Redesigning Your Hotel Website for the Social Media Revolution

Sep 29, 11 | 12:03 am

A case study from Thailand Faasai Resort and Spa

Despite their critical business importance, most hotel websites fail to take advantage of the social media revolution or meet the needs of modern wired travelers. Today more than 80 percent of travelers rely on the internet for their travel research and want a fast, multimedia, interactive experience including advice from other travelers.

The owner-manager of Faasai Resort and Spa, a small eco-resort in Southeast Thailand, Bronwen Evans recognized this need but struggled to find local designers and developers who could develop her site in the way she wanted. She therefore turned for assistance to a New Zealand website business Core Development, that produced beautiful, innovative and clean designs and between them they redesigned the new website www.faasai.com.

Bronwen's vision was to redesign the website along the lines of a news magazine so that travelers could have a rich experience of discovery before they even arrived. In line with best practices, they decided the hotel website should have these features:

• Fully integrated with social media - reviews from TripAdvisor, interactive Google Map, Facebook comments, YouTube videos, plus a host of other social media sharing buttons.

• Optimised for search engines - simple navigation, dynamic and rich content, internal and external links, image-rich, with embedded captions, a Google site map, meta tag page descriptions

• Call to action - a link to the booking engine prominently displayed on the home page and room pages

• Mobile-friendly - displaying well on any kind of mobile device or any kind of browser with simple navigation

• Rich multi-media experience - prominently displayed videos, 360 virtual tour plus extensive gallery of high quality photos

• Calendar of events and local highlights - up-to-date information about the local area and upcoming events

• Blog and photo gallery - shared stories about the activities at the resort and guests continually updated through the content management system

• Brand values - care for nature, responsible tourism and friendliness and warmth

The independent resort is owned and managed by a Thai New Zealand couple, Surin Laopha and Bronwen Evans. Surin had a traditional country childhood in a village in the Northeast of Thailand and studied and practiced traditional Thai massage and healing at Wat Po, the elite school of Thai massage in Bangkok. Bronwen is a former Radio New Zealand broadcaster who also works as an advisor to a major Thai corporation.  The resort reflects New Zealand tourism standards such as a high level of environmental protection, participation and learning activities for guests and interactive experience of nature. On the Thai side there is a chance to experience the real Thailand in an unspoiled fishing village community, fun, a genuine love for guests and Buddhist tolerance and patience.

"Since we built our old website there have been many important changes at the resort including buying and preserving a nearby wetlands nature sanctuary and developing our integrated edible forest garden," said Bronwen. "The website now reflects these things, our love of nature and some of the character of our staff and guests."

Bronwen's tips for other hoteliers planning to update their website is they should not to try to do everything on their own site but integrate them with specialist sites and social media - for example the Faasai website outsources the map to Google, the videos to YouTube, the interactive comments to Facebook and the booking engine to FastBooking.

About Faasai Resort and Spa

Faasai Resort and Spa is a 14 room eco-resort at Kung Wiman, Chanthaburi, Thailand about 200 kilometres southeast of Bangkok. The resort is nestled into a forest covered hill amidst three acres of tropical gardens, overlooking the mangrove-fringed Kung Kraben Bay. Faasai is a ten minute walk from Kung Wiman beach. www.faasai.com. Tel:            +66813426234      . Email: bronwenannevans@faasai.com

Awards won by Faasai Resort and Spa

•Outstanding service to the environment and nature in the Eastern region - Thailand Boutique Awards 2010

•Best Small Hotel in Thailand  - TAT Green Awards 2009. "The Green Awards are a symbol of TAT's thanks to outstanding quality and reliable tourism products offered by hoteliers and tour operators" - Joanna Cooke, Marketing Manager for TAT UK.

•Responsible Tourism award - Faasai Resort & Spa was runner-up in the budget category in the 2008 Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Awards. The judges awarded the resort a score of 96% for its sustainable practices.

About Core Development

Core Development is a Dunedin based business offering website design, e- commerce development, web hosting services. To see their portfolio visit www.coredev.co.nz

Use a sales action plan to boost room rates in 2012

By: Howard FeiertagHotel and Motel Management

 It is time to do our marketing plans again, with sales and marketing directors dusting off last year’s plan to figure out what needs to be done to improve business next year. It seems that the top priority may be gathering the information to help determine what could be done, and what will be the strategies to improve average daily rate.

According to TravelClick’s July 2011 North American Hospitality Review, ADR, rather than occupancy, will be the key driver in increasing revenue per available room for hotels in the upcoming year. This is ultimately fueling growth in the industry because the review shows RevPAR has consistently improved for the past 18 months. Additionally, demand for the midscale hotel market is beginning to return. Since the luxury market has seen the most growth since the recession “ended,” the uptick in the midscale market is a very positive sign.

The job that needs to be done is in the hands of the properties’ sales departments. A big part of the marketing plan for next year could be the sales action plan. When putting together this plan, sales staffers need to take a look at the appropriate figures to determine which markets have been the best based on their ADR and how much dollar business was generated from each of these markets against total dollar room sales for the property. The idea, of course, is to consider the best markets (based on ADR) to go after. A goal of increased dollar revenue for each market segment selected must be set. Once the goals are set, the sales staffers need to come up with various strategies to reach the goal within the year. The next step would be to document the strategies with a listing of who will do what in performance of the strategies.

One thing to consider is the cost of performing the activities. Set a percentage of the goal that could be allotted as expense for activities. For example, if participating in certain, appropriate, trade shows is a strategy to get more business from a selected market segment, then the cost for this activity probably should not be more than 10 percent of the expected revenue generated in business from that segment.

A form for each strategy should cover each activity and list who will do what, when it will be done, expected revenue generated and cost. For a sample form, send an email to howardf@vt.edu.

Attracting foreign customers to your city and indirectly to your property…

I’m all forward to Social Medias (Facebook, Twitter, Hotel Blogs and Sites…. even LinkdIn) but back in early 80`s tourism destinations have been created thanks to the hard work of the Conventions and Visitors Bureau; they were (still) responsible for the creation of the image of a city as a tourism destination through some tools, i.e. Sales Missions, participation on International Trade Fairs, etc… anyway..  I started in the Hotel Industry in 1983 in Miami Beach in a hotel called Sans Souci as a Latin American Sales Manager. That time Miami/Miami Beach wasn’t famous or glamorous to say the least… (beside Miami had a bad reputation of being the City of the Drug Lords…)  here in Brazil the upper medium class vacationers had Paris or London on their minds.

That time Miami had the fortune to hire Mr. Ron Kent (still active in the industry) to the Greater Miami Beach and Convention Center who through an excellent team made Miami and the Beaches the brand of nowadays and of course to all Sales and Marketing Manager that started promoting Miami and the Beaches (me included).  Mr. Many Centeno was the person responsible for the Latin American Market.

So, under the guidance of Mr. Kent, Mr. Centeno started organizing Sales Missions to Latin America (I remember that we used to travel every month to a different country);  we traveled the whole year to all Latin American Countries on Sales Missions and also participating of Major International Trade Shows. The results can be seeing nowadays. It all started with the Great Miami Beach & Visitors Bureau and of course with the Sales team from many companies. My point is that the old saying “out of sight, out of mind” proved to be very truthful.

Last year in the U.S., international arrivals from Brazil were up 16 percent from the year before, to 893,000, making Brazil this country's seventh-largest foreign market. By 2014, the annual total is forecast to reach 1.9 million, according to forecasts released by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Office of Travel and Tourism Industries. Tourism officials note that Brazilian vacationers come now despite the hassle of getting permission beforehand to enter the U.S. With one U.S. embassy and only three U.S. consulates in Brazil, prospective visitors must often "take a trip to take their trip," according to the U.S. Travel Association, driving or flying hundreds of miles to apply in person for a visa.

So another point is if Conventions and Visitors Bureau from other American destinations should also starting investing on the Brazilian Market (investing as making presence on trade Shows, organizing Sales Missions, etc…) they would be creating the habit on the Brazilian Travelers to exploring  other US destinations.

Stolen Passwords / Roubo de Senhas

Prezados Leitores,

Ontem (horário +ou- 12:00hs) um hacker acessou meu computador e conseguiu todas as minhas senhas: e-mail, bancário, sites que visito, etc...  Ele primeiramente alterou todas as senhas para que eu não conseguisse impedi-lo de "bagunçar a minha vida" começou pelo  meu banco (Itaú),  como é necessário digitar numero da agencia, conta e uma senha diferente para a Internet,  ele só conseguiu travar o acesso geral ao banco. Ontem mesmo estive  na agencia e já troquei as senhas (acesso pela Internet e acesso do cartão).

Ele também acessou todos os e-mails que eu tinha cadastrado em minha conta do Yahoo e enviou um e-mail a todos os endereços cadastrados (não cheguei a ler ainda este e-mail - só tomei conhecimento porque começaram a me telefonar...) este e-mail segundo me disseram diz que eu estou na Espanha e parece que estou com algum problema e pede para que enviem dinheiro (gostaria de saber para onde - assim talvez seja possível tomar algum outro tipo de providencias).

Enfim meu e-mail do Yahoo está praticamente perdido não consegui uma resposta da Yahoo, escreveram-me com um link para abrir uma nova conta (ou seja perdi todos os meus contatos de anos....) minha conta no LinkedIn aparentemente esta perdida também pois eles nem me responderam.... caso tenham recebido o referido e-mail por favor desconsiderem, estou bem e peço desculpas  por qualquer transtorno que isto possa ter causado.

Peço ainda que qualquer  comunicação seja feita para este novo e-mail:

macosentino@uol.com.br

Obrigado pela  compreensão,

Marco Antonio Cosentino

Dear Readers,

Yesterday (around 12:00 A.M.) a hacker got into my computer and retrieved all my passwords: e-mail, bank account, sites, etc… He/she changed all my passwords so I would couldn’t even try to prevent from messing my life completely. He/she started with my bank (Itaú), to make a long story short he only blocked completely the access to the bank (that’s have been taken care already).

He/she also accessed all my e-mails and sent a message (although I haven’t read yet) saying that I was in Spain and need money.

Anyway, my Yahoo e-mail is practically lost since the only answer that I got from Yahoo directs me to another link that asks me to create an ID (new address) my LinkedIn account seems to be lost too they haven’t even answer my e-mails…

In case you have received the infamous e-mail asking for money, please disregard I’m in Brazil and fine (healthy wise) , so please forgive me for any inconvenience that this may have caused you.

Please any communication send to:

macosentino@uol.com.br

Vacations Home in Kissimmee – Florida (English / Portuguese)

Vacations Home in Kissimmee – Florida

The Hamlet @ West Haven

Traveling to Orlando/Kissimmee area to visit the Theme Parks in Orlando? Why not stay in a comfortable vacation home…

The vacations home are located in an excellent community called The Hamlet @ West Haven and are very conveniently located close to the Walt Disney World Resort area and many restaurants.

Bedrooms: 4 Baths: 3 Occupancy: 10

Amenities:

Community Pool/Facilities, Covered Lanai/Patio, Garden Tub, Heatable Electric Pool, Phone Program, Pool blanket, Single Story

Property Description:
This 4 bedroom 3 bathroom single-story villa is located in gated community of "The Hamlet" @ West Haven. It has a spacious living room with 2 sofas including a sofa bed, volume ceilings and direct access out on to the pool deck. There are 2 TV's and 1 DVD player (32"TV in the living room with DVD player, 19" TV in the master). There's an elegant formal dining room that seats 6, fully equipped kitchen with serving hatch and phone, breakfast nook area that seats 4 and 2 bar stools. There is a laundry room with full-size washer and dryer. The 4 bedrooms consist of a master bedroom with king-size bed, phone, walk-in-closet and en-suite bathroom that has his n' her vanities, oval bath, shower cubicle, toilet room and wall-mounted hair-dryer.

The second bedroom has a full-size bed, bay window, closet and large chest of drawers while the remaining two bedrooms both have twin beds and share a Jack n' Jill bathroom with single vanity, toilet and bath with overhead shower. All bedrooms have ceiling fans as does the living room. The third bathroom is a communal bathroom and also has a single vanity, toilet and bath with overhead shower. On the west-facing pool deck you will find a heatable electric pool.

The Hamlet @ West Haven is a secure gated community accessed through an attractive landscaped boulevard and is easily one of the very best locations around. There is a Publix supermarket at Champions Gate that provides convenient shopping. Posner Park, a massive new retail shopping outlet is just a 5 minute drive away on the junction of I4 Exit 55 and Hwy 27 and includes the likes of J.C.Penny's, Best Buy, Target etc. Orlando International Airport is about a 40 minute drive while the beaches on both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts are about an hour away.

Homes4uu - Access Vacation Homes

1120 Mann Street , Kissimmee Florida 34741
Ph: (407)847-5330 _ Toll Free# 888-746-5446 _ Fax: (407)847-5466
Contact:  Tracy Stephens

Vacations Home em Kissimmee – Florida

The Hamlet @ West Haven

Viajando para a area de Orlando/Kissimmee para visitor os Parques temáticos emOrlando? Por que não se hospedar em uma confortável vacation home…

As casas para férias estão localizadas em uma comunidade excelente chamada The Hamlet at West Haven e estão convenientemente localizadas perto da área do Walt Disney World Resort e muitos restaurantes.

Dormitórios: 4 Banheiros: 3 Ocupação: 10 pessoas

Descrição da Propriedade:

Esta vila de 4 dormitórios e 3 banheiros esta localizada em uma comunidade fechada chamada "The Hamlet" at West Haven. Ela possui uma espaçosa sala de estar com 2 sofas incluindo um sofa-cama, teto com pé-direito e acesso direto à piscina. Há 2 aparelhos de TV e 1 DVD (32"TV na sala de estar com o DVD e TV de 19" no dormitório principal). Há uma sala de jantar formal e elegante com seis lugares, cozinha totalmente equipada estilo Americana e telefone, área para o café da manhã com 4 lugares mais 2 banquinhos. Lavanderia com lavadora e secadora. 
A vila com 4 dormitórios consiste de um dormitório master com cama tamanho king size, closet e banheiro com banheira, chuveiro, e secador de cabelo.  

O segundo banheiro tem uma cama tamanho full (casal), janela tipo bay window, closet e uma comoda grande com gavetas enquanto os outros dois apartamentos ambos com camas de solteiro e um banheiro com banheira e chuveiro. Todos os dormitories possuem ventiladores assim como a sala de estar. O terceiro banheiro é um banheiro comum a todos com chuveiro e banheira. No lado oeste da piscina você encontrará uma piscina aquecida.

O Hamlet at West Haven é uma comunidade segura acessada através de um boulevard atraente e tem fácilmente uma das melhores localizações. Há um Supermercado Publix no Champions Gate para a sua conveniencia. Posner Park, um grande Shopping Center tipo Outlet somente a 5 minutos de distancia na junção da Saída da I4  55 e Hwy 27 inclui também lojas  J.C.Penny's, Best Buy, Target etc. Orlando International Airport esta cerca de 40 minutos de carro enquanto que as praias tanto na Costa do Atlantico quanto da Costa do Golfe estão cerca de uma hora de carro.

Homes4uu - Access Vacation Homes

1120 Mann Street , Kissimmee Florida 34741

Ph: (407)847-5330 _ Toll Free# 888-746-5446 _ Fax: (407)847-5466

Contact:  Tracy Stephens

Chef Gordon Ramsay at the Claridge’s / Chef Gordon Ramsay do Claridge’s

Chef Gordon Ramsay  at the Claridge’s

Scottish by birth, Gordon was brought up in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, from the age of five. With an injury prematurely putting an end to any hopes of a promising career in football, he went back to college to complete a course in hotel management.

Gordon’s first years in the kitchen were spent training under culinary luminaries such as Marco Pierre White and Albert Roux in London, after which he moved to France to work in the kitchens of Guy Savoy and Joël Robuchon for three years, where he was able to enhance his expertise in classic French cooking. In 1993 Gordon became chef of the newly opened Aubergine and within three years the restaurant was awarded two Michelin stars.

In 1998, at the age of 31, Gordon set up his first wholly owned restaurant, Gordon Ramsay, in Chelsea which was awarded three Michelin stars within three years of its launch. Over the next five years Gordon and his team launched some of London’s most high profile restaurants including Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s, Pétrus and The Savoy Grill.

2003 saw the launch of Gordon’s first international restaurant, Verre, located in the Dubai Hilton Creek Hotel. Gordon Ramsay Holdings now operate a number of restaurants across the globe in New York, LA, Tokyo, Dublin, Doha, Paris, Tuscany, Sardinia and Melbourne.

Between 2004 and 2010 Gordon Ramsay Holdings launched a number of successful restaurants in London including maze and maze Grill, Plane Food at Heathrow T5, York & Albany and two pubs, The Narrow in Limehouse and The Warrington in Maida Vale.

2010 proved to be another busy year with Pétrus reopening in Knightsbridge, and the launch of its first restaurants in Australia, with maze and maze Grill opening at the Crown Entertainment Complex, Melbourne. November 2010 saw the long awaited re-launch of the iconic Savoy Grill, following a refurbishment of the entire hotel.

Gordon Ramsay’s Potatoes Boulangère Recipe:

Ingredients:

•1 liter chicken stock (roughly 4 1/4 cups, or just over a quart)

•1 sprig thyme

•2 sprigs rosemary

•3 crushed cloves of garlic

•2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

•2 large onions, peeled and sliced

•4 large Desiree potatoes peeled and finely sliced (on a mandolin if possible)

•salt & pepper

•olive oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (392 degrees if you have a digital oven)

Bring the chicken stock to a boil and add thyme, rosemary, and crushed garlic cloves. Simmer a few minutes and strain (remember, retain the chicken stock, not the herbs). Set aside.

Add olive oil to a hot heavy pan and saute the onions and finely chopped garlic until softened and lightly colored.

Coat the inside of a casserole dish or oven safe pan and layer the onions followed by the potatoes. Continue alternating potatoes and onions until finished. Don’t forget to season each layer with salt & pepper as you go.

Pour the chicken stock from earlier over the potato mixture until it’s about 2/3rds full. Press down on the mixture to help the potatoes absorb as much stock as possible. Drizzle  a little olive oil on top.

Bake in the oven for approximately 20 – 25 minutes or until soft and golden on top.

Chef Gordon Ramsay  do Claridge’s

Escoces por nascimento, Gordon cresceu em Stratford-upon-Avon, Inglaterra, desde os cinco anos de idade. Com um ferimento que prematuramente pos um fim ao sonho de uma carreira no futebol, ele voltou para a Faculdade para completer o curso de Gerenciamento de Hotel.

Os primeiros anos de Gordon na cozinha foram passados sob treinamentos culináriios de Marco Pierre White e  Albert Roux em Londres, após este period ele  se mudou para a França para trabalhar nas cozinhas de Guy Savoy e Joël Robuchon por tres anos, onde ele teve condições de melhorar seus conhecimentos na culinária clássica francesa. Em 1993 Gordon se tornou chef do recém inaugurado Aubergine e tres anos após o restaurant recebeu o premio de duas estrelas do Michelin.

Em 1998, com 31 anos de idade, Gordon estabeleceu seu primeiro restaurant, Gordon Ramsay,em Chelsea o qual recebeu tres estrelas Michelin no período de tres anos de abertura. Nos cinco anos seguintes Gordon e seu time lançaram alguns dos maiores restaurantes de Londres incluindo Gordon Ramsay no Claridge’s, Pétrus e o The Savoy Grill.

Entre 2004 e 2010 Gordon Ramsay Holdings lançou um numero de restaurantes sucessivos em Londres incluindo Maze e Maze Grill, Plane Food no Heathrow T5, York & Albany e dois Pubs, O Narrow em Limehouse e The Warrington em Maida Vale.

2010 provou ser mais um ano cheio com a re-abertura do Pétrus em Knightsbridge, e o lançamento de seu primeiro restaurante na Austrália, com Maze e Maze Grill abrindo no Complexo de Entretenimento Crown em Melbourne. Novembro de  2010 teve o longamente esperado re-lançamento do icone  Savoy Grill, seguindo da remodelação de todo o hotel.

Receita de Potatoes Boulangère  por Gordon Ramsay:

Ingredientes:

•1 litro de caldo de galinha  (aproximadamente 4  ¼ copos ou um pouco acima de um quarto)

•1 raminho de tomilho

•2 raminhos de alecrim

•3 dentes de alho amassados

•2 dentes de alho descascados e picados finamente

•2 cebolas grandes, descascadas e fatiadas

•4 batatas grandes tipo Desiree (batatas com uma casca avermelhada de origem Holandesa) descascadas e fatiadas finamente

•sal e pimenta

•Azeite de oliva

Modo de Fazer:

Pre-aqueça o forno em 400 degrees Fahrenheit (392 degrees se tiver forno digital

Leve o molho de galinha para ferver e adicione o tomilho, alecrim e os dentes de alho amassados. Mexa por alguns minutos e coe (lembre, deixe somente o caldo de galinha – não as ervas). Reserve. Adicione o azeite de oliva em uma frigideira e frite as cebolas e os dentes de alho que foram picados até obter uma  leve coloração.

Cubra uma vasilha que possa ser levada ao forno com uma camada de cebolas seguido de outra de batatas. Continue alternando as batatas e cebolas até terminar. Não se esqueça de colocar sal e pimento sobre cada camada.

Coloque o caldo de galinha (que estava reservado) sobre as batatas até a altura de ¾ da travessa. Pressione a mistura para ajudar a absorção pelas batata. Despeje um pouco de azeite de olive sobre.

Leve ao forno por aproximadamente 20 – 25 minutos ou até que esteja macio e dourado no topo.

Food & Beverage Manager / Gerente de Bebidas e Alimentos

Food and Beverage Manager

Food and beverage managers plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate the operations of restaurants, bars, cafeterias and other businesses that operate serving food and beverage. Food and beverage managers may be employed by restaurants, bars, hotels and resorts etc. Food and beverage managers still require great customer skills but apply management skills ensuring the labor and financial goals of the organization are maintained

Responsibilities:

• Organize, direct and evaluate food and beverage service
• Recruitment and training of staff
• Shift scheduling
• Performance management; monitor staff performance and provide feedback
• Purchase and control of inventory
• Monitor revenues and expenses
• Ensure practice of health and safety regulations
• Negotiate supplier arrangements for food and beverage products
• Negotiate with clients for use of facilities for catering, parties, banquets, etc.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Completion of secondary school should be required
• Diploma or degree in business management or tourism related field would be an asset
• Leadership skills 
• Flexibility
• Adaptability
• Inventory management 
• Conflict resolution
• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to multi-task
• Good organizational skills

Possible Future Career Path:

• Director of Sales and Marketing
• General Manager

Average salary:

$40,511 to $51,546  (USD) *Not including gratuities or incentives

Gerente de Bebidas e Alimentos

Os gerentes de bebidas e alimentos planeiam, organizam, dirigem, controlam e avaliam as operações dos restaurantes, dos bares, cafeterias  e dos outros sectores que operam servindo bebidas e alimentos. Os gerentes de bebidas e alimentos podem ser empregados por restaurantes, bares, hotéis e resorts, etc. Aos gerentes da bebidas  e alimentos ainda se exige grandes habilidades para com os clientes mas aplicam habilidades de gerência assegurando-se de que os objetivos  do trabalho e financeiros da organização estejam mantidos.

Responsabilidades:

• Organizar, dirigir e avaliar os serviços de bebidas e alimentos
• Recrutar e treinar o Staff
• Programação de turnos
• Gerenciamento de desempenho, monitoramento do desempenho do Staff dando feedbacks
• Compra e controle de produtos
• Monitoramento de faturamento e gastos
• Assegurar a prática dos regulamentos de saúde e segurança
• Negociar com fornecedores de produtos de bebidas e alimentos.
• Negociar com clientes o uso de espaços para festas, banquetes, reuniões, etc..

Conhecimentos e habilidades:

• O termino da escolar secundária deve ser exigido
• Diploma ou certificado em gerenciamento de negócios ou campo relacionado ao turismo será vantajoso
• Habilidades de Liderança 
• Flexibilidade
• Adaptabilidade
• Gerenciamento de Estoque
• Solução de conflitos
• Habilidade para trabalhar sob pressão
• Habilidades multi-tarefas
• Boas habilidades organizacionais

Possíveis Futuros Trajetos de Carreira:

• Diretor de Vendas e Marketing
• Gerente Geral

Média Salarial:

$40,511 a $51,546  (USD) *Não incluindo gratuidades ou incentivos