Priceline and motel marketing

8 replies
I have an assignment and I wanted to see what it took or anything I needed to know how to attract target consumers through priceline, expedia etc... to get clients to visit a motel. I was also concerned with the stigma or use of the word "Motel" vs "Hotel." When I hear of Motel I often think cheep, rundown, Drugs, and so on. Not sure if this can be statistically verified through cultural studies. In any case any help on this would be great. While I have a marketing experience under my belt I know little about hotel and motel market.
#marketing #motel #priceline
  • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
    As far as Priceline, Expedia and such, your best bet is to visit those sites and look for a link to information on listing your motel. From a consumer viewpoint, it usually involves offering deep discounts on your regular rates, especially Priceline.

    The whole theory behind these sites is that property owners/managers would rather get something than nothing for an unused room.

    In addition to 'hotel' or 'motel', you'll also come across 'motor hotel', 'motor lodge', and others.

    In my travels, I've come across motels that were true dumps (rooms available by the hour, with clean sheets and towels extra). I've also come across motels that were nicer than the chain hotels just down the road. Many of them were restored properties looking to cash in on nostalgia.

    Do a good job positioning the property fairly, and hotel/motel won't be a problem.
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    • Profile picture of the author trip3980
      Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

      As far as Priceline, Expedia and such, your best bet is to visit those sites and look for a link to information on listing your motel. From a consumer viewpoint, it usually involves offering deep discounts on your regular rates, especially Priceline.

      The whole theory behind these sites is that property owners/managers would rather get something than nothing for an unused room.

      In addition to 'hotel' or 'motel', you'll also come across 'motor hotel', 'motor lodge', and others.

      In my travels, I've come across motels that were true dumps (rooms available by the hour, with clean sheets and towels extra). I've also come across motels that were nicer than the chain hotels just down the road. Many of them were restored properties looking to cash in on nostalgia.

      Do a good job positioning the property fairly, and hotel/motel won't be a problem.
      I totally forgot about price strategy IE say the motel is 50 dollars but on price-line its 40 dollars
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      • Profile picture of the author Jill Carpenter
        Originally Posted by trip3980 View Post

        I have an assignment and I wanted to see what it took or anything I needed to know how to attract target consumers through priceline, expedia etc... to get clients to visit a motel. I was also concerned with the stigma or use of the word "Motel" vs "Hotel." When I hear of Motel I often think cheep, rundown, Drugs, and so on. Not sure if this can be statistically verified through cultural studies. In any case any help on this would be great. While I have a marketing experience under my belt I know little about hotel and motel market.
        Hotel vs Motel - Difference and Comparison | Diffen
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  • Profile picture of the author onegoodman
    Majority of people today have the same impression, i can't think of any reason to stay in motel beside cost ( if your target is to promote them, you can still do so, just make sure u understand the segment of people who rather stay in motel, who most likely to be frugal shopper ).

    My target audience are most likely frugal shoppers, make sure you put yourself in their shoe, you want to save money, you willing to take less convenient place, what would you be looking for in a motel
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    • Profile picture of the author trip3980
      Originally Posted by onegoodman View Post

      Majority of people today have the same impression, i can't think of any reason to stay in motel beside cost ( if your target is to promote them, you can still do so, just make sure u understand the segment of people who rather stay in motel, who most likely to be frugal shopper ).

      My target audience are most likely frugal shoppers, make sure you put yourself in their shoe, you want to save money, you willing to take less convenient place, what would you be looking for in a motel
      What do you think about re-branding the name. Like "Mini Hotel" or "Economy hotel" Motel 6 did a great job with its marketing and branding campaign. And motels like Super 8 doesn't have the word "Motel" in it or at least not directly. in fact their site says its "Super 8 Hotels".

      I haven't been able to see any marketing statistics on the cultural stigma "Motels" have. If anyone can show me that would be great. I am sure I could dig google analitics or something but I need some kind of report.
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  • Profile picture of the author bizgrower
    I answered your other post here (don't know if you read it, you should): http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...l#post10358780

    In 8 years, I have had one guest post in a review that we are a motel and not a hotel. One guest.
    She was also one who is very unrealistic - she wanted the $175 experience for $$90. Other than
    her review, I have never heard anyone complain.

    I do not think it makes a damn difference in terms of positioning. Always be transparent, honest,
    and ethical and legal in your marketing efforts. Where we are referred to as a hotel on third party
    sites such as Expedia and Trip Advisor, it is because they lump us all together anyway. I think
    "Hotel" has really become a generic term for lodging that is not a Bed and Breakfast, or other
    specialty lodging.

    I do not directly list with any of the fill a room sites like Priceline (I'm on there because I have
    no choice as they are the same company as Booking.com - which I don't use much as explained
    in my other post). I am not on Hotwire at all because they really do the discount thing - don't
    even tell you which hotel until after you book.

    But, I am positioning as a nice little getaway place where people will feel safe and comfortable
    and have clean rooms. I am not after the bargain hunters and found it is not worth having customers
    who are not good guests. They piss off five other guests and/or do room damage or smoke smell...

    Expedia and Hotels.com and Trip Advisor are not the fill a room at a discount model. I am on
    those sites at the same rate as my website and if you call in or walk in. I do not give any additional
    discounts (AAA, AARP, Military,etc) to people who book through those sites because of the
    commission we have to pay.

    I'd say maximize your location and amenities as much as possible to make it a about the good
    EXPERIENCE (not yelling, emphasizing because I lost the ability to bold for some reason) for
    your guests.

    Dan
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    • Profile picture of the author trip3980
      Originally Posted by bizgrower View Post

      I answered your other post here (don't know if you read it, you should): http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...l#post10358780

      In 8 years, I have had one guest post in a review that we are a motel and not a hotel. One guest.
      She was also one who is very unrealistic - she wanted the $175 experience for $$90. Other than
      her review, I have never heard anyone complain.

      I do not think it makes a damn difference in terms of positioning. Always be transparent, honest,
      and ethical and legal in your marketing efforts. Where we are referred to as a hotel on third party
      sites such as Expedia and Trip Advisor, it is because they lump us all together anyway. I think
      "Hotel" has really become a generic term for lodging that is not a Bed and Breakfast, or other
      specialty lodging.

      I do not directly list with any of the fill a room sites like Priceline (I'm on there because I have
      no choice as they are the same company as Booking.com - which I don't use much as explained
      in my other post). I am not on Hotwire at all because they really do the discount thing - don't
      even tell you which hotel until after you book.

      But, I am positioning as a nice little getaway place where people will feel safe and comfortable
      and have clean rooms. I am not after the bargain hunters and found it is not worth having customers
      who are not good guests. They piss off five other guests and/or do room damage or smoke smell...

      Expedia and Hotels.com and Trip Advisor are not the fill a room at a discount model. I am on
      those sites at the same rate as my website and if you call in or walk in. I do not give any additional
      discounts (AAA, AARP, Military,etc) to people who book through those sites because of the
      commission we have to pay.

      I'd say maximize your location and amenities as much as possible to make it a about the good
      EXPERIENCE (not yelling, emphasizing because I lost the ability to bold for some reason) for
      your guests.

      Dan
      I just wanted to thank you for all your help as well as the other posters. I read your other post as well on my marketing-motel-hotel-chain-client.
      I liked what you said about not giving discounts through (AAA, AARP, Military,etc) when someone applies through OTA websites. I also liked what you said about how OTA's tend to lump all lodging services together under the "Hotel" label. As I was researching about the OTA's it is clear that Expedia and Priceline owns the majority of the OTA market and that these OTA's give Google 90% of their marketing budget. Whats even more telling is that Expedia just bought orbits and their stock started to fall shortly after. I think Expedia wants to buy out the smaller OTA compitition but that went against them because Priceline as you mentioned bought booking.com and has acquired an exclusive deal with Trip Adviser which attributed to 9% of Expedia's sales. Also Google has a services where people can look up hotel prices directly via googles search engine. So my question is this should I just stick with booking.com and google for OTA and focus on content marketing to the motels website.

      What I am planing to do is focus encouraging potential clients to become "preferred customers" IE work on getting their information being submitted directly to the web site such as email etc and and give them better pricing that way including all the standard discounts, loyalty, promotional offers etc...

      Again thanks for your advice it was a big help. Look forward to your response.
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  • Profile picture of the author bizgrower
    Trip,

    I've found TripAdvisor one you want to work with for sure because so many people use them.
    Over 60% of travelers, I believe.

    And, they should strive for the AAA approval. It takes a long time to get an inspector to visit for approval. The curb appeal/credibility/web badges is worth it. Then you get their web presence
    and print directory (as long as they keep that up - get the older travelers.)

    I work with Expedia and Hotels.com more than Booking.com/Priceline because I don't like the
    high expectations created by Booking.com advertising. They are headquartered in Amsterdam,
    so they are good for European bookings and credit card issues. Sometimes the European cards
    don't work with US based processors.

    Use all those. A lot of people are loyal to the Online Travel Agencies (OTA's) because of the
    book 10 get a free room stuff they do. And a lot of people just get into the habit of using OTAs
    instead of search engines. (I've shown older customers how to do a Google search after
    a bad experience with an OTA.)

    Expedia will tell you that Cambrige studied OTAs and found that 35% or so of the people
    introduced to a new hotel will book directly after the first time.

    So, you are definitely on the right track to use OTAs and then try to seduce the customers to direct bookings. Systemize the seduction efforts because employees/managers get lazy, busy, uninformed...

    Have a stack of thank you letters printed on stationary, hand signed by the manager, and handed to each customer - except the undesirable ones. Automated email confirmations and thank yous as well...

    I'm different, unknowingly, because a lot of hoteliers give OTA customers the worst rooms (because of the commissions), and regular customers the best rooms as a benefit. I try to give the best rooms to everybody because the OTAs and TripAdvisor increased occupancy by about 7%. I have about 350 reviews on both Expedia and Hotels.com. That breaks down to a lot of on and off line word of mouth and another strong part of marketing efforts. Try to get them to respond to all reviews (or offer that as a service).

    Of course use Google and SEO. Kinda weird because you're utilizing the OTAs and competing with them at the same time. LOL

    One thing the desk/reservations people need to know about Google pricing is that the first number potential guests will see may not be up to date. I change rates often depending upon market
    conditions - at least weekly. We get a lot of calls from people say they saw us on Google (or the internet) for a price way under where we are currently. People need to click that number on the first page of Google and go to the actual date they are inquiring about.

    Dan
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