Month: October 2016

Flip.to and b4checkin partner to help hotels convert personal introductions into future guests

Strategic partnership allows hotels to drive direct business with advocacy

ORLANDO, FL — October 27, 2016 — Flip.to—the marketing platform that lets your guests become advocates, introducing your hotel worldwide, attracting travelers and earning new guests—announced its strategic partnership with b4checkin, a hospitality developer and software provider offering cloud-based solutions including chameleon, their next generation hotel booking software.

chameleon adapts to a hotel’s website, offering hoteliers flexible design options rather than a single booking experience. Hoteliers on the platform have the ability to change their front-end experience with just a few clicks. This is in addition to a streamlined booking process and improved experience for guests and hotels alike.

chameleonProperties throughout the United States, Canada and the Caribbean using b4checkin’s chameleon in tandem with Flip.to will now empower guests to share about their upcoming trip to their social networks. By sharing their stay with family and friends, guests become a growing extension of the hotel’s marketing force, making trusted introductions to the hotel, building an ever-growing database of warm leads—a like-minded demographic of travelers with similar travel and purchasing habits—and increasing direct bookings.

Saar Fabrikant, President & CEO at b4checkin commented on the partnership, “chameleon has revolutionized hotel bookings. The shortened and seamless booking process, plus choice of multiple responsive designs drives conversion and revenue for our customers. Layering in Flip.to lets our hotels amplify their booking potential, bringing warm leads back to the hotel website and boosting revenue with an entirely new channel of guests booking direct. It’s been a critical addition to our suite of products.”

Richard Dunbar, Director of Partnerships at Flip.to said, “We’re excited to partner with b4checkin. It means more hotels can convert personal introductions into future guests. Plus, b4checkin’s expansive reach into Canada and the Caribbean allows us to grow our product into these markets as we continue to expand.”

b4checkin offers hoteliers a flexible online booking engine and a suite of products for hospitality management. Headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, b4checkin serves customers in North America, the Caribbean, Asia and Europe. For more information, contact Saar Fabrikant at saar@b4checkin.com, or visit www.b4checkin.com.

Flip.to on the road: CHIEF Conference

Jeff and I recently wrapped up a trip to the Caribbean to attend CHTA’s CHIEF 2016 in Puerto Rico. I met some outstanding industry leaders from the area and got a taste of the incredible Caribbean hospitality and culture.

The event offered some huge takeaways as industry players came together to tackle challenges hoteliers face every day. But something else I was amazed by was how open everyone was in sharing their stories. It took this event to another level.

Check out some of our favorites below from a few of the fine folks we met at this inspirational event.

Thor Harris, Founder & CEO, Percepture

Thor from Percepture provided some fantastic foresight in communication strategies within the hospitality industry. Thanks for sharing some key takeaways from your 12 years experience in public relations, digital marketing and crisis management.

Jodi Diamond, CEO & President, Diamond PR

Jodi did an outstanding job leading and moderating the panel I participated in, ‘Once Upon a Time: Making Sales thru Tales’. Not only did she know just about everyone there, she made a point to make sure we met all of them. Huge thank you for your hospitality!

David Moore & Jessica Peguero, Hotel Managers, Hostal Casa Culebra

David and Jessica’s story is truly inspirational. They jumped headfirst into the hospitality industry by quitting their jobs to lease a 7-room property in Puerto Rico. Not only that, but they’re growing their staff by 33% with the arrival of their first child this fall!

David Chesler, EVP Global Enterprise Sales & Business Development, SiteMinder

David is a longtime friend of Flip.to. What do friends let their friends do? In our case, crash and co-host dinner. Thanks for the incredible opportunity to mingle with some amazing industry folk!

Sunil Chatrani, CEO, Elegant Hotels Group & Geeta Chatrani, Managing Director, Yellow Bird Hotel

Congrats to Sunil and Geeta who snagged the CHIEF 2016 Sales & Marketing Award! It’s clear why when you take a look at Elegant Hotel Group’s social accounts that they do a wonderful job telling their properties’ stories.

Matt Cooper, Chief Marketing Officer, CHTA

As the Chief Marketing Officer for CHTA, Matt knows Caribbean hospitality. He made sure we met some amazing properties, opening our eyes to all the wonderful hotels and the tight-knit community in the Caribbean.

Ed Wetschler, Caribbean Editor of Recommend Magazine

Not only did Ed give a great talk on contemporary communications, but he made it a point to take a photo with all the Eds at the conference. What can I say though, us Eds have got to stick together!

Evy Garcia, Director of Sales, El Conquistador

During our time in Puerto Rico we stayed in El Conquistador Resort. The food, staff and overall resort were outstanding!

In my panel discussion though, I made a remark about how El Conquistador could use an operational survey to gather important feedback on a fictitious problem. Unbeknown to me, the resort’s Director of Sales, Evy, was in the audience and quickly took action to resolve my fictitious problem!

After I was done she quickly came up to me to apologize, and we had a good laugh after I explained it was just an example. Evy and her staff exemplified amazing hospitality—and I was glad to see she and her team had a good sense of humor, too!

Diana Plazas, Caribbean and Latin America Region at Marriott

Beyond sharing incredible insights on the future of the Caribbean travel industry, Diana was our ‘reporter at large,’ updating us Flip.to folks about the football matchups all weekend. (Fortunately she only had good news to report to me.) Thanks for keeping us in the loop, Diana!

Karolin Güler Troubetzkoy, Executive Director of Marketing and Operations, Jade Mountain Resort

Running one of the top resorts in the Caribbean, Karolin stands out as an industry leader. Meeting her at this event was a nice surprise as we know she’s an advocate for social media driving business for her resort. It just goes to show more on why the Caribbean stands out in the hospitality industry.

By the time the conference was over, Jeff and I met some unbelievable influencers from the Caribbean hospitality market. The event was welcoming, informative and especially inspirational. Thank you to everyone that made this event an outstanding experience!

Join us: Unlocking the traveler journey—a digital marketing summit for hoteliers

Join thousands of hospitality marketers around the world as we dissect the fast-paced and ever-changing travel shopping journey. Flip.to will be joining six of the hospitality industry’s leading technology companies on how to navigate each phase of the travel shopping journey and shift the balance of OTA bookings in your favor.

The Evolving Travel Shopping Journey and Its Impact on Direct Bookings THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27 • 11 AM EST

Get registered free now

Each session features top players in the industry and you’ll be able to apply these lessons to your to hotel marketing in no time.

  • The role of each phase of the travel shopping journey, from the consumer’s perspective
  • How each phase impacts your opportunity for a direct booking
  • Digital marketing strategies to shift OTA bookings to your direct channels
  • Live Q&A with our industry experts

Plus, our own President, Ed St. Onge, will be speaking on today’s hospitality landscape, the evolving travel journey, and its impact on direct bookings.

A World of Pure Imagination: Reaching & Inspiring Travel Shoppers 11:15 AM–11:45 AM (ET)

When it comes to travel, people are inspired by friends & family. Learn how to put your hotel in the center of conversation sparked in every corner of the globe.

Let Me Take a Selfie: Traveling & Sharing the Experience 1:05 PM–1:3 5PM (ET)

Your guests provide the most candid insights into your property. Find out how to capture these memorable moments to let your guests introduce your hotel worldwide.

Save my seat

At Flip.to, the traveler journey is something we’re passionate about. Striking up compelling conversations with your guests across their entire guest journey means a richer experience for your guests, and a growing team of advocates for your hotel. Want to learn more? Let’s chat.

Share authentic guest stories in a snap

Authentic stories shared by your guests first hand provide the most candid and genuine insights into your hotel. With Flip.to, we help you unlock these moments—experiences that resonate with travelers.

 

So what can you do you with it then? The boundaries are limitless, but first up—share it! This is real, relevant content that your followers want to see.

We’ve made this incredibly easy—it just takes a few clicks, all the while adding a bit of fun back in your day.

Plus, finding the perfect story to share is simple. Every story that your hotel receives is automatically fitted with descriptions and tagged during the curation process. Easily search, choose and share exactly what you want without the headache of manually organizing your guest-created content on your own.

Start inspiring travel by sharing your guests’ favorite moments. Future travelers learn more about your brand, and your hotel tells a richer story—without any heavy lifting needed.

Stories that inspire: our favorite guest moments from September

Every guest story is an opportunity for a hotel to unveil something new. Stories reach & inspire—they’re truly memorable, sometimes magical, and a lot of times, a bit of fun.

In a way, we’ve fallen in love with guest stories, and every day see firsthand the impact they’re making for hotels. That’s why we’re sharing them with you! Check out a handful of our recent favorites below:

Royal Park Hotel a favorite Flip.to guest story from September

Royal Park Hotel – Rochester, Michigan

“Hospitality, cleanliness, friendly staff, smooth, easy, relaxing wedding weekend.” – Danielle K.

Admire more moments

Danielle, a recent guest of Royal Park Hotel, shared a moment that captured the beginning of a lifetime of memories. She and fellow guests have reached over 14,000 friends and relatives in 3 months with authentic guest stories.

South Coast Winery Resort & Spa a favorite Flip.to guest story from September

South Coast Winery Resort & Spa – Temecula, California

“Fabulous facility, great spa and pool and excellent restaurant” – Barbara V.

Enjoy the view

After the perfect getaway at South Coast Winery Resort & Spa, Barbara and fellow guests have introduced the hotel to over 21,000 friends and relatives, capturing 442 leads for potential guests of South Coast Winery in just a month!

Aava Whistler Hotel a favorite Flip.to guest story from September

Aava Whistler Hotel – Whistler, British Columbia

“Friendly staff!! Great location!!” – Kristie M.

Experience Whistler

Kristie put Aava Whistler Hotel at the center of this fun moment that was shared with 359 friends & family around the globe. There’s truly no better introduction to the lakeside fun at Whistler.

Mary's Lake Lodge a favorite Flip.to guest story from September

Mary’s Lake Lodge – Estes Park, Colorado

“We only stayed the 1 night but just the overall feeling of Home when we opened the door was more than we expected.” – Jennifer J.

Show some love

In two weeks Jennifer has shared this special moment with 385 friends and family, driving 122 visitors back to the lodge’s website and generating 10 warm leads (and that’s just one advocate!)

Garden of the Gods Club a favorite Flip.to guest story from September

Garden of the Gods Club – Colorado Springs, Colorado

“We loved the beautiful view, the relaxing atmosphere, the excellent food, and the superb service from the staff!” – Cora H.

Relax a bit

Cora captured this gorgeous poolside landscape during a visit to Garden of the Gods Club, captivating friends, relatives and future guests alike. Combined, guests have already reached over 45,000 friends and relatives in 5 months.

The Orchard Garden Hotel a favorite Flip.to guest story from September

The Orchard Garden Hotel – San Francisco, California

Explore the bay

Orchard Garden Hotel launched less than 2 months ago and their guests have already inspired more direct business by being personally introducing over 2,000 friends and family to the Bay Area property.

The Crane Resort a favorite Flip.to guest story from September

The Crane Resort – St. Philip, Barbados

“The Crane is so welcoming from start to finish. The staff make our whole vacation experience relaxing and enjoyable each year.” – Kyriacos M.

Laugh a little

The exceptional hospitality Kyriacos and his family experienced during their stay at The Crane Resort made an impression. 28 guests have already reached over 76,000 friends and family leading to 577 warm leads in 2 months.

Hotel Andaluz a favorite Flip.to guest story from September

Hotel Andaluz – Albuquerque, New Mexico

“Rooms were clean and nice. Hotel was beautiful. Food service was very good.” – Thomas K.

Enjoy Albuquerque

This peaceful moment shared by Thomas to his 498 friends and relatives is truly awe-inspiring—it’s one he’ll never forget. 6 of those reached shared his story to their own connections, reaching even more future travelers.

Check back next month for even more. See any stories that stand out? Let us know!

Adventure back to August’s stories