HOTELS ' annual awards honors top social media programs that more than ever have to prove their mettle .

SOCIAL HOTEL AWARDS JUDGES

Social media has become more than a nice accessory for hotel brands and individual properties looking to engage guests and drive business . More than just producing a “ like ” or follower , such programs are increasingly becoming revenue generators .

As a result , HOTELS revised our 5th annual Social Hotel Awards judging criteria based on evolving trends in social media and the importance of better proving ROI beyond “ likes .”

The winners were selected by a panel of social media experts and the editors of HOTELS . Categories include Best Facebook Page , Best Use of Twitter , Best Integrated Digital Campaign and more .

HOTELS and this year ’ s panel of judges congratulate the winners and thank everyone who submitted entries .

The Otesaga Resort Hotel posted images that featured the Cooperstown , New

York , hotel in a unique , thoughtful way .

Chris Jackson president , GCommerce Jackson is a co-founder of this hospitality-focused digital marketing agency . He has more than 20 years of marketing and operations experience in the hospitality and travel industries .

Loren Gray founder , Hospitality Digital Marketing Gray has come through the operations ranks , including serving as general manager of several resorts . As founder of Hospitality Digital Marketing , he offers solutions for social media , content marketing , SEO and more .

			Josiah Mackenzie vice president , ReaviewPro
			Mackenzie leads business
			development at ReviewPro ,
			a customer intelligence tool
			that helps hotels manage
			their online reputation and
and posts that featured	comments from fans as	view of the history of	social media .
the hotel in a unique	if the hotel was a dear	Otesaga .
way , including a map series of local attractions in close proximity	old friend ,” says Tjibbe Lambers , director of marketing at Otesaga .	Results : Otesaga received more than 1,200 entries , 167 Face-	Jenna Hovel sales development manager , Google
to the hotel . Otesaga	“ The page was filled	book shares and over	Hovel leads pitch creation
held sweepstakes to	with memories and	1,800 visits . Otesaga	and research for clients in the
encourage participa-	anticipation from all	also reports that the	travel industry . She focuses
tion .	over the country .”	content series helped	on helping travel brands
“ This content	The hotel also creat-	sell 11 packages .	leverage the power of digital
garnered hundreds	ed a video series show-	Runner Up : Rosewood	to transform their businesses
of likes , shares and	casing a then-and-now	San Miguel	and delight their guests .
			October 2016 hotelsmag . com 21

HotelsMag October 2016 | Page 25

SOCIAL HOTEL AWARDS JUDGES

Social media has become more than a nice accessory for hotel brands and individual properties looking to engage guests and drive business . More than just producing a “ like ” or follower , such programs are increasingly becoming revenue generators .