guest booking
Decoding the Modern Guest Journey: Here’s How Hoteliers Can Stay Competitive
Joe Vargas | December 12, 2023
By Joe Vargas When booking hotels, guest journeys look very different now than they did just a few years ago. Mobile-centric consumers and ever-evolving expectations for more options transform linear touchpoints into more dynamic experiences. Guest values and social influence also play a greater role, with social media outpacing agents, publications, and entertainment as the main source of travel inspiration. Hotels still relying on outdated solutions and infrastructure designed for linear journeys of the past don’t just risk losing satisfaction and loyalty. They also miss out on accessing key guest insights—information that will he...
Exploring Buy Now, Pay Later to Enhance Guest Loyalty and Boost Hotel Direct Bookings
Cendyn | October 27, 2023
The hospitality industry has consistently led the way in adapting to the ever-changing needs of travelers and guests. One notable innovation that has recently gained substantial momentum is the “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) payment option. This innovative payment solution is revolutionizing the way travelers make reservations, dine at restaurants, and access a wide range of services within the hospitality sector. What is Buy Now, Pay Later! Buy Now, Pay Later is a modern, consumer-friendly payment model that has gained significant popularity in recent years. It offers consumers the flexibility to shop for their desired product...
Despite Ubiquity, Travel Apps and Websites Deliver Substandard User Experience, J.D. Power Finds
J.D. Power | October 17, 2023
TROY, Mich.: 17 Oct. 2023 — Travel apps and websites are heavily relied-upon digital tools used by travelers, containing everything from the QR codes used to board the plane to rental car location and digital hotel keys. Despite this critical role, according to the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Travel App Satisfaction StudySM and the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Travel Website Satisfaction Study,SM released today, travel industry apps and websites lag behind their counterparts in other industries1 where J.D. Power measures the digital user experience. The studies, which have been redesigned since J.D. Power’s last evaluation of travel industry apps...
How Travelers Find Destinations for Their Trips
Expedia Group Media Solutions | September 28, 2023
In today’s digital-first era, there’s a myriad of influential resources that inspire travelers to seek out certain destinations. From viral content on social media and posts from friends and family to destination sites and travel blogs, where people decide to travel can be a click away. Given that travelers are inundated with these outside influences and factors, how do people decide where to go? Insights from Expedia Group and Luth Research’s study, The Path to Purchase: Uncovering How Travelers Plan and Book, explores the complex online path behind the travel customer journey and provides actionable insights to help destination m...
Chatbots Represent the First Step in Changing Booking Behavior
Adam and Larry Mogelonsky | July 19, 2023
By Adam and Larry Mogelonsky Chatbots have been around for a while, but ChatGPT has brought them forth into the spotlight, while large language models (LLMs) now present a host of different utilities for evolving both how various hotel systems talk to one another as well as how guests book. The important term here to remember and break out at your next cocktail party is ‘technological determinism’. Because chatbots are all the rage right now, this will propel more travelers to start to try them out for planning their next trip, which in turn due to recursive learning will help to augment the accuracy and usefulness of these new plat...
5 Guest Personas and What It Takes to Convert Them Into Loyal Direct Bookers That Spend More
Brett Thoreson | June 15, 2023
By Brett Thoreson, co-founder and CEO of CartStack/RezRecover In the world of the hotel industry, where the rate of travelers abandoning their reservations can be significant, hoteliers are constantly searching for ways to optimize their establishments and increase conversions. The ultimate goal is to engage guests during their initial visit, whether it's through signing up for newsletters, receiving personalized notifications, or making direct bookings. Despite continuous improvements to their websites and booking processes, many hotels still struggle to retain a significant portion of their guests. This challenge seems to persist year...
Amadeus and Pattern Announce Travel Protection Integration to Help Travelers Book With Confidence
Amadeus | June 6, 2023
The pandemic raised awareness to the criticality of trip insurance – giving travelers peace of mind to leave home knowing they would not be expensively stranded if the unthinkable were to happen. Travel protection was a must have during the height of COVID-19 and remains important now as traveler confidence returns. This is why Amadeus, a global provider of hospitality technology, and Pattern Insurance, a global InsurTech MGA are expanding on their partnership to bring travel protection options directly to the traveler. Building on the intuitive shop and book experience available in Amadeus’ iHotelier® Booking Engine, guests will n...
Closing the Deal With Gen Zs
Mark Lewis-Brown | June 1, 2023
Mark Lewis-Brown Although they would like to deny it, Gen Zs and Millennials do have one very important thing (for you!) in common: just like the Millennials before them, Gen Zs are highly motivated by travel and will spend as much of their disposable income on it as possible. Don’t believe me? Check out these stats from a recent article by Morning Consult: "52% of Gen Z adults are frequent travelers, taking at least three leisure trips in the past year. That share is significantly larger than it is for higher-earning Gen Xs and Baby Boomers, and it’s on par with Millennials... As Gen Zs age and grow in spending power, they will lik...
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