Aluisy at 877-291-4411 x705.

Lodging Interactive More Than Doubles its Growth and Service Offering in 2012

The adage "You can never have too much of a good thing" is ringing true to hundreds of hoteliers worldwide who received extraordinary Internet marketing services from Lodging Interactive and its subsidiary CoMMingle this year. Over the last 12 months, the interactive and social media marketing agency exclusively servicing the hospitality industry racked up an unprecedented list of accomplishments. 

"2012 was a very good year for Lodging Interactive and CoMMingle, but it was even more impactful for our customers," said Founder and President DJ Vallauri. "We planned to introduce a few new services and robust business models, but once we got rolling, ideas for even more breakthrough services were proposed. Thanks to the creativity and expertise of the Lodging Interactive and CoMMingle teams, we provided more new services to hotels in 2012 than in the last 10 years combined. From limited-time FREE audits to full-service website design and management, social media marketing, mobile marketing, and measurement and accountability services, 2012 was truly a banner year for Lodging Interactive."

Since 2001, Lodging Interactive has provided hotels, resorts, spas and restaurants in over 35 countries with proven ROI-driven online services, including: website design and development, search engine marketing, social media marketing, and online reputation management. In 2012 alone, the company achieved a 85% increase in growth, a 40% increase in staffing, and more than doubled the number of services it now offers to hotels -- some of which are absolutely FREE of charge to its customers.

In 2012, Lodging Interactive earned the following for website design:

• Three Interactive Media Awards™ for Outstanding Achievement in the Hotels/Resorts category for its website design of the Marriott Burlington in Massachusetts, the Denver Renaissance in Colorado and the Doubletree Oak Brook in Illinois by the Interactive Media Council Inc. This was the third consecutive year that Lodging Interactive and CoMMingle was recognized by the IMC for its aptitude in designing, developing, managing, supporting and promoting hotel websites.

• The Silver Magellan Award from Travel Weekly for the Courtyard by Marriott Ft. Lauderdale Beach, Fla.

• Two Web Awards / Hotel and Lodging Standard of Excellence from the Web Marketing Assn. for the Courtyard by Marriott Ft. Lauderdale Beach and the Marriott Burlington in Massachusetts.

• The 2012 Silver Award / Creative Excellence in Hotel and Lodging from the International Academy of the Visual Arts for the Courtyard by Marriott Ft. Lauderdale Beach.

Like its coveted website design service, Lodging Interactive's Guest Review System also was in high demand in 2012. The hotel-based guest comment system enables guests to post comments about their hotel experience and provides hotel management with the ability to respond in real time when reviews are received. The Guest Review System ensures there are no delays in communication, and the appropriate staff can immediately fix any pending problems before the customer leaves the property or has the opportunity to post negative reviews on third-party websites. Additionally, travelers can share their guest reviews on their Facebook wall and to their network of friends.

The success of the Guest Review System spurred Lodging Interactive and CoMMingle to develop and introduced the following new Internet marketing services this year:

• HotelWebShows -- A service enabling hotel marketers to add a personal touch to their websites by using crisp HD Video. All video produced through HotelWebShows by Lodging Interactive are 1080i quality and delivered in TV, Web and Mobile formats. Videos are available in 30 second, 60 second and 90 second lengths, and will include music and graphics.

• CoMMingle Social + -- A service for hoteliers managing their own Facebook and Twitter accounts but who also want to get involved in the new, emerging social engagement channels such as Google+ Business Page and Pinterest, but do not have the resources in-house to handle it. CoMMingle Social+ adds weekly postings on Facebook and Twitter for hotels that have pages but find it hard to consistently post during the week.

• InnterACT Performance Portal -- A website analytics and social service providing real-time website analytics, key performance metrics, and the latest social media monitoring tools. The InnterACT online client portal was made available to existing customers at no cost.

• Hotel Website Solutions -- A service offering online marketing services at a low, monthly fee with all upfront costs removed. The service includes website design and management, reputation management, search engine marketing, real-time analytics and accountability, PLUS Lodging Interactive's Content Management System and its coveted Guest Review System.

• Mobile Website Development -- A FREE service made available to all new customers contracting full agency services, including website design and development, search engine marketing, social media marketing, and online reputation management. Through this service, hotels received up to 10 static pages of their online website in a mobile format, with an option to purchase more.

To help its customers stay competitive, Lodging Interactive and CoMMingle also offered the following FREE services:

• FREE Website Audit -- Determines if a website is performing properly and achieving rankings
• FREE Social Media Analytics Reporting Tool -- Delivers weekly analytics about a hotel's activity on the top social media networks, including: Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Google+ and blogs.
• FREE Content Management Systems + FREE Mobile Website.

"To say we were busy in 2012 is an understatement," Vallauri said. "In addition to creating a bevvy of new services to keep our customers performing successfully, we managed to show support to our brand partners and industry associations as well. In 2012, Lodging Interactive became a Best Western Preferred Vendor, and we support the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Assn. International (HSMAI) and the American Hotel & Lodging Assn. We also participated in select industry conferences and events to network with our customers.

"While being visible is important to Lodging Interactive, it's far more important for us to ensure that our customers are visible via the various online and social media channels and that their online reputations are being properly scrutinized and managed," he said. "This new year, those who partner with Lodging Interactive and CoMMingle will be well positioned to socialize and engage with their target audiences. If your hotel needs to be seen in 2013, then it's time to call Lodging Interactive."