Millennial travelers crave connections to local culture. Large convention hotels and boutique resorts alike are challenged to offer the authentic, memorable experiences travelers in this influential demographic demand. But, rather than compete with local artisans and tastemakers, hoteliers can boost their bottom line with collaborative initiatives. Along with local influencers, curating native experiences within the hotel can increase incremental revenue and drive repeat business. Locally sourced food and beverage options have become a standard in most hotels. Some hotel restaurants even boast ingredients sourced from their own on-site farms, gardens or breweries. READ MORE

Millennial's may look to OTAs and Airbnb when they just want to book a room, but they're flocking to social media to build robust itineraries that will be the envy of all their friends. Savvy marketers know that winning over this generation is about immersive experiences that sell the property and destination vs. a package or special room rate. Now is the time to pay attention to emerging platforms on the rise like Snapchat, Periscope and Facebook Live Stream, which can take audiences on a visual journey from the lobby to the bar and behind-the-scenes in 60 seconds or less. READ MORE

While the millennial traveler is a relatively new demographic, these Gen Y travelers are becoming increasingly important for resort marketers to target in order to gain enduring brand loyalty and consumer trust. They make up a quickly-growing demographic seeking thoughtfully-curated leisure and business experiences and use various mediums to research and finalize travel-related purchases. According to Pew Research, millennials represent the largest generation of consumers today, totaling 75.4 million, surpassing the 74.9 million Baby Boomers. Within this group of consumers, is the millennial family traveler - individuals or couples with children who are looking for travel experiences that fit their wants and needs as a family unit. READ MORE

A 2012 survey by SilkRoad Technology revealed that some 75 percent of employees use social media on the job, and that 60 percent do so multiple times a day. Of those surveyed, 49 percent said they use social media to connect with coworkers and 44 percent said they use social media to connect with customers. Yet, only 23 percent of employees had received a social media policy from their employers, and only 7 percent had received social media training. Clearly, employers are not communicating with their employees their preferences about using social media. But not addressing social media issues can be as bad as encouraging them. READ MORE

Hotels now face stiff competition from the OTAs as well as from other hotels. To succeed in this challenging environment, hoteliers need to develop an effective hotel website that blends the latest design trends and online marketing strategies to appeal to prospective guests. By incorporating essential hotel design, functionality, and reservation features such as SEO strategies, incentivizing pricing strategies, and web analytics, hotels can use their websites to gain the competitive edge. Discover everything you need to know to create a highly effective hotel website design, so you can successfully increase direct bookings and regain control of your hotel brand. READ MORE