Special RepoRt : Social Media
HOTELS ’
SOciaL mEdia rOundTabLE
Six hotel companies discuss social media ’ s Roi and what ’ s on the horizon . by NaTHaN GrEENHaLGH , aSSOciaTE EdiTOr
Although they have a better handle on social media than ever before , hotel companies still face conundrums in their social outreach , such as how to best determine return on investment , which social networks to focus on and when to join a new social network amid the proliferation .
To find out more about how the industry is handling social media , HOTELS spoke to a global mix of brands — including Hilton Worldwide , Four Seasons Hotels and resorts , Meliá Hotels international , Steigenberger Hotels and resorts , iTc Hotels and atlantica Hotels international — to get their points of view on social media strategies .
PArticiPAnts
PAul sistAre president and ceO , Atlantica Hotels international , são Paulo Social media team : Six at corporate level Social network participation : Facebook , Twitter , Foursquare , TripAdvisor , Instagram , YouTube Most important social network : “ Facebook , YouTube and TripAdvisor .” Response policy : “ Atlantica ’ s internal customer satisfaction department responds within 48 hours , and GMs are instructed to respond before guests leave the hotel if they are posting while on property .”
FeliciA YukicH manager , global social media marketing , Four seasons Hotels and resorts , toronto Social media team : Five on corporate level plus on-property teams Social network participation : Facebook , Twitter , YouTube ,
Pinterest , Instagram , Google +, Vine , Youku , Sina Weibo Most important social network : “ Facebook is the social network with the largest concentration of users who are Four Seasons guests and the top social media traffic driver to FourSeasons . com .” Response policy : “ Four Seasons requires all its properties to monitor social media for mentions and guest inquiries , especially for guests on property .”
JOsHuA slOser vice president online marketing and support services , Hilton Worldwide Social media team : Hilton trains a broad base of its employees and has a dedicated group at the corporate level to monitor Facebook , Twitter and TripAdvisor . Social network participation : Facebook , Twitter , YouTube , Instagram , Google +, Sina Weibo , Pinterest Most important social network : “ Facebook is a very important channel for our outreach , and Twitter has become a huge customer-service channel . Equally , review sites are still a critical element and often are the first interaction that guests have with our hotels .” www . hotelsmag . com March 2014 HOTELS 21