Flip.to, Author at Flip.to Blog

InnQuest Software and Flip.to partner to help hotels earn new guests through advocacy

Strategic partnership offers hoteliers ability to amplify booking potential and win more travelers

Tampa, FL – August 21, 2017 — InnQuest Software, a full-service technology company for hoteliers, is pleased to announce a partnership with Flip.to, the advocacy marketing platform for hotels that helps reach new audiences worldwide, inspiring more travelers to book direct.

This innovative partnership will help the 5,550+ hoteliers InnQuest serves to drive positive, authentic conversations about their property and guest experiences online. Hoteliers using InnQuest’s premier booking engine, WebBook, can now seamlessly integrate Flip.to into their current software to amplify their marketing efforts by empowering guests to share details about their upcoming trip at the point of booking.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to partner with Flip.to and add this powerful platform into roomMaster’s diverse portfolio of roomMaster integrations,” said Kent Howard, Director of Sales at InnQuest. “We’re always partnering with premier companies in the industry to deliver comprehensive technology solutions for our hoteliers, and Flip.to is a pioneer for advocacy in the travel space.”

With the design-driven Flip.to platform, hoteliers let their guests become advocates, turning trusted introductions to their friends and family worldwide into new guests for the hotel.

The platform earns and tracks new bookings while growing brand awareness, web traffic, and warm leads. Guests share the high points of their travel experiences, with the destination and hotels at the center of these stories.

“The partnership with InnQuest is one we’re very excited to share,” said Richard Dunbar, Flip.to’s Director of Partnerships. “Their impressive global reach lets us bring our entirely new approach to travel marketing to an even wider audience. The partnership offers a best-in-class technology stack with the confidence of a solution set their customers know and trust.”

For more information about InnQuest software and its property management software, visit www.innquest.com.

How to win guests at every step of the traveler journey in upcoming webinar

Collaboration offers a guide to exceeding evolving traveler demands in today’s digital economy

BETHESDA, MD — MARCH 14, 2017 — StayNTouch, innovators in mobile technology and Property Management Systems, have teamed up with travel industry and direct booking experts Fuel, and hotel advocacy platform pioneers Flip.to, for a joint webinar—‘The Evolution of Guest Expectations and How Hotels can Exceed the New Demand.’ The event will help hotels exceed their guests’ evolving expectations to build better guest relationships and drive more repeat business.

The trio of hospitality industry experts will reveal insight on navigating each phase of the purchasing decision, from inspiration and discovery until long after their stay.

Key topics include:

Your guests’ new demands—Understanding the evolution of traveler expectations
Planning travel—Knowing your guests and differentiating your property to gain maximum market share
On-property hospitality—Enhancing the experience with refined service elements
Rekindling your guests’ favorite moments—Staying in touch, building long term loyalty and repeat business

“Guests today are defining their own standards of service, thanks to the digitally driven world we now live in,” said Dante Sapp, Product Manager at StayNTouch. “Knowing how to adapt and exceed demands at every phase of the traveler journey is vital for attracting and retaining loyal customers. I’m excited for the opportunity to partner with Fuel and Flip.to and share these valuable insights with hoteliers.”

“Understanding your guest, knowing what factors matter when planning a trip, and digging into how travelers do their research is key for hotels to get more bookings,” added Stuart Butler, Chief Operating Officer at Fuel. “We’re excited to be able to deliver advice on these topics with leaders from StayNTouch and Flip.to. Hotels will better know how to compete and inspire greater conversions.”

Richard Dunbar, Director of Partnerships at Flip.to echoed the sentiment. “We’re thrilled to help guide this session with our friends at StayNTouch and Fuel. Attendees will walk away from this webinar with ideas they can immediately action. From there, hotels will know how to better enhance the guest experience in every part of the travel journey and build better relationships with their guests in the long term.”

The presentation will be hosted on Thursday, March 23, 2017 at 1 PM EST (10 AM PST, 6 PM GMT).

To save your seat for this free webinar, register here.

StayNTouch Hotel Software provides a fully-featured mobile Property Management System, a PMS-overlay and guest self-service capabilities. Visit http://www.StayNTouch.com to request a demo.

Fuel is a comprehensive digital marketing agency with an emphasis in travel and tourism; services include website development, SEO, PPC, email marketing and more. To get started, visit http://www.FuelTravel.com.

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.

“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 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.”

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.

Hotel Emperador sees the impact of advocacy as guests reach 200k global travelers with Flip.to

Advocacy platform puts Madrid hotel at the center of conversations sparked worldwide

ORLANDO, FL — November 1, 2016 — Flip.to—a marketing platform that lets your guests become advocates to introduce your hotel and earn new guests—has helped Hotel Emperador Madrid amplify its reach to over 200,000 potential new guests. The four-star property in Madrid’s city center has attracted an enormous network of potential guests from around the world, perfect for this classic European locale.

“It’s so simple, and it works beautifully,” noted Pilar Lanchas, Director of Sales at Hotel Emperador. Designed to be incredibly easy to manage, Flip.to earns and tracks new bookings while growing brand awareness, web traffic, and warm leads without any heavy lifting on the hotel’s part. “We saw immediate impact, connecting a new audience seeking our unique Madrid experience.”

More than a third of their guests have shared about their stay at Hotel Emperador since launching Flip.to in September of 2014. In fact, the hotel has reached an audience 40 times that of their already impressive Facebook network, earning trusted introductions to travelers worldwide perfect for their property—upwards of 200,000 travelers in the last two years alone.

In addition to the hotel’s ability to amplify their reach to the perfect demographic, Flip.to has driven site traffic to the tune of of nearly 9,000 visits. Each guest was greeted by distinct, custom experience designed to convert, taking these personal introductions down the path to becoming future guests.

“With Flip.to, we’ve effortlessly grown the network of travelers we interact with on a daily basis,” Lanchas went on to add. “The quality site traffic and warm leads we’ve converted give us the opportunity to inspire new travelers to choose Hotel Emperador when traveling to Madrid.”

“We see the global impact of advocacy for hotels everyday. In fact, your guests have more influence than ever before in history,” said Alfredo Moreno de la Santa, Director of Sales Europe for Flip.to. “Hotel Emperador and properties alike now have the ability to engage those influencers and let them share their travel experience to friends around the globe. Not only is the scale massive, but your hotel is at the center of those experiences shared.”

Hotel Emperador Madrid is a 232-room, 1940s hotel perfectly located amid the bustle of the famed Gran Via Street in Madrid. This Ideal location in the heart of the city offers a splendid range of activities just steps away. Guests enjoy the beautiful rooftop garden and pool open during summer months, an abundance of restaurants, cafés and historical attractions to experience, and the rich culture of Spain’s capital city. For reservations, visit http://www.emperadorhotel.com or call +34 91 547 28 00.

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.

Properties 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.

The Pines Resort hits major milestone as hotel is introduced to over 100,000 travelers with Flip.to

Advocacy platform drives revenue, marketing, and even off-season success for lakeside resort

ORLANDO, FL — August 08, 2016 — Flip.to, the advocacy platform for hotels has attracted a massive audience of over 100,000 travelers for The Pines Resort in just the first year, while boosting the resort’s brand with compelling, co-created stories from their guests.

A mountain lodge nestled the Sierra National Forest near Yosemite National Park, The Pines Resort launched Flip.to in August of 2015. The property has seen enormous success, reaching this major milestone in less than 12 months. Flip.to has driven over 5,000 unique site visitors back to The Pines Resort’s hotel website, converting 450 warm leads and over 130 booked room nights for the hotel—and growing.

Lauri R., past guest at The Pines Resort.

“There’s no better way to learn about our scenic experiences at the resort than through a friend or family member—someone you know and trust,” noted Mark Choe, Director of Business Development at The Pines Resort. Choe went on to add, “Our guests are sharing everything from incredible mountain views and lakeside watersports, to exploring our area’s national parks. Flip.to lets us capture these amazing stories and use them to engage future travelers. The return on our investment far exceeded our initial expectations, even helping drive our most successful shoulder season to date.”

The Flip.to platform has thoughtful touch points throughout the entire guest journey, bettering the conversation hotels have with guests from well before they stay until long after they leave. Flip.to lets guests share everything from their excitement for an upcoming trip to the favorite moment of their stay, tracking the entire conversion funnel down to how many travelers convert. The result is a huge driver of traffic and warm leads—potential guests who fall into a pool of like-minded travelers with similar interests and purchasing habits as the advocates for the hotel.

The Pines’s Photo Explorer turns memorable guest moments into highly engaging interactions with every type of site visitor.

“I’ve been amazed at the stories our guests capture, and it’s been even more exciting to see that when combined, they shape a candid story of our property,” emphasized Choe.

The Pines Resort inspires new audiences of travelers worldwide with Photo Explorer, a powerful digital experience by Flip.to that tells a rich story of the hotel through the compelling experiences shared by their guests. It showcases a library of authentic content that is an entirely new look at the hotel. Plus, with the recent launch of Vision AI—a new feature by Flip.to that uses artificial intelligence to let hotels better understand and curate content—hotels have insight on image attributes, colors and more, with the ability to filter and source content in seconds.

“With Flip.to, The Pines Resort collects authentic content from their guests detailing the highlight of their trip. Moments like these become introductions with worldwide reach when guests share to friends and family.” said Deborah Moses, Senior Director of Sales, Americas at Flip.to. “Not only do these warm introductions drive site traffic, they help convert warm leads for the hotel inspiring more travelers to book direct.”

David M., past guest at The Pines Resort.

Tucked within towering pines alongside Bass Lake, the Pines Resort accommodations reflect a contemporary mountain décor inspired by the scenic, natural surroundings. Guests choose between 84 inviting mountain chalets, 20 deluxe lakefront suites or two private, fully-furnished houses that feature stunning forest or lakefront views and are within easy walking distance of the lake, the resort’s restaurants, recreational activities and retail shops. To reserve a stay, visit http://www.BassLake.com, or call 800-350-7463.

Flip.to sparks huge reach and return for SoHo’s Hotel Hugo

Advocacy platform inspires travelers worldwide, introducing hotel to a warm audience over 75,000

ORLANDO, FL — May 18, 2016 — Hotel Hugo, an independent, luxury hotel in New York City’s historic SoHo neighborhood, has tapped Flip.to to reach a massive network of global travelers perfect for their hotel. Since going live on the platform in January of 2015, the property has reached a warm audience of over 75,000 worldwide, and the advocacy platform has become a pivotal strategy in the hotel’s operations.

Hotel Hugo Lobby

The long-term impact of Flip.to has been huge. In addition to helping the 122-room boutique property get introduced to entirely new audiences every day, they’ve seen a boost in unique site visitors and have started capturing warm leads through the personal recommendations of their guests at a scale never before possible.

“It’s simple, yet impactful,” noted Kelly Sanders, Director of Revenue for Hotel Hugo. “We’re building richer relationships with our guests while receiving introductions to their network of friends & family. There’s no better way to welcome a new guest than through these interactions.”

Flip.to taps into the massive reach of their guests, allowing Hotel Hugo to reach an enormous but highly targeted audience of potential future travelers in an authentic and trusted way. “Flip.to really is the total package for platform and service,” she went on to add, “it all just works, and they have a great team behind an outstanding product.”

The move to implement Flip.to has been part of a comprehensive technology approach by Hotel Hugo. Flip.to is seamlessly integrated with every part of their hotel, from marketing to revenue and even operations. Sanders attributes this to well thought-out touch points for both the guest and hotel.

“Our guests are at the forefront of all of our technology considerations, especially since our influence on the guest experience extends well beyond when visitors are on property. The design of Flip.to lets us engage guests and their friends & family in the best way possible. On site, we can easily track results, and even identify advocates when they’re on property, making for a better stay. It’s changed our approach to how we operate.”

Bar Hugo Rooftop

For independents, unique experiences are key drivers to compete, with Hotel Hugo’s SoHo urban retreat being no different. “Hotels must distinguish themselves in the market. This can be an even bigger challenge with a small team,” said Raul Vega, Senior Director of Sales at Flip.to. “Flip.to offers huge value to disciplines across your hotel, really bolstering everything you’re doing today. Hotel Hugo is the perfect example, and continues to grow with the platform.”

Travelers seeking a stylish New York City neighborhood with timeless appeal can look no further than Hotel Hugo. A seamless blend of contemporary luxury and bohemian chic, the luxurious design pays tribute to the storied history of Lower Manhattan and enduring art-meets-industrial edge. Offering 122 guest rooms and suites, state-of-the-art meeting spaces, and a sleek rooftop bar for cocktails overlooking the stunning Hudson River, Hotel Hugo is SoHo’s most sophisticated urban retreat. To reserve a stay, visit www.HotelHugoNY.com or call 212-608-4848.

Adrift Hotel and Spa reaches over half a million through captivating guest stories captured with Flip.to

Advocacy platform bolsters marketing and revenue, builds affinity, and inspires new guests for Pacific Northwest property

ORLANDO, FL — April 13, 2016 — Adrift Hotel and Spa, an eclectic boutique hotel in the heart of Long Beach, Washington, has tapped the Flip.to advocacy platform to attract an enormous new audience of travelers, while enhancing their brand with compelling, authentic guest stories.

Since launching February of 2014, the property has seen tremendous success, and has since reached a new audience of over 500,000. This is in addition to converting over 4,000 warm leads for the hotel to nurture down the path to becoming a future guest, leading to thousands of booked room nights for the boutique hotel.

— Sara A., past guest at Adrift Hotel and Spa

“We’ve gained the attention of travelers worldwide,” noted Linh DePledge, Operations & Marketing Director for Adrift Hotel. “The Flip.to advocacy platform has been key in driving and converting new guests, especially in the competitive Long Beach area.”

Adrift’s success on the platform can in large part be attributed to the implementation of Photo Explorer, a digital experience built to captivate and inspire new audiences of global travelers worldwide, while letting the hotel tell a richer story full of authentic guest experiences. The platform not only drives traffic and leads, but also captures hugely captivating guest content for the hotel to infuse into their online and other marketing efforts.

Adrift Hotel’s Photo Explorer turns memorable guest moments into highly engaging interactions with every type of site visitor.

“The guest stories we’ve captured using Flip.to have brought a genuine voice to our online presence, while boosting traffic from our ideal travelers,” DePledge went on to add. “Whether someone is looking for a dog-friendly property, a romantic getaway, or a place where they have the freedom to enjoy the outdoors, the Flip.to platform has unveiled some incredibly fun, personable, and even heartwarming experiences. The quality of this guest-created content is second-to-none.”

Adrift Hotel and Spa creates unique experiences that cater to the individual, giving visitors a true sense of place. The Flip.to platform uses advocacy to tap into these unique experiences, letting guests share everything from their excitement for an upcoming trip to the favorite moment of their stay with friends and family, tracking all traffic back to the hotel website. As guest networks are full of like-minded individuals often with similar tastes in travel, the platform is the perfect fit for independent and boutique properties like Adrift seeking to reach the right guest.

Content provided by guests is used in Adrift Hotel’s digital marketing initiatives, including their website.

“Adrift Hotel have captured some of the most aesthetic and inspiring guest stories we’ve seen,” said Deborah Moses, Senior Director of Sales, Americas at Flip.to. “Most importantly, they’re real experiences from actual guests. They’re aspirational, but also attainable, which truly resonates with the audiences of future travelers they attract.”

Adrift Hotel is an eclectic, modern property with an urban-industrial vibe that borrows cues from the local peninsula landscape. The hotel offers a diverse range of packages, from clam digging, to beachside bonfires and even dog-friendly getaways. This is in addition to complimentary cruiser bikes to explore, locally sourced food and cocktails, and free live music nightly at their onsite restaurant, Pickled Fish. To reserve a stay, visit www.AdriftHotel.com, or call 800-561-2456.

Unlock our new e-course: Reignite your loyal base

Together, loyalty and advocacy spark huge return for repeat business. Enroll in our e-course to learn how to harness recognition and extend personal interactions with your guests.

With a new lesson sent to your inbox each week for 5 weeks, we’ll cover the industry shift towards aspirational marketing and what it means for hoteliers, plus how to attract, inspire and keep loyal guests.

As you’ll soon see, loyalty done right fosters advocacy, and the two are a more powerful than the sum of their parts. Each read takes only 5–8 minutes, so, you’ll be able to apply these lessons and lift your loyalty program to new heights in no time.

Join us as we explore more in-depth lessons with every installment.

Get enrolled

Meet the instructor

Richard Dunbar

Director of Partnerships

Hi there—Richard here at Flip.to. I’ve been in the hospitality space for over 15 years, including several at one of the largest providers of independent loyalty reward programs worldwide. After picking up my fair share on loyalty, I’ve been able to put it all together with revenue management, e-commerce, and now advocacy. I’m happy to share what I’ve learned with you as you come aboard.

40 percent of guests become ambassadors for San Francisco’s newly minted Hotel Zephyr with Flip.to

Star of the revitalized Fisherman’s Wharf reaches 200,000 future travelers in first 6 months of operation

ORLANDO, FL — February 8, 2016 — Flip.to, the advocacy platform for hotels that captivates and inspires new audiences of travelers, has helped Hotel Zephyr amplify its reach to over 200,000 potential new guests in only six months. Hotel Zephyr is Davidson Hotels & Resorts’ first property within its new lifestyle & luxury collection, Pivot, and one of San Francisco’s newest boutique hotels.

The Yard at Hotel Zephyr

The hotel has seen enormous guest engagement since partnering with Flip.to, which coincided with the hotel’s opening after a multi-million dollar renovation in the summer of 2015. Over 40% of guests have shared their travel experience with their network of family and friends, driving quality traffic back to the property’s website, and introducing Hotel Zephyr’s playful maritime concept to thousands of leads for future travelers.

“When launching a new brand, momentum is critical,” noted Harry Carr, director of Revenue Management for Hotel Zephyr. “Our guests have become ambassadors for our hotel, helping us connect with other travelers seeking Hotel Zephyr’s spirited atmosphere. Flip.to unveiled a completely new channel to identify and reach the right guests for our property. It’s been an outstanding complement to our revenue and marketing efforts.”

The Lobby at Hotel Zephyr

Hotel Zephyr’s transformation, aimed at travelers seeking a fresh, lively and one-of-a-kind San Francisco experience, not only included a complete redesign and renovation of the hotel, but also consisted of a newly launched website and tech-forward approach to the property’s digital presence. Flip.to was a key component of this effort, increasing guest engagement, integrating social mediums and driving loyalty, while also shifting attention away from online travel agencies.

The advocacy platform has attracted thousands of new visitors back to Hotel Zephyr’s website through the warm introductions of their guests. Each guest is greeted by distinct, unique experiences designed to convert, taking these curious onlookers down the path to becoming future loyal guests.

“Thanks to connectivity in the digital world, your guests have more influence than ever before,” said Debi Moses, Senior Director of Sales for Flip.to. “Flip.to gives hotels the ability to tap into that influence by letting them share their travel experience with their personal connections—a like-minded network of travelers who are perfect for your hotel. Their combined reach truly gives you global exposure.”

Guest Quarter at Hotel Zephyr

Hotel Zephyr features 361 stylishly appointed guest quarters and suites. The property’s artistic design brings a new dimension to the upscale vibe that defines San Francisco. The only waterfront hotel in Fisherman’s Wharf, guests enjoy stunning panoramas of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Fisherman’s Wharf, Coit Tower and the Bay Bridge. For reservations, visit www.HotelZephyrSF.com, or contact Reservations at reservations@hotelzephyrsf.com.