Bruges is often referred to as Venice of the North
Great news for the Relais & Chateaus member Hotel Heritage in the utterly charming city of Bruges, Belgium! The 24-room property, nestled into the heart of the best preserved medieval city in Western Europe just received the news that it was recognized from Fodor’s, a leading travel resouce. For more information about the hotel and for a list of fabulous packages visit their website.
Congratulations!
Tags: bruges hotels, fodor's choice 2011, hotel heritage bruges, luxury travel europe, relais & chateaux hotels, social media hotels
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | 2 Comments »
Messaging is probably the most important element to any marketing and communications campaign, as it represents the core of your PR strategy.
Building the right message is easier said than done in the era of social media, when so much is shared and often times distorted.
Growing up in Athens, my grade school friends and I used to play a game called “broken telephone,” where the first in line would whisper a word to the person next to them and so on. By the time the communication reached the last person, usually with 6-8 kids playing, the word had changed completely!
It’s a similar concept with messaging for a business. You want to ensure the proper channels are in place to carry the message forward by keeping it intact:
- Strategize by prioritizing what properties of your message you are willing to lose as the message is shared, and shared again. With FB and Tw, you expect anything you post to be fair game and go viral. Know in advance what you want people/fans/followers to talk about and what types of conversations you would like to see on social media.
- Choose the right media for your message. This is a no brainer, especially when you know what social networks work best for you. Take the time to research if LinkedIn or Facebook or YouTube is best. They may all work, or only one. Maybe even none. You need to make sure before you send posts out to the digital space
- Choose the right professionals to build your message. Message builds content these days. Period. If you don’t have content, you can’t share it, no one can talk about it, and web traffic dwindles. Keep the buzz going with the best professionals who understand your industry and know how to manage your expectations.
- Expect that social media will keep changing, and so your message has to be multifaceted. Keep several angles attached to your message so you can refresh it with new contect and conversations. The more angles you can come up with, the better story you will be able to share with the right people.
It’s important to know that building a message takes time and is a strategic communications process that will evolve with the objectives and goals of your client’s business. Being flexible as a PR person and making changes where necessary is helpful and can lead to success in the long term. Since messaging enhances branding, it makes sense to invest in a long term approach that will yield high ROR and ROI.
Tags: boutique hotel pr, building the right message, hospitality social media, hotel pr, imc, messaging, PR messages, ROR, SMM, social media PR, website copy writing
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | No Comments »
Since the purpose of this blog is to discuss topics that relate to PR and how it evolves, I thought it would be beneficial to share the perspective of the new PR professionals as they enter the field and what they are thinking.
I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with Melanie Dorange through my blog for the past couple of years. Melanie is a young dedicated hospitality professional in Europe, with a strong sense and understanding of the PR process. I hope you will find her blog post informational - feel free to comment and open for discussion:
If I should use only one word to describe my feeling about the hospitality industry outlook, I would say “challenging”. This word has two possible reading: you can translate it as “obstacles, uncertainty, problems”, but you can also hear “evolution, opportunities, stimulating”. I choose the second reading.
Despite having started my career in a difficult economic environment and feeling everyday the pressure of competition on the job market and the growing number of tools to master in order to be a good hotel PR, I am feeling more enthusiastic than ever about this role of representative and determined to build my career on a strong base. Starting now. Learning to work around quality and integrity will serve my whole career.
In my quest to perfect my approach to PR, I have created a check-list with some of the elements I find determinant for me to keep in mind, looking ahead to the next decade. Some of them are based on my experience, others on my readings and other professionals’ sayings. These are the first three points on my list:
- Brush my story-telling and narration skills
Daniel Craig recently reminded me about this topic on his blog, and how much impact a good narrated story can have on the media first when it comes to selection, and secondly on our readers. I like the idea that we should think like creative writers and journalists whenever writing stories for our clients, with the objective that travellers should picture themselves as the heroes of our stories. I am already trying to apply it as a way to “stand out from the crowd”. This is where creativity is key, we need to capture the hotel’s niche and describe this exception in a catchy and personal story. This type of writing implies a more focused communication, but I feel the traditional press release is still very useful for other announcements such as awards and nominations.
- Keep my eyes wide open
Keeping track of innovations in the wide field of communications is critical for me. I read blogs and online news every day in order to be aware of the latest trends. I am not using all of the tricks and tools I read about, but at least I know about them.
Keep an eye on the next generation of hoteliers is also part of this monitoring. In the next years, hoteliers’ strategies will change, and so will ours in turn. Some events already bring together students or graduates from leading hotel schools around the world in order to exchange knowledge and ideas, and they reveal what challenges this new generation foresees in the future. These young graduates are tomorrow’s hospitality leaders, so understanding their drivers help me anticipate the task we will face in some years.
- Pamper the photographer
This one is not new. I know it sounds obvious, but I am already convinced. It’s all about the picture, the one fabulous image that “has it all”. This picture which makes the reader turn back the page, or scroll up to double-check, even after going through hundreds of (web)pages when his eyes are reading one line out of five. I call them “subliminal shots”, because they come back to the mind at unexpected times like unconscious thoughts, and the associated hotel name along! Having quality images will eventually put the hotel forward, whether online or in print. This is one of the first things I have learned in PR, but it proved being right so often already. Investing in quality photographs is a trick I won’t leave aside.
When I think of my future, I know I may have to adapt to the environment and redefine my skills as often as needed, and I am ready for it. (Think about it, I may be around for the next 35-40 years*, what will travel PR be like in 2060?) But there is at least one thing I will never alter in my personal life and in my work: loyalty to my values and authenticity.
[* taking into account the extension of retirement age!]
Per her request, Melanie can be reached via email
Tags: career in pr, hospitality pr, imc, media relations in hotel, new generation of pr, pr bloggers, public relations and social media, young professionals in hospitality
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | No Comments »
Happy New Year! I am starting out this year with a much more positive feeling than 2010, and hopefully many industries are feeling optimistic as we enter 2011. Last year, we explored specific trends for boutique hotels and now it’s time to build on new ones.
- Social Media expand outreach. The one thing predicted last year is that social media will play a big role in hotels as the networks grow. And that’s what happened. Thankfully, plenty of hotels (chains, boutique, independently owned, B&Bs, etc.) have Facebook and Twitter pages now and are engaging more and more. Now that hotels are comfortable with the social media monster, their challenge will be how to learn to use this tool efficiently to reach guests, enhance branding by communicating the right message, and most of all learn to manage reputation effectively. Read my tips on social media in hospitality for this year.
- Clarify your message. At this point in the economy, you know where your hotel stands and it’s important to start thinking where you want to be once the uptick starts. What type of hotel will you be once occupancy picks up? Who will you market to? Has your audience changed and where do you see travelers booking 2-3 years from now? It’s never too early to ask these questions based on your 2011 budgets and the answers will help you create a solid message for your outreach efforts
- Continue to build value. That’s probably the takeaway from this post… value is something that guests will keep looking for when traveling, especially as more people are starting to consider leisure trips. Building value around the rack rate makes a lot of sense. Avoiding price wars is a big challenge for hotels, so it’s important to leverage what you already have, i.e., exceptional breakfast experience that you can comp, gift baskets at turndown, complimentary valet or laundry - anything that you think will add more to the guest experience. If you can personalize the value to make the guest happier, that’s even better.
- Stay focused and prioritize. As always, when budgets are tight, it’s important to prioritize. This will not change in 2011, especially as hotels continue with upkeep and updating properties. Getting through this year successfully, will be an indicator for future success, in my opinion.
- Marketing and PR. As 2010 showed us (i.e., BP Oil Spill - we will never forget!) having a strong team to handle your marketing and public relations is not a luxury. It’s a must have if you are serious about effective reputation management. PR is tremendously cost effective, and while its an ongoing process, it’s one worth investing into - especially when you find the right person to execute your campaign. With social media, traditional PR and the online environment, marketing communications can help you add real value to the guest experience.
All the best for 2011!
Tags: boutique hotel trends 2011, hospitality pr 2011, hospitality trends 2011, hotels 2011, pr trends for hotels 2011, social media PR, social media tips for 2011
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | 6 Comments »
Many thanks to Spin Sucks, a very informative blog on all things PR, Marketing and Social Media, who invited me to write a blog post as a guest.
I was about to write a post on Social Media Tips for 2011 for the hospitality industry, so it was a very good opportunity to share thoughts with others.
If you like to take a look at the blog post and comment, I would be very interested in your input! Happy New Year everyone!
Tags: hospitality 2011 social media, hospitality pr and marketing, pr and hotels, social media PR, social media tips 2011
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | No Comments »
Fabulous article by Joe Sharkey in the New York Times earlier this week about how the Waldorf-Astoria had to walk guests, who had confirmed room reservations because a VIP guest arrived from abroad in an emergency.
While walking guests to nearby hotels is a nothing new, especially during peak times when rooms oversell to ensure the highest occupancy rate, it can backfire. In the case of the Waldorf-Astoria, the guests who were bumped were looking forward to staying at that particular hotel as part their NYC experience… and the hotel very simply chose not deliver on that promise.
The article as it was written gives me the impression that the hotel did not handle these guests correctly, and decided who to ”walk” based on what they booked in rate. While that’s probably the best approach in terms of revenue, oddly enough the Waldorf-Astoria did not consider guest loyalty when bumping travelers, something that a hotel of such high caliber would normally consider (unless that’s not true… thoughts anyone??)
Meanwhile, as the hotel believed it can earn more money by walking guests who had apparently booked at a discounted rate to accommodate last minute high-rate travelers, this article in the NY Times most certainly backfired that approach… Guests expect to be treated the same when they check-in whether or not they pay #150 or $400 or $800. In such tough economic times, luxury hotels should keep in mind that while they may afford to walk lower paying guests to earn more revenue for the night, I am not sure they can afford such bad PR.
Tags: bad hotel pr, hotel rates, luxury hotels, travel nyc, waldorf-astoria new york times article, walking guests
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | 1 Comment »
About eight years ago we saw a few small hotel bloggers make their debut online, talking about properties, where to stay, amenities to rave about, room categories to avoid and so forth. A great example of a hotel blog that started hyperlocal in Boston and grew enormously in the past decade is friend Mark Johnson’s HotelChatter.
Between then and today, there are myriads of bloggers on the internet writing up anything from favorite hotel roundups, and top 10 destinations, to exposing bed bug infested hotels and other popular topics relating to the travel industry. As PR people we already know there are some bloggers that have impeccable ethics, and others not so much. It’s up to us to decide who to pitch to.
Without assigning blame to anyone, how do you pitch bloggers in the new decade? Earlier on, it was easy because bloggers did not have the prestige they have today. These days, bloggers are well respected writers, often times editors of high-end publications that are no longer in business. Many senior level writers have left magazines and newspapers to start their own blog and online presense.
The travel/hotel blog boom is still going strong. Pitching bloggers is getting harder. Crafting a clever angle is more important than ever. Establishing relationships with the bloggers takes more time now than it used to. It’s all online too, you have to follow them on Twitter, comment of their FB posts and show interest in their content. It’s a new process that PR people have to embrace when pitching bloggers for hospitality clients (and all clients, for that matter).
One thing is relatively unique for writers and bloggers in the travel and hospitality industry: they don’t leave it! So, happy pitching!
Tags: bed bugs, bloggers and pr people, hospitality social media, hotel pr, hotels and bloggers, how to pitch bloggers, Media Relations, pitching in 2010, travel bloggers, travel pr
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | 1 Comment »
On a very recent jaunt up to Boston, I met with colleague Ann Manion, the Principal of Hotel Advantage. Ann is a true hospitality professional, who has set out to help hotels realize the important role the Internet plays when it comes to online reputation management.
Hardly anyone fills out those traditional feedback forms when staying in a hotel anymore. The past decade has marked the popularity of the ever fickle TripAdvisor index, that has gotten GMs and hoteliers around the world glued to their computer screens and/or smartphones just to keep tabs on the property’s weekly rating.
What do you do when a horrific review hits? How does it affect your overall reputation online? With sites like TripAdvisor, Ann suggests responding to poor reviews only and making your response clear and to the point as quickly as possible.
She also suggested something daring: link your TripAdvisor reviews to your website. Yes, let potential guests read the good and the bad and let them decide. The worst you can do is try to hide negative reviews. The Internet is written in digital ink and between Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and citizen journalism on the web, hardly anything is hidden. Linking your reviews to your site makes sense when hotel staff is trained to properly respond to them. How quickly and the manner in which you respond is a huge factor in online reputation.
No one expects to read 100% perfect reviews - that would be fake and unnatural in the world of hotels - especially luxury hotels. But, hoteliers can create a strong message that is built into review sites and social media, indicating their constant preoccupation for providing the best possible experience for the guest. Read the related New York Times article about the topic.
Tags: boutique hotels and social media, luxury hotels, online reputation management, pr and hotel reputation, social media and hotels, social media reviews, tripadvisor reviews
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | 1 Comment »
When Foursquare, Gowalla and the like started becoming popular we explored the idea of the geo-social concept working well with hotels and restaurants, particularly because they are physical locations, where people can gather and let others know where they are. Safety concerns and territorial feelings aside (no, it’s not cool to be the Mayor of a hotel suite’s bathroom, I don’t care if it’s the executive suite), hoteliers have not only caught up with social media, but they are constantly thinking ahead to digital networking, which is encouraging as the economy picks up again.
If mobile marketing is the way to go, how it can it work efficiently? Just read the story on HotelChatter and see what Four Seasons and Gowalla are doing. They have a promotion running that offers an incentive to guests after they check-in to places that Four Seasons concierges recommend: they earn hotel credits and can use them up on property. It’s a clever concept because it adds value to the stay vs. offering a lower rate or a discount. So, I vote yes! One concern though: safety. Hotels will have to figure that out.
Foursquare and Gowalla will be tapping into more hotel chains soon I think, and by early 2011 (which equates to nearly a decade in social media years) geo-social promotions will be commonplace in the hospitality industry and, hopefully, well streamlined.
Tags: geo-social marketing, gowalla hotels, hotel pr 2010, hotels foursquare, mobile hotel marketing, social media marketing
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | No Comments »
Strategize PR efforts to include the destination to cast a wider net of opportunities for the hotel
Happy Friday! Today, I am in a great mood. It’s been a whirlwind of a summer with almost too much travel, so coming back and settling into a routine has been a great way to end the summer on a soft note.
I’ve been thinking a lot about destinations this week… as we’ve explored on this blog, if you are working with a hotel, aligning your PR efforts to include the destination can pay plenty of dividends in the long term.
It has indeed become more difficult to obtain prime and strategic placements with the publishing shakeout, but when an article finally does come out, somehow it’s all worth it again!
I was so pleased with this USA Today Travel Tips article that talks about the Hotel Heritage Relais Chateaux in Bruges. I like this article especially because it only lists one hotel for each destination. The fact that the article was published as online content makes it easy to share it with others on Twitter and Facebook. In the past, a print article would have been more exciting, but that has completely changed in the last two years.
Tags: belgium, bruges, destination and hotels, destination pr, hotel pr, relais & chateaux, strategic travel pr placements, usa today travel
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | No Comments »
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