After performing literally hundreds of website analyses, it amazes me how many hotel websites are either totally or partially dysfunctional. There are so many sites which are not in-step with even basic search engine requirements; sites with poorly written text content; inadequate navigation; and sites which are not designed to sell rooms or anything else for that matter. If more [...]
A Common-Sense Approach to Renewal By: Neil Salerno – Hotel Marketing Coach June 2010 In 1989, Stephan Covey published a book entitled “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. If you haven’t read this book, I strongly suggest that you do. For me, it has made a significant impact on my life, both personally and professionally. Habit number seven, Sharpen The [...]
By: Neil Salerno – Hotel Marketing Coach April 2010 With the multitude of limited service hotels out there, I’m afraid that many hoteliers are losing the art of creating and marketing packages. After-all the typical hotel package consists of a room, meals, and other amenities. Without a restaurant or bar, you might think that packaging opportunities for limited-service hotels are [...]
An Electronic Marketing White Paper By: Neil Salerno – Hotel Marketing Coach February 2010 Electronic channels have changed hotel sales and marketing forever. Internet web site marketing, the Global Distribution System, social media, and third-party aggregators have all presented new marketing opportunities for hotels around the world. In effect, the Internet has created the first affordable global marketplace for large [...]
Five Considerations Worth Repeating By: Neil Salerno – Hotel Marketing Coach February 2010 I first started writing about revenue management in 2001 and, frankly, I haven’t seen overall business conditions change too much since then; markets are highly competitive and many hotels are still openly discounting rates to drive business. I wish hoteliers would stop thinking that lowering your rates [...]
By: Neil Salerno – Hotel Marketing Coach™ January 2010 In the past few years, I’ve written articles focused on the hotel business with the aim towards, hopefully, giving-back to an industry which I truly love and one which had provided me with a good income and a lifetime of memories. Looking back at a hotel career of more forty years, [...]
…What Helps, What Doesn’t By: Neil Salerno – Hotel Marketing Coach The unique quality of Web 2.0 social media is that it consists of user-generated content. Social media users post comments directly on the Internet and all they need is access to a computer. At the same time, users have the ability to read and absorb comments made by other [...]
Start with the Basics, Add A Pinch of Grit, and A Whole Bunch of Common-Sense By: Neil Salerno – Hotel Marketing Coach December 2009 The economy will slowly improve in 2010, but just getting your fair share of business will not be nearly enough. Less business in the marketplace means your fair share is less, too. Hotels need a bigger [...]
Meeting Planners Use TripAdvisor to Check-out Hotels, too By: Neil Salerno – Hotel Marketing Coach December 2009 It seems that the age-old practice of creating familiarization trips, to check-out hotels and facilities, is another victim of the economy. This economy has caused many planners to research travel information via the Web to help ease their shrinking travel budgets. Apparently meeting [...]