Are hotels missing the long tail?

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When I think back to all the great hotel stays I have had, whether a last minute weekend getaway or a two-week stint in the US, one key factor seems to influence whether I find the place ‘hot or distinctively not’. Word of mouth. Hotels recommended to me by friends, colleagues and family always seem to triumph over any other and I have come to trust the opinions of those who have had first-hand experience and can truly tell it how it is.

This got me thinking about hotel chains and their presence in the realm of social media. It’s true that there is no shortage of hotel recommendation sites and blogs about where to stay seem to jump out at you at every possible bend in the blogosphere road, but searching on Technorati, it surprised me how little a voice the actual hotel chains had in the world of web 2.0. I managed to explore through over ten pages of blogs using the key word ‘hotels’ without finding a single entry from an actual hotelier. Hotel chains seem to be missing the boat on this potential gem. Industry reports are raving about social media and its’ possibilities, yet only a mere few have done anything about it. Mintel reports and the World Travel Market both advise hoteliers not to ignore social media and the increasing use of technology amongst key customers, yet still the silence continues.

However, there are a few brave amongst the timid. Bill Marriott of Marriott hotels does in fact have a blog, and not only that, it’s pretty good too. His reminiscent posts detailing his past and present travels through the world of hotels, gives the group a touch of personality amongst the cold corporate face of large hoteliers. The blog by general manager of Canada’s Opus hotels is now required reading for students studying at San Francisco State University, in which he blogs not only about the hotel happenings but about his own life and experience as a hotel manager.

Another hotelier that’s breaking the mould is Starwood hotels (daddy to Meriden and Sheraton), who launched their Aloft hotel in second life before constructing the real building; the first hospitality company to open doors in the virtual world. This clever ploy allowed staff to observe how people would move through the building and enabled designers to choose and change the right colour schemes and furniture layouts as many times as they desired, hence saving both time and money. A blog also allowed Starwood to tap in to consumer’s opinions, where those who had experienced a virtual stay, could relay their thoughts and opinions on any aspect of the hotel.

Whilst the majority of hoteliers are relying on their customers to give them rave reviews, these guys are getting off their behinds and creating a word-of-mouth buzz for themselves and enabling more people to say more about their hotels. With all the possibilities and places that new media could take you, the social media express is a train that these companies do not want to miss.