Hotel Bookings Boost

Your rooms are full.Your team is maxed out.And let’s be honest, you may be thinking you can take your foot off the gas. It’s peak season, and everything is in motion. That’s when the voice creeps in: “Let’s just get through the summer first.” “We’ll deal with fall offers later.” “Christmas campaigns can wait.” “We’ve worked hard to get booked. Let’s ease up a bit.” But here’s the problem:Momentum doesn’t maintain itself.And full rooms don’t always mean full profit. The Temptation to Coast...

Remember the OTA days of old? When Expedia and Booking.com flooded the market with ads: “Best price guarantee” “Compare hundreds of hotels instantly” “One-stop shop for your perfect stay” And they trained customers around the world to believe they had the best deals and the best hotels. For a long time, that worked. But the game has changed. Fewer travelers are starting their search on Google or OTA apps. They’re using AI tools like ChatGPT to ask questions such as: “What’s the best ski-in...

You’re texting a friend:“Hey, where should I stay in Chicago?” They send a few suggestions.You smile politely… but then you open ChatGPT or Google AI and ask the same question. The AI answer feels smarter.More complete.More… trustworthy. Is this true for you?You’re not alone. The Stat That Stopped Me Cold 43% of travelers who use AI book the hotel that their AI tool suggests without doing any more research. Let that sink in. Nearly half of travelers using AI for planning choose the first...

Picture this. It’s date night.Instead of making a reservation, you're taking a spontaneous summer evening stroll down Main Street looking for a dinner spot. You stand in front of two restaurants. One has a bright chalkboard on the sidewalk featuring tonight's specials, a classic cocktail, and a local band starting at 8 pm.There’s music drifting out the door and a server welcoming diners. The other?A dusty window. A faded menu taped to the glass.No updates. No personality. No sign that...

Have you ever heard "email marketing is dead.""No one reads emails anymore.""It’s all about Instagram, TikTok, and whatever comes next." But let me ask you this: Do you have an email address linked to your: Instagram account? Facebook? YouTube? Amazon? Netflix? Yeah. You do. So does your guest.Email isn’t dead - it’s central. So why do hoteliers think email marketing is dead? Here is a list of pretty compelling reasons why many think this. Overload of bad emails. If your inbox is full of...

I remember what it felt like to be the GM of a stand-alone independent hotel.A big part of me - proud. A little part of me - pessimistic. Proud of our service, our people, and what we had built without a brand name on the front door.But there was always that low hum of doubt…Was it even possible to compete with the big operators and OTAs? Other hotels had corporate marketing teams or belonged to brand collections.I had… a front desk manager who also ran revenue management and social. I leaned...

You sit down at your desk. Coffee in hand. Your browser is open to the usual suspects - TripAdvisor, Google, Expedia, and Booking.com. Your hotel reviews are waiting.....again. You groan. Skim a few. Try to think of something original to say.Or, maybe you copy and paste the classic: “Thanks for your feedback. Our team reviews these comments and is dedicated to improvement.” Another week, another round. At this point, reviews have become another item on your endless to-do list.Something to get...

Hey Reader, Years ago, in my twenties, I got into the habit of paying only the minimum on my credit card.It felt manageable.I was “on top of it.”But over time, that small balance grew into a big one.Ugh! I hadn’t gone on a shopping spree.I hadn’t done anything reckless. But defaulting to the easy choice month after month, I ended up paying a lot more than I realized.Outsourcing your hotel bookings to online travel agencies (OTAs) is similar. It doesn’t feel dangerous.It feels easy and...

Raise your hand if this hits home. You boosted your Google Ads and amped up social media.You're checking your analytics and scratching your head.Traffic is down.Bookings are flat.And now you're wondering…What the heck is going on? “Is it just me?” Nope.You're just using last year's map for this year's maze. Here’s what no one wants to say (but you’re probably dying to hear): More hustle and dollar bills spent doesn't mean more bookings.Marketing has changed—and no one handed you the new...

You’re standing at the front desk; the phone is ringing, staff is asking questions, and a guest is waving their room key. Meanwhile, your inbox is full of deadlines.You finally carve out time to look at your marketing efforts.You’re proud of how much your team is doing.- Instagram’s active.- Emails are going out.- You’ve even tested a few new campaigns. But when the revenue report comes in…It hits you. You’re doing all the things—but bookings aren’t growing like they should.Worse, your cost...