If you are a branded hotel, your listing on Brand.com is important for gaining online exposure. However, your brand has a responsibility to represent all of its properties fairly. For this reason, each hotel is presented in a homogeneous way on their website. It can be difficult for your property to stand out. This is why your hotel also needs a vanity website – separate from Brand.com. A vanity website can deliver a more localized experience to travel shoppers; one that connects with them emotionally to ultimately drive more direct bookings.
What Travelers Want to Know
When travel shoppers begin planning a trip, the first thing they want to learn about is the local area. This will help determine what kind of accommodation they need, and what their shopping criteria will be.
Knowing your local area is key to convincing travel shoppers that your hotel is the best option to satisfy their needs. You should be able to answer the question: why do people visit my region? Is your hotel located in a major metropolis, like Manhattan, and close to popular tourist attractions? Are you located off the beaten track, for travelers to escape the daily grind? Or are you located in close proximity to the head offices for some major Fortune 500 companies and rely heavily on business travel?
You can uncover great insights about why people visit your area by asking your guests directly. You can also read your online guest reviews to learn more about the purpose of someone’s stay. This information can be used to help tailor your website content and focus on specific experiences that you know your guests care about.
Share Localized Content on Your Website
Every hotel website should have a webpage dedicated to the local area. It may be called “Explore,” “Things to Do,” or something else, but it should essentially highlight the top attractions in your area. Compile a list of the best restaurants, museums, theatres, shopping centers, and other points of interest around town. Include a brief description of each place, along with other useful information, like directions, hours of operation and admission. This is your chance to be knowledgeable and fun. Don’t just promote the most popular attractions; include your own recommendations too – tips that only a local would know.
