,

Tablet-based Concierge Programs Have Arrived

Aloft Hotels, part of the Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide brand, is piloting a tablet-based concierge program that allows guests to research local dining options, entertainment activities and so much more.

No longer will guests have to talk with a real-life concierge to get directions or restaurant recommendations. They can check flight status and print boarding passes with just a few simple taps on an iPad screen. Hotels will be equipped with two concierge stations near the front desk lobby.

Brian McGuinness, senior vice president of Specialty Select Brands for Starwood, stated “our guests tend to be independent and tech-savvy so the tablet-based concierge program allows them to conveniently plan their schedules in a familiar way that enhances their overall experience.”

Aloft now joins various other hotel groups that are digitizing service. Some hotels have even made the move to put and iPad in all guest rooms, charging them if they choose to take the iPad with them.

Sounds like a pretty good deal, right? To find out more information on how hotels are integrating tablets check out travel.usatoday.com.

Hotel Marketing Ideas for 2011

Looking to skyrocket your hotel to the top in 2011? Here are some great marketing ideas to help to do just that.

Planning & Strategy

· The #1 purpose of marketing is retaining your customers. Focus on that before pursuing new markets

· Personalization is a growing trend – use it wherever you can

· Talent is everything. Spend all you can (and then some) recruiting, retaining, rewarding the best people

· Consistency is everything

Social Media

· Appoint a social media ambassador to “own” your efforts in this area

· Don’t try to buy social media fans. Avoid the “campaign” mindset, and understand that forming the relations for a great online community will take years

· Social media is the richest focus group that ever existed

· Start observing the best hotels on Facebook, like Joie de Vivre

Website

· Be compatible with Google’s Instant Previews

· Drive traffic by reaching out to past guests

· Make sure you do 3 things in 3 seconds: 1) load the page quickly 2) visually WOW them 3) get them involved

· Maintain consistency (in everything) across all booking channels

Mobile

· Create a mobile-friendly website to avoid platform issues

· A big opportunity for mobile is rewarding loyalty

· Use QR code to bridge the online/offline gap

· Four important things to do with the mobile for customers: learn, recognize, reward, and personalize

Reputation Management

· Begin trying online reputation to your staff bonuses

· Increase customer confidence by monitoring, collection, and re-publishing positive reviews

· Write better post-stay “thank you” emails to encourage online reviews

· An unhappy customer used to tell 3 people, now they tell 3 million. This highlights the importance of quickly catching and resolving issues

To read more on hotel marketing strategies, check out Josiah Mackenzie’s 111 Hotel Marketing Ideas for 2011.