Report says hotels lose out with merchant sales on the Web - Travel Weekly

When U.S. hotels distribute rooms through online travel agencies (OTAs) in merchant sales, they give up twice as much in lost revenue as they pay out in commissions on standard agency sales, according to a new research report from Smith Travel Research (STR) and the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA). 

The report, presented at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) here last week, both reflects and supports hoteliers’ efforts to rein in digital distribution costs with initiatives such as the new RoomKey.com booking site. 

U.S. hotel owners collectively discounted their rooms to OTAs by about $2.7 billion, up from about $2.4 billion in 2009 and more than double the $1.3 billion in commissions paid to travel agents through GDSs, according to the 214-page report. 

via www.travelweekly.com

Hotels Collect Guest Reviews From Facebook

Lodging Interactive, an award winning Interactive and Social Media Marketing Agency exclusively servicing the hospitality industry, announced today the integration of its Guest Review System with Facebook. The Facebook integration enables hotels to collect and share their guest reviews right from their hotel Facebook pages.

“Our Guest Review System continues to gain momentum with hotels, restaurants, and spas since our launch only 3 weeks ago,” said Mr. DJ Vallauri, Lodging Interactive’s Founder & President. “And now with the integration into Facebook hotel pages, hotels have an opportunity to collect and share their guest reviews to over 800 million Facebook users.”

The Guest Review System is an online service that enables hospitality companies to collect, manage and share guest reviews on their own websites. As a result, consumers no longer need to visit third-party review sites to read reviews or to leave their own reviews.

“The Guest Review System is integrated into our Facebook page and it’s a great way for consumers to have instant access to our guest reviews and ratings. Also past guests can share their own reviews via our Facebook page,” said Mr. Ed Reagoso, General Manager of The Grand Wilshire Hotel in West Orange, NJ. “The Guest Review Service allows me to validate all reviews for authenticity and I receive real-time alert messages every time a review is made.”

 

Another benefit of the Guest Review System is that it allows hotel management to respond to guest reviews, which often helps consumers make informed choices. “Nowadays, every hotel should routinely monitor online reviews closely,” added Mr. Vallauri. “This makes our Guest Review System increasingly valuable because it allows management to control online reviews and post responses as needed”.

The Guest Review System is a low cost, turnkey system for any hotel seeking the ability to control its own guest reviews. “There is no programming required and hotels can be up and running in just minutes,” said Mr. Vallauri. “It’s very easy to use and we even offer a free trial with no long-term agreements, hotels can cancel anytime.”

More Information: www.GuestReviewSystem.com

HotelCast 2.0. NEW! - Guest Review System, Google Flights and Groupon Travel

This Lodging Interactive Podcast has got the scoop on the new Guest Review System that allows properties to gather and post guest reviews directly to their website.  Is Groupon Travel a good deal for properties or consumers?? 

Lodging Interactive does the research, you get the news on Google Flights...really cool stuff!  And, while protecting your high school reputation was important...Protecting your property's reputation right now is crucial.  Commingle is an ace in the hole you cannot be without.   New technology that effects you!  The hottest 10 minutes in the hospitality business is right here at HotelCast 2.0.

 >> Click Here to Listen to Lodging Interactive Fall HotelCast 2.0 podcast <<

New Guest Review System For Hospitality - Industry First

Lodging Interactive, an award winning Interactive and Social Media Marketing Agency exclusively servicing the hospitality industry, today announced the introduction of its Guest Review System designed for hotels, restaurants and spas. The Guest Review System enables hospitality companies to manage and display consumer reviews on their own websites and blogs.

"The time has come for hotels to take control of their guest reviews and to stop sending potential guests to third party review websites where they may never return or worse, book a competitor’s property,” said Mr. DJ Vallauri, Lodging Interactive's Founder & President. “Market research continues to support the fact that over 75% of online travel buyers will consider consumer reviews prior to making their online travel purchase. This trend is not going away and hoteliers have told us they need more control over the guest review process.”

 

 

The Guest Review System is a web based review management system that empowers hotels to collect their own guest reviews and post management responses on their websites. The Guest Review System lets consumers post their comments and score their hotel experiences based on service attributes. Additionally, consumers can share their guest reviews on their Facebook wall and their network of friends. Hotels are notified in real-time of new guest reviews and have the ability to validate guest stay information before reviews are posted on their website.

“We all continue to read about the authenticity of many of the guest reviews on the third party review websites. The New York Times recently reported on individuals and offshore companies established to post fake reviews…in some cases negative reviews about competitors, it’s just getting out of hand,” added Mr. Vallauri. “Our Guest Review System gives back the control to the hotelier where they can validate a guest’s authenticity before the comment is posted on their website.”

"Our Guest Review System is a low cost turn-key system any hotel can use to manage their guest reviews. There is no programming required and hotels can be up and running in 10 minutes,” added Mr. Vallauri. “We offer a free trial and there is no contract to sign and hotels can cancel anytime.”

Lodging Interactive To Unveil New Guest Response System

   Revolutionary New System Empower Hotels To Collect & Manage Their Own Guest Reviews

 Lodging Interactive, an award winning Interactive and Social Media Marketing Agency exclusively servicing the hospitality industry, today announced it is planning to introduce a hospitality focused guest review system on Tuesday, October 11, 2011.

“It is time for hotels, restaurants and spa’s to take control of their guest reviews and our Guest Review System will provide the best solution,” said Mr. DJ Vallauri, Lodging Interactive’s Founder & President.  “This changes everything.”

For more information, click the notify me image below:

 

Google flight search breaks vow, Expedia says

"Google Inc. is breaking a promise it made to antitrust regulators who approved its purchase of ITA Software Inc. this year by ranking its new flight information service ahead of competitors, according to Expedia Inc.

Google, which introduced its own flight search service Sept. 13, “excludes any link to online travel agencies, which are key options for comparison shopping,’’ according to testimony by Tom Barnett, Expedia’s outside counsel, prepared for delivery today at a Senate Judiciary antitrust subcommittee hearing on Google’s business practices on the Internet."

via boston.com - read full article

The Value Of Hotel Guest Reviews By Lodging Interactive

It’s no secret to anyone by now that user generated content (“UGC”) in the form of guest reviews continues to be on the rise.  It seems as if there are new websites popping up everywhere to empower the consumer to provide their perspective as it relates to their experience with your business.  This sharing process is a natural evolution in social media and it is especially important for hoteliers to take it seriously and not “blow it off” as we have seen many do.

According to the recently published PhoCusWright Social Media In Travel 2011: Traffic, Activity & Sentiment report, the volume of posted hotel reviews in the U.S. alone has grown from 880,000 in 2008 to nearly 1.1 million in 2010.  The average number of posted hotel reviews per month, per 100 rooms,  was also up significantly from 2.5 reviews in 2009 to 3.1 in 2010.  Interestingly the report also stated that properties in the one, two and three star categories all saw a significant increase in guest review posts while four and five star properties both saw declines.

Unfortunately some General Managers still believe most negative hotel reviews are “planted” by their competition or posted by disgruntled guests looking for freebies or refunds.  While we have seen much evidence of this on review sites, and some hotels are reportedly banding together to form a class action defamation lawsuit against TripAdvisor, we believe all posted reviews should be dealt with as if 100% sincere; posted guest reviews do effect revenue opportunities for the property.

Studies have shown that 75% of online travel buyers will check at least three reviews sites before booking online.  Now imagine a hotel that doesn’t respond to a negative guest review post which is read by thousands of potential guests.  The revenue impact to the property is real and when you consider the cost involved to initially acquire the interest of that potential guest it is fiscally irresponsible to no respond to negative guest review posts; yet so many hoteliers do not reply.  The PhoCusWright Social Media In Travel 2011: Traffic, Activity & Sentiment report also describes that visitors to Online Travel Agency (“OTA”) hotel review pages are significantly more likely to book on hotel websites, and convert at a rate of 13-14% versus the average hotel conversion of 8-9%.  In support of the report, we have always recommended our clients respond to all guest review posts regardless the comment sentiment being negative or positive.

While there are many tools and services on the market, including our own Chatter Guard Online Reputation Management Services, to help hotels identify and manage their guest review posts, responding to posts is time consuming especially when posting responses on multiple review sites.  Moreover, beyond the overall sentiment scoring, careful focus should be placed on scoring guest review posts based on service attributes to ensure operational improvements are made in the problem areas.  We recommend our clients meet regularly to discuss guest review post areas of concern based on departmental attributes such as housekeeping, food & beverage, staff, etc.  Hoteliers should make the most of guest review posts to improve their overall service levels.

Find the perfect hotel with the Hotel Finder experiment

From Google - Inside Search The Official Google Blog:

"Finding the right hotel can make or break your vacation, so with this in mind, we’re introducing Hotel Finder, a new experimental search tool specifically designed to help you find that perfect hotel. Google Hotel Finder makes it easy to narrow down the options..."

Read all the details at Google - Inside Search The Official Google Blog

Google, TripAdvisor redefine roles in distribution

"Although the most recent changes to the distribution landscape might not directly affect day-to-day operations today, experts say hoteliers should pay close attention as major players in the space are making moves that could shape the future."

Read the full article at www.hospitalitynet.org

From research to booking to check-in: Tune your site for traveler’s true needs

"Travel is one of few industries bless with reliable, built-in buying seasons, and therefore, predictable consumer buying patterns and behaviors. From research and booking to take-off and arrival, the opportunities to capitalize on travel promotions and discount offers, as well as relevant upsell and cross-sell opportunities, are virtually limitless."

Read more on www.hotelmarketing.com