Favorites from the Flip.to blog: Our top picks from 2016

2016 was an exciting twelve months here at Flip.to. We jumped headfirst into video and launched some amazing product. Here on the blog, we shared some interesting musings, too. As this year comes to a close, take a look back at a selection of just some of our favorites.

Stories that inspire: Our favorite guest moments, a favorite Flip.to story from 2016

Stories that inspire: Our favorite guest moments

This monthly series featuring guest stories from hotels worldwide has become a regular favorite for our readers. We’ve fallen in love with these stories (and it seems you have, too)! We could pick any of a number of posts, but we’ll go back to August featuring the sights of summer.

See August’s Top Picks

Flip.to on the road: CHIEF Conference, a favorite Flip.to story from 2016

Flip.to on the road: CHIEF Conference

The CHIEF Conference set on the pristine sands of the Caribbean was one of the highlight-worthy moments of 2016. It was a mix of great insights and great people. Read on as Ed shares his “Flip.to superlatives” after meeting some incredible industry leaders.

Meet the industry’s best

Introducing: Photo Explorer, a favorite Flip.to story from 2016

Introducing: Photo Explorer (our first video!)

It’s been a big year for us in video. We’ve covered it a few times on our blog, but there’s something special about the first.

Look back at Photo Explorer

The hotelier’s essentials for big name competition, a favorite Flip.to story from 2016

The hotelier’s essentials for big name competition

We ❤ our friends. So when they have a chance to sit in on our blog, it’s something special. Jason Winberg joined to share a bit of his knowledge on finding the right tools to let hoteliers compete.

Open up the tool box

The election, the social media echo chamber, a favorite Flip.to story from 2016

The election, the social media echo chamber and what it means for hotels

Authenticity matters, as does relevancy and truth in advertising. When this was made relevant in the going-ons outside of the hospitality industry, the President weighed in.

Cast your opinion

Canning spam, a favorite Flip.to story from 2016

Canning spam: Relevancy, graymail, and the path to better communication for hotels

Unwanted email is something everyone can relate to. That’s why Richard Dunbar took this deep dive into defining spam, and helping hotels unearth better communication with their guests.

Learn how to can spam

Winning at experiential travel, a favorite Flip.to story from 2016

Winning at experiential travel: combining data and storytelling to compel your guests

This piece was originally featured on the blog of our friends at NAVIS. We’re both passionate about data, stories and how they come together to make a big impact for hotels.

Read on

Spark worldwide conversations with the excitement of travel, a favorite Flip.to story from 2016

Watch now: Spark worldwide conversations with the excitement of travel

When you strike up compelling conversations with your guests across their entire guest journey, it means a richer experience for your guests, and a growing team of advocates for your hotel. Watch more in another video favorite from 2016.

Play now

Flat Ricky’s HITEC debut, a favorite Flip.to story from 2016

Flip.to on the road: Flat Ricky’s HITEC debut

One Ricky just wasn’t enough, so Flat Ricky made his first appearance at HITEC 2016. We soon found out that he had a taste for the bayou nightlife, and the case of #MissingFlatRicky was born…

Meet Flat Ricky


What were your favorite stories from 2016? Drop us a note to let us know. In the meantime, enjoy the final hours as this year comes to a close. We look forward to kicking off 2017 in full force!

The Crane Resort taps into the power of guest storytelling to boost their bottom line with Flip.to

Caribbean mainstay widens audience to the tune of 300K in first 5 months

ORLANDO, FL — December 19, 2016 — Flip.to, the advocacy platform that helps hotels reach, inspire and convert travelers has helped amplify the marketing efforts of The Crane Resort. Just five short months since launch, the century-old Barbadian resort has been personally introduced to 300,000 travelers worldwide with the help of their guests.

 

The Crane Resort brings to light guest stories with Flip.to

“There’s no better way to learn about a travel experience than from someone you know and trust. Our guests share everything with friends and family—from their excitement about an upcoming stay to their disappointment about having to leave—all punctuated by stories of their favourite moments along the way,” noted Eboni Phillips, Marketing and Communications Manager at The Crane Resort. “With Flip.to, we now have the ability to quantify social with the power of these influential recommendations.”

Touch points throughout the traveler journey let guests share their authentic stories about the hotel to travelers worldwide. The platform earns and tracks new bookings while growing traffic, leads and tracked potential guests through a true conversion funnel. Unique to the advocacy marketing platform, Flip.to is specifically designed for hotels and travelers.

For The Crane, this has added up to incredible impact. Their reach has well-topped a quarter of a million since August, in addition to driving more than 23,000 unique site visitors, 2,100 warm leads and 21 booked room nights with the platform.

The Crane Resort brings to light guest stories with Flip.to

The impact is made broader by the library of curated guest stories captured through the advocacy platform—stories that reveal the property’s character from a unique point of view, including everything from its magical sense of seclusion to the famed Crane Beach.

All content carries a full legal release, so The Crane Resort may use it to enhance their own marketing. This is critical for hotels and resorts seeking to adopt a storytelling mindset to win over new travelers.

“The authentic perspective of your guests is an incredibly effective add to your content strategy. What’s important is that hotels use it to drive actionable results, sending quality traffic to compelling experiences they own,” said Danielle Fierman, Account Executive at Flip.to. “It’s there where hotels like The Crane capture warm leads, revealing the opportunity to market to these travelers directly. Since they’ve been introduced by their friends and family, these impressions are more potent than any ad.”

The Crane Resort brings to light guest stories with Flip.to

Phillips went on to add, “Flip.to offered us the opportunity to track and measure advocacy with a cost-effective platform that was seamlessly implemented at our resort. We’ve pushed beyond the typical offer of sun, sea and sand, instead providing personal and powerful recommendations from friends and family.”

The historic Crane Resort overlooks the famous pink sands and turquoise waters of Crane Beach—named Best Beach in the Caribbean by readers of USA Today. Guests enjoy an idyllic respite on the Southeast coast of Barbados. The property offers grand colonial styled suites featuring lush gardens, private pools and rooftop terraces, and an impressive array of world-class amenities and services including fitness facilities, spectacular cascading pools, exciting restaurants including Zagat #1 rated Zen.

To learn more about The Crane, view the stories of their recent guests, or to reserve a stay visit www.TheCrane.com or call (866) 978-5942.

Watch now: Introducing Photo River

Right now your site is designed to capture the 1% of travelers who are ready to book immediately. But what about the other 99%? They’re still in decision making mode.

That’s why we’ve introduced Photo River—a new experience designed to bring to light the stories your guests are sharing, right on your site. Infuse more personality, offer up new ways to start a conversation, and bring back some real hospitality into your marketing with Flip.to.

 

Sound interesting? Take a tour, or adventure on to see how easy it is to share guest stories with Flip.to:

Stories that inspire: our favorite guest moments from November

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 November

Royal Park Hotel — Rochester, Michigan

“Making a wish for a lifetime of moments like this.” – Brittney J.

Show some love

This is the beginning of a lifetime of memories captured. Brittney’s story won first place in Royal Park Hotel’s latest photo contest, reaching 2,486 friends and family, drawing 964 site visitors, and leading to 332 warm leads.

Eldorado Reno a favorite Flip.to guest story from November

Eldorado Reno — Reno, Nevada

“It’s just a short stroll down Virginia St from the Eldorado to the Truckee River, and a reward waits you every time!”– John R.

Explore Reno

Known as “The Biggest Little City in the World”, Reno might surprise you with how much it has to offer. John, a recent guest of Eldorado Reno, shared this moment from his November trip with his friends and family worldwide. He’s already driven 67 unique site visits and 17 warm leads for Eldorado, with time to spare!

SeaVenture Beach Hotel a favorite Flip.to guest story from November

SeaVenture Beach Hotel — Pismo Beach, California

“We love staying at the Seaventure. It’s centrally located to all the wonderful restaurants, allows us to spend time relaxing and just listening to the ocean.” – Grace C.

Check out the view

This peaceful moment was captured by Grace, a recent guest of SeaVenture Beach Hotel. She inspired 138 of her friends and family to visit their site, leading to 29 warms leads for this oceanfront property in just a month.

Carter Estate Winery and Resort a favorite Flip.to guest story from November

Carter Estate Winery and Resort — Temecula, California

“The resort felt like a true getaway from it all, the room was amazing and the view was breathtaking we cannot wait until we return!” – Jonathan P.

Relax a bit

During a perfect retreat for two, Jonathan, a guest of Carter Estate Winery and Resort, caught this favorite moment. He joined fellow guests to reach over 41,000 friends and relatives in the resort’s current photo contest, mustering 616 warm leads in just 3 months.

POSTMARC Hotel & Spa Suites a favorite Flip.to guest story from November

POSTMARC Hotel & Spa Suites — South Lake Tahoe, California

“Beautiful room. Great location. Extremely friendly service.” – Paige T.

Admire more

Paige’s story paints a rich picture of the beautiful views at South Lake Tahoe, and she shared to her 388 friends and relatives. Even more shared on to their own network, reaching an even larger audience of future travelers for POSTMARC Hotel & Spa Suites.

Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel a favorite Flip.to guest story from November

Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel — Anaheim, California

“My children believed Mickey Mouse gave them their own castle to stay in. Castle beds for the win.” – Laura S.

Experience Anaheim

While the Castle beds for the kids at Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel make for an unforgettable trip to Disneyland, this was a moment of pure joy!

Plus, Laura shared this moment with 560 friends and relatives. She already led 377 of those reached back the the hotel’s website, leading to 37 warm leads!

Alyeska Resort a favorite Flip.to guest story from November

Margaritaville Island Hotel — Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

“The rooftop pool & bar was awesome! We enjoyed all the fun things to do on the island!” – Sarah H.

Discover more

Sarah put Margaritaville Island Hotel at the center of this fun moment that was shared with 132 friends & family around the globe. There’s truly no better introduction to all fun at Margaritaville Island.


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

Adventure back to October’s stories