An traveler has that sense of pleasurable anticipation at the start of any trip, from considering the things to do and places to eat at their destination. Hotels have an opportunity to assist guests and prospective guests with this pre-trip planning. Instead, the scenario is quite different and happens every day at hotels around the world. There’s a line at the concierge desk (or the front desk) of guests with queries. “What is there to do in the area? Can you suggest a restaurant close by? How do I get to this attraction? Is this attraction open today? “ Even business travelers are interested in finding leisure activities for a few hours outside the business day.
Travel Planning Tips
One of the main keys to convert visitors into Direct Bookings with your Hotels website is the ability to create a Customer Experience within the website.
New Media and Social Media have made life to Social Booking. Customers today are not looking for a Hotel Room, they want to create an Experience.
The question today becomes; Can Hotels provide Customers with a Customer Experience through their Hotel Website?
And the short answer is YES!
TripSketch Travel Planning provides a unique trip planner tool within your Hotels website.
Our friends at The Cavendish, London not only have a stunning website presentation, but they take it to the next level providing customers with that extra little hook.
Some of these queries are highly specific and require some thought but most are repetitive and have been asked thousands of times. If a guest could peruse some destination activities before their arrival on the hotel website, there’s a clear advantage for the guest and the hotel. But currently, hotels offer little to no information online. What is provided is static without ways to filter the information.
Hotels could, instead, incorporate the TripSketch dynamic trip planner, which guests could access from the hotel site to filter and review possible activities, find out where they are located relative to the hotel, and create a quick itinerary to refer to at any point on their trip. In addition to promoting the planner from the hotel website, the hotel could prompt the user to take advantage of the service in the confirmation email when a room is booked.
What really is unique with TripSketch Travel Planning tool is what OTA’s have know for years. Travel Planning is all about the experience.
We Experience a new era today for Hotels where new tools create new opportunities. It is no excuse to sit on the fence and allow other entities to keep a competitive advantage.
New Media and Social Media is the back door pass to new growth. *NOTE* There is no Magic Wand, but Hotels has to apply this in combination with proven strategies.
*SPECIAL*
With this Hotel Collaboration Project, I have 25 FREE TripSketch Travel Planner Licenses available.
Take this one step further and hotels with a concierge could review and suggest other ideas for every trip plan created and suggest enhancements along the lines of “I notice you’ve added Hyde Park to your London itinerary. You might like to consider relaxing over the award-winning Afternoon Tea at Brown’s Hotel, a 15-minute walk from Hyde Park Corner.” What a pleasant surprise for the customers engaged in a little pre-trip planning!
Testimonial
A testimonial from The Cavendish Hotel London:
The Cavendish Hotel London Trip Planner
We decided to incorporate the TripSketch planner onto our site in late 2011. The implementation was simple; TripSketch provided us with a unique URL that our web developer framed within our website very quickly and hassle-free.
Not only does the planner allow users to stay on our site while deciding what to do in London, but our guests can also see how far away an attraction or restaurant is from our hotel, while our eco-oriented guests can readily find some ‘green’ ideas to consider. Users can email themselves a possible plan of activities to refer to at a later date on their PC, tablet or mobile. Our concierge gets a copy of every trip plan created on our site and always has the option to offer additional thoughts or suggestions. For hotels without a concierge, this feature might also reduce the line at the front desk during peak periods. It is a great way to encourage interaction between the guest and the property prior to the guest’s arrival. Overall, it’s a simple and helpful website feature that we’d recommend to other hoteliers.
Mario Franciamore E-Marketing Coordinator
The Cavendish London
81 Jermyn Street, London, SW1Y 6JF
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT AND FACEBOOK ADVERTISING FOR HOTELS
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Our Social Media Management team has refined these processes to help Hotels. Contact us today to learn more.
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Try something new it will magnetize your Hotel!
Be flexible and identify new ways to make guests happy.
As guest behavior and pattern continues to evolve, expectations will continue to rise. Navigating these changes can be challenging. Learn more about how we can help your Hotel.
Hotel Collaboration Project
A special Thank You to Lalitha Swart – CEO and founder TripSketch, and my friends at The Cavendish Hotel London.
Check out TripSketch and The Cavendish Hotel London on Twitter:
@TripSketch
@cavendish_hotelAbout the author
Are Morch is the founder and owner of Are Morch – Hotel Marketing Coach. Get more from Are on Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Instagram| Podcast