Direct booking debates and 4 more stories
A PLEDGE FOR EVERY HOTEL TECH COMPANY
Hubspot's Chief Strategy Officer recently put together a short but poignant pledge to all their integration partners. The concept of the pledge is so basic one wonders why nobody did this before. Our industry could be so much better if everything seamlessly integrated. But phrases like "we won't integrate because we're building a similar tool" just set everybody back a few years each time. What if we all just lived with the fact that everyone will some day build a competing tool and we let the customers chose the best one?
THE DIRECT DEBATE
It doesn't end, it will probably never end. There are just too many interests on either side of the fence for anyone to bury the hatchet. But Jeff Weinstein at Hotels Magazine has been working on a series of opinion pieces by some of the most seasoned experts in the industry to broaden our views on the matter. I suggest you read all four parts.
ARE WE HITTING MOBILE KEY TIPPING POINT?
So what if we all switch to mobile keys in hotels. Will that really be the end of human interactions and thus the end of hospitality? I don't think the most meaningful human interactions in hotels is check-in and check-out. We're accustomed to having them because "they always existed". A hotel without waiting for check-in isn't a soul-less hotel. Maybe we should think about creating better and more meaningful interactions with our guests. Then the key-less hotel issue suddenly becomes great news.
A LIBRARY OF VISUAL DATA
I recently discovered a library of hotel related infographics at HospitalityNet, it's a great resource for market studies, opinions and a pleasant view on hotel related subjects that could be visualised. It's unfortunately not complete and I'm not sure where you'd need to submit one if you have one to send them - but maybe if you submit it through their photos link it can work. Meanwhile, enjoy what's there.
A FRESH VIEW ON HOTEL MARKETING
Benjamin Habbel wrote some great tips for hoteliers and marketers in his article for the New York Design Agency Spherical. There's a lot to be said for seeing opportunities where others see conflict. In the hospitality business we have safe processes and solutions for most problems, but that's where we're maybe a little too comfortable, then disruptors come along and things get odd. A great read.