VFM Leonardo - Better Merchandised Hotels Mean More Bookings

Announcing the 2011 Hotel Visual Merchandising Award Winners… Meet Best Western PLUS Rockville

Posted on January 27, 2012, 1:59 pm, by John McAuliffe and received No Comments ».

2011 was an exciting year at VFM Leonardo, launching our VBrochure Facebook Apps Suite and VPowered Mobile Website – both as added features to our VBrochure Online Merchandising System. The best part was helping our customers thrive!

Many visual merchandising superstars emerged throughout the year. We call them our Merchandising Heroes. But a select group of hoteliers have risen above and been selected as winners of Hotel Visual Merchandising Awards. Congratulations winners!

Category: Social Media Superstardom
Winner: Best Western PLUS Rockville Hotel & Suites

Ron Wallach, Director of Sales, has given the Best Western PLUS Rockville Hotel & Suites a rockin’ Facebook page. In addition to regular posts on their wall, Wallach uses VBrochure Facebook Apps to show off what makes the hotel unique and invites their fans to comment using the built-in comments plug-in. Facebook isn’t all this hotel rocks at though. They extend the hotel’s personality and charm to Twitter as well. Check out their Facebook Page.

We will be announcing the next four winners next week!

Tags: best western, Best Western PLUS Rockville, Hotel Merchandising Awards, Merchandising Heros

Travelers Want to See the Full Picture – Reviews & Visuals

Posted on January 20, 2012, 1:59 pm, by VFM Leonardo and received No Comments ».

“Travelers want to see the full picture of a property both on the reviews and the visual side, in fact they say, pictures can paint more than words in many cases,” shares Karen Plumb, Commercial Director, EMEA, TripAdvisor for Business in this new video interview about the importance of a combination of reviews and visual media… and the impact this has on increasing engagement with travel shoppers.

Recent TripAdvisor research proves that consumers are 150 times more engaged when a page has photos and/or video. Visuals keep consumers engaged and paint a picture for what they can expect to experience at the hotel.

Tips to Maximize the Visual Impact of Your Hotel Page on TripAdvisor teaches you how to enhance your e-commerce activity and extract more value out of your online presence by maximizing your TripAdvisor hotel page.

Watch it now!

Tags: hotel marketing, online video, TripAdvisor

How the Palms Hotel & Spa Breezes Ahead of their Competition

Posted on January 5, 2012, 2:46 pm, by VFM Leonardo and received 1 Comment ».

MEET Tara Crooks, E Marketing Manager at The Palms Hotel & Spa. She’s also a VFM Leonardo MERCHANDISING HERO. Here is her story.

A luxurious, AAA four-diamond luxury hotel freshly renovated in 2010, The Palms Hotel & Spa in the heart of Miami Beach boasts ultimate relaxation, genuine service and laid-back sophistication. Complete wellness, rejuvenation, and environmental awareness inspired by a lush landscape and seaside setting are at the center of each guest experience.

With years of experience in online marketing Tara Crooks knows that a large contribution to The Palms’ continued success is their ability to stay on the forefront of potential customers minds through new and inventive marketing. “Especially online,” said Crooks. “Because internet shoppers are becoming increasingly savvy and expect an abundance of information about a hotel before making a booking.”

The Palms Hotel & Spa achieved Merchandising Hero status by using VBrochure to implement a visually-driven digital marketing solution that would help them capitalize on many digital channels. “We remember things we see far better than things we hear or read,” explained Crooks. “For that reason, using images and rich media to intrigue and inform online consumers can really improve a hotel’s bookings.”

Continue reading this post »

Tags: increase bookings, online hotel marketing, Online Merchandising, the palms hotel and spa, VBrochure

Travelodge Oshawa Whitby Ushers in the Next Generation of Digital Marketing Success

Posted on December 28, 2011, 10:50 am, by VFM Leonardo and received 1 Comment ».

MEET Kumar Singam. Kumar goes by the title of General Manager at Travelodge Oshawa Whitby, but he’s a lot more than that: he’s a VFM Leonardo MERCHANDISING HERO. Here is his story.

Whether traveling for business or pleasure, the Travelodge Oshawa Whitby offers visitors a charming respite from the hustle and bustle of their voyage. Among this pet-friendly property’s many amenities, you’ll find an indoor saltwater pool and relaxing whirlpool; complimentary access to the 24-hour gym; complimentary high-speed Internet; and complimentary breakfast. Located near scenic Lakeview Park in Oshawa, the Travelodge Oshawa Whitby is a stone’s throw from Highway 401, offering easy access to the city of Toronto.

As General Manager, Kumar Singam brings over 20 years of hospitality industry experience to his role, having previously served as General Manager at Quality Hotel Burlington, Assistant General Manager at Travelodge Hotel North York, and Room Division Manager at Acmar Hotel Malaysia. Kumar also serves as President of the Durham Hotel Association, and is a Board Member at Regional Tourism Association Zone 6.

Kumar achieved Merchandising Hero status by using VBrochure to transform his property’s digital marketing initiatives! Continue reading this post »

Tags: hotel marketing, hotel video, merchandising hero, online marketing, VBrochure

Charlton’s Cedar Court: A HotSpot for Mountain Hospitality and Online Merchandising

Posted on November 4, 2011, 10:49 am, by VFM Leonardo and received 1 Comment ».

How Gabor Fenyves, Director of Sales has achieved Merchandising Hero status by turning up the heat on the Charlton Cedar Court’s online presence.

Step into Charlton’s Cedar Court and be whisked into a world of classic alpine-style relaxation. Located in Banff, Alberta, Charlton’s is a hotspot for travelers year round – from the hot and sunny summer to the chilly winter months. Just a short walk from downtown, this 3.5 star property offers a unique selection of accommodations including family-friendly kitchenette suites, and romantic loft suites with fireplaces and of course, their own special brand of mountain grown hospitality.

Director of Sales, Gabor Fenyves, received his training at the prestigious Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne, Switzerland in Hospitality Management, and has held esteemed positions in the hotel industry for over ten years. As the evolution of online marketing has grown, Fenyves has recognized the direct link between a strong visual online presence and customer bookings. Continue reading this post »

Tags: Charlton's Cedar Court, hotspots, Online Merchandising, VBrochure

Marketing Strategies that Help Hotels Avoid Discounting

Posted on October 25, 2011, 3:42 pm, by VFM Leonardo and received No Comments ».

Check out the latest episode on our VTV Channel Marketing Strategies that Help Hotels Avoid Discounting. Our guest speaker, Glenn Haussman, Editor-In-Chief of Hotel Interactive and Adjunct Professor at New York University believes that “hoteliers discount way too quickly and frequently” and there are ways to avoid it when occupancy is down.

Watch now to learn how to:

Stop discounting in the first place
Explain the value-adds that make your hotel worth the price
Make emotional connections with your guests

Don’t forget to post your comments! What do you think? Have these strategies worked for you?

Tags: glenn haussman, hotel marketing, Online Merchandising, vtv

CSM Lodging Wins Unlimited One Year Subscription to VBrochure Ultra Premium

Posted on October 12, 2011, 12:42 pm, by VFM Leonardo and received No Comments ».

The Depot Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel

Congratulations to CSM Lodging and their Corporate Marketing Manager, Aimee Cheek. They are the latest winner of our Like to Win Facebook Contest and have won a one year unlimited VBrochure Ultra Premium subscription valued at over $6,000 for their Depot Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel.

Cheek exclaims, “I am absolutely thrilled about this! As the lines between social and retail are merging, I can’t wait to see how this great digital marketing tool will help enhance the visual story and sales conversion ratios of the Depot Renaissance Minneapolis’ current Facebook page, mobile site and other web properties”

With VBrochure Ultra Premium, the Depot Renaissance Minneapolis will be able to take advantage of unlimited Media Units to display as much media as they want, including videos, virtual tours, photos, floor plans, promotional copy in a fully customizable Multi-Media Player that they can use as a media gallery for their hotel website and email signatures as well as a mobile hotel website. It will also be syndicated to thousands of online channels, including review sites, social media sites and online travel agencies.

Enter our Like to Win Facebook contest for your chance to win!

Click here to enter. Official contest rules and regulations are available here.

Tags: csm lodging, Facebook, like to win, VBrochure, vbrochure facebook app