Editors Note:
Dear Friends,
I would like to take a moment to wish you a wonderful holiday season. Let’s make 2016 a year of incredible positive change in our environment. If we all make a concerted effort, we can really improve ourselves, our families, friends and the entire planet.
Have you ever visited the Berkshires? It is an incredibly beautiful part of our country nestled in the mountains of western Massachusetts. The Berkshires is home for the renowned Tanglewood Music Centers, some incredible restaurants and a thriving art scene. This month our installation spotlight takes us to Vacation Villages Berkshire, a most aesthetic resort and a most interesting place to get connected.
Our Scoop section, as usual, scours the media for helpful hints and insight into the hospitality biz. We close with some fun vids we have curated just for you.
If you are interested in upgrading your Wi-Fi network, we have a new services brochure. If you would like our BeyondTV Brochure, our Wireless Streaming Study, or info on Fusion Gateways they are just a click away.
We would love to hear from you – feel free to write and let us know what you are thinking about the state of things wireless or not.
Larry Jaffe
editor@hotelwifi.com
Spotlight: Vacation Villages Berkshire
We had the opportunity to speak with the Vacation Villages Resort Manager, Robin Hammersmith-Cameron. Do you remember when Wi-Fi was limited to guest rooms, the business center and perhaps the lobby? Connectivity is all around us and of great importance, especially in a resort location, where guests wander the grounds. So yes, Vacation Villages has Wi-Fi in the rooms, in the lobby, in the biz center, by the pool and as Robin exclaimed: “The signal is so good, that that now we can walk the roadway of the property and have sufficient coverage.”
Prior to the HIS installation and upgrade, there were definitely some connectivity issues. The network was very slow and truly inadequate for their guests. Robin stipulated that the new network would meet their criteria for superlative Wi-Fi – “Reliability, speed and ease of connectivity!”
According to Robin, the installation went very smoothly and they look forward to seeing the response from guests as they get into their peak season.
Editor’s Note: That’s how we roll. Don’t you think your establishment could benefit from a little HIS TLC?
Get your Free Wi-Fi Evaluation Today!
Scoop:
Editor’s Note: As we approach the end of the year, I wanted to share some excellent marketing articles that will help you create an incredible 2016 for your organization.
Top 3 Digital Marketing Trends for 2016 (Which You Should Be Starting in 2015)
Here are three strategies to make sure you’re ready for the challenges of 2016 ahead of time. Read More from Making it>
Five Social Trends Marketers Won’t Be Able to Ignore in 2016
Editor’s Note: Short interesting article from AdAge on the latest in social marketing. Key point is about Messaging platforms (any system on the Internet that exchanges messages for the purpose of communications).
When it comes to social and digital marketing, 2016 is going to be an adapt-or-die year, one in which marketers will need to evolve as tectonic shifts in the way people use social networks and consume media on them will force massive change. Read More from Advertising Age >
New Skift Trends Report: Portrait of the Millennial Traveler 2016
Editor’s Note: I love Skift, they always seem to be on top of the industry and perhaps a few steps ahead. This is a great briefing on the buzz term of the year – Millennials!
Millennial travelers represent a lucrative source of spending for travel brands but also a confusing web of contradictory habits than can be difficult to unravel. What deeper insights are really driving millennial travel habits, and how are marketers adapting their strategies to cater this surging age group? Read More from Skift>
Hotels cater to millennials’ need for free-Wi-Fi, personalized travel
Remember when . . . hotel guests were over-the-moon to find fresh baked cookies at check-in and a Keurig coffeemaker in their hotel room? Today’s generation of travelers — Meet the Millennials — have their own set of standards and priorities. Sure, they still want their cookie (gluten-free, please) and morning cup of coffee (preferably fair-trade beans roasted by a bearded guy and his dog in Portland), but they also demand those Instagram moments — and the technology to quickly post them. For insights into this industry-altering group and how properties are wooing them, we spoke (via e-mail) with Gautam Lulla, president of Travel Tripper, which provides technology to hotels worldwide. Read More from The Washington Post>
A Bad Review Is Forever: How to Counter Online Complaints
Editor’s Note: Excellent article on how to handle bad reviews on Yelp, Trip Advisor, etc. Must read!
Andrew Gruel, chef and owner of the Slapfish restaurant chain, responds to about 50 online reviews a day, positive or negative. For the California restaurateur Andrew Gruel, poor online reviews demand rapid responses. One of his new Slapfish restaurants, serving sustainable seafood, was hit this year with dozens of bad reviews that complained about its prices (too high) and portions (too small). Read More from The New York Times>
Streaming content pressures video-on-demand
Online content streaming services, such as Pandora and Hulu, have proven a challenge for cable a
nd satellite companies’ business strategies, but one other area is facing the chopping block because of streaming content: video-on-demand in hotel rooms. As guests want faster Wi-Fi and more bandwidth during their stays to power their own content, the demand for in-room video-on-demand is going down, hoteliers said. Read More from Hotel News>
Editor’s Note: Checkout our BeyondTV
How Hotels Are Using Beacons and Augmented Reality
The technology landscape in the hospitality industry is constantly evolving. There is a perpetual need for hotels to adopt the latest technology, or risk falling behind the competition. Two emerging technologies in particular that hoteliers should consider adopting are beacons and augmented reality. Read More from Hospitality Technology>
Editor’s Note: If you are interested in using beacons or location based service, let me know and I will arrange for one of our hospitality technology consultants to talk with you.
What Guests Want: Hotel Search Keywords and Stats
Other than cost what else are today’s travelers looking for when choosing a hotel? Hotels.com surveyed 1000 travelers from around the globe and here are the results. Read More from Hotel News Resource
Streaming Video Now Accounts for 70 Percent of Broadband Usage
You use your Internet connection to do all kinds of things. But you use it for one thing much more than anything else: To stream video and music. Read More from recode
Why Hotel Check-Out Times May Become a Thing of the Past
Some hotels are getting rid of traditional check-in and -out times to cater to a new kind of traveler… Flexible check-in is also a dream for business travelers, who might have a meeting soon after arrival and would love the chance to shower, change clothes, and drop off their luggage. Read More from Conde Nast Traveler
Modernizing the Guest Experience
Several years ago, the in-room guest experience could often seemed dated and uninspiring. With all the technology advancements available, it was a mystery why the guest experience seemed locked in 1995. Fast forward a few years, and the in-room hospitality experience has changed radically with the introduction of open, cloud-based software systems. These new technology platforms enable anyone in the hospitality industry (from retail to cruise to hotel) to connect with customers and guests through a smart digital display which delivers targeted content, ad messages and interactive features. Read More from Hospitality Technology
Captain Video
This month we have some more of those rather strange yet funny hotel and travel videos. Take a moment and sit back and enjoy.
IKEA: The Other Letter
Even though this is not directly related our business, this very touching message applies to just about all walks of life and especially to the hospitality industry.
Top 10 Most Inspirational Ads of All Time
I tend to agree with the commentary about these ads: “These are the ads that changed the way some people looked at the world.”
Yelp Is Your Awesome, Goofy Savior in Its First National TV Commercial
Yelp isn’t just for restaurant recommendations. It can help you find reviews on everything from auto shops to hair salons to “extreme golf” driving ranges, the app and website says in this amusing commercial—its first to air on TV nationally.
Funny Commercial Hotel Room Key
This is a really funny spot. I will say no more just enjoy. It is short but sweet with a hint of irony.