5 reasons hotels should close the door on their ad campaigns — permanently
Hotels are feverishly upgrading these days, trying to offer faster Internet service, or better beds, or all non-smoking properties. But while they’re trying to make their properties more modern and appealing for today’s travelers, they seem to have forgotten to upgrade their ad campaigns.
Do travelers even pay attention to hotel ads any more? I think hotel advertising is becoming obsolete and unnecessary, and here are a few reasons why:
Rates rule. It’s easy for consumers to compare hotel rates these days. No more calling around to dozens of hotels at their destination. With a few clicks, prospective guests can see a list of hotels, their location, their ratings and their rates on one Web site. People want to find that balance of a good hotel at a great price. In a slumping economy, no amount of persuasive advertising is going to make tight travelers spend more money than they want to.
Business travelers are told where to stay. Companies have always made “bulk” contracts with hotels — the more rooms a company books a year, the cheaper the rate. But hotels are coercing businesses to sign more long-term contracts in exchange for deeper discounts, since hotels want guaranteed dollars during these uncertain times. Also, companies are trying to tighten costs as much as possible, so they’re really limiting the choices their travelers can make. Where a business traveler once could choose between three, sometimes four hotels at his destination, he now may be forced to stay at one property.
Loyalty matters. It’s important for travelers to get as much bang for their buck as possible. Hotel loyalty programs offer lower rates, free stays, free upgrades and more. Even if a traveler might want to try a new hotel, if he’s already a member of a loyalty program, it would be hard to justify forgoing some perks to do so. Loyalty rewards can translate into some real savings, and most everyone is trying to save by any means possible these days.
Consumers are savvy, and cynical. I know all my readers are smart consumers. So tell me — do you really expect your free breakfast to look like a lavish buffet spread? Do you think that the huge room with the sofa and recliner is one of the standard, cheap rooms? Do you believe that staying at a certain hotel will make your family bond like never before? I think I know your answers. Today’s travelers don’t believe the illusions shown in hotel advertising. They believe the uncensored reviews posted on independent Web sites by their fellow travelers. They believe the ratings of trusted companies like AAA and Mobil.
And unfortunately, they know hotel advertising is often downright deceptive. Anyone who reads Chris Elliott’s columns can see just how many people get burned by false advertising. So no matter how good a hotel looks in its ads, or how warm and fuzzy a commercial makes you feel, always remember this: Hot food is rarely free, you’ll probably get the small room by the elevator, and sullen teenagers do not morph into human beings upon check in.
Spare us the unoriginality, please! I’ll describe a commercial, and you tell me which chain it’s for. The commercial starts with a scene of a woman sinking into a fluffy white bed. Then it cuts to a businessman working at a big desk in his room. Then we see a dad and his son swimming. Then it shows a breakfast attendant pouring a hot cup of coffee.
So which hotel company is it? Well, pretty much any guess is right. Hotel advertising is so generic and boring, it should be banned. Do all major chains hire the same advertising company, or what? Even the copy on hotel Websites is generic and boring. Comfortable beds blah blah … amenities for business travelers blah blah … feel like you’re at home blah blah. The exception to this is La Quinta — I absolutely love their “Bright Side” ad campaign, and get excited when I see a new commercial. (You can view some La Quinta ads here.)
Do you agree that hotel advertising is passé, or am I way off base? Have you been swayed by a hotel company’s ad campaign? Share your thoughts in the comment section below or in our Talking Travelers forums.
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6 Responses to “5 reasons hotels should close the door on their ad campaigns — permanently”
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I’m not a travel critic, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night……..
Sorry, but I hate to disagree with you, but I don’t think hotel advertising is passé. If you want to complain about advertising in general, sure, it is redundant, tells little truth about the product (Ever see a plate of ribs that looks like the Applebee’s commercial?).
Advertising gets the name of the product out in the public. It reminds us they are there so when we do have to make a choice, hopefully we will remember their name. Nah, I don’t think staying in a hotel will make me smarter, or my family closer, or the food will look like in the pictures. But the advertising is a way to keep their name in my head.
Look at my first sentence, a tagline for a hotel is stuck in my head. How many of us have used a variation on their commercial as a punchline? I don’t actually stay there much, but their name comes up more often then it would if they never advertised.
I disagree as well Amy. There are many small corps that are not restricted and these people are likely seeing these commercials at night at home and it is influencing their decision.
There are a lot of memorable commercials.
You are right we are cynics and advertising is never in line with reality. Ever look at a Sandals brochure? I always say that if you are looking for thongs at Sandals, they will either be on feet or a very overweight hairy French man.
And HI right now has some great tie ins with NASCAR and so forth.
I don’t pay attention to anyones’ commercial let alone a hotel/motels. I also don’t pay attention to someones review. You don’t know who wrote it. Experience is the best teacher.
Wow, this seems more like an uneducated rant instead of a column. I am in the business of resort promotions and hotels chains are getting more creative and innovative daily. Hotels have been teaming up with “chain” restaurants in commercials, Airlines, Events etc to get more viewers seeing their own unique brand. As I write this I see a nifty add for Marriot to the right of your page “it’s probably going to stick with me”. Competition in the Hotel business is tougher than ever and it certainly does make a difference if a travel coordinator for “Mobile or Encana” sees a great add for Delta Hotels. 27% of Canadian Hotel business comes from Large Corp’s… I think that means that they have to fight for 73% doesn’t it?
Sorry Amy, I think you need to do a little more research and Tripsco needs to do a little more editing.
Amy
I agree that hotels that are going to do the same advertising that their competition is doing are wasting their money.
Most hotel advertising decision makers are cattle, following the herd. Low rate guaranteee, lets do that. Fancy pillow top beds, sure. Free breakfast, why not?
I run a website that uses Virtual Tours and Streaming Video to show Albuquerque, NM and I sell advertising on it.
When I finally get a hotel to spend some advertising money (my site is very affordable), they have me put incredibly boring ads on it. Almost always “low rate” oriented.
A franchise all-suite hotel doesn’t sell themselves by pointing out that their suite is the same price as a standard hotel room at their full service sister franchise.
And most use “artfully” cropped photos that show some minor detail of a room becasue everybody else does, rather than a wide-angle shot that shows the whole room.
Is scary how many of the sales staff have never visited their own hotel’s website or know how to guide a meeting planner or bride-to-be calling on the phone to the photo on the website that shows exactly what the potential customer is asking about.
I produce virtual tours for hotels and actively promote the idea of an “Online Property Tour” where the sales staff can guide a convention site selector through the hotel, online.
When some of the sales staff starts doing it, the hotel decides its time to redesign the website and forgets to use the scene of the ballroom because the web site designer has never worked in a hotel in their life.
Doug Aurand
http://www.VirtualAlbuquerque.com
Amy -
I just read a great article about how Ritz-Carlton was improving their image.
First, they had to realize that mahogany panelling, wing chairs, and oil paintings of Victorian admirals don’t work in Hawaii as well as they do in New York or Chicago.
Then, their advertising agency took ads from “lifestyle magazines” and pinned them around a conference room. The Ritz executives looked at page after page of happy couples walking on the beach, enjoying their elegantly appointed room, sipping red wine in a romantic restaurant… and the advertising people asked, “OK, which ads are yours?”
Westin started the bedding ensemble advertising with their “Heavenly Bed,” which is available for sale. But when Sheraton, another Starwood brand, started touting THEIR custom-designed mattresses and sheets, isn’t there an underlying assumption that they’re intentionally not as good as the ones at the Westin?