Stayful CEO Cheryl Rosner has a background working at both Hotels.com and Expedia. Stayful is now almost one year old and so far the company is in 19 markets with listings of a few thousand boutique hotels. 

The site is skewed to Millennials and seeks to make hotels stays more affordable with its bidding and booking system by enabling one-to-one negotiation on rates. It also hopes to give greater exposure to boutique hotels that have traditionally paid higher distributions costs.

In the video, she discusses the boom in the boutique hotel business with Pimm Fox on "Taking Stock." (Source: Bloomberg)

So, which guests respond to social media, and what do they use it for in our industry? - Wilna 

What is the impact of social media before, during and after a hotel stay?
by Kevin May

Perhaps more than any other sector of the industry, hotels are trying to understand how people and social networks affect bussiness so they can shape their marketing and, indeed, how they weave the original Four Ps into a wider strategy.

Place the blame squarely on the shoulders TripAdvisor or other social networks, but customers have a hell of a lot more power than they did just ten years ago.

Hotel chain Accor has been trying to get its head around some of these relatively new influences on its business, so commissioned a large study of consumers in Asia to understand more about how they use social media as part of their research and shopping for hotel stays, plus its role when they actually experience the product.

In a speech during WIT, director of hotel solutions in Asia-Pacific, Emilie Couton, outlined the results of the study which was carried out during July and August with 5,400 people from 11 countries in the region.

The survey was conducted with a combination of members of its loyalty programme (45%) and random guests at its hotels (55%).

Here are some of the results:

What types of travel brands do consumer follow or like on social media channels?

• Hotels – 46%
• Airlines – 40%
• Other travel-related (tourism boards, etc) – 39%

What motivates consumers to follow or like travel brands?

• Discounts and special offers – 77%
• Get information and updates – 64%
• Show affinity – 38%

In terms of purchasing decisions, what motivates consumers the most?

• Pricing – 60%
• Location – 58%
• User reviews and ratings – 28%

Where do consumers think is the most trustworthy place for reviews?

• Social networks – 40%
• Online travel agencies – 40%
• Hotel websites – 13%

Where are consumers looking for information about hotels?

• Hotel websites – 57%
• Online travel agencies – 54%
• Review websites – 26%
• Asking friends – 14%
• Travel blogs – 8%
• Hotel accounts on social media – 8%

Where are consumers most keen to give feedback on hotels located?

• China – 74%
• Philippines – 73%
• Indonesia – 72%
• Thailand – 69%
• India – 65%
• Singapore – 62%
• Australia – 59%
• New Zealand – 59%
• Hong Kong – 58%

What are the most popular methods for giving feedback about a hotel?

• Satisfaction survey – 29%
• Comment card – 19%
• Online review sites – 14%

What are the favourite methods for giving positive or negative feedback during a stay?

Positive:

• Tell staff directly – 28%
• Complete satisfaction survey – 16%
• Send an email/write a review – 14%

Negative:

• Tell staff directly – 34%
• Send an email – 18%
• Comment card/satisfaction survey – 12%

- See more at TOONZ

This was definitely one of the best ever social media campaigns! I just wish it was ME that thought of it! - Wilna 

How Travel Destinations Are Embracing Social
By Frederic Gonzalo

Back in 2009, the folks at Tourism Australia came up with was is still today considered one of the best contest ever held on the web, social media or anywhere else, for that matter: by submitting a video for why you should be chosen, this gave you automatic entry in a contest where the winner could work a complete year, all expenses paid, as caretaker for a remote, paradise-like island off the coast of Queensland, on the Grand Barrier Reef. The outcome? More than 14,000 video applications across key international markets, including the UK, USA, Europe, Japan and China, among others. Moreover, while the campaign is said to have cost US$1.2M, it garnered an estimated US$100M in international press coverage, with stories published in Time magazine, BBC documentaries, CNN stories and a lot of buzz in various travel blogs, forums and social networks. 


TOURISM AUSTRALIA GETS SOCIAL
Fast-forward four years later, and one can quickly see how fast things have evolved in the social media sphere, in particular within the tourism & hospitality vertical. There are close to 200 airlines active on Twitter, almost 100% of hotel brands have a Facebook page while an increasing proportion of destinations are investing time and efforts on Pinterest and Instagram, two tools that did not even exist back in 2009. So when Tourism Australia recently announced the comeback of their famous contest, some wondered: why bring this back?

For one thing, this time around there isn't just one job for grabs, but six. And more importantly, this contest is the fuel and content for a dynamic and complex online brand structure that Tourism Australia has been weaving. In essence, the folks at Tourism Australia understand that, as great and savvy as their marketing staff can be with social media, the real power to propel the destination's brand resides with travelers, whether domestic or foreign, and citizens sharing experiences about everyday life in the land of Oz. Their vision is captured in this presentation, where they explain how Australia will become the most talked about travel destination in the world. Lofty ambition? Sure, and they may just pull it off, having already the biggest fan base on Facebook (8 million), Google+ and Instagram.

LETTING GO OF THE BRAND
In order for a travel destination to successfully achieve this vision, it must first come to accept that it no longer controls the brand - did it ever, in fact? (Profound and so important to realize - Wilna). Thus, it's not so much "letting go" of the brand but rather acting as an MC, or the conductor of a symphonic orchestra, where the destination plays the guide, steering travelers towards online resources and discussion forums where information is readily accessible and credible, partly because of social proof and peer recognition.

This is also the direction taken by the folks at Tourism Montreal, in Canada. Back in 2009, they realized how important online marketing and communications had become, so they shifted almost all of their marketing dollars towards online initiatives, including a critically acclaimed experiential website, a content-rich blog and a dynamic approach on various social networks. Yet, in early 2012 they came to a similar realization as Tourism Australia: they needed the help of others to cut through the ever-increasing noise and really propel the Montreal brand to levels beyond the reach of media buy alone. They are presently in the midst of a series of fundamental, organizational changes that will be deployed to three key groups.

1. First, ongoing training is provided to all 80 employees, partly to enable them to manage a dynamic presence on various social networks, thus having more brand ambassadors active on various platforms. But also to integrate social media as part of the organizational culture, generating leads, answering customer queries or participating in community discussions.
   
   
2. Second, a strategy is being put in place to ensure Tourism Montreal's 800 members (hotels, restaurants, attractions, etc.) have the tools in place to better understand and manage their presence on key social media. Training will be given and tools provided, such as a practical guide with do's and dont's, along with strategic considerations.
   
   
3. Last but not least, the vision by 2014 is to have local citizens partake in the social discussions, including domestic and foreign travelers alike.
   
   

IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT DOING SOCIAL. IT'S ABOUT BEING SOCIAL.
As Jay Baer famously said it, "companies that get it are those who are social, not those who do social" and this is the level where travel destinations and tourism suppliers will need to take it next. So when Tourism Australia executes its social vision, it goes so far as asking telecoms, hotel chains and other travel suppliers to work hand-in-hand in order to provide free wifi across the country. Why? To save travellers money while at destination? Perhaps, but the true reason is to enable travellers to use their mobile devices and access their favorite social media in order to share their experiences! As Tourism Australia's general manager, Nick Baker, told the Sydney Morning Herald"Holidays are all about living in the moment".

Other destinations have begun offering content-rich initiatives, while some even handed over their twitter account to local folks, such as @Sweden and@ThisIsVT. Who will be next to follow and truly embrace social, putting the brand's discussion and perception in the hands and voices of the traveller and customer?

About Frederic Gonzalo
Frederic Gonzalo is a marketing & communications expert and speaker with 18 years expertise in the travel and hospitality industry. Consulting since early 2012, he provides strategic planning, social media & mobile development counseling to destinations, small and medium businesses alike. Visit his blog atwww.fredericgonzalo.com, reach him atfrederic@gonzomarketing.biz or say hello next time you are in Quebec City, Canada, where he lives!

Visit Trend Hunter...  a site for innovative trends, a really great space to let your mind go and explore...

www.trendhunter.com

This little bit of news really tickled me no end!  Bottom line, know your client and their buying behavior! Wilna

On Orbitz, Mac users steered to pricier hotels

Orbitz has found that people who use Apple Inc.'s Mac computers spend as much as 30% more a night on hotels, so the online travel agency is starting to show them different, and sometimes costlier, travel options than Windows visitors see.

The Orbitz effort, which is in its early stages, demonstrates how tracking people's online activities can use even seemingly innocuous information—in this case, the fact that customers are visiting Orbitz.com from a Mac - to start predicting their tastes and spending habits.

Orbitz found Mac users on average spend $20 to $30 more a night on hotels than their PC counterparts, a significant margin given the site's average nightly hotel booking is around $100, chief scientist Wai Gen Yee said. Mac users are 40% more likely to book a four- or five-star hotel than PC users, Mr. Yee said, and when Mac and PC users book the same hotel, Mac users tend to stay in more expensive rooms.

The sort of targeting undertaken by Orbitz is likely to become more commonplace as online retailers scramble to identify new ways in which people's browsing data can be used to boost online sales.

Get the full story at The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) and Reuters