What Are the Best Hotel Marketing Strategies?

Hotel marketing strategies can make a world of difference to the success rate of your hotel especially as it’s no secret that we are currently living in some very tough financial times, with powerful echoes across all industries.

Consequently, competition has become fiercer than ever, with only the best staying on top. The hotel industry is no exception and to face tough competition, you’ll need a powerful marketing department that can come up with the most effective hotel marketing strategies.

Nowadays, it is no longer enough to meet certain quality standards - you have to find all sorts of methods and strategies to set you apart from the competition.

First of all, at the basis of all hotel marketing strategies stands good, high quality advertisement. It makes sense, right? If you have the best facilities and pay attention to all the details but nobody knows about it - it’s all in vain.

It isn’t enough to rely on recommendations alone - you have to appeal to a wider segment and advertise your services.

Secondly, hotel marketing strategies need to be centered on the customer, in relation to the current lifestyle conditions. You can’t set impossible prices nowadays if everybody’s struggling financially. Come up with appealing options, discounts, special offers and other strategies that would be accessible to a wider segment of the population.

And since we live in the age of the Internet, don’t hesitate to take advantage of it. Banners across the country may have relatively good results, but they're nothing compared with the World Wide Web. Hotel marketing strategies applied to an online environment are bound to have far greater results, and the possibilities are basically endless.

Your online hotel marketing strategies must begin with a powerful website. Online hotel marketing strategies may target numerous niches on the Internet, but it all comes down to your website at the end of the day. Search for some great domain names, and keep your web design simple and clean. Offer comprehensive information, but make sure it is appealing to the visitors at the same time.

When a visitor leaves your site, you want him to be convinced that your hotel is a good choice.

Make sure that the website is always up to date with any changes – be it regarding the room rates, special offers, holiday packages, group discounts, or anything else. When somebody visits your website, he must find all the necessary information, and it must be accurate. If some offers displayed on the website are no longer available because the website hasn’t been updated, it will bring bad publicity. Also, allow comments, reviews and feedback and try to reply to all of them, whether positive or negative, and take them into consideration so you can improve your services.

Last but certainly not least, you should take advantage of social networks, which are ideal places for your online hotel marketing strategies. These networks bring together millions of people from all across the world, so your marketing strategies can reach a wide range of potential new customers.

The impact can really be impressive, and your hotel will become known world-wide. Post all your new offers and connect with as many people as possible. To further expand your online hotel marketing strategies, make sure that Google maps features you in its local business listings, and get listed with Wiki Travel, Trip Advisor, Yelp and Virtual Tourist.

Whether you use the Internet or not, your hotel marketing strategies must be original, powerful, and effective. In order to come up with the best strategies, take into consideration all factors, listen to customer complaints, respond to feedback and always try to improve your services.

Top Travel Search Engines

Everything is easier to find online, and it takes less time and far less effort to do so. So whether you are searching for a list of accommodation options or you want to find cheap flights - travel search engines are what you need.

Here is a list of the top travel search engines to make your job easier:

• Expedia is a long-standing travel search site, designed to help you find the prices on flights, hotels, car rental, vacation packages and many more
• Allcheckin is a travel search engine that targets the UK market
• AOL Pinpoint Travel searches a wide range of online travel agencies and travel provider sites, and includes major hotel chains, airlines and even some low-fare airlines
• IgoUgo is an online travel community offering a searchable vertical database of travel reviews owned by Sabre, the parent company of Travelocity
• Kayak allows you to choose the best price when shopping for air fares, hotel rooms and car rentals from a wide range of vendors
• Orbitz helps you book or compare prices on flights, hotels, cars and more
• Travelocity is a popular search site that helps you choose the best price for hotels, flights, rental cars and more
• TripAdvisor is a travel search engine allowing you to locate reviews and information about destinations, and various promotions and packages on hotels & resorts

Finding information about thousands of events, promotions, discounts and so on can be really difficult sometimes - not to mention time consuming. A specialized searchable database can make it easy, and even fun!

Plan Your Dream Vacation with Holiday Search Engines

Holiday search engines have got to be one of the greatest tools available online. Planning a holiday requires time, patience and resources – and with the current economy, finding the best price is essential.

Sure, you could just get recommendations from your friends, family or acquaintances – but there’s no guarantee that their preferences match yours.

If you want to plan your dream vacation but don’t know where to start, then holiday search engines may be the perfect solution for you.

Because we live in the Internet age, finding anything at all is easier than ever. As long as you know what to look for, everything’s just a few clicks away. It saves time, money and spares you from exhausting searches and planning. Holiday search engines have huge databases, comprising thousands of great possibilities for memorable vacations.

Because you can’t keep track of everything that’s going on in the travel industry, holiday search engines can step in to assist you every step of the way. You can find the latest holiday deals, the best discounts, the most advantageous packages, and you can check availabilities once you find what you’re looking for, and book it online.

The great thing about holiday search engines is that it only takes a few minutes to find tons of great options, compare prices, read customer reviews, and find out the latest special offers. Whether you are planning a family trip, a summer vacation, a honeymoon or a few days’ escapade, holiday search engines will save you a lot of trouble and help you to plan it from A to Z!

There are numerous holiday search engines available on the Internet, and although each of them has its own features, affiliates and advantages, they all work on the same principle. You don’t have to know them by name, simply search for “holiday search engines” and an impressive list will load instantly. Don’t limit yourself to the first one you find, there are a number of excellent choices out there. Take your time to browse through several holiday search engines, so that you will have more options to choose from and will increase your chances of planning the perfect holiday.

Check out their latest deals and discounts, compare prices, services, reviews and so on. If you want, you can refine your search by several factors, such as location, budget, preferred airline or hotel, hotel ranking, and other. There are lots of great holiday packages (flight + hotel, for instance) with awesome destinations that are just waiting to be discovered.

Holiday search engines will provide you numerous possibilities, each more appealing than the next. Instead of spending valuable time going from one travel agency to another to compare offers and prices, you can do it from the comfort of your own home, in far less time. Once you’ve filled in the required fields with your preferences and requirements, within a few seconds the holiday search engine will provide you a list of options that match your search. It is more convenient, practical, and it can save you a lot of time and money.

Plan a Great Trip with the Best Hotel Search Engines

The best hotel search engines are probably going to be your most powerful allies when you are planning a trip. Instead of wasting valuable time asking around and looking for recommendations, you can spend just a few minutes online and perform a much more refined search.

The difference is huge, and you will find far more options by using the top hotel search engines.

Whether you are planning your dream vacation, honeymoon or even an important business trip, you will need accommodation. Even if it’s just for a few days, it must be a pleasant and relaxing environment that can make you feel like home. The best hotel search engines may be just what you need to find that perfect hotel.

Fortunately, we live in the age of the Internet, so finding something has never been easier. If in the past you had to perform exhausting searches to find a good place to spend your holiday, nowadays the perfect location is just one click away - with the help of the best hotel search engines.

If you are interested in a hotel, all you need to do is let the search engine do the job for you.

The best hotel search engines have hundreds of thousands of hotels in their database, from all across the world, and they are always up to date with all the latest room rates, availabilities, special offers or discounts.

With the best hotel search engines, you can easily find exactly what you need in just a few minutes. And even if you’re not so familiar with the Internet, search engines are very easy to work with. All you need to do is fill in the required fields, which are specifically designed to facilitate your search. Enter your desired destination, the period of your trip, the number of nights you will be spending at the hotel as well as the hotel ranking you prefer - and the best hotel search engines will do the rest.

Also, if you have more specific preferences, you can further refine your search and look for hotels in a specific district, for instance. Or, perhaps you have a favorite hotel and you just want to check the availability for that period. None of this is a problem, and the best hotel search engines will allow you to search by hotel name, and provide all the necessary information.

Another great feature is that you can find thousands of reviews for various hotels that sometimes can turn out to be really useful, especially when you’re having trouble deciding on which hotel to choose.

There are many such search engines, and although their features or designs vary, basically they all perform the same task. However, not all provide accurate results and in some cases even though the results are accurate, they are not the best available offers.

Not sure which are the best hotel search engines? Don’t worry - you’ll recognize them when you see them. Always use several hotel search engines when you start looking, so you can compare offers, deals and price quotes. Even if you perform the exact same search, with the exact same dates and details, the results may vary from site to site. The best hotel search engines are, obviously, the ones with the best results, the highest accuracy and the best deals.

How Does a Hotel Search Engine Work?

Whether you travel for business on a regular basis or you just want to find the best hotel deals for a memorable vacation, hotel search engines are specifically designed to help you in your quest.

Each has various criteria that you can use according to your preferences. For instance, if you want to stay at a particular hotel you can simply enter the name of the hotel and the dates you need accommodation for, and the website will display availability options and prices for that specific hotel.

If you want to find the best hotel deals but don’t have a specific hotel in mind, you can either enter the city that you want to stay in, or you can further narrow down your search by searching for hotels in a specific area, like hotels near the airport.

Moreover, you can search for a certain price range, for five star luxury hotels, for the most popular hotels, cheapest hotels, vacation packages, last minute reservations, extended stay, hotel brands, and so on. And once you find something you like, you can hit “add to favorites” so that you won’t have to spend time searching again.

Each hotel search engine or hotel comparison website lets you choose your accommodation preferences, whether you want a hotel, resort, motel, bed and breakfast, hostel, condo etc. Choose from anything between two-star to five star luxury hotels to find the best deals by star rating, search for hotels with shuttle services, swimming pools, business centers, pet-friendly hotels, disabled access, wireless Internet service, for smokers or non-smokers, you name it.

Basically, anything you want to find is just a few clicks away. In addition, you can look at photos to see what the rooms look like, and you can read unbiased hotel reviews from people who have already been there.

Also, many hotels provide tours to help you view all the necessities, so you can find out whether the hotel in question meets your requirements or not. Bottom line - if you are planning to take a trip, don’t wait until the last minute to book a hotel room. It’s best that you have everything arranged before you leave home, so once you hit the road you can just sit back and enjoy your trip.

Find the Best Hotel Deals and Cheap Flights with Travel Search Engines

Finding a list of accommodation options to choose the best price from is easier than you may think, because nowadays, in the age of the Internet, everything is more accessible than ever.

Now, there are numerous travel websites, specifically designed to:

• - Find the best hotel deals
• - Offer flight + hotel vacation packages
• - List the best hotels & resorts
• - Offer promotions and packages
• - Help you choose the best price
• - Make hotel reservations
• - Show availability and prices for various hotels, flights, bed and breakfast services
• - Find cheap flights
• - Hotel search
• - Book a hotel room
• - Find five star luxury hotels, boutique hotels for the best prices
• - And much, much more.

If you take the time to search such websites one by one, you are bound to have the best planned vacation ever - with the best prices for top services.

Travel search sites generally work on a US affiliate program, and are dedicated to find the best prices to match your search criteria. There are many such websites and they have gained increasingly more popularity due to the quality service they offer.

Among the most popular such websites are Expedia.com, Orbitz.com, Travelocity.com, Kayak.com and Priceline.com, but there are many others that can make your search easier.

The most beautiful Spas in the World

Sure, there are different reasons why we like spas. Is it their design, their location or their spa menu? However, these spas are my all-time favorites in the world.

The Hotel Marques de Riscal in Spain is really special to look at. The building has a unique design and the spa looks temptingly relaxing. Plus of course sunbathing in the Spanish sun always helps to relax.

If you love relaxing on a sunny Island in the south of Europe, we have discovered this lovely spa in Malta. If you are tired after a day of sightseeing on the Maltese island, you will feel completely recovered within a very short time.

One that has it all is the spa at the Dolder Grand Hotel in Zurich. With a location between the green and the city, it offers splendid views over Zurich, the lake and the Alps, and makes relaxing a very special adventure. Here you will be pampered and spoilt all day long with body rituals, make up and just everything you wish for. This is spa heaven! More about it, you find here.

If you need a break after the hustle and bustle of big city life, the Mandarin Oriental Spa in New York is the place to be. An oasis of peace and calmness in the middle of the Big Apple.

Not the one and only in Dubai, but certainly one of the greatest hotels is The Palm in Dubai. With its private Spa offers it’s the ideal place for romance and chilling after a hot day at the beach.

The Cypress Lakes Resort in the Australian Hunter Valley is a haven of tranquility and there is nothing better than enjoying their exclusive treatments after a long walk.

Hiking Tour South Africa

Salmonsdam Character Reserve, run by Cape Character, is a small nature reserve not even close to Stanford in the European Cape in South Africa. There are three hiking trails available.

The longest is a Mountain Trail through the foot of the Perdeberg mountain and at the pinnacle they say that there's a view over Walker Bay (that’s beyond doubt, as you can notice Walker Bay from virtually any point in the reserve), plus the country towns of Caledon as well as Bredasdorp. The second trail would be the 4km Ravine Trail by means of Keeromskloof and through tiny patches of indigenous woodland. The final trail would be the Waterfall Trail, 3km through thick fynbos into the falls and returning. All three trails have short links and paths. So, knowledgeable and fit hikers could possibly tackle all three in a day.

As a far too heavy 62 year old on the severe diet that includes no less than an hour’s walking or biokinetics every day, the logical thing to perform after 10 weeks on the regime was to do some hiking, so we set off one beautiful Saturday day to Salmonsdam.

We did perhaps the ravine trail but turned back where it brought together the mountain trail. The piece we did do was simple enough but the next phase seemed fairly difficult, although most likely not difficult at all pertaining to experienced hikers. The proven indisputable fact that Salmonsdam walking routes do not function highly on the hiking and also related sites verifies that assumption. I think if I might have a walking stick I might have gone further. So we'll be back at some phase.

There are very fundamental facilities at Salmonsdam Character Reserve for overnight camping including some small chalets. There is usually an ablution block and 10 outdoor camping sites. Perfect facilities for hiking tours in South Africa.

Around the South east edge on the reserve is a "mountain drive": which leads far up into your Perdeberg and meets up while using the Mountain trail. I was expecting to drive to the top in an ordinary motor vehicle (a Mercedes C- class) but apparently only 4X4 vehicles or simply even 4X2 LUV's is needed to reach the summit using any ease.

Flora and Fauna are varied, and the reserve is among a mountain catchment place. We spent an entire morning inside reserve and thoroughly enjoyed the event. It's often used as a training site for school children because of the catchment area is consequently easily visible. Baboons along with other small mammals are often seen in the reserve. We saw signs on the baboons feasting on recently opened Protea flowers, and flowers from a Protea which are flowers just below the surface.

Salmonsdam was named after Captain Robert Salmond involving HMS Birkenhead which sank just a few short miles from Salmonsdam on 26th February 1852. 450 sailors and soldiers lost their lives. From that historic tragic occasion came the now popular call of "Women and Children First' plus the "Birkenhed Drill"

Getting There

From Cape Town go to Hermanus on the N2 and R43 and then to Stanford on your R43. As you type in Stanford turn left onto the Caledon Road (R326). From your junction go 4. 4km soon you get to the "Elim, Papiesvlei," turnoff for a right. From this level on the highway are tiny rocks. The street condition is not good and caution needs to be worked out. Travel approximately 6km for this gravel road after which flip left with the Salmonsdam turnoff. Take a trip pertaining to approx 3. 5 km's. You will pass the entrance to your property called Beloftebos as well as 1. 5 km from there you will reach Salmonsdam Nature Arrange.