Tech Talk

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Definitely Doug 12/8/23: Top 5 Hotel Technology Trends from 2023
Posted: 12/08/2023

Technology in the hotel industry does not change quickly. Every year, we see a few new ideas emerge. Some turn out to be fads and never get much traction. Many others get a fair amount of adoption, but only within certain niche markets. Only a few really start to take hold. Today I will assess which of the new technologies that have emerged in recent years are likely to be in this last (and most important) category, recognizing that they can still take years (often decades) to work their way through the industry.

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Definitely Doug 11/17/23: The Hotel TV Dilemma
Posted: 11/17/2023

In case you missed the memo, people no longer watch television the way that they did ten years ago. Not at home, and not at hotels. Nielsen reported that streaming services cornered 34.8% of TV screen time in July 2022, when they overtook cable for the first time.

Property management systems (PMSs) fundamentally have changed very little since the 1980s. And many hotels still use systems that were built in the eighties, nineties, or aughts. Since then, massive technology changes have occurred: the mobile revolution, cloud computing, distributed ledgers, AI-based large language models, Web 3.0, and other innovations have fundamentally changed both the technological capabilities of software, the way it is designed and built, and expectations for user experience.

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Definitely Doug 10/20/23: Gluing It All Together
Posted: 10/20/2023

Hardly a day goes by that hotels do not express frustration about the inability to tie together key data sources and technology systems. This is not a new problem; it has been around for decades. Progress has been made on many fronts to be sure, but digitalization has created new issues much faster than solutions.

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What’s the Buzz Among Today’s Hoteliers?
Posted: 10/17/2023

What’s on the minds of hoteliers? What’s keeping them up at night? And what makes travelers happy and eager to return? Some of the best places to have these candid discussions are at the industry’s conferences and events, and this year’s lineup has not disappointed. From AAHOACON and BITAC, to HITEC and The Hospitality Show, I’ve been traveling steadily, attending 13 events since January.

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What Helps Hotel Websites Have the Best Visiting Experience?

03/06/2015

by Nimesh Dinubhai

It is true that reviews on TripAdvisor, OTAs and social media play a role in helping leisure travelers make a purchase decision, but a large majority of these travelers still visit the hotel website to learn more about the hotel they are going to book. This means it is important to design a convincing and effective website, but exactly what do hotel website visitors want to see in a website? Do you really understand what makes the difference between bouncing and booking for visitors to your hotel website? If you ensure that your website has the following elements it will work just fine.

1. They want to see hotel insider pictures: The statistics show that hotel websites with over 100 photos may increase the likelihood of booking enquiries by 238 percent compared with hotels that have no photos on their websites. Be sure to add clear descriptions of each room along with high quality photos of different areas in the rooms to help make it easier for your guests to create a perfect visual in their mind. Don't forget to share other insider pictures – show them what the breakfast area is like, or how the front porch looks. Consider the selling points of your hotel to find unique features to display. Always include consistent imaging from your hotel website through the booking process.

2. They want to see the hotel prices/tariff: Be as explicit as possible about your prices and tariff. You have to take guesswork out of the picture by clearly mentioning what you charge for different rooms and what is included in the package. Don't forget to mention if you charge per person or per room. Clarify if the guests will have to pay any reservation fee. Tell them if taxes are included in the price or not. Be sure to make your promotional offers as visible as possible. Creating discounts for longer stays, especially in the off-season, is a great way to maximize your revenue. Make it easy for groups to find tariff details about accommodations and specials for retreats, meetings and weddings.

3. They want to see an easy booking process: Even if you've drawn the customer in through photos, descriptions and prices, you may lose them if they find it difficult to complete the booking process. A complex and distracting booking engine will lead to confused and frustrated guests. A booking engine with simple grid display, coupled with a few click booking processes will enable visitors to book instantly. Make sure the booking engine displays important information about rooms. The booking engine should work seamlessly on mobile devices and should give your potential guests some info about additional services such as Wi-Fi, family rooms, airport pick-up and more.

4. They want to know about your location and what makes it special: Fill your guests in on your location and the logistics of getting to wherever they want to go. Explain what type of experience they will have in and around the area. What opportunities will await them when they leave your hotel in the morning? Write about your location in relation to all the fun things a traveler would want to enjoy in your area. This may include museums, restaurants, wineries, universities, golf courses, natural wonders, airports, conference centers and more. Visitors come for different reasons, so be sure to paint a picture of all things they could be doing while staying at your hotel.

5. They want to know about the best events in and around your location: You can entice your guests and even make them stay longer by including a calendar of activities on your hotel website. Tell them everything about shows, concerts, antique car shows, athletic events and anything else that you think your guests would want to know about. Help them decide exactly when they want to come to your hotel to enjoy certain events.

6. They want you to be approachable with quick contact details: Giving your guests easy access to your support department will help get more bookings. Be clear about your contact details – this gives credibility to your hotel website and allows people to contact you to clarify any confusions they may have about making a reservation.

Always bear in mind that several website design components have the potential to convert site lookers into room bookers. Your website is usually the first opportunity for a potential guest to learn about your property. Grab this engagement opportunity with both hands and be sure to take advantage of everything that would give your potential guests the best visiting experience.

About The Author

Nimesh Dinubhai
President
Websrefresh

Nimesh Dinubhai completed his studies in 2003 and launched Websrefresh to help businesses grow their ROI. He also owns two Arizona hotels, one of which earned the Historical Hotel Award in 2014.