Really Lovely Weekend Here

Hope you're able to break away for a short while to enjoy it all.

When Jupiter Aligns with Mars

A rare alignment of the planets? Visible at dawn? What a great excuse for getting up in the wee wee hours of the morning.

Oh no, now I'm going to have to add one more cheesy old song to the one I'm already humming about peace and love and understanding.

Songs get out of my head now. Nope, didn't work. Still there.

Sounds like it's going to be worth it, though.

So go ahead and line up planets. I'm ready for you. Music and all.

It Just Has to Produce Revenue

Regular readers know that while I'm a huge fan of social media, I'm not a fan of wasted effort.

Case in point, Facebook. It's huge. Folks spend their lives on it, so to speak.

So what innkeeper wouldn't want to jump on that bandwagon?

The only problem is that when you actually look at the results the vast majority of innkeepers achieve from that time on Facebook, well, it's pretty dismal.

And the worst part? That's time taken away from marketing programs that are actually producing results.

What's the problem, as I see it?

Same ole same ole. Folks online have a very very limited attention span. You catch it now or you lose it. It's really that simple.

So it's great to give them a link to your site and all that but if no one is heading over there to book, what's the point?

Without direct booking via Facebook, I remain unconvinced that it is the most effective use of an innkeeper's time.

Enter the good folks from UK-based AvailPro who tell us that their Facebook booking engine is now up and working for over 200 hotels on Facebook.

I'll admit I have not worked with AvailPro myself so can't speak for its overall functionality although what I've seen looks good.

That said, I am not at all crazy about the $3 per booking expense. That may sound like small potatoes, but it adds up to substantially more than most small inns are paying now for their online reservations.

Will others jump on the bandwagon now that the water's been tested? Oh yes.

Will I jump on the bandwagon myself? The minute that bandwagon starts producing the revenue needed to justify the time and money spent on it, I'll be jumping backwards over myself to get aboard.

Disconnect

HotelChatter's annual report on the state of free WiFi in hotels is out and there are surprisingly few changes from last year.

Luxury brands still charge, for the most part. Budget brands don't. And yes, their reference to folks using budget hotels just for the free WiFi must strike a nerve with some luxe GMs.

But the question is, will it be enough to snap folks to attention and start giving guests what they want: a flat price for a room that includes the very basics. It's 2011 folks. WiFi is a basic now.

Which city is the best for free WiFi? Not surprisingly, Boston. Some innkeepers may be surprised to find that San Francisco remains on the list for worst, as so many of the luxe hotels still charge.

Will I pay for WiFi as a guest? Not on your life. Will I go somewhere else if the hotel of choice is charging? Oh yes.

Am I a typical traveler? In more ways than the big guys know how to count.

Are the luxe hotels being especially clever to nickle and dime high paying guests for basic services? Well, no, clever is not the word I'd choose.

The Thing About Those Discount Rates

You can love or hate the discounters, depending on your perspective.

But from a guest's perspective, there's one thing to keep in mind. If you're selling rooms on a discount site, they expect the rate to be, you know, discounted.

And when they find out that the discount rate they paid is really the rack rate?

Nobody's happy.

One Big Happy Family

And why not?

The world is their oyster, after all.

So Many Reasons To Rejoice

So little time.

Easter blessings to all.

Lavender Honey Cream

Yummm.

All of my favorite ingredients in one place make for one very Easter-y cocktail.

Oh and that organic botanical vodka? Deeelish, pure and simple. No substitutions, please.

H/T 7X7SF

Happy Earth Day

Hope your day includes some time to get outside and enjoy the spectacle that is our planet.

Love Your Life

After all, it's the most precious commodity any of us has.

And while you're at it, don't forget the magnificent planet that sustains us all.

Happy Earth Day Eve.

Fake Reviews Burn

The good folks at Tnooz have a guest post up that's all about what to do when you spot a fake review.

If only it were so easy with the gorilla in our midst.

And sadly the Tnooz post is more about what one travel review site does rather than what a traveler or innkeeper can do to address fake reviews.

As a frequent traveler myself, I rely on reviews to guide my journey and aid my selections. And since I know that some innkeepers do regularly post fake reviews, I have my own set of red flags to alert me when I think a review might be suspicious.

Yet despite my watchful eye, I still get burned every now and then.

Happened recently. Was in a hurry. Saw glowing reviews and just didn't take the time to look closer. It was only later that I realized they were all one-hit-wonders, which generally alert me to the possibility that the innkeeper may be trying to bury a bad review.

In this case, they were. Had a dreadful experience with the front desk. He was so abysmal I won't refer to him as an innkeeper. Truly awful.

When I relayed the information and the incident to the innkeeper at check-out, my treatment was dismissed with the "we've never had any complaints like that at all" refrain. To add insult to injury, when I went back to look at those reviews again, there it was. The exact same complaint from a traveler last summer. How does that never-happened-before dismissal feel now? Just as bad as it felt when it was tossed at me.

To make matters worse, I've yet to hear from the owner of the inn. Does he know? Does he care? Do I make an exception to my no-reviews-from-me rule and alert other travelers that this place has some serious issues when it comes to hospitality?

Most travelers won't have such a rule and won't hesitate. They'll just slam the inn. But if their complaint is buried under a pile of fake reviews will it matter?

Unverified reviews must always be looked at with a somewhat cautious eye. Verified reviews? Well, that's a great idea isn't it? Hard to bury those.

Travel review sites that don't verify are setting themselves up for a fall that their size won't quite be able to accommodate.

Just like the veiled reputation of the inns who thrive on deceit.

That game just can't last long.

The inn that burned me? Dreadfully slow that night. I'm guessing their returning guest rate is not all that good. But you'd never know that from quickly scanning their carefully manicured reviews.

No One Likes the Nickle and Diming Thing

It likely began in desperation. But now it's become the norm.

What's that? Those ridiculous never-ending fees at high-end hotels.

Now the big guys just don't know how to give them up and are convinced that they don't have to. After all, folks are paying them aren't they?

What do I think? I think the fees that are causing the high end hotels to suddenly have good revenue again will be the death of them.

Sure, guests will pay up.

Once.

After that? Well, small inns who provide full service without the fees will fill in the gap.

How long will it take business travelers to catch on? Not long.

How long will it take for the rip-off hoteliers to catch on? Too long for their own survival, I'm afraid. It's an old story and it never ends well.

Oh, but what a ride they're having now, no?

Everyone Loves Sustainability

They just don't really want to pay more for it.

At least that's the takeaway from the World Tourism Forum Lucerne 2011.

Sustainability is a great niche market. Good for the guests, good for the planet, good for the innkeeper. It's all good.

But as most innkeepers know, it doesn't have to mean spending more. In fact, a well managed sustainability plan can save money so savvy guests are right to expect a fair price.

What do guests hate? Well, it seems many guests hate the same thing that good innkeepers want to avoid: waste.

Keep those costs tight and guests will love you.

Wild Weekend Coming Up

Here in California, the winter's abundance of rain has laid the path for a perfect wildflower season.

We still have a wee bit of rain in the forecast here in the northern part of the state. But not enough to scare away any of our native wildlife who are now out in force as the spring grasses are just too tempting for them to ignore.

Don't let the showers scare you either.

It's a great weekend for wildlife viewing, wildflower gazing, and just generally connecting with nature. You're sure to discover something completely unexpected, totally wild, and brilliantly beautiful.

All you have to do is get out there and take a walk.

Go on. Try it.

Open to Smiles

SFO's very lovely and very green new terminal is now officially open.

Did someone say something about champagne?

And cupcakes? Who knew there were going to be cupcakes?

Not Your Daddy's Generation X

They're not so much technically savvy as technically attached. They're the future.

And for innkeepers who want to stay afloat in these challenging times, they're the market to target.

Of course, not in some sad waste of innkeeper money like a gas giveaway program that pretends to be hip (and fails big time).

No, they're too hyperexposed to ads to be lured in by bad gimmicks and sorry slogans.

Who are they? What will win them over?

A new study out by ICMPA looks in detail at what makes them tick. Timothy O'Neil-Dunne over at Tnooz breaks down the big takeaways.

Read it but don't weep.

Well, unless you were one of the suckers who contributed to that sorry gas campaign. Sorry but I just can't help you out there.

Except to remind you that pooled advertising resources are a fabulous idea but the devil is always in the details. More money pooled together for a foolish ad campaign just means more waste, not more bookings.

Next time, before you give, ask a few questions first. And insist on meaningful input.

And no, I don't think telling folks that you just can't please everyone is any substitution for lack of input.

Want some ideas for targeting the big market of young, hip, and technically-attached guests? Drop me an email. You know, that old fashioned thing that's soon to be a relic from the past.

Snapping Back

GBTA tells us that business travel is snapping back to pre-recession levels much more quickly than expected.

Okay, I'm not so sure I'd classify it as a snap myself.

But if their revised forecast for 2011 proves correct and we see an almost 7% increase in business travel?

Well, if that happens, I'll be the first in line to call that a snap.

I'll even throw in a little crackle and pop for good measure.

The Five Minute Billboard

A new study out by Cornell looks at the impact of OTAs (online travel agents), calling it a billboard effect that results in more exposure and more hits back on the hotel's own site.

Most interesting tidbit? The average amount of time travelers spend doing online research via OTAs. According to the study:

"On average, hotel consumers made twelve visits to an OTA's website, requested 7.5 pages per visit, and spent almost five minutes on each page before booking."

Five minutes per page. 7.5 pages per visit. 12 visits.

That's some serious research time.

It's Thoughtful, Green, and Lovely, Too

Virgin moves into new digs at SFO and you-know-who comes to town to kick the whole thing off.

Free WiFi, comfy spots to use a laptop throughout. LEED certified. Free water refill stations so folks can drop the horrid plastic bottles. Preferred parking for hybrids.

And the new terminal is its own eye candy to boot. What's not to like?

It's a Mystery to Me

Folks have been asking if I know the name of the buyer of the Chelsea which has apparently been sold for $80 million.

Nope. Don't have a clue.

Except that I'm fairly certain it wasn't Ian Schrager and don't think it was Andre Balazs either.

Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine.

Whoever it is and whatever their plans are for bringing the Chelsea to its full potential, they're keeping a tight lid on things.

For now.

Artists may have flocked to the Chelsea as a favorite hideout for decades now but there's one thing that's always been true. She has never kept secrets for long.

Strangers in a Strange Land

The NY Times wakes up to the rush by the fat cats to go boutique that's taking shape in urban America.

Most hilarious quote:

“People like things a little bit different, offbeat. And they make someone who may have a rather mundane life feel hip.”

Well, okay then.

Message to the guy who thinks it's okay to describe guests as having mundane lives: please stick to your day job. Not really cool or hip to assume guests are not.

Regular readers won't be surprised that I'm not a huge fan of the whole pretend boutique movement. Guests are moving away from chains. They want more ambiance, real personal service, and a unique experience. That's not easily cloned on any scale but the big guys are especially ill-suited to anything hip. After all, these are the guys that guests are trying to avoid for that very reason.

Can the fat cats really do it? They can fake it but I'm guessing that most guests are a lot more savvy than the travel analysts who so casually insult them.

I Vote Fairfax

One thing you can always count on in Marin County. The sheer number of rockstars who call these redwood forests and rolling hills home means that rumors often run rampant. Heck, the isolated small towns of West Marin often have rumors running rampant, rockstars or not. It's just the way things are in small towns and Marin is a wide-ranging collection of small towns.

Of course, when the rumors include plans for Phil Lesh (of the Grateful Dead) to open a barn-like venue for music, all Marinites perk up.

Will the space be the old Good Earth in Fairfax? Sure looks like it's a possibility and what a great use of that space. It would definitely get my vote.

And it would move my favorite small town up just one more notch in the coolness factor.