How can we create “the thrill of the chase”?
2 Comments
One of the biggest things that stuck with me from last week’s EyeforTravel conference in Chicago was what a Starwood executive said:
OTAs provide consumers with the “thrill of the chase” that hotels often don’t provide. Using a site like Orbitz or Priceline is a fun way for travelers to get great deals they can brag about.
I know this is very true, and something we rarely talk about as hotel marketers. Using myself as an example, I tend to be less location-sensitive when traveling on business. If you know you’re staying at a 4 or 5-star hotel, chances are the experience can’t be that bad. Getting discounts of 50-70% off the rack rate is compelling.
And as that panelist said, it creates buzz that direct bookings can’t match.
This is an important issue to address, and I want to know your thoughts:
Is it possible for an individual hotel property to provide the “thrill of the chase”?
Is it even worth trying?
[Photo credit: Emery Way]
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Josiah,
Thanks for your updates on Eye for Travel. The relationship between hotels and OTA’s is an interesting one. You can’t live with them and you can’t live without them. One area where OTA’s hurt their image with independent hotels and indeed the chains is brand hijacking. The PPC strategy for many OTA’s is to bid on the hotel name with often unsubstantiated offers – “70 off rack rate etc”. This creates a lack of trust between the hotelier and the OTA’s.
If OTA’s focussed more on generating sales through experiences and innovation, other than rate & brand then everyone would benefit. Opaque channels are a good example where innovation has been a win win.
As for the chase, the chase should end when the users finds the same rate on the hotel website. This is often not the case of course. One innovation I think could work is room bidding, the user would be able to bid for a room on a certain night, with the highest price winning. It would certainly spice up the current booking engines which are quite boring to use.
Mark
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