Navigating Competition: Multi-Location Hotel Insights

Fremont, CA: Emerging economies are driving an increasing demand for international tourism, positioning the travel industry as one of the most rapidly expanding sectors. As more individuals access increased wealth, the market conditions will remain robust. However, alongside this market expansion, competition is also intensifying.

Strategies for Maintaining a Competitive Edge as a Multi-Location Hotel 

Presented below are five marketing strategies tailored for multi-location hotels.

Ensuring Brand Consistency 

Achieving brand consistency can be challenging, particularly in a multi-location setting. Nevertheless, it is essential for a successful hotel marketing strategy. To maximize the effectiveness of your brand, it is important to provide a uniform brand experience across all online and offline platforms, both locally and globally.

What measures can you take to maintain consistency in your hotel brand? Appropriate tools can efficiently facilitate a cohesive international brand presentation. For example, specialized marketing software allows individual locations to easily create, manage, and order marketing materials that align with the hotel’s corporate identity.

Increasing Impact of Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) 

Historically, OTAs and hotels have coexisted without conflict. However, in recent years, the commission rates for bookings made through OTAs have increased significantly, adversely affecting hotels' profitability.

In addition to the financial implications, OTAs also restrict hotels' influence over guest decision-making. Monitoring these channels alone is insufficient. Prioritizing the increase in direct bookings should be a primary focus for all hotel marketing professionals.

Budgets 

Determining the funding source is one of the most challenging aspects of establishing hotel marketing campaigns across multiple locations. As a brand or marketing manager, you must persuade your branches of the significance of marketing for the overall organization. 

Collaborative investments yield collective outcomes. Studies indicate that hotels that allocate marketing expenses based on a percentage of sales through shared-spend co-op programs experience 20 percent greater growth compared to those that do not share costs. These co-op marketing initiatives necessitate long-term planning for marketing efforts and encourage local affiliates to participate actively. 

Traditional Marketing Strategies are Becoming Obsolete 

The marketing environment is evolving swiftly. Marketers need to assess the effectiveness of conventional marketing strategies to entice and engage potential customers. The more data available, the more strategic the approach can be. 

The growing interest in and understanding technology presents many opportunities for hotel marketers. This allows for experimentation with innovative digital marketing channels. Emphasize strategies that cater to individual preferences and adopt novel technologies, such as Virtual Reality (VR), 360° videos, chatbots, and Augmented Reality (AR).