A Rescue Plan for Independent Hotels
Great Hotels Organisation (GHO) a London-based luxury sales and marketing alliance representing some of the world’s finest independent hotels has announced that it is to launch a digital marketing agency. The Big Agency is due to be officially inaugurated at World Travel Market in November and will provide a complete solution for independent hoteliers to be competitive on and offline.
After 12 years of experience on their own website development and marketing solutions, GHO has expanded their services to offer their expertise in the form of the Big Agency to the independent hotelier.
The Big Agency will help independent luxury hotels improve visibility and achieve growing online sales, by offering tailored web strategies comprising website development, internet marketing and offline solutions.
Lilou Mace, Managing Director of the Big Agency comments “The recession might be coming, but the good news is that there is a solution for independent hotels that have not yet utilised all that the internet has to offer. Moving forward with innovative and comprehensive strategies at this period in time will help independent hotels to fully transform their sales plans and not only survive but move forward with their sales approaches. There is a tremendous opportunity for independent hotels to grow online.”
One of the two cornerstones of the Big Agency’s search engine marketing strategies is Pay Per Click (PPC). The Big Agency will help independent hotels create effective, structured PPC campaigns based on key phrases that the targeted audience will enter during their travel search. “A website alone is not enough”, states Mace, “You need to have a comprehensive Pay per Click strategy so you can be tactical. If you are not doing it, your competitors are and it’s likely that if you are not bidding on your hotel name, they are!”
The other cornerstone of the Big Agency’s Search Engine Marketing efforts is Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which focuses on natural search listings. The Big Agency will help hoteliers understand their website’s current search engine ranking and how to improve and optimize it. The website development team can also work with independent hoteliers to create an aesthetically appealing website which integrates web 2.0 features to encourage interaction between hoteliers and guests.
Online reservations are one of the most profitable and valuable booking options for independent luxury hotels. GHO and the Big Agency have developed their own hotel booking engine, G-Wiz. G-Wiz can be integrated into an existing website and help turn website visitors into bookings with a host of different features.
Social networking sites review management, email and newsletter campaign management, video presentation and long-term website linking strategies are also part of the Big Agency’s online services.
Off line services include the luxury directory design, custom magazines and printed marketing materials, such as brochures, flyers and stationery. These can be branded and distributed to consumers and specific segments. The offline marketing solutions complement the online tools to create a powerful sales tool for the independent hotelier.
The Big Agency and GHO will be exhibiting at World Travel Market, ExCel London
The Big Agency, G-rez stand number TT4095
GHO, stand number GV7650
To arrange a meeting please contact Richard Evans
e-Commerce Solutions Sales Manager
revans@ghorg.com +44 (0) 20 7380 3704
Great Hotels Organisation’s family of brands include Great Hotels of the World and Special Hotels of the World. By acknowledging that each hotel has a different set of marketing requirements, Great Hotels Organisation allows its member hotels to choose from a comprehensive collection of sales and marketing initiatives in order to build their own ‘à la carte’ membership programme tailored to meet their individual objectives. By doing this, members are able to choose and purchase only the services they require, thus ensuring that membership fees are kept to a minimum and are focused on their specific requirements. Sales and marketing initiatives that members are able to take advantage of include: trade shows, e-marketing, business travel consortia sales, public relations, a private label GDS chain code and sales blitzes. Membership of Great Hotels Organisation is by invitation only and hotels must meet strict criteria before being accepted. Great Hotels Organisation manages the “GW” private label GDS chain code and toll-free voice reservation numbers operate globally. Further information on Great Hotels Organisation can be found at www.ghorg.com.
