*Upshot*: Facebook is *NOT* the #1 way you engage with guests. Organic Google Search is. The fact that our industry does not understand this means a heads up for some of us…. & a whole bunch of pain for everyone else down the road.
What if independent hotels put a splash page like this on their website? = Book directly with a hotel, and not with Expedia. Here’s why.
OTA’s were a stopgap solution when the non-tech hotel industry was being left behind during the early days of online distribution. Now, distribution has changed, and continues to change in rapid and meaningful ways. OTA’s aren’t as necessary anymore.
Amazon just moved into Travel Distribution, & quietly sets up Amazon Local
Here’s something interesting…. and for my money, you might want to start focusing on Google vs Amazon in Travel, as the past fades away. I understand that Amazon Local is angled as a coupon site right
RoomKey.com, OTA’s, Online Distribution, Google, and the changing landscape of online travel
And here comes RoomKey… filling an empty space that the OTA’s have bungled. Here’s an article on Room Key, the hotel brand search engine. Upshot (summary via TNOOZ): Choice Hotels International, Hilton