Weekly Article n°3

Online Booking : the battle begins.

Online distribution is now the main focus of the marketing strategy of hotel groups.
Three Global Giants dominate the sector, marginalizing regional and national actors.
But the world of sales trust also other ways of attracting the clients : such as the social networks.
Hotel groups are now seeking to make their own voice.

source : http://hospitality-on.com/Reservation-en-ligne-la-bataille-des-geants-a-debute

Fastbooking (Wednesday 19th Dec)

Solutions to increase your direct booking online

Direct Booking for and independent hotel

How to increase direct booking for an independent hotel ?

• Website (booking online service, create interactivity...)
• E-reputation (Ranking, social media, trip advisor)
• Establish a clear and precise marketing strategy (focus on the best channels, right target, Newsletters, loyalty program)

Weekly article (n°2)

Le Club Accorhotels goes mobile!

A new service for loyalty program members

For its 10 million members, Le Club Accorhotels, the Accor Group's loyalty program, is now available on FidMe and Passbook, two mobile cardholder applications that allow users to store all their loyalty cards on their mobile phones. FidMe, developed by Snapp, is available on all mobile operating systems. Passbook is specifically dedicated to iOS6. It is available worldwide, in 15 languages.

Once they install these apps on their mobile phones and add their card numbers, Le Club Accorhotels members will be able to store them and show them every time they reach a hotel. That is Accor's way of making life easier for its loyal customers by putting their loyalty card on their mobile phones. As they are always at hand, easy to update when members switch status and sidestep the need to wait for a new card, these applications will allow new members - and forgetful ones - to enjoy exclusive advantages and collect loyalty points every time they stay at an Accor hotel.

This digital Le Club Accorhotels loyalty card is the first step towards transferring this program deeper into the digital realm. Accor is planning to continue to push its online loyalty program administration into digital territory in order to provide innovative solutions for its members.

Source : http://hospitality-on.com/Le-Club-Accorhotels-passe-en-mode-mobile 

Digital IQ

What is meant by Digital QI?

Digital IQ is the fact that companies have the knowledge and competence to use specific digital tools in a way to develop their innovative and strategic programs. For example : the use of twitter, facebook, to stay in touch with their clients, and contribute to the client's loyalty.

What are the components of Digital IQ? 

The components of Digital IQ are :
websites (customer service, loyalty prices, interactive services...),
social media (keeping the clients in touch of their companies news via newsletters, or emailing, promote special informations..) and
digital marketing (blogs, special websites that can promote their image : trip advisor for example...)

Class Exercise - Wednesday 12th

Joie de Vivre hotels from mleclerc2012

Assignment for Session 2

Hotel booking opportunities from maevadupont3

Google Hotel Finder (Weekly article n°1)

A new actor appears on the web: no more and no less that the expected Google. It has the potential to revolutionize the series of hotel distribution and influence the other interpreters to redefine their role.

The hotel search engine proposed by Google is now available in French. Launched in August, 2011, Google Hotel Finder gradually spread the number of available hotels and the languages in which it was proposed to the Internet users. This engine of hotels proposes a géolocalisée research, pictures as well. The latter are extracted from Google Places, from travel guides acquired by Google these last two years as Zagat or Frommers, but also from sites of hotel reservation as Booking.com or TripAdvisor.

Will the general public accept it? Will it alter the development of the argument or it will limit itself to a small unimportant role?

(source : http://hospitality-on.com/Google-Hotel-Finder-deploye )

Assignment Session 1

Hotel tonight presentation from JAMBA2A