As the lodging industry grapples with Airbnb, TripAdvisor and other locally oriented services, major hotel brands are increasingly taking a back seat to the surrounding neighborhoods. “Our facility is no longer the destination,” said one hotel executive.
Andrew Kraemer's insight:
I've spoken in the past about the need to understand what makes your hotel unique versus your competitor. You need to find these features and benefits and use them in your messaging to potential customers. After reading this article, I would expand your search for finding unique aspects about your market or neighborhood that would further differentiate your hotel from your competitor. The article has some interesting statements:
"...travelers want to go home with memories and stories to tell their friends."
"For business travelers, “discovery” now ranks higher than “escape”... "
"...more chains are offering unique settings and stimulating local experiences."
Your customer can't tell a story about the breakfast you had at the Cracker Barrel. But they can talk about the diner, located 1/2 mile from the hotel that looked like it hasn't changed in 50 years; about their home-fries and how they were different from every other plate of home-fries you have ever had before; about the locals that they met while they were eating.
Now, for that to happen, the hotel must be ready to recommend it and have it listed as a local restaurant. The unique experience your customers will have there will help the positive image they have with you (and the review they post online) .