I just returned from a trip to San Jose, and even though I'm still shaking off some jet lag, I came away with a great impression of the hotel I stayed at.
The room itself was nice, but what I remember the most is that the hotel would put out free milk and cookies for the guests. It wasn't much, but it was definitely memorable and helped me connect with the hotel.
Speaking of connections, there was a great article I saw today about the different social media tools some hotels are utilizing to connect with their guests, like personalizing customer service through Twitter to allow for fast, direct communication with clients. Also, these social media tools are being used to help keep employees informed about what's going on at the hotel.
But the story went on to talk about some often overlooked aspects, such as connecting with the mom blogger demographic, because of how many women are online and how many of them go to mom blogs for advice.
Lastly, the article discussed the storytelling aspect of social media, where clients' stories are paramount, not just the number of bookings. This is the part of the article I agreed with the most, because the nature of social networking lends itself so well to this more personalized message.
I like the idea that service still reigns supreme in the hospitality industry, and that these tools simply help increase and diversify that service. The personal service and connection are what all of these social media efforts aim to accomplish.
