4 Amazing Hotels that will make you think twice about Russian Hospitality

This infamous tweet is just one of the many examples of horror stories  coming out of the Sochi Olympics lodging situation.

From water that looks like Apple juice to signs that say “No fishing in the Toilet” The hotels in Sochi haven’t made a good impression on the western media. 

But hey, let’s not let a small group of hotels and anecdotes account for the entire country. Russia has some high quality luxury hotels that parallel anything in the world.

Here are 4 Russian Hotels that show how great hospitality in Russia can be!

W hotel St. Petersburg

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The W is a luxury hotel brand with a reputation for contemporary style and amenities; the W in St. Petersburg is no exception.

This property features a  business centre, gym, spa and it’s pet friendly.  The standard amenities also include an Ipod docking station, a 32 inch LCD TV, hypoallergenic pillows (Bob Costas could have used these!)  and heated bathroom floors.

Not to mention the fact that the rooms have this awesome disco ball looking light thing!

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Disco is a staple of russian hospitality

Lotte Hotel Moscow

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This property has plenty of accolades to back up its claim as a top hotel.

TripAdvisor gives the Lotte Hotel a 95% as well as ranking it #1 of 233 hotels in Moscow. The hotel also features boutique retail shops on the first floor, a Beauty Salon and an atrium garden.

Grand Hotel and Spa Rodina

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The Grand Hotel and Spa is located in Sochi and received a 5 out of 5 rating on Expedia. Its beautiful exterior is matched by its location near major shopping centers and the beach!

Swissotel Krasnye Holmy

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Another TripAdvisor favorite, the Swissotel Krasnye Holmy was given a 95% ranking. This luxury property is located in the Moscow business district, and features a wonderful Purovel spa and gym.

So take all the reports about the supposed “terrible” hotels in Russia with a grain of salt!

 

What’s your favorite Russian hotel? Let us know in our comment section below!

 

Hotels will be Twitter pros in 2014: 14 Posts to Prove it!

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It’s only a matter of time.

Twitter’s not nearly as straightforward of a social network as Facebook, Google + and Linkedin. Its short-form style can be tough to get the hang of, especially for industries used to older forms of communication. Hotels however, have had no trouble adapting, Here are 14 great tweets that show that the hospitality tweeting is off to a great start in 2K14.

One of the major themes of this post is going to be value! Even though “Content is King” has become a cliche, it’s still true. Providing valuable content to twitter followers is the most effective way to a successful account.  This historical fact post by the  Willard is a perfect example. While not directly “selling” their hotel, this tweet provides an interesting tid-bit about their property that’s fun to read yet bolsters the hotels reputations at the same time.

 

Pictures are becoming a more and more powerful medium on Twitter. Ritz-Carlton did a great job of using this stunning picture to promote one of their properties in this tweet! 

 

Another example of using a visual this time Hilton does a good job of bringing in a pretty cool historical moment!

 

Who doesn’t like a free playlist?  The W Hotel did a great job of taking advantage of new music technology to deliver some compelling content to their followers. 

 

The InterContinental would have done better to use the Twitter handles @TheTimeMcgraw and @FaithHill , but the concept of this theme still works because they provide useful information.

 

As you may have noticed, a major trend in Twitter (and social media in general) has been the move toward more visual forms of content. That’s why Snapchat, instagram and vine have become so popular. Any time an account is able to post a cool original photo is good! 

 

This post succeeds on three levels, interesting fact, beautiful picture, and hotel reputation.

 

Posts like this are good for building trust with a follower base. Constantly selling and promoting is a sure-fire way to lose followers. That’s why this photo of an old general store in Mast is a great tweet.

 

Even though it’s a straight promotional post the Magellan Hotels capitalized on a current event well. Of course people are going to be booking hotels for New York now that the superbowl mathcup has been set!  They couldf have been more successfull if they would have specifically mentioned the seahawks or broncos though.   

 

We’re not sure what a skittle alley is, but this post get’s it’s point across.

 

MO does a couple of things right , they us an original hashtag and link to an original article about someone in thier organization.

 

Another great photo! Good job to Loews for recognizing MLK day with something other than a quote.

 

Maybe we’re just suckers for historical photos but this is a pretty cool picture.

 

If I was hungry I would definitely want to order something from RitzCarlton right now!

 

Have you seen a tweet that shows a hotel brand or property really gets twitter? Let us know in our comment section below!

Is 2014 the Year of 24 Hour Hotel Stays?

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A new year, a new way hotels should be doing business.

Every industry has its own standard accepted practices of how a product is priced and sold. We all know that sticker price is not what a car really costs, and tips at a bar or restaurant aren’t really optional. Though it makes perfect sense to be able to pay for just the channels you want, cable companies only sell packages. Sometimes business practices are just done the same way for so long that they stay that way.

The hospitality industry has established very specific rules for what their product is. Hotels usually adhere strictly to the check-in after 3pm and leave before noon rule. Now, compare that with renting a car. Avis and Enterprise will rent you a car for a full 24-hour period, definitely a different concept of renting.

What if hotels adopted the rent-a-car model?  Think about the convenience of not having to worry about checking in and out at specific times.  Just arrive at the hotel whenever you want, and leave sometime in the next 24 hours. Rather than enforcing a strict, and often inconvenient, schedule hotels should be accommodating to travelers. Right?

24 hour stays could be a huge competitive advantage!

Clearly there are some disadvantages to this plan, offering more room time at the same or similar price is a major drawback. Giving guests a  longer period of time  and not knowing when they check out will result in higher operating costs and lower room turnover.

There’s a reason hotels have been so set in their 3pm to noon schedule. It’s easy and cheap.

BUT…

24 hour stays provide such a convenience factor it would have the potential to drastically improve a brands loyalty. It would also bolster a brand’s claim of putting customers first!

Also, brands can get the marketing benefit of 24 hour rooms without actually renting out their rooms for 24-hour chunks. Most people aren’t going to stay from 12pm monday till 11:59 Tuesday. They will come at a convenient time and leave at a convenient time, likely less than a full 24 hour period.

Who knows, maybe we’ve become so conditioned that guests will stick surprisingly close to the 3pm till noon schedule, even though it’s not required.

Testing the Water 

24 hour rooms aren’t a completely theoretical idea, they have been implemented before, but only in small, restricted ways. Starwood has a program based on the concept of 24-hour room options, but it requires a certain level of membership in the Starwood preferred guest program.

Other brands, like  Meritus have used the idea of 24 hour stays as a short term promotional technique.

Unfortunately these examples  miss the true potential of 24-hour stays.

Novelty, or a game-changer? 

Are 24-hour stays a novelty or a gimmick, or could they substantial change the way hotel stays are thought of?

If a brand utilized the idea of 24 hour stay as a core part of their business, and not as a limited promotion, they could really differentiate themselves in a market that sometimes border on commoditization.

The idea has been used, but never to the extent of basing a brand’s identity around it. Maybe an established brand could have a sub-set of properties: Holiday Inn 24. Sheraton 24-hour stay etc. The possibilities are endless.

Though we know it’s unlikely to catch on, we’re hoping somebody will give this idea a shot.

Sometimes it’s just interesting to think about shaking up the status quo. Just because everyone else is things a certain way doesn’t mean that that is the best way. 

What do you think, can 24 hour stays be the way of the future? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Yoga at the Mandarin Oriental New York

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Account Executive Katie wants to take her yoga practice to the big Apple!

I have been taking amazing yoga classes at Studio Oxygen  in Canfield to relax and ward off the inevitable extra pounds that come with the holiday season. As much as I love the classes and atmosphere at Studio Oxygen, at the top of my holiday wish list would be to take my yoga stretches to NYC.

My wish list item would be a Thai Yoga Massage at The Spa at Mandarin Oriental New York followed by a glass of wine in Asiate overlooking Central Park. I’m pretty certain my sisters and mom would enjoy the same. Mid-winter trip?

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The Moment Hotel and Guitar Row

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Our Head of Social Marketing, Steve, wants a bird’s eye view of Hollywood.

I’ve never been to California but I’ve wanted to see Los Angeles for a long time! My holiday wish list item would be to take in the sites and sounds of Hollywood from Moment Hotel’s luxurious yet laid back roof deck.

The Moment is a boutique hotel located right on the sunset strip, so it looks like a perfect base-camp to explore the city from. Being an avid guitar player, I’d definitely have to take a stroll down Guitar Row and check out some of the great guitar shops as well as the famous Rock Walk.

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