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Hotel Tech Heads to the Lobby in Digital Marketing This Week
This week we’re investigating how hotels are integrating technology into hotel lobbies and public spaces.

While much of the recent innovation has occurred in guest rooms, an increasing number of hotel chains are embracing technology to help make their properties’ public spaces more user-friendly. Services like mobile beacons that assist with guest navigation, and even robots in some cases, are seeing increased adoption. Will such improvements simply serve to generate news headlines? Or will the technology lead to increased room bookings and guest satisfaction? Read on below for all this week’s top digital marketing and technology news.

In-Room Hotel Tech Heads to the Lobby
Lots of hotels have already invested in new technology systems like smartphone room entry and messaging systems that help improve the in-room guest experience. Now an increasing number of hoteliers are turning to technology to help upgrade their properties’ public spaces as well. Among the solutions getting more attention are beacons that help guests navigate large convention spaces, robots that interact with guests, more accessible power outlets and more interactive signage for meetings and events.

Conde Nast Traveler Partners with Skyscanner on New Flight Search Tool
Travel media websites often play an important role in travelers’ inspiration and decision-making. Yet because of a variety of analytics and measurement challenges, it’s often difficult to connect the dots between these sources of inspiration and an eventual purchase. It’s with this in mind that Conde Nast Traveler is deploying a new flight search tool, powered by metasearch company Skyscanner, on its website. The move is likely to help Conde Nast earn referral revenue from flight bookings and better compete for ad dollars from performance-driven advertisers.

Hilton Doubles Down on Mobile in New Marketing Initiative
Hilton Hotels is going all in on mobile in 2016, launching a series of new mobile-focused marketing initiatives to try and cater to growing traveler use of mobile devices. Among the campaign tactics Hilton is launching are national TV spot encouraging customers to book direct using the chain’s branded mobile app, a variety of new mobile-centric hotel features like keyless room entry and room selection, and a mobile-focused social media contest targeting millennials.

Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau Looks for New Agency Partner
Miami’s Convention & Visitors Bureau is on the hunt for a new advertising partner to help the city reinforce its position as a year-round international travel destination. The new agency will handle a variety of marketing responsibilities for the group, including creative, media planning, mobile-optimized website design, social media, analytics and omni-channel marketing. The search also includes a request for a web-development partner to work on the brand’s various websites and apps.

Cornell Hospitality Study Emphasizes Importance Analyzing Guest Feedback
Many hotel owners will admit they are maniacally focused on their properties’ guest ratings on sites like TripAdvisor. But according to recent research from Cornell’s School of Hospitality Management, focusing only on star ratings can mask larger guest concerns with a property. According to Cornell’s analysis, hoteliers need to focus on the text analytics in guest comments, and not just their star rating, in order to truly address key traveler issues.

The Challenges of the Travel Industry Social Media Manager
As anyone who handles daily social media for an airline or cruise company will attest, working as a social media manager in the travel industry can be a slog. As a recent post from an industry veteran confirms, those who are considering the job should set expectations that the position often involves dealing with cranky customers, managing hard-to-please influencers and relatively little opportunity to travel on the company’s dime.
reference:
Skift. (2016, February 18). Hotel Tech Heads to the Lobby in Digital Marketing This Week. Retrieved September 19, 2016, from https://skift.com/2016/02/19/hotel-tech-heads-to-the-lobby-in-digital-marketing-this-week/

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The Living Room Concept
Calgary Marriott Downtown

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The Living Room Concept

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The Living Room Concept
Aloft University Hotel Calgary

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unique design

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On any given night in a city near you, a crew of well heeled 30-something’s make their way to their nearest hotel lobby. They hop between luxury hotels and boutique hotels, uptown and downtown, seeking a scene to fit their mood. Designers agree that the reappearance of the Lobby as a destination is beginning to reach a fevered pitch. It's offical: lobby hopping has become the new bar hopping. To make it even more official they've been given a pet name: the "lobbyists".

75 years ago lobbies were the social core of any hotel. In a post WW2 world, the glamour faded from the lobby scene and what was left wasn’t pretty (imagine weary business travelers and tourists waiting for their luggage). Today, these hotel hubs are enjoying a revival for those traveling for work and seeking play.

The ability for the hotel lobby to act as a chameleon is the key to this trend. You can find what you want almost as fast as Uber can get you there. It’s all about instant gratification. Flexible, customizable arrangements include pods, cubbies, nooks and other types of small scale architecture that create semi-private seating or an amazing space for large groups. Everything from F&B outlets to interactive media drive the lobby scene and create interesting, memorable experiences. EDG has some experience in designing mind blowing lobbies. From technology hotspots to food and beverage to a cozy nooks to simply relax, Jason Dries-Daffner architect at EDG, shares his favorite trends in lobby design:

1. It’s a Living Room… just not your living room:  For a casual night of pure relaxation, the Living Room lobby provides informal, residential nature lounge seating and groupings offering a relaxed place to hang out solo, or with business colleagues and friends. In a smaller property, the Living Room might be the whole Lobby experience. In a larger property the Living Room is often one social zone among several, including other residential elements such as the Kitchen or the Library.

2. Lead us to the kitchen: Where does everyone hang out at a dinner party? In the kitchen of course. The kitchen is the center of activity with its seductive sights, sounds and scents. A trend is emerging to feed the guest’s need for both a casual space and food. A larger property can take advantage of a Kitchen experience with culinary action stations. In addition to serving the Lounge, a great Lobby usually has a café and bar, grab- and-go and full service meal service. Food and beverage offerings are a critical component of the successful contemporary Lobby. A strong F&B program encourages guests to come to Lobby, stay for awhile and return again. Elements of such a program might include:  offerings tailored to time of day, grab-and-go markets, signature dishes and drinks.

3. Hanging out in the neighborhood: Like a piazza or town square, this style of Lobby comes to life with a mix of circulation and a variety of spaces and options. Similar to a neighborhood hub, the Lobby is not just a place to go through; it is the destination in itself. Groups may occupy the center lounge while solo guests might find respite in a sidewalk café style seat along the periphery. The neighborhood lobby could come to life quietly in the early morning, growing in energy and activity through the day and into the evening, and finally tapering down to start the cycle over again.

4. A space for the Tech Savvy: In some respects, technology is driving the current renaissance of the Lobby as a destination. Mobile technology frees guests from having to plug into a wall in their guestroom or office. The blurred lines between the social and business use of technology has created a demand for more spaces where the traveler can both work and socialize. Some elements of technology that support a popular Lobby: Wi-Fi, charging outlets distributed generously and conveniently where guests want to sit, interactive screens and tables with site specific customized content, self-check-in kiosks and boarding pass printing stations.

References:
On Trend - Welcome to the lobby revival (2016) Retrieved on 2016, September 9th from http://edgdesign.com/hangar7/all/63

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Based on the Hotel New Now Website, the trends for the lobby in 2017 will move from the traditional hotel setting to more modern. The website predicts two primary changing next year, which are:

1.     Changing up lobbies and public spaces
The design leader of the hotel predicts that they will be removing the formal check in desk and design more on public social spaces that will be the primary focus throughout the hotel industry. The major theme of the conception will be trying to break down the barrier between the guest and the team member. Moreover, Stephanie Tyler, the President of International Design Concept, predict that there will be no more standing check-in counter in the lobby, but it will rather be a comfortable sofa seating for the team member and the guest as well as the iPad technology as their tool. They believe that by doing sit down setting the guest feel more relax, and the team gets to know better about the guest, and they can give personalized touch during the check in (Hess, 2016).

2.     Indoor/outdoor space, culture-centered design
Based on Hughes Whyman, President of Match Line Design Hotel Group, the client will be more focusing on culture-centric design. Because the guest would like to see a melt of different culture that mixes as a combination. Moreover, MacDougall said that ”Bohemian Simplicity” will also be a hot theme for a hotel in the budget sector, where they will give high-touch furnishing but with simple environmental finishing. The idea is to create more pragmatic and simple ambiance for the hotel to look beautiful and relevant without spending so much money (Hess, 2016).

References:
Hess, D. (2016). HNN. Hotelnewsnow.com. Retrieved 7 September 2016, from http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/63309/Design-trends-How-hotels-will-look-in-2017

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3 Front Lobby Trends and How You Can Implement Them

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3 Front Lobby Trends and How You Can Implement Them

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"The front lobby serves as your first impression, waiting area, and window to the world. The experience that your clients have in your front lobby will determine if they come back again, and participating in the latest front lobby trends will only help your case.

Here are three of the cutting edge design trends from top businesses around the world and how you can easily implement them into your facility.

Easily Reconfigured Spaces

This trend comes from the medical industry and is based in the need to stay ahead of constantly changing conditions in the field of health care. Large health care providers are almost required to make a huge renovation to their lobby area every few years, and done in the traditional fashion, this can be quite a costly endeavor.

Some of the same trends that help to create modular exhibition stands for mobile transfer are used in stationary lobbies now in order to avoid all of the dust and noise that come from a change in landscape. Architecture firms now provide mockups of construction that can add or subtract internal rooms from the waiting area easily. The benefit to your business outside of the medical industry is the perception of always being on the cutting edge – a great look for tech companies, especially.

Mobile Check-In

If you can get rid of the annoying paperwork that usually comes with a front lobby visit, do so. Mobile check-in technology allows hotel guests and dental patients alike to sign in before they ever hit the front door, meaning that they can actually enjoy their time in the lobby area rather than filling out paperwork. Clients simply swipe a key card that is loaded with the pertinent information upon reaching the lobby, and the rest of their time is spent getting coffee, reading magazines, and otherwise relaxing.

Alternatively, you can have staff that is armed with digital technology such as an iPad that can facilitate the speed with which the check-in process takes place. All of the confusing paperwork is now replaced by an easy sign-in system that prompts the user for the right information rather than the client having to search for it in the middle of useless text. The result is a much easier check-in process that leaves your client feeling more taken care of and relaxed in the lobby area.

Lobby as Social Space

This is an especially great technique for professional offices that have been thinking in this direction anyway. Pediatricians and children’s dentists have always wanted to create a social space as a lobby, but have never gone into the practice full bore. The trend is now here, and holding back today actually means that you may lose clients.

A Wi-Fi enabled lobby with lounge seating and a pod for the kids to play around in is now essential. You may have to expand the lobby space slightly for certain features, but there are many that can fit into your lobby today. A sectioned off sandbox with Legos, the latest plush cartoon toys, or digital devices with apps are great ways to give kids plenty to socialize around without needing a ton of extra space. One savvy dentist even invested in making his lobby an official Pokemon Go stop for children."

References:
"3 Lobby Trends" (2016, August, 24) Retrieved on 2016, September 6th from
http://tractionguest.com/3-front-lobby-trends-can-implement/

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The lobby as a social space for work and play

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The lobby as a social space for work and play

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Hospitality brands are reinventing their communal spaces and lobbies to accommodate a range of activities centered around work, relaxation and play. A hotel’s front desk, concierge stand, business center, restaurant, lobby, and lounge have typically been treated as distinct spaces. Increasingly, hotels are moving toward a more integrated lobby model that addresses all of these needs, offering a comfortable, convenient space in which to congregate, enjoy food and drink, socialize and conduct business. The multi-use lobby is typically Wi-Fi-enabled and features a mixture of furniture types and spatial configurations—lounge seating for relaxation, semi-private pods for meetings and social gatherings, and work stations with charging capabilities. We’re seeing hotels use technology to encourage guests to spend more time in the lobby, too. The Wyndham Hotel Group’s Tryp Hotel in New York, for instance, connects hotel guests through the LobbyFriend app, a virtual tool that, in addition to functioning as a digital concierge, promotes networking and new social encounters. Virgin Hotels hosts a nightly social hour in its Commons Club, a hybrid bar, lounge, restaurant, and study; and other brands are looking at the lobby as a venue for cultural programming, from live music and DJs to art gallery shows.

Reference:
Pratt, M. (2015). Five trends are shaping today’s hospitality industry | VOA Blog. VOA Blog. Retrieved September 6, 2016, from http://www.voa.com/blog/five-trends-shaping-todays-hospitality-industry/