Stories that inspire: our favorite guest moments from June

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:

The Shores Resort and Spa — Daytona Beach Shores, Florida

“The best part of my experience was that my entire family came up to stay at The Shores for my graduation and all the staff was very accommodating.” – Allan C.

Show some love

Allan put The Shores at the center of a special moment that was shared with like-minded travelers worldwide.

SeaVenture Pismo Beach Hotel — Pismo Beach, California

“I proposed to my fiancé on the beach while staying at Sea Venture.” – Doug K.

Relive special momentsDoug shared this special moment with 290 of his friends and family, leading to 71 unique site visits and 13 warm leads for SeaVenture Pismo Beach Hotel.

SeaVenture Pismo Beach Hotel’s current photo contest has topped 100 thousand friends and family reached and 1,200 warm leads.

Barefoot Cay Resort — Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras

“We loved the solitude! Every aspect of our stay was wonderful.” – Duane & Sharron P.

Take it slow

This tiny island resort in Roatan, Honduras just put its foot on the map thanks to their guests–building an incredible library of curated content along the way.

Marys Lake Lodge Mountain Resort — Estes Park, Colorado

“Great service from your staff. Beautiful views from the property” – John H.

Take a stroll

John shared a favorite moment to 228 friends and family, converting 22 of those reached into warm leads. Guests at Mary Lake Lodge Mountain Resort already introduced over 6,000 friends and family to the property since going live in May.

The Pines Resort — Bass Lake, California

“Beautiful Chalet overlooking the water….can’t beat it! Staff was great, restaurant was amazing and the view was extraordinary! Plenty of room for the whole family. Loved our stay!” – Lauri R.

Hold on tight

Lauri shared her view from a day on the lake, bringing the incredible experience and activities at Bass Lake to life!

Hotel Zephyr — San Francisco, California

“We visited the Sea Lions every day and night during our stay. It was great to hear them each morning as soon as we opened our balcony door.” – Arthur P.

Explore Fisherman’s Wharf

Arthur currently sits at the top of Hotel Zephyr’s current contest. He shared to 519 friends 9 times so far, with 28 of his friends sharing on as well. This has driven 274 unique site visitors and 31 warm leads (and the contest is only half-way through!)

Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel — South Lake Tahoe, California

“Great bang for the buck! Open, clean environment with curious staff.” – Tsewang L.

Sit in the sand

Tsewang is just one of the 27 finalist in Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel’s first photo contest. So far, Tsewang and her fellow guests shared their stories to over 30 thousand friends and family, leading to 483 warm leads in just 3 months.

Vista Cay Resort by Millenium — Orlando, Florida

“The amazing Discovery Cove a must do for an Orlando visit.” – Jennifer D.

Experience Vista Cay

Jennifer’s story gives future guests a candid travel tip and also taps into the experience of the visit.

Grand View Lodge — Nisswa, Minnesota

“Beautiful sunset on our last night” – Daniel G.

Unwind

Ann Marie shared her story to 524 friends & family, leading to 171 unique site visits and 17 warm leads. Together, Daniel and fellow guests have introduced Grand View Lodge to over 19 thousands friends and family in less than a month.

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

Adventure back to May’s stories

Stories that inspire: our favorite guest moments from May

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.

Hotel El Ganzo — Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico

“This was our second stay at El Ganzo and it did not disappoint! We visited in 2014 before the hurricane and the hotel has maintained its very hip vibe, with exceptional customer service and attention to detail. This visit was for our wedding, and our family and friends all raved about their time at El Ganzo. We cannot wait to come back!” — Cristina C.

Soak it in

Cristina is just one of Hotel El Ganzo’s current 26 photo contest finalists. Together, Cristina and her fellow guests have shared their stories to over 17 thousands friends and family, leading to 310 warms leads for the 72 room property in only 4 months.

Turtle Bay Resort — Kahuku, Hawaii

“I loved the laid back atmosphere, the beautiful surroundings and the many variety of activities offered on property! Everything I could want to do in a vacation is offered at Turtle Bay!” — Ileana M.

Experience Turtle Bay

Ileana is just one guest who shared her favorite moment to Turtle Bay Resort. She reached a network of 455 friends & family.

Turtle Bay Resort has topped over 67,000 warm introductions from their guests in just the past 30 days alone—reaching travelers one degree away in the best way possible.

Adrift Hotel & Spa — Longbeach, Washington

“We have two special needs pets so this was the perfect little getaway for us. Thanks for making us all feel welcome!” — Zera M.

Show some love

Not only did Zera’s story create a richer narrative for Adrift, but when she shared it with an audience of 800, Zera captured the hearts of 29 warm leads for Adrift in just 6 days.

Pacific Terrace Hotel — San Diego, California

Ride along

This incredible moment shared by Wendy captures the perfect poolside vibes that future guests at Pacific Terrace Hotel can enjoy off the shores of San Diego.

Floridays Resort Orlando — Orlando, Florida

Jump in

Ann Marie shared her story to 697 friends & family, helping Floridays Resort receive 333 unique site visits and 50 warm leads so far in their current photo contest.

Avanti Resort — Orlando, Florida

“This hotel is in a fantastic location, the staff are so incredibly helpful, they always keep it clean and the pool is a great place just to chill out after exploring the sites, I TOTALLY recommend the Avanti Resort Hotel.” — Eugenie F.

Take Flight

Eugenie’s story from a recent trip to Avanti Resort gives future travelers a taste of Orlando. Plus, after being shared to 278 friends & family it earned 230 unique sive visits and 55 warm leads for the hotel. It’s a win-win.

The Lodge at Woodloch — Hawley, Pennsylvania

“The best part of my stay with Woodloch is the staff! It’s a testament to what a great organization Woodloch is that over my 7, yes SEVEN, visits, I see mostly the same people. The staff is what makes Woodloch a great place to be. Well…along with the excellent spa services, tasty meals, great art/yoga/meditation/workout classes. I have brought many people to Woodloch and recommend to everyone I know!” — Jennifer H. W.

Take it in

After sharing her favorite moment to 834 friends & family, Jennifer quickly climbed the ranks in The Lodge at Woodloch’s current photo contest, with 103 participants and counting! Her story alone drove 218 unique visitors to Woodloch’s site, leading to 56 warm leads.

Even better, this loyal, lifetime guest shared the true hospitality she’s experienced again and again at The Lodge at Woodloch, becoming a true brand ambassador for the hotel!

Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel — South Lake Tahoe, California

“Family friendly with comfortable clean furnishings in the flexible suites. The kids love the happy hour and breakfast in the morning.” — Joshua R.

Show some love

Joshua is just one of the 18 finalist in Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel’s current photo contest. Just two months in finalists have introduced 20,000 of their friends and family to the resort, leading to 330 warm leads. (And the clock’s still ticking!)

Casa del Mar Golf Resort & Spa — Cabo Real, San Jose del Cabo, Mexico

“The feeling of being the only people there, complete solitude, peaceful, quiet, paradise! Unlike any other resort I’ve ever been to!” — John M.

Tee up more stories

John shared his view from one of Casa del Mar’s championship golf courses, revealing the beauty of this “peaceful, quiet, paradise” from a guest’s unique perspective.

Metropolis Resort — Eau Claire, Wisconsin

“My daughter was so excited to go to her first water park! She could barely wait for us to get our suits on!” — Tara J.

See more candid moments

Tara shared her story to an audience of 270, half of whom became a warm lead for the hotel after visiting Metropolis Resort’s site and claiming an offer on a future stay. Tara’s friends showed genuine interest in a future stay at this Western Wisconsin family getaway—unveiling travelers that are the perfect fit for the hotel.

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

Adventure back to April’s stories

Stories that inspire: our favorite guest moments from April

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.

The Point — Orlando, Florida

“We love the updated rooms and you can’t beat the location. The staff is friendly and helpful here!” — Carol K.

Jump in

Carol shared her story to 615 friends and family, earning 189 unique site visits & 73 warm leads for The Point. (So far, this story and the others helped boost the contest reach to over 20,000 new folks perfect for their hotel. With only 2 months down, they’re still growing!)

Crystal Lodge — Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

“Super friendly staff and great location. Perfect ski valet service.” — Joern J.

Catch air

Future guests get a true sense of what they can expect when they hit the slopes, and Crystal Lodge gets an awesome story to share with future guests.

The Shores Resort & Spa, Daytona Beach Shores, Florida

Take a beach day

Not only did Cindy share her story, but so did 4 of her closest friends, driving more than 100 visitors back to The Shores Resort’s site. We like to call this the viral effect.

The Lafayette, San Diego, California

“Enough room to swing a cat!!!! Front desk service was exemplary…thanks Ronan! Close enough to walk to the zoo and Balboa Park. Everything you could want…” — Belinda M.

Flashback

Belinda’s story shares how Ronan gave them a sense of hospitality and a more intimate experience. It empowered The Lafayette’s staff, and speaks volume towards the type of service future guests can expect.

Adrift Hotel & Spa — Long Beach, Washington

“Lounging in our room with a beautiful ocean view to the south, Mimosa in hand – A lovely slow down. Loving Long Beach” — Rachel S.

Tip toe along

Putting guests in the driver’s seat of their marketing drastically boosts this boutique property’s ability to capture timeless moments that reveals their rich story.

Brasada Ranch — Powell Butte, Oregon

“Our stay at Brasada was amazing! As usual the only part we didn’t love was leaving to come back home.” — Danielle J.

See more of Bend at Brasada

Danielle shared her story to over 300 friends and family, helping Brasada Ranch top over 30,000 warm introductions in just 8 months.

Caribe Royale, Orlando, Florida

“I’m a US soldier and your staff truly made me feel appreciated. It was my engagement weekend and we were a large group, they made sure we were all happy with our rooms and everything was absolutely perfect. Thanks so much for an unforgettable experience.” — Eddy M.

Show some love

Guests at Caribe Royale captured this unforgettable moment and shared with friends and family—the beginning of a lifetime of memories.

Shore Hotel — Santa Monica, California

“Every employee I encountered made eye contact and said ‘hello’ and it looked like they meant it!” — Christopher C.

Soak it in

When a guest calls out what an amazing experience your hotel provided, you don’t have to. (Plus, a stunning shot for Shore Hotel in Santa Monica.)

The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort, Shawnee on Delaware, Pennsylvania

“We visit 2-3 times per year with the kids. We love the surrounding beauty, the old time charm and the nostalgia (we married on the front lawn 11 years ago and my husband spent his childhood summers here)…..our Shawnee trips give us a chance to simply be present and enjoy one another – simple, laid back” — Faith P.

Peek at more candid moments

A long tradition of visiting their favorite getaway was shared to over 700 friends and family, helping Shawnee Inn receive 182 unique visits and 60 warm leads. This, and their other spectacular guest stories has boosted Shawnee’s lifetime reach to well over 100,000. (Growing more every day.)

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

Adventure back to March’s stories

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.

Stories that inspire: our favorite guest moments from March

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.

Barefoot Cay Resort — Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras

“Top notch accommodations in a perfect location with incredibly knowledgeable, caring, attentive and professional dive staff.” — Sherry W.

Dive in

Adrift Hotel & Spa — Long Beach, Washington

“Our dog is a rescue from Iran and had never seen the ocean before. It was a hoot to let her run off-leash on the beach for the first time; to be completely honest, we weren’t sure she would ever come back! Adrift is a haven for dog lovers and a beautiful destination year-round. We loved visiting in early March, there were times when we had the whole beach to ourselves and the stormy ocean was indescribably beautiful.” — Danielle J.

Take a stroll

The Stanley Hotel — Estes Park, Colorado

“The hotel and the area are beautiful. Our room was regal!” — Barbi B.

(And our very first drone photo!)

Take flight

SeaVenture Beach Hotel — Pismo Beach, California

“Room was small but cozy and clean, breakfast was great, hot tub on balcony was very relaxing!” — Dan H.

Grab the wheel

Hotel El Ganzo — Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico

“The food, service, and ambiance on the rooftop bar were superb. I’m dreaming of that ceviche!” — Connor S.

Catch some rays

The Lodge at Woodloch — The Poconos, Hawley, Pennsylvania

“The opportunity to really relax and feel totally pampered. At 8 months pregnant, this was the perfect weekend escape!” — Kate F.

Let’s relax

Crystal Lodge — Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

“The staff was really helpful when I was booking my room.”
— Delan W.

Hit the slopes

Turtle Bay Resort — Oahu’s North Shore, Kahuku, Hawaii

The photo says it all. No quote needed—am I right?

Hear the waves

Pacific Terrace Hotel — San Diego, California

“Hotel is in a perfect location. Easy walk to the beach and many restaurants, shops, etc. Staff is super friendly and helpful. 2nd time there and will be going back” — Brooke M.

Enjoy the sunset

Avanti Resort — Orlando, Florida

“Avanti Resort have great staff, brilliant location, lovely spacious rooms and really good swimming pool hours to unwind in after a tough day out in the parks.” — Adam M.

Experience the magic

The Platinum Hotel — Las Vegas, Nevada

“We loved being so close to the strip at a smoke-free facility. The staff was so friendly and our view was amazing!” — Kristin N.

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

Flip.to on the road: NAVIS Leaders Conference

This year’s NAVIS Leaders Conference (NLC) recently wrapped up and we are honored to have been invited to participate. There were about 80 different companies represented, ranging from vacation rentals to large resorts and historic properties all over North America. Also represented were many industry leading companies like GCommerce, HeBS Digital, and Miles Partnership.

What I found particularly interesting were the keynote presentations where Peter Yesawich and Larry Mogelonsky dove into the experiential economy and how hotels can and must adapt their strategies (online and offline) to remain competitive.

And the Navis partner hotels couldn’t be in better hands to deliver on those challenges. It was evident that Navis took great care to focus more on the “why it should be done this way” and less on the “how-to” aspects of their services. This is precisely what an attendee is looking for both in a partner and in how they put their travel budget to work.

Here’s a short video recapping the 3-day event from our perspective. I was only left with one question: where’s NLC 2017 going to be?

Flip.to on the road: Worldhotels Annual Conference

I spent the last week in Hamburg with a wonderfully diverse group of hoteliers and industry folks from just about everywhere in the world. From a trendy, forward-thinking boutique in Sweden that will come and read you a bedtime story in Swedish to help you get settled in at night, to a designer, eco-conscious hotel on one of Berlin’s most traveled thoroughfares that prides itself on keeping walls to a minimum, there were definitely some standouts in the crowd.

What they had in common though, was that they all represented something bigger than the sum of their parts, which is exactly what brought them together in Hamburg for the Worldhotels Annual Conference.

Worldhotels Annual Conference wrapped up with an outstanding dinner

This year’s theme was focused on storytelling, and how hotels discover and share their “why” with prospective guests. There couldn’t have been a better group to undertake this exercise given the sheer diversity of the attendees, a credit to Worldhotels for assembling such a collection of properties.

Worldhotels’ CEO, Kris Intress, has done a superb job in making it the focus of the organization to tell the story of its partner hotels in a way that truly engages with their guests on an emotional level. Her opening presentation for the conference made it clear that it’s not just a corporate directive, it’s how she truly feels. With drive like that, it’s hard not to get behind the concept, and that goal was definitely met in Hamburg.

There were two things that I took away from the conference (not including this really cool virtual reality cardboard kit from Diginet Media; seriously it’s awesome).

“If you’re an independent hotel and you’re not playing the game by a different set of rules, you’re going to have a hard time.” – Richard Dunbar

The first is that if you’re an independent hotel and you’re not playing the game by a different set of rules, you’re going to have a hard time. I have a great deal of respect for hotel owners and operators because it’s a fierce space to play in. You have a huge job just in delivering on the experience the guest expects but there are also so many distractions, all vying for your attention.

The hardest part of all of this is that most of those distractions need your attention or they can become tomorrow’s problems. Worldhotels does a great job managing a lot of those distractions for hotels, (disclaimer: hoteliers’ words, not mine) but it’s incumbent upon hotels to have a firm grasp on why they do what they do. It’s one thing to point out what makes you unique, but how did you arrive there? What brought you to where you are today? That’s a much more challenging question to answer and it requires a different perspective to fully understand it.

“Let your guests help you discover your ‘why.'” – Richard Dunbar

The other big takeaway for me is that hotels are hungry for a better way to do social. Now I know, that may sound self-serving, but there were over a hundred hoteliers that attended our sessions on capturing guest stories and infusing those into the hotel’s brand identity. The message was a very simple one: let your guests help you discover your “why.”

We have this amazing vehicle for communication (social media) but it’s become congested with marketing pollution and a lot of noisy nonsense. The truth is that hotel guests have been telling their stories but hotels haven’t been listening. In all fairness, some do listen quite well and they’ve been extraordinarily successful because of it. But there are countless hotel websites out there showcasing empty rooms and public spaces, embracing this notion of the zombie apocalypse our esteemed president raised in his recent “state of the industry” address.

For the longest time social in this industry has been a one-sided conversation. Sure, guests are talking on TripAdvisor but that’s very formulaic and can hardly be considered a conversation. The stories are being told at home, to friends and to family. Those stories that make their way into the online social media space sit on the shelf of our limited attention spans and are soon forgotten. There’s no engagement and there’s no dialogue happening. When meaningful and inspirational adventures are happening everyday in and around hotels those events should be captured and sharing should be encouraged!

Attendees enjoyed an Octoberfest dinner on Friday

In the end, all of the ingredients were there, hotels just needed the recipe. Kris, Geoff, Tom, Alex, and all the others at Worldhotels have worked tirelessly to bring it all together and present it in such a way that hotels are well equipped to start their journey. I was proud to be welcomed into this group and to present our solution to this challenge. Because ultimately it’s about building a long-term, meaningful relationship with the guest. And if there’s one key ingredient to a healthy relationship, it’s listening.

The pros weigh in: tips for creating a revenue culture

The focus on creating collaborative teams is a byproduct of the rapidly changing and increasingly complex world hoteliers operate in today. Ideally, your sales, marketing, and revenue management teams are already collaborating in order to keep up with these changes.

At Flip.to, we go further to say that at the core of every collaborative team should be a focus on creating a culture that aligns hotel marketing and revenue management. That’s why we created RevPAR Hacking.

Since releasing RevPAR Hacking, we’ve gathered some great feedback. Among the feedback lies insight from other industry leaders on how they approach a revenue culture.

Tips from the Pros: How to Approach a Revenue Culture

Ed Conway, General Manager, Sedona Rouge Hotel & Spa
LinkedIn

“Our whole team is focused on revenue as a shared metric. We’ve been able to work closer together and have a better understanding of how each individual affects the success of the joint effort.

I’ve also noticed that when our entire team is conscious of revenue considerations, we not only make smart financial decisions for our hotel, but also for reaching the right guests–starting with building on advocates that are likely to rebook and tell their network about us.”

Mark Oliver, Vice President, Business Development, GCommerce
LinkedIn

“For our hotel clients, creating a revenue-centric culture leads to overall better communication and engagement across their teams–both keys for reaching a hotel’s goals. For example, a revenue team may feel more engaged with their marketing team when their revenue expertise is used in conjunction with marketing’s overall strategy. It becomes more of a partnership than anything else.”

Victor Garland, Commercial Director, In1 Solutions Ltd
LinkedIn

“The arguments laid out in the book are a real opportunity to get sales, marketing, and general managers to put RevPar first and foremost in their mind when implementing anything to do with the sales and marketing mix.

Independent hotel clients that may not have the resources of large hotel chains can still implement these best practices. They’ll benefit from a greater understanding of cause and effect. More direct bookings will reduce overall distribution costs and give them back the relationship with the guest. Advocacy expands that relationship to a market that is in the same category as your existing guests.”

Your guests, your team, and your hotel’s bottom line all win when you aspire to generate the most revenue. More and more hoteliers are focusing on tactics that acquire more guests through direct bookings, and aim to reach a new audiences of potential guests that typically goes untapped–their friends, relatives, and colleagues.

Make sure you grab your free copy of RevPAR Hacking below if you want to learn more about the tactics and insights involved in creating a revenue culture.

RevPAR Hacking is the ultimate guide to the impact of revenue culture. Not only will readers get insight from leading experts in their field, but they’ll also learn the tips and tools to put them at the forefront of hotel marketing and revenue management.

Get RevPAR Hacking

Introducing: Photo Explorer, an entirely new look at your hotel

Captivate & inspire an entire new audience of global travelers like never before, and tell a richer story for your hotel with Flip.to’s newest feature—Photo Explorer. It’s an entirely new look at your hotel, as told by your guests.

Your guests capture the widest range of experiences and most candid insights into your hotel. With Photo Explorer, your property now has the ability to infuse these authentic stories and perspectives that only your guests can provide into your online experience. Thanks to advocacy, your guests drive their friends & family back to your site, drumming up a ton of activity and attention for your hotel.

It’s refined at every level. From a nuanced interface, to thoughtful interactions designed with your guests’ travel considerations in mind, the platform is smarter than ever. Photo Explorer adapts for every type of visitor that comes to your site, whether they’re learning about your hotel for the first time, or a past guest rekindling their favorite moment. With Photo Explorer, your hotel can tap into the benefits of aspirational selling and influence potential travelers where hotels can really win—inspiration.

Take a deeper dive below, and see how engaging your guests who create and share their stories makes a real impact for your hotel.

Take a tour of Photo Explorer

Curate a richer story from your guests’ meaningful moments

Turn memorable moments into highly engaging interactions with every type of visitor to your site—from your guests, their friends & family, or a curious onlooker. Capture, curate, and infuse authentic guest moments into a compelling online experience for your website. It’s a fun part of your day that makes a huge impact for your hotel. Since it’s in real time, these stories are timely, relevant and seasonal—speaking to your potential guests today.

Filtered by your hotel’s current and past contests, or through a unique Gallery view, Photo Explorer is smart. It takes into account hotel rating, votes, timeliness, and even who’s viewing your site. Your best images will always be on display, paired with the right message for that visitor.

Deliver unique, personal experiences to every website visitor

Photo Explorer engages different users in different ways—out of the box. Personalized, thoughtful interactions are built in, so your hotel has the right conversation with every viewer based on their persona and their travel considerations.

With unique call to actions, your hotel can now build real relationships with past and future guests. Convert anonymous visitors just learning about your hotel into warm leads, or rekindle a favorite moment of a past guest. These strong initial brand connections nurture guest relationships when you deliver unique, personal and genuine online experiences to every person that visits your site.

Integrate simply and see immediate, measurable results

Simply put, integration is a snap. Provide a link location to point your content, and we’ll take care of the rest. Managing Photo Explorer is easy too, fitting effortlessly into your day along with the rest of the Flip.to platform.

Everything is tracked, so you can see firsthand the impact authentic guest stories make for your hotel. You’ll be notified of submissions, sign-ups for future offers and shares—driving home the impact that authentic stories created by your guests are making for hotels on a global scale.

The Path to Booking is Not a Single Step

Even though the travel buying process doesn’t start at “Book Now,” this tends to be where most hotel marketing efforts are focused. In reality, the decision for travel starts well before guests are ready to book. In fact, the inspiration and research phases are primed for influencing the decision to travel. Fortunately for hotels, this is where they can be making a big impact. The key is to engage them in the right way.

Instead of pushing someone who isn’t ready to book now, why not change up the conversation. If they’re very early in the decision-making process, offer a light touch, let them unveil, and begin nurturing them down the path to becoming a future guest. With Photo Explorer, your hotel can do just that.

You’ll build brand affinity, and when they are ready to make a reservation, you’ll be top of mind and they’ll be more likely to book directly.

Aspire to Inspire

What does all of this really mean for your hotel? Photo Explorer is an entirely new look at your hotel. Thanks to your guests, your hotel can have real, candid experiences woven into a smart platform that drives and converts. It aspires to inspire—and aspirational selling is the key to winning in the new hotel marketplace.

Guests want more. They’re looking to buy into experiences and seek inspiration. By sharing in the creation of this inspiration, they receive value in return, and start on their way to becoming loyal brand ambassadors. It’s a win-win for your hotel, as you’ll not only share in getting incredible content, but you’re truly connecting with your guests.

Don’t just take our word for it. Check out Harvard Business Review’s recent article, What Apple, Lending Club and AirBnb know about Collaborating with Customers, which ties revenue and profit margin growth directly into the ability to tap customers to become co-creators.

Want to see more?

Stay tuned for a lot more to come. In the meantime, get in touch with one of our Advocologists to see a live implementation. We’re excited to see the stories your guests are telling!