How Hotels Should Respond to Online Reviews

When it comes to booking a hotel, online_reviewsmore and more guests are basing their decisions on online reviews. According to a 2014 study by TripAdvisor and PhoCusWright, 77 percent of travelers reference reviews before choosing a hotel. It’s important that hoteliers respond to all reviews the correct way.

Following are tips on how hotels should respond to positive and negative reviews: Continue reading “How Hotels Should Respond to Online Reviews”

Using Augmented Reality to Enhance Guest Experience

INTRODUCTION

3D-augmented-reality-playmearAccording to Mashable, augmented reality (AR) is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video graphics or GPS data.

Here are a few ways to use augmented reality in your hotel and enhance your guests’ experiences.

USE AR BEFORE GUESTS STEP FOOT IN HOTEL

It should be no surprise that a study found that prospective guests want to know the features of a room during their decision-making process. Use AR to make guests feel like they’ve personally visited the property and seen the rooms and amenities from their mobile or desktop device.

Just by pointing your device in a certain way, potential guests can picture themselves sitting at the hotel bar or lobby lounge. If they point the device in a different direction, guests can read reviews and recommendations.

A campaign by Marriott gives its guests the opportunity to “travel the world” through virtual reality glasses.

ADD AUGMENTED REALITY DURING THE STAY

Augmented reality can help hotels improve customer’s convenience, including allowing guests to find their room easily by following a set of arrows on their phone or telling guests when their room was last cleaned.

Here’s another idea: each guest room in the hotel includes a wall map of the surrounding area. If the guest points their device at the wall, they can receive information about things to do around the area.

AR also can be used in other places in the hotel, including the fitness center. Add a screen to the treadmill so guests feel like they’re running on a beach, or put a screen on the stationary bike so guests can compete in the Tour de France.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Revelation PR, Advertising & Social Media offers hotels, B&Bs and resorts services related to media relations, community relations, branding, group sales, SEO/SEM and social media management. Please contact Brian Lee, brian [at] experiencerevelation.com or 608-622-7767.

Have Your Guests Tell Your Brand’s Stories

INTRODUCTION

hotel bar

Whether your hotel is boutique, budget-conscious, business-friendly, luxury or any other type, you should know that guests are the ones who ultimately define your brand. Still, you can shape their experiences so that they’re telling the stories you want them to tell.

Your hotel will need to balance a unique selling proposition (differentiation) with the ability to evolve down the road. Here are some ideas for accomplishing this goal.

Continue reading “Have Your Guests Tell Your Brand’s Stories”