Mobile is revolutionizing how - and where - consumers interact with travel destinations, but sites and apps optimized for mobile devices present a very different set of challenges to the PC web experience. Today's constantly-connected customer has high expectations of the mobile channel. Understanding context is essential to making the interaction a success, because demands vary according to circumstance: many business travelers want simple, fast transactions to solve an immediate problem, like booking a room for the night via smartphone. Leisure travelers enjoy the thrill of the chase and are seeking inspiration on their iPads READ MORE

As we always strive to offer cutting-edge technology for our guests at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, we recently partnered with a hi-tech company to install their Interactive Customer Experience (ICE) technology on iPad 2 devices in all 285 guest rooms and suites. From the privacy of an individual guest room or suites, guests can order in-room dining, make restaurant reservations, check in to a flight, request airport transportation, ask valet parking to retrieve their car, research Los Angeles' most well-known cultural and shopping destinations, place housekeeping requests, amenity requests, engineering, and so much more - all at the touch of a button. READ MORE

When considering mobile technologies, many hospitality managers are not convinced of the potential benefits resulting in enhanced guest engagement, improved customer satisfaction, and increased consumer spending. The common goals of mobile technology implementation are acceleration of guest traffic, heightened interactivity, promotion and sales of goods and services, and gathering of feedback relative to the guest's experience. Mobile technologies can be a critical component to a hospitality firm's strategy for obtaining a competitive advantage... READ MORE

If 2011 for hotel owners was all about learning from and joining the mobile masses simply because it was the “in” thing to do for our tech-savvy patrons, 2012 is rapidly shaping up to be the year where mobile becomes a must. In other words, the mobile marketing landscape has rapidly matured and the training wheels are coming off. This coming of age can mean only one thing: The time for hotels to launch their mobile presence is now. Not after the post-holidays' travel slow down, and not in the run-up to Valentines Day or the season's first spring breakers. READ MORE

It is time to sit down and evaluate what your marketing team has done for the past eighteen months. Has your property adopted social media trends, or are you just starting? If you have a presence on social media, is it strategically aligned with your overall message? How do you coordinate traditional PR efforts with digital media? Is the message coming across solid and intact? Are your fans and followers engaging with you? Are you using the feedback constructively? Have you seen an increase in revenue? Exposure? READ MORE