In tough economic times, businesses including hotel and resort spas have a tendency to slash marketing budgets. While an ailing economy may seem like nothing but a negative, it also creates an even greater opportunity for savvy businesses to fine tune marketing concepts and execute plans that are relevant for right now, accelerate company growth and help surpass the competition. Following are six guidelines I used while creating and developing eforea: spa at Hilton, the first global spa concept from Hilton Hotels & Resorts, in the thick of the recent economic downturn. READ MORE

Revenue management and marketing really are two sides of the same coin. Each department holds key pieces of information about demand that, when integrated, result in critical insight about demand patterns, product preferences and purchase behavior. Unfortunately, employees in these two closely related functions do not always work well together. Misaligned goals and poor communication result in situations where marketers, with a goal of generating demand, sends out discount promotions that dilute rates during peak periods. While revenue managers, trying to maximize revenue, close off promotional rates meant to encourage stays from the most loyal guests. These conflicting activities damage revenue performance and guest relationships. READ MORE

River rocks along the back, mud masks, cucumber slices or a freshly picked orchid resting atop a massage table - Spa marketing is overrun with tired, undifferentiated marketing cliches. If you have any doubt, just try the Logo Swap Test. Grab the nearest spa ad and replace the logo with a competitor's logo. If the message is unique, ownable and true to the spirit of the spa, the ad should no longer make sense. Problem is, in most cases, the ad functions exactly the same with the competitor's logo in place. READ MORE

Simply put, experiential marketing creates a stimulus for the consumer to learn about a brand (in this case a hotel spa), try a sample, purchase, and ultimately build brand loyalty. Like no other marketing strategy, experiential marketing allows potential clients to see, feel, hear, touch - totally experience - your spa. And, when you think about it, isn't a spa the perfect business to incorporate a marketing strategy based on total experience? Take note to how many spas use the word "experience" in their promotional materials: experience total relaxation, and experience our new aromatherapy READ MORE

In 2011, the trend will be for hotels to begin taking back their online customers. While driving customers directly to their site will be the primary concern, hoteliers must also concentrate on encouraging customers to complete the booking process. Website optimization encompasses all of the current industry best practices for 1) grabbing the customer's attention upon entering the site; and 2) driving the customer to and through the booking engine. This article gives some fundamental, yet often overlooked website optimization tips for hotel properties. READ MORE