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A well-known former journAlist hAs tAken her tAlents to tripAdvisor .
Long-time , high-profile Conde Nast Traveler columnist Wendy Perrin in April jumped over to TripAdvisor with her consumer-focused style of reporting as the travel site ’ s Travel Advocate .
Perrin is responsible for writing travel content for TripAdvisor ’ s blog , member updates , forums and social media channels . Perrin also serves as a TripAdvisor spokeswoman .
As the well-traveled mother of two , Perrin has experienced hotels around the world — often with her kids in tow — and has a wealth of views and ideas about the business . HOTELS caught up with Perrin recently to get her take on hotel trends of the day .
HOTELS : What trends have caught your attention , and what are TripAdvisor members saying ?
Wendy Perrin : One thing that is so incredibly important to TripAdvisor travelers is free Wi-Fi . Wi-Fi in a hotel is like running water . It is a basic of life . Everybody needs it . There are still a variety of delivery systems out there , but people feel nickeled-and-dimed when they have to pay in their room . It ’ s the biggest turnoff for TripAdvisor travelers . H : What are hotels doing now that you like ? WP : They are bringing their staff alive in various ways — from advice about the locale on the website to books in rooms with insider tips about destinations from staff . That personal connection with the people at the hotel is a big turn-on . So many TripAdvisor travelers value that personal connection . H : What do you see coming next ? WP : Instagram is the next social frontier , and hoteliers should be harnessing its power
8 HOTELS September 2014 www . hotelsmag . com