Hotel News for January
January 23rd 2016
Hotel News, Trends, Industry Statistics, & Tips
This weeks blog is an accumulation of the top articles scattered throughout the internet. Get perspective and insight from various writers and news sources as we wrap up another productive week at National Hospitality! We recommend customers and readers on the East Coast, pull up a chair next to the fire, and indulge in some reading instead of shoveling snow!1) U.S Hotel Industry Statistics for 2015
STR, Inc has all the essential hotel market data and analytics to keep hotels informed and up to date. Overall, 2015 was an improvement from 2014 as occupancy, revenue per room (revpar), and average daily rate (ADR) all increased. Amanda Hite, STR's President and COO states, "With the number of rooms sold nearing 1.2 billion, all-time highs were recorded across the key performance indicators. And while we expect demand growth to slow, we are forecasting another record for the industry in 2016." Read full article here2) Five Industry Trends to Tackle in 2016
Navis, an award winning hospitality technology company has announced five trends that help hoteliers gain access to what actions they need to be performing in 2016 to remain competitive. If converting more reservations, capturing more leads, optimizing online and offline marketing, and increasing revenues is something your hotel is seeking, check out how Navis can be your solution. Read full article here [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6zUDaU-z4Q]3) Six Legislative Issues on the Radar for Hotels
David Ogul, from Hotel News Now, writes about several pending legislative decisions that could influence the hospitality industry in 2016. What sort of legal decisions are we talking about here?- Minimum wage for hotels with 300+ rooms in Los Angeles = $15.37 per hour
- If Texas proposal passes, business owners relieved from minor ADA compliance issues that have been very costly
- Defining those employed by franchises as employees of the brand, increasing liability for all small business owners
- Holding online-rental and illegal hotel businesses responsible (reports show 75% of Airbnb rentals in NYC were found to be illegal)
- H-2B visa program that allows U.S. employers to employ foreign nationals to fill seasonal non-agricultural jobs.
- Congress is on track to change rules for developers raising capital in EB-5 visa program for foreigners
4) Five Ways to Market Your Hotel to Millennials
Consumer Barometer with Google, is a tool to help you understand how people use the internet across the world. As millennials grow up and enter the traveling market, make sure your hotel marketing strategy attracts them. 90% of Millennials (16-34) go online everyday! Taylor Smariga, a content marketing executive for Network Affinity, provides a guideline for hotels to checkoff.- Do you have a presence online?
- Are you using SEO to bring in more consumer traffic?
- Does your hotel have one click mobile booking?
- 65% of consumers use video when thinking about taking a trip.
- Social Media is important to display visuals in Instagram, updates in Twitter, and Reviews on Facebook.
5) How Online Reviews Changed the Hotel Industry
A powerful infographic produced by Nerval, shows the importance of online reviews. Here are three statistics you'll want to pay attention to:- 95% of travelers trust reviews
- 85% of travelers read up to 10 reviews
- 87% of travelers believe an appropriate response to a bad review improves the impression of the hotel
Closing Remarks
We hope you enjoyed reading about the latest news, statistics, trends, and tips that are emerging early in 2016! We appreciate all the gifted writers and websites that provide the industry with important, relevant information. Hospitality sources used: