Picture this, you’re looking for a restaurant close to where you are. You pull out your iPhone and start looking at Apple Maps to find a spot that has what you’re looking for.
NB: This is an article from Cendyn, one of our Expert Partners
You see a restaurant that has a great description, pictures of mouth-watering food, and it’s only a few blocks away. You click on a tile to call the restaurant to make sure there’s availability, you book a table, and head on over.
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Now, imagine potential guests having this same capability for your hotel. Apple recently launched Apple Business Connect which gives businesses, and in this case hotels, the opportunity to make both their hotel and hotel amenities more easily discoverable for those with Apple devices. With Apple Maps being a popular alternative to Google Maps and being a pre-installed app on iPhones, utilizing this new feature is an effective marketing tool.
Keep reading to learn more about how this new feature can work specially for hotels and help boost your business!
What is Apple Business Connect?
Apple Business Connect is a free, web-based tool to help businesses and hotels manage and optimize their Apple Maps locations. You’ll have access to Place Cards which allow you to update your location details, add photos, publish showcases — including offers and events — and review engagement and performance. Setting up Apple Business Connect makes it easier for potential guests to find your property in Apple Maps, Apple Wallet, Siri, and other Apple Apps.
How hotels can use Apple Business Connect
As a hotelier, utilizing this tool will make it easier for potential guests to find your hotel. Apple Business Connect’s use of Place Cards allows you to control how people see your hotel. We recommend including information like:
- A description of your hotel’s location (the more unique, the better!)
- Additional features including amenities (Wi-Fi, parking, breakfast included, on-site dining options, accessibility features, concierge availability, pool, hot tub, fitness center, pet policy, etc.)
- Photos of your hotel’s exterior, interior, and note-worthy amenities. Don’t forget to include your logo!
- Showcases to highlight popular features and current offers. Showcases include photos, a short description and headline, and one or more calls to actions, including an option to “Rate This Place” allowing users to provide feedback. These Place Cards expire after 30 days making them a perfect way to advertise current specials or limited time offers.
Additional tiles are used to encourage potential guests to book a reservation, call, or start navigation to your hotel.
Aside from being able to show off your hotel, you’ll also have the opportunity to include other on-site amenities by selecting additional categories for your business. According to Apple, additional categories help with search and can be unique to your specific location.
