Marriott’s New Innovation Program

In the hospitality industry, Marriott has long since been a leader when it comes to marketing technological advances. For example, a few years ago it was one of the first brands to provide guests with experiences through virtual reality headsets. And in just two short weeks, Marriott is moving ahead once again with the launch of its newest idea- a program called the “Travel Experience Incubator.”

Travel Experience Incubator

Marriott has partnered with Accenture Interactive and 1776 to create the  Travel Experience Incubator, a 12-week program beginning on Sep 12 in which start-up entrepreneurs will develop ideas and eventually pitch their finished products to judges. It’s basically a mini xprize for the hospitality industry!

Of the 165 applications received, Marriott chose 6 to participate in the program. The innovations that result from the Travel Experience Incubator will most likely be brought into Marriott hotels as proof-of-concepts, however global chief commercial officer Stephanie Linnartz says that this “is not the primary goal” of the program.

Participating entrepreneurs will be tasked with testing and enhancing hospitality solutions through the use of data and technology. After these 12 weeks, Marriott’s ultimate goal is to increase customer connectedness and enhance guest experiences within their hotels.

To learn more about the Travel Experience Incubator, check out this article on Adweek!

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2 Minutes of Darkness Makes Millions

Shooting stars, meteor showers and lunar phases have always fascinated astrology lovers and amateurs alike, but the solar eclipse happening this Monday isn’t just for space enthusiasts – tourists are traveling near and far to witness this rare event.

What’s Going On?

On Monday, August 21 a total solar eclipse will travel across the entire United States for the first time since 1918. Although the Earth experiences eclipses every 18 months or so, they are usually only partial eclipses and difficult to see from North America. This Monday, the moon will completely block the sun’s light and cast a shadow which will move across the United States passing over Oregon all the way to South Carolina.

How It’s Affecting Tourism  

Experts are anticipating this Monday to be an enormous day for the tourism sector, with up to 7.4 million people traveling to locations along the eclipse path. As the first major city on the path, Salem, Oregon is expecting more than 100,000 people to visit (almost double the town’s usual population). Whereas areas with clearer skies like Casper, Wyoming have taken hotel and campground reservations for this day as early as three years ago.

With hotels rendered almost completely unavailable for any last minute travelers, many people are turning towards home renting companies like Airbnb. But even Airbnb locations are going fast as well, forcing people to turn to pricey options like a five-bedroom ranch house in Madras which is available for the small price of $10,000 per night during the eclipse!

Restaurants and other attractions along the path will also be benefitting from the influx of people. The South Carolina State Museum estimates that it will generate nearly $235,000 from eclipse-related activities and restaurants that are typically closed on Saturdays or Sundays are staying open. In fact, Pillar Bar, one of our clients in Asheville North Carolina is opening early and will be offering lunar themed drink specials in honor of the historic event!

Will You See It?

Even if you don’t live right in the eclipse path, you should still be able to see at least a partial eclipse from any point in the continental United States. For more information NASA provides several detailed maps of the anticipated eclipse path on their website, while Time and Date shows maps, time schedules and other eclipse-related information.

This Monday be sure to enjoy the first American coast-to-coast lunar eclipse in 99 years!

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Wedding Tips From Oceanfront Hotels

When it comes to hosting a wedding, there are plenty of things that can go wrong. Luckily Hotel News Now recently posted an informative article that will help ensure that your guests’ special day goes smoothly. With commentary from several popular oceanfront hotels, the best practices shared by these hoteliers are even applicable for non-oceanfront hotels.

Here are the highlights:

  • Ensure exclusivity: some oceanfront hotels differentiate by only allowing one wedding per weekend. This isn’t practical for every property, but definitely worth looking into if you’re a luxury destination.
  • Keep all guests informed: All the hustle and bustle of a wedding means communication is of the utmost importance. Avoid compromising service for both wedding goers and non-wedding guests by keeping everyone in the loop about on-property events.
  • Targeting: The hoteliers interviewed mentioned that referrals and a strong social media presence on sites like Pinterest were their primary method of attracting new wedding bookings.
  • Sell the venue, not the menu: Ever hear the phrase “What a beautiful wedding?”  Guests will remember what a wedding looked like much more than what they ate.
  • Offer specialty vendors: Round Hill, a popular wedding hotel not only has connections with standard preferred vendors like musicians, florists and photographers, but they also have henna artists, pyrotechnic specialists and even cigar rollers on their list!

More Wedding Inspiration

If you want more inspiration for becoming a great wedding hotel check out a few of our clients: Keswick Hall and Golf Club does a great job promoting their beautiful views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Westin Austin Downtown has a unique rooftop wedding venue that caters to more urban/ cosmopolitan type couples and The Chanler at Cliff Walk offers a beautiful view of the New England coast. And of course once you’ve become a great wedding venue don’t forget to contact McConnell Marketing to help create some amazing promotional pieces.

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The New York Times 52 Places to Go

The New York Times 52 Places to Go in 2017 is an adventure for the imagination. Enjoy travel as much as we do? You’ll appreciate the photography and details they share.

Detroit, a comeback city? 

Just a few hours from our office, Detroit, Michigan is one of the few surprises we found on list. Taking its place at #9 amid global luxury destinations like Maldives and Penzance, Detroit is featured as “a comeback city set to make god on its promise.” It’s human nature, we all root for the underdog… in sports, in movies, in relationships, and now in travel.

Check out their listing, if you’re close by and love adventure travel, visit Detroit. And be sure to stop by and see our friends at The Henry an Autograph Collection Hotel boasting a must-see art collection with works from Picasso to Renoir.

Who knows maybe Youngstown will make the list next year.

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Expert Opinions on Going Independent

We’ve all heard of independent hotels joining a brand. There are plenty of benefits: name recognition, branding, booking engines to name a few. But what about going the other way? Is it a wise move for an already branded property to become an independent or adopt a “soft brand?”

At this year’s Boutique Hotel Investment Conference, a panel of industry experts gave some  opinions about the topic which were covered wonderfully by Hotel News Now’s Stephanie Ricca.

The panel had 5 key take-aways for would be de-branders: 

    1. Know why you’re going independent
    2. Make sure your hotel tells a story 
    3. Don’t do it to to save money
    4. Think long term 
    5. Distribution plans are important – think OTAs and booking engines 

For more details check out Hotel News Now’s article about the panel.

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