Filling the DIgital Gap
As Hotels are rapidly removing the 120 pocket card racks and third party map guides from Hotel lobbies across the USA, a void, or gap has been left in the wake of this progressive trend.
Embassy Suites in San Diego (a Hilton Hotel owned brand) has already done a clean sweep of their lobbies and one would think you were walking into a hospital waiting room (less the magazines). Management told us the dated look and feel of the modern Hotel lobby was in need of a face lift, and the mountains of paper advertising local vendors jut did not fit their properties modernization efforts.
So what about local attractions, entertainment, and dining? According to the Embassy Suites, guest can ask the front desk and there is a single sheet of double side printed paper that will be the extent of their handouts! With the exception of the standard Zoo and SeaWorld discount tickets.
Hotel Guest are now only exposed to internal dining choices, just as the Marriott "GO BOARDS", a digital Guest guide system that is designed to monetize the property with internal redirects as the primary showcase information feed.
A conundrum in the Hotel Industry is amiss here as there is a mile wide gap in guest local information that print had filled for over 100 years for travelers. Digital is the only solution, but digital guest guides are non-existent? Why?
Cost is the key reason as a digital guest guide to replace all the print information for travelers would cost a minimum of $12,000 to covert into a digital format, per location, and most hotels will just flat not invest the money to make this happen.
What ever happened to good old fashion Hospitality in the Hospitality industry one would quandary? In a day of fierce OTA competition and on-line price shopping engines live TRIVAGO, replacing the now vacant print racks in the lobbies should be a priority for "base line" guest services, so one would think?
See what the 322 room WYNDHAM GARDEN HOTEL in San Diego has done to assure a premium guest experience after their print material reduction: http://travelguide101.com/wyndham37/
Robert Chartier “C-Media Group” Advanced Web Site Design & Multimedia Creative Studios [email protected] www.ChartierMediaGroup.com Direct: 858-568-6673 +text
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda,Maryland, USA, with more than 4,200 properties in 80 countries and territories. Marriott International reported revenues of nearly $14 billion in fiscal year 2014. The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 19 brands, including: The Ritz-Carlton®, BVlgari®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott Hotels®, Delta Hotels and Resorts®, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Gaylord Hotels®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Courtyard®, Residence Inn®, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, TownePlace Suites®, Protea Hotels® and MoxyHotels®. Marriott has been consistently recognized as a top employer and for its superior business ethics. The company also manages the award-winning guest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® program, which together surpass 50 million members. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at 
