Tripadvisor’s New Program, The Invisible Check In, Money Still Available from Paycheck Protection Program

Tripadvisor has a following. These folks trust TA to help with all their vacation needs. So Tripadvisor is rolling out the concept of “the considered trip.”

CEO Steve Kaufer says this means they will “piece it all together: the hotel, the experiences, the dining, and the shopping.”

How can you make sure your inn is included in Tripadvisor’s “considered trip” formula?

• Make sure your listing follows new Tripadvisor standards by ensuring complete and accurate information. Tripadvisor plans to part ways with products that fall below their standards.
• Post at least 6 quality photos included with your listing.
• Provide superior service so you get ratings of 4 or higher. NO PROBLEM FOR MOST OF YOU
• Keep asking guests to write a review on Tripadvisor. 15 or more reviews will get you higher ratings in the new standards.
• Allow Tripadvisor to connect to your reservation system so that guests can instantly confirm their reservation through the site.

More information about Product Quality Standards can be found here.

 

Invisible Check-In Might Just Be Too Invisible

The Winston, a 14-room inn in a town near Santa Barbara, just opened July 1. Their invisible might not really work for your brand of warm-hearted hospitality but there may be elements you can adapt. Here’s how they do “invisible”.

“Upon arriving, guests receive an email with a code for the entry door and one for their room. There is no front desk.

“There’s no one that you’re having to stand in line with, talk to, check-in, hand over a credit card, go through that whole rigamarole where you’ve got 10 people in line behind you. We handle all of that in advance,” said Mr. Bernard.

There’s no staff that guests would necessarily see during their stay.

Here’s their web page lingo: Invisible Service and Our Hands-Off Approach to Hospitality

“We’ve found that the best way to help our guests get the most out of their trip is to simply get out of their way. So rather than a standard check-in process, we provide unique access codes. Rather than a loud, public lobby bar, we stock a private, guest-only honor bar. And rather than a buffet brunch, we offer a knock-and-drop breakfast in bed. At The Winston, we’ve engineered our Invisible Service to provide the luxuries that make your stay extraordinary and the privacy that makes it your own.

“We have a host that’s there cleaning rooms and doing the morning breakfast service and keeping up the public areas, so you feel that there’s a very high level of service and attention to detail that’s been put into place but you may never actually see somebody doing it,” said Mr. Bernard.

 

Money Is Still Available in the Paycheck Protection Program

• Application period extended until August 8.
• $130 billion is still available.
• The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) supports a proposal for The Reviving the Economy Sustainably Towards a Recovery in the Twenty-twenty (RESTART) Act. This act will focus on businesses that have lost 50% or more of their revenue.
• Chip Rogers, AHLA President and CEO suggests that the hospitality industry provide a united front.

 

What Innkeepers Said Last Week

Innkeeper’s New Lease On Life Operating Without Breakfast – “About a month ago, I was considering getting out of the business.  I realized I hated doing breakfasts…it was interfering with “grandmother” time. So I gave up breakfasts completely” a few weeks ago, and have been doing “longer stays” and I’m BACK IN THE GAME!!  Giving up the breakfast portion has been a game changer. I’m refreshed and gung ho!”

Booked Solid – “We are swamped and are booked solid.” Midwest inn.

For Sale Strategy – “We are up for sale. Will you help us write a newsletter to pitch our for sale status to our past guests?”

 

StarGazing – Promote Your Dark Skys

Most of your guest from the city don’t get to see a lot of sky. Light pollution washes out their view of most stars. They need to find a place out in the country and that could beyou.

We are all getting closer to nature these days and sky gazing could satisfy a need. Just add a little comfort such as comfortable chaises, hot drinks, desanitized binoculars (10×50 binoculars ) are a good stat.

 

Many Inns Across the Country Are Full, Short-Term Rentals Say They Have a 20% Increase & RV Rentals Are UP 1600

Looks like travel is on!. Airbnb says that the “end of May to early June, we have the same number of bookings as the year before, without any marketing.” An analysis by AirDNA points to the following possible reasons for this Airbnb uptick:

• A travel campaign that encourages people to stay more local for their getaways.
• Short-term rentals tend to be more isolated.
• Airbnb rentals offer more space than a hotel.
• These rentals can be completed contact free with no check-ins to a front desk.

 

Inns Must Work Overtime to Promote Safety

Travelers and guests are looking for places to stay that they can trust with their health and safety.

You’ve got to highlight all the ways you are a safe property.  Smaller inns can use their size to be nimble in their response to this need. Hotel News Now recommends that you promote things that incorporate CDC and AHLA guidelines.

Search and recommend contactless perks

• Corporate travelers will only stay in places that can assure health and safety. Smaller inns can use their size to be nimble in their response to this need.
• Look for ways to provide contactless hospitality perks.

 

Travelers Trust Hotels Over Airbnb But They Are Booking a Lot of Airbnb Houses

Leisure travel has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic but there is good news on the horizon. Here are a few promising statistics from a survey by the American Hotel & Lodging Association and Morning Consult:

• 44% of Americans still plan to take a trip this year. 59% of that group plans to travel before the end of summer.
• 39% of that group plans to stay in a hotel while only 9% plan to reserve accommodations through Airbnb or VRBO.
• Rigorous cleaning protocols seem to be the reasoning for people choosing hotels over short-term rentals.
• According to Amadeus, a travel technology provider, beach towns and smaller markets are seeing the quickest increase.
• Most people seem to be scheduling long weekend getaways within driving distance of their homes.
• This is the time to advertise your safety and cleanliness procedures. As an established business, you can attract travelers to your inn.

 

Quick Links