Hotel Blog Spotlight: Food & Drink

A roundup of delectable stories from hotels and other hotel-related blogs.

JFK proposed to Jacqueline Bouvier at Parker’s Restaurant, Table 40.

Loews Regency Hotel’s “Power Breakfast” Included in the Wall Street Journal on April 17 {Loews Hotels Blog}

Exploring Chateau Musar Lebanese wines at Quince {The May Fair Hotel Blog}

Zagat: Iconic Parker‘s Restaurant, and Parker House Rolls {Omni Hotels & Resorts Blog}

"In April we invite you to enjoy asparagus dishes in Bristol Hotel Opatija and join us on the Asparagus festival in Lovran until 30 April 2013." {Vienna International Hotels & Resorts blog}

Classic Desserts, Perfected Traditions {Chef Blog, Marriott}

Photo Credit: Omni Hotels & Resorts Blog

Holland America Line Launches ‘4 Corners Of The World’ Facebook Sweepstakes to Celebrate 140th Anniversary

To celebrate its upcoming 140th anniversary April 18, 2013, Holland America Line is launching a sweepstakes on Facebook that will award four fans a cruise for two on any Holland America Line sailing of up to 14 days in an ocean-view stateroom, subject to availability. The sweepstakes ends May 8, 2013, at 10 a.m. PDT, and the four winners will be selected in a random drawing on or around May 13, 2013.

To enter the “4 Corners of the World” sweepstakes, visitors to Holland America Line’s Facebook page must “like” the company, click on the “Win a Cruise” tab then submit the required information. (The sweepstakes is limited to legal residents 18 years of age or older from the United States, District of Columbia, Canada — except Quebec — the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.)

“Holland America Line’s 140th anniversary is an exciting milestone and this sweepstakes is our way of saying thank you to our social community for their loyalty, devotion and enthusiasm over the years,” said Richard Meadows, executive vice president of sales, marketing and guest programs for Holland America Line. “Facebook is an easy and friendly way to engage our guests and fans, and we look forward to telling four lucky winners that they will enjoy a two-week vacation with us.”

In addition to the “4 Corners of the World” sweepstakes, the company is offering exceptional savings on a wide selection of 2013 cruises and Alaska CruiseTours, and 2014 winter/spring Exotic Voyages to celebrate its 140th anniversary. The savings include a $140 per stateroom credit on select sailings and extended Collectors’ Voyages, savings up to 50 percent off cruise fares, reduced deposits and free or reduced cruise fares for third and fourth guests who share the same stateroom.

With this promotion, a family of four could explore the beautiful shoreline of Canada and New England this summer on a seven-day cruise for just $749 per person for the first two guests in an ocean-view stateroom, while the two children would sail free in the same stateroom. Families looking for a magical voyage to the land of the midnight sun in northern Europe can take a 14-day cruise this summer, with the first two guests in an ocean-view stateroom for only $1,999 per person, and two children sailing free of charge in the same stateroom.

For more information about the Facebook sweepstakes, visit www.hollandamerica.com or the Plan a Cruise tab on their Facebook page.


Source: Holland America

Destination Spotlight: Resort Town Haapsalu in West-Estonia

Video courtesy of Visit Haapsalu on YouTube

Travel Inspiration: Tourism Blog Picks For 11-23-12

A new, urban art park named after sculptor and academician Tapio Wirkkala inaugurated in Arabianranta!
"At the end of October the Arabianranta district in Helsinki was enhanced by a new art park named after the late Finnish designer Tapio Wirkkala and designed by celebrated American artist Robert Wilson."
{Helsinki Tourism Blog}

Pin It to Win It in Santa Barbara this Holiday Season!
"Looking to treat yourself with a little holiday cheer? Santa Barbara invites you to use your creativity to inspire a Santa Barbara getaway and enter to win a vacation to The American Riviera®!"
{The SB Post}

Syros: not just a beautiful Greek island but also an excellent cultural destination
"Syros is located in the centre of the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea. The largest town, Ermoupolis, is the capital of Syros and the Cyclades. It has always been a significant port town and during the 19th century it was even more significant than the port of Piraeus."
{Visit Greece Blog}

The Road to Old Terengganu
"The deep seas off Terengganu may be rich in oil and gas reserves, making the east coast state among the region's leaders in the oil, gas and petrochemical industry, but some argue that its real treasures are all found on the mainland."
{Tourism Malaysia Blog}

Take a tour through Thailand's wine regions
"You probably know the difference between Old World wines (from Europe) and New World wines (from the USA, South America, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa) but who has heard of ‘New Latitude Wines’?"
{Tourism Thailand Blog}

Travel Inspiration: Juneau Whale Watching [Video]

Video Courtesy of Visit Juneau on YouTube


A pod of humpback whales bubble net feeding near Juneau, Alaska.

Win a Trip! 3 Social Media Contests

Social Media Travel Contests

• Win a 6* Luxury Holiday to Mauritius - Constance Hotels
  Related Info | Visit Facebook Page  
• Win a Family Holiday in Menorca - Thomas Cook
  Related Info | Visit Facebook Page  
• Long Weekend For a Year Contest - Delta Hotels & Resorts
  Related Info | Visit Facebook Page

Social Media Travel & Tourism Jobs for 7-5-2012

Today's Featured Travel & Tourism Jobs 

• Contractor - Social Media Marketer/Blogger - Sabre Holdings
  Details
• Senior Digital Product Manager - Sierra Club
  Details
• Social Media & Digital Marketing - Oregon Athletic Clubs Administration
  Details
• Intern - Social Media - United Airlines
  Details
• Social Media Marketing Intern - Hertz
  Details

To view prior listings, click here

VISIT FLORIDA Launches Summer 2012 Social Media Campaign

On May 25, 2012, VISIT FLORIDA - the state’s official tourism marketing corporation - announced the launch of its newest social media-based campaign to increase awareness of Florida as a summer vacation destination. The campaign features “Florida’s Three for Free Giveaway” sweepstakes, where participants can enter to win a grand prize of three personally selected Florida vacation packages. In addition to the three-vacation grand prize, VISIT FLORIDA will award nine other single-vacation prizes.

Participants may enter daily through June 30 at VISIT FLORIDA’s Facebook page and at VISITFLORIDA.com/threeforfree.

“VISIT FLORIDA worked with our tourism industry partners across the state to put together 12 unique prize packages that demonstrate the broad range of vacation options available in the Sunshine State,” said Chris Thompson, President and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA. “There truly is something for everyone in Florida and creating a sweepstakes that allows participants to build their own grand prize is a great way to showcase the diverse destinations we are all so proud to share with our visitors.”

The five-week campaign, which is expected to garner more than 425 million impressions, kicked off with targeted Facebook and Twitter ad buys. VISIT FLORIDA worked closely with the two social media giants to develop a highly-defined target audience that includes families and couples throughout the North and Southeast who are interested in summer drive travel. As a way to continue the campaign’s momentum, house ads on VISITFLORIDA.com and a dedicated email blast to e-newsletter subscribers will begin in early June.

In the summer of 2011, VISIT FLORIDA conducted a highly-successful Facebook-driven campaign that became the subject of white papers from Facebook and Wildfire - the Facebook marketing software provider that produced the applications used in the sweepstakes. A Nielsen study on the “Sunshine Moments” campaign showed a 10-point increase in intent to visit Florida and a significantly improved opinion among the state’s key demographic of 25-34 year olds.

“The big idea behind this summer’s campaign is to inspire visitors with an amazing collection of travel experiences that can only be found in the Sunshine State,” said Will Seccombe, Chief Marketing Officer of VISIT FLORIDA. “On the strength of the Florida brand, a compelling sweepstakes and a targeted social media plan, we expect to equal or even exceed last year’s visitor engagement levels.”

Travel + Leisure Recognizes the Best in Social Media With the First Annual SMITTY Awards

On Thursday, June 7, 2012, numerous travel and tourism organizations were recognized for their innovations in the social media space at the first annual Travel + Leisure Social Media in Travel & Tourism Awards (The SMITTYS).

"The SMITTYs came about when we saw travel companies doing some pretty cool things in the social media space, and we wanted to recognize their efforts. So we asked airlines, tourism boards, car-rental companies, tour operators, cruise lines, and others to give us their best efforts from 2011." -Travel + Leisure

Meet the judges and the winners.

Connecticut Tourism: New Branding Campaign Unveiled

On Monday, May 14, 2012, the state of Connecticut unveiled its new branding campaign, entitled ‘Still Revolutionary’. The campaign, part of a two-year, $27 million dollar initiative to bolster tourism, will include TV, radio, print, and digital advertising. The new logo will also appear on the state’s social media channels.

“While neighboring states have engaged in vigorous campaigns to attract tourism dollars, Connecticut has languished, and as a result, we were literally taken off the tourism map. Starting today, we begin to change that,” said Governor Malloy. “Still Revolutionary speaks to Connecticut’s deep roots in the founding of this country and reminds us that we still have that independent, revolutionary spirit. For centuries we have been the home of literary greats, innovators and natural wonders — an incredibly diverse array of products and talent, all right here in Connecticut. We are a beautiful state, and we are very proud of our history, even as we look toward our future. It’s time we did a better job of telling that story.”

Throughout the lead-up to the launch of this new campaign, the Connecticut team engaged more than 1,500 residents, soliciting advice and feedback. DECD’s “What’s Your Connecticut Story?” project, which invites residents and visitors to share what they love most about living, working, and visiting Connecticut, also helped inform the state’s strategic direction for the campaign.

Idaho’s New Tourism Marketing Campaign Lets Visitors Star in Their Own Idaho Adventure Videos

The Idaho Division of Tourism has announced the launch of its 2012 prime season marketing campaign, My ID. Designed to showcase the state’s scenic beauty, affordable family-friendly destinations and abundant outdoor recreational opportunities, My ID encourages visitors to interact with personalized content featured on the official Idaho travel website, http://www.visitidaho.org.

Utilizing innovative patented photo-personalized technology developed by PixFusion, a leader in personalized entertainment and composite imagery across all media formats, My ID invites visitors to cast themselves, family, and friends in any of three entertaining Idaho online adventure videos:

• Agent 208 (Experience the mystery and intrigue of Idaho in this spy adventure.)
• Are We There Yet? (The entire family will enjoy this RV trip through Idaho.) 
• Adventures in Loving (Romance is alive and well in Idaho.)

To take part in the online adventure, all you need is a sense of humor and photos from your computer or Facebook account. Once created, the video may be shared via social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter. Guests may also put themselves into any of eight customizable postcards, add a message and send them to friends and loved ones.

“This is an amusing, innovative way to share all the great vacation possibilities in our state,” says Karen Ballard, Idaho Division of Tourism Administrator. "Friends and family who appreciate Idaho will help share the story on how fun an Idaho vacation can be. We’re excited to combine PixFusion’s interactive elements to showcase the scenery and activities that make Idaho special,” Ballard added.

“‘Imagine yourself here’ just took another big leap with the Idaho Division of Tourism’s new campaign,” commented Rich Maryyanek, CMO PixFusion. “In this incredibly fun campaign, people not only get to see what Idaho has to offer families, but see themselves as they go for the ride.”

The My ID integrated campaign also includes an online sweepstakes, targeted print and online advertising, PR/social media outreach and video assets. Communications will focus on Idaho’s larger destinations like Coeur d’Alene and Sun Valley, as well as the smaller communities that offer a wealth of recreational activities, events and attractions.

During the twenty-two week sweepstakes, weekly giveaways will be announced on Fridays and visitors may enter on http://www.visitidaho.org/MyID via email, Facebook or Twitter. Sample sweepstakes prizes include overnight stays, whitewater rafting trips, attraction passes, event tickets and even multi-day destination packages.

For more information on all things related to Idaho tourism or to order a 2012 Idaho Travel Guide, visit http://www.visitidaho.org.

Source: PR Web

Kempinski Hotels Selects Revinate as Social Media Solution

Revinate, the new standard for guest satisfaction for the hospitality industry, today announced that Kempinski Hotels S.A. has partnered with Revinate across its portfolio of 71 luxury hotels in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe. The global rollout of Revinate is happening in-line with Kempinski’s new social media strategy to ensure that success can be tracked and measured.

Kempinski property and corporate staff will be using the software platform to both manage the properties’ online reviews and drive new business and loyalty with Revinate’s social media solution. In addition, General Managers and the Corporate Operations Department will be using Revinate GS2 Reports as part of their management reporting, ensuring that social media and online reviews will become operationalized, much like traditional guest satisfaction.

Kempinski selected Revinate after an in-depth, multi-vendor evaluation process. Revinate won the business based on its comprehensive, multi-language review coverage and its rich feature set. Alexander Noak, Corporate Manager Digital Strategy at Kempinksi Hotels S.A. explains, “I was looking for a way to differentiate ourselves from our competitors and we can do that through our reviews. Of all the tools we looked at, only Revinate provides a solution that allows us to use our online reviews to influence conversion. Revinate’s Social Buzz makes it quick and easy to select and post quotes from reviews on our own sites to ensure that our shoppers have trusted guest feedback to give them confidence in their booking decisions with us.”

Kempinski Hotels S.A. is an exciting new partnership for Revinate, who is already viewed as the gold standard in online reputation management for hospitality in North America. Marc Heyneker, Co-Founder and VP of Sales says, “With our recent addition of comprehensive global review coverage in all languages, Revinate is now actively expanding its services to address the needs of international customers. Having a large, well-established luxury brand like Kempinski select Revinate is a great testament to our solution’s strength and value overseas, and helps pave the way for our future growth across global markets.”


Source: PR Web

Coral Hotels & Resorts Launches New Website With Great Use of Social Media Integration

As part of its 2012 marketing strategy, Coral Hotels & Resorts recently unveiled its new website. Michel Noblet, President & CEO, HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings, said, “The new Coral Hotels & Resorts website, like most hotel websites, is an important e-commerce tool and is more significant than ever in an increasingly social, online world.

“First and foremost,our new website has been designed to make the booking processeasier and simpler for our users as well as to help find quickly the information they are looking for. It allows visitors to experience our brand in the most optimum setting that in turn will ensure the ideal outcome for our business.”

Today for most consumers, the online journey starts with Google. Other destinations such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are equally important and are often a gateway to another. Michel stressed, “Our new website is well integrated with social media and will act as a promotional partner with the latest platforms of communication to maximize our company’s digital ROI.”

Girma Wossensseged, VP – E-commerce Development, HMH, said, “Coral Hotels & Resorts website provides a compelling user experience. It is highly interactive with implementation of many interesting features such as contests, management tips, blogs, newsletter, mobile apps that have been driving more traffic to the site.

The new website has been extremely well received by the Coral customers. “We have had an excellent feedback. There has been an increase in the number of visitors as well as the conversion rate.

For more information please visit www.coral-international.com


Source: Coral Hotels & Resorts

Canada's Top Social Media Maven Partners With Contiki Holidays

Nadine Sykora, the recipient of the 2011 Digi Award for Canada's Top Social Media Maven, has partnered with Contiki Holidays for a three month adventure through New Zealand and Asia.

The upbeat Sykora is a young Canadian video content creator, world traveler, and internet personality.

Follow her journey with Contiki via her website, YouTube Channel and on Twitter.

Video Courtesy of Hey Nadine on YouTube

Revinate Launches Comprehensive Social Media Solution for Restaurants

Revinate, the next generation of guest satisfaction has announced its much anticipated restaurant solution. This innovative new solution for restaurants leverages Revinate’s experience as the leading social media solution for thousands of hotels worldwide. Now, restaurant brands, management companies, owners and operators can benefit from the powerful online reputation platform that global hotel companies such as Hyatt Hotels, Sofitel and Kempinski rely on daily to engage guests and manage guest satisfaction.

Revinate’s restaurant solution provides a single dashboard to manage all online reviews, mobile check-ins and social media mentions, and includes sophisticated trending and sentiment analysis. With Revinate, restaurateurs can now monitor feedback for their restaurants and their selected competitors across millions of sites in real time, and then easily engage with customers on top review sites and social networks – the locations where most diners now select restaurants and make reservations. This new service, available for an affordable monthly subscription fee, is designed to be easy enough for any employee to use, regardless of technical ability.

“I can’t think of any software service that is more valuable for an individual restaurant or chain today. I spent 20+ plus years in the restaurant industry in operational roles and I only wish this software was available for me when I was struggling to figure out where our restaurants were strong and where we needed to invest resources. With Revinate, you can easily pinpoint operational problems and fix them before they become serious and costly issues,” says Clark S. Kincaid, Ph.D, Associate Professor at UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration.

Orient-Express’s Jeff Webster, Public Relations and Digital Media Manager, North America, says, “Online review sites and social media are critically important to our business, which makes sense given the passion people have towards food and the research consumers do to discover new restaurants. Revinate saves us an incredible amount of time, aggregating all reviews and review scores into a single location so we can quickly assess guest satisfaction and understand how we're measuring up against our competitors. We can then focus more energy on building brand visibility, engaging with customers and driving new business."

A long-time hotel client, Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants has also been using Revinate’s restaurant solution to manage their restaurants’ online reputation. Jeff Brown, Area Director of Restaurant Operations, says, “Revinate has become a critical tool for us to monitor and track our online reviews. Restaurants are incredibly susceptible to a loss in revenue as a result of bad online reviews so it’s incredibly important to know what people are saying in real time. Revinate allows us to stay in-tune to what people are saying, and allows us to easily act, for example, by publicly responding to reviews or opening tickets to assign responsibility should issues arise that can be remedied.”

“Our restaurant solution was designed in close collaboration with restaurant managers from hospitality companies who have long trusted Revinate,” says Jay Ashton, co-founder and CEO of Revinate. “With thousands of hotels relying on Revinate every day, it’s a natural progression for us to also help restaurants use public reviews and social media to grow their businesses, and we’re thrilled to be launching our innovative restaurant solution today.”

Restaurants interested in learning more can visit http://www.revinate.com/for-restaurants or email info(at)revinate(dot)com.


Source: PR Newswire

Unlock Columbus - A Social Media Adventure in Columbus, GA

Video Courtesy of Columbus Georgia CVB on YouTube

Orbitz.com Launches "Gift It Forward" Facebook Contest

This holiday season, Orbitz Facebook fans will have the chance to recognize individuals who make the world a better place with the gift of travel through the Orbitz "Gift It Forward" contest on Facebook. Whether saving someone a trip to the store or helping to save the world, the "Gift It Forward" contest allows Orbitz Facebook fans to nominate a deserving neighbor, co-worker, family member, or friend for a well-deserved luxury vacation to Mexico.

"The wonderful thing about the Gift It Forward contest is that it allows our fans to nominate others for the good things they've done," said Chris Orton, president of Orbitz.com. "Orbitz is excited to provide a much-needed vacation to those who have gone above and beyond, and Gift It Forward is a great way for deserving people to be recognized for their actions."

To nominate someone for "Gift It Forward," visit the Orbitz Facebook page and complete a short form describing why the person nominated deserves to win. After submitting the form, the nominator must inform the nominee that they need to "Gift It Forward" and nominate someone else for their entry to be valid. Orbitz will award six travel packages to the nominees and their nominators for all-inclusive luxury trips to Mexico. Orbitz will also award fans with pairs of round-trip airline tickets throughout the contest just for submitting a nomination. Nominations are accepted now through December 9.

Orbitz will select ten finalists based on a combination of relevance, quality, and creativity. Orbitz Facebook fans will then vote for their favorite story. The top three finalists and those who nominated them can win one of these grand prizes:

• First Place: Vouchers for round-trip airfare, one all-inclusive 4-night stay at the Paradisus Playa Del Carmen La Perla for two and $800 in spending cash; and one 5-night stay at the Palace Resorts for two including meals, beverages, and $800 in spending cash.

• Second Place: Vouchers for round-trip airfare, one all-inclusive 5-night stay at Marival Residences & World Spa for two including unlimited tours and unlimited golf green fees, and $700 in spending cash; and one 5-night all-inclusive stay at the Riu Santa Fe for two, including $575 in spending cash.

• Third Place: Vouchers for round-trip airfare, one all-inclusive 5-night stay at the Hotel Barcelo Maya Palace Deluxe for two including a $20 spa services credit and $575 in spending cash, and one all-inclusive 5-night stay at the Riu Emerald Bay for two and $550 in spending Cash.

In addition to the prizes mentioned above, Orbitz will randomly award pairs of round-trip airline tickets throughout the promotion just for submitting a nomination. To nominate someone for "Gift It Forward," visit www.facebook.com/orbitz. Grand prize winners will be announced on or about December 22, 2011.

Source: PR Newswire 

"Completely Philadelphia" - A New Marketing Video From Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau

Courtesy of Philadelphia CVB on YouTube

The Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PCVB) recently unveiled a new "Completely Philadelphia" marketing video, while highlighting their international tourism marketing efforts and announcing the return of the LIGHTFAIR(R) International (LFI) tradeshow in 2013.

The full press release can be viewed here.

On the Beach: Social Media Great for Holiday Season Planning

"Holidaymakers turn to social media for reviews and discounts," say On the Beach

UK based On the Beach report that social media is a great way to research holidays this festive season; and not just flights, but hotels and car hire as well. More and more UK travellers are turning to sites like Facebook to find polls, discounts and reviews on their prospective destinations.

40 per cent of UK holidaymakers use social media to help them research, a recent survey reports. On the Beach say social media is useful for providing a range of information including reviews, flights prices and cheap hotels.

The report, which was published by the World Travel Market, surveyed over 1000 British holidaymakers who travelled locally or overseas in 2011. One third of the respondents using social media reported that they'd changed a hotel booking after looking at social media sources.

Alistair Daly, Marketing Director at On the Beach, commented that Facebook is a useful tool for customers to exchange information. "Our On the Beach Facebook Fan Page provides a forum for customers to quickly and easily give us feedback, suggest pages to friends and look up quotes. It's a great forum in which to ask questions and get professional advice for booking a holiday."

Daly continued: "Using Facebook, we're able to keep in touch with our customers, directly addressing their issues and interests, and alerting them to the best budget deals and cheap flights to Turkey, Majorca and Portugal, to name a few."

Source: PR Newswire

Destination Video of the Day: Film hiver Vallée de Chamonix-Mont-Blanc

Courtesy of Chamonix-Mont Blanc on YouTube