Daily Archive for December 14th, 2007

Web 2.0 - Personal interaction

We are currently in the midst of Web 2.0. This is a time when user-generated content is exploding and social networking sites are the top visited sites. Some companies are trailblazers, others follow the pack. We’ve seen (and commented on) in Niagara Falls the numerous blogs that started up, and then seem to have disappeared. Sites like TripAdvisor are still huge, and allow people to leave comments about a property.

A recent editorial on the Hotels Magazine web site lists a few things that companies need to do to be “Web 2.0 friendly”:

  1. Check TripAdvisor at least once a week and other social travel sites about once a month… That way, one click and you can see what people are saying about you.
  2. Set up a comprehensive Google Alert for your hotel or brand. There should be very little written about your hotel that you don’t see.
  3. When you come across something negative about your property, you should respond—but under no circumstances should you get into a debate or argument…
  4. Absolutely never misrepresent yourself. Too many hoteliers have tried and failed to pass themselves off as happy guests, giving their properties glowing reviews under the guise of anonymity…

Given a lot of the complaints we here on this blog about the service in Niagara Falls, perhaps there are some operators who need to read this article.

“Niagara’s The Place For Family Fun!”

Yesterday I received the latest newsletter from the Marriott Niagara Falls Fallsview Hotel And Spa. They are promoting a few packages for kids, as well as holiday packages.

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You can subscribe to the newsletter by clicking on the Special Email Offers link on the side of the Marriott Niagara Falls Fallsview & Spa main page.

Hard Rock Niagara Falls corporate site

The other day I came across the corporate site for the Hard Rock restaurant chain. The Niagara Falls section includes basic contact information. It also has some nice still shots of both the interior and exterior, as well as some nice 360° shots.

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