Inspiration for RezStream from the InnSpire Conference
RezStream was honored to be included at the California Association of Boutique and Bed and Breakfast Inns’ (CABBI) 25th Anniversary InnSpire Conference in Monterey this past week to show off RezStream Cloud, host three educational sessions on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram, and meet with clients and discuss opportunities with innkeepers on the trade show floor.
When we weren’t busy talking with attendees at our booth or educating attendees in our classes, we enjoyed listening to the other speakers on their educational topics and getting insights into what’s inspiring innkeepers this year. Some of the hot topics we picked up included:
- Chinese travelers: How to attract them to your property through Chinese OTAs and travel agents and how to accommodate and delight them at your property. With three million Chinese travelers visiting the U.S. in 2015 and spending approximately $15 billion, this is a traveler demographic you can’t miss.
- Millennial travelers: With a millennial’s upbringing in the technology age, attendees learned what sort of lodging is attracting this type of traveler and what amenities and experiences they expect at your property.
- OTAs: Love ‘em or hate ‘em, OTAs aren’t going anywhere and many discussions surrounded how to use OTAs to grow your business as well as how to combat the OTAs and encourage guests to book directly on your site.
- Alternative revenue drivers: A popular topic we’ve seen in the past few months is figuring out additional revenue drivers at the property whether that’s through hosting weddings or small business groups.
- Access to resources and utilizing them: Like last year, we heard a lot of praise for CABBI and the work they do for their membership and heard plenty of innkeepers discussing all the benefits and resources they get through their association membership. It’s important to understand the resources your association provides and how to fully use your benefits to your property’s advantage.
- Wi-Fi and amenities: Travelers these days expect free Wi-Fi and many are now expecting service within their room. Advertise that you offer complimentary Wi-Fi as a part of your room rate to stay competitive. Some other emerging trends in what travelers want in amenities includes health and wellness, so having bikes on-site or access to trails, healthier options during breakfast, or access to a gym or spa while they’re staying with you.
- Responsive design: Another hot topic that we’ve been paying close attention to for a while now is having a responsive website design and it seems this topic is still hot for many innkeepers. A responsive design allows your website to respond to the type of device it’s being used on, so instead of having a separate mobile website to meet the needs of smartphone and tablet users, a responsive design is one website that works across all devices.
- Working in the Cloud: This one was definitely fun to discuss with attendees about working in the Cloud and why it’s important that your PMS works in the Cloud and isn’t installed on your computer.
- Legal and security issues: A legal issue that caught our attention was related to offering free Wi-Fi and ensuring your guests aren’t using it for illegal purposes. The speaker recommended creating a splash page that states that your guests won’t be using your Internet for illicit or illegal reasons to cover your property but that the splash page could also then be used to ask guests to opt-in for email newsletters or redirect them back to your website or social media pages after they agree to the terms of use.
- Photography: Like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words so your photography on your website should be worth a thousand reservations. Having current and professional photography showcased on your website can help attract and convert online bookers as they can get a good feel for the property, their room, and the amenities they’ll enjoy during their stay.
Thanks again to CABBI for inviting us to be a part of the 25th Anniversary celebration!