PROFILES IN SUCCESS: Independents Use Creative Guest Engagement Strategies to Maximize Revenues, Reduce Costs with Direct Online Channel and Social Media Booking

“Communicating with guests online is the key to loyalty, repeat guests, and attracting new business today,” said Jonathon Lopez, the person responsible for Marketing and Social Media at the T Bar M. The T Bar M is a luxury resort in New Braunfels, Texas, which is in between Austin and San Antonio that is growing business through an active presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media sites. Its secret for converting social media conversations to bookings is enabling guests to make reservations directly on its social media channels.
 
Independents Focus on Direct Online Channels in 2013 to Lower Costs
A recent industry report published by HeBS Digital emphasizes the importance of expanding direct online booking channels. The Digital Marketing report states: 'Independent hoteliers must budget for a major expansion in their direct online channel efforts…in 2013 if they want to decrease their over-dependence on the OTAs and the bottom-line killing flash sales sites such as Groupon, Living Social, etc., and last-minute discounters such as HotelTonight.com.'  
With a feature-rich website, high-quality images, user-friendly Maestro ResWave Booking Engine, social media links, and detailed, up-to-date property information, T Bar M attracts a record number of new guests and groups while increasing repeat business.
 
Successful guest engagement strategy thrives with Social Media
T Bar M created its successful online engagement strategy on the most popular channels first. “Facebook and Twitter are my top channels, but we also have a presence on Pinterest, Foursquare, Instagram, and TripAdvisor and Yelp,” Lopez said. T Bar M uses the Maestro property management system and ResWave online booking engine for both guest and group reservations directly from its website.
 
All operators have an online ecosystem that determines the quality of guest interactions. Without an understanding of their ecosystems, operators will fail to connect behind-the-scenes activities to customer interactions that lead to long term profit potential. T Bar M stays ahead of its competitors with an effective multi-channel guest-engagement approach.
 
New Media – Be Where Your Guests Are to Increase New & Repeat Bookings
“ResWave is portable and we have it on our Facebook page so visitors can book without interrupting their social engagement. When it comes to Facebook, I don’t want to just accumulate Facebook fans, Lopez said. “I want to post material that fans want to see and interact with them. I want our fans to remember us for their next vacation or event.”
 
T Bar M created two Facebook specials last summer for Fourth of July and Labor Day targeting fans and ‘friends of fans,’ to attract first-time visitors. “The specials that targeted fans and friends of fans jumped our exposure to many people who had not stayed with us. The reason we target friends of fans is that new visitors usually contact friends who have stayed at T Bar M as a trusted information source. I read all of our reviews on TripAdvisor and Yelp and respond to each review. We get 5% of our reservations through social channels.”
 
Lopez worked T Bar M’s front desk for two years before he took over Marketing and Social Media. “I watched the number of guests who use smartphones and tablets to book rooms increase,” he said. “Our website is mobile-optimized for these travelers. The Maestro ResWave online booking engine is also mobile-ready which makes it easy for guests and group members to book rooms directly from every page of T Bar M’s website.”  
 
 
For a demo of the Maestro Property Management Suite featuring the ResWave Booking Engine, please contact NORTHWIND at 1.888.667.8488 or email info@maestropms.com.
 

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About T Bar M
Stay at T Bar M Resort and Conference Center when you visit New Braunfels in the Texas Hill Country. Book your choice of accommodations — resort hotel, a spacious villa, or private Sunday haus. T Bar M resort and conference facilities are perfect for family vacations or corporate meetings. We have something for everyone: tennis, golf, a lushly landscaped pool, massage therapy, movies, biking/jogging trails, sports facility and sports fields. For reservations go to www.TBarM.com
 
Maestro Property Management Solution
Enhance guest service, improve efficiency, and maximize online and offline revenue with Maestro PMS, the industry's most robust and flexible resort software and boutique hotel software solution empowering leading full-service hotels, luxury resorts, multi-property groups, conference centers, condominiums, and timeshare properties.  Solutions include Front Office (PMS), Accounts Receivable, Analytics and Business Intelligence, Sales and Catering, Multi-Property Management, Condo & Timeshare Owner Management with Web Functionality, Spa and Activities, Web Booking Engine, Real-Time Yield Management, Dynamic Packaging Golf, CRM, Guest Experience Measurement, CRO, GDS Two-Way XML, Membership, Work-Orders, Fine Dining and Retail POS, Online Table Reservations with Web Booking, Concierge, and Guest Experience Measurement.  The Maestro PMS is database independent (ODBC Compliant) and may be deployed via Windows, UNIX, Linux, Terminal Services, hosted, and Web platforms.
 
About NORTHWIND – Maestro PMS
NORTHWIND is recognized in the hospitality industry for its standard-setting Diamond Plus Service and robust integrated Maestro resort hotel software technology.  With over 30 years’ experience dedicated to developing technology solutions for the hospitality industry, NORTHWIND is a partner who understands you need a scalable, flexible PMS that works the way you do.  Maestro applications are engineered for operators who need to manage their enterprise in a real-time environment for the utmost operational efficiency, productivity, control, and profitability.
 
 
 
Contact:
 
NORTHWIND - Maestro PMS
Ivana Johnston - Sales & Marketing
8300 Woodbine Avenue, 5^th floor
Markham, ON L3R 9Y7
Canada
Phone: 905-940-1923
Toll Free: 1-888-667-8488
Email:  info@maestropms.com
www.maestropms.com
 
T Bar M Resort & Conference Center
2549 Highway 46 West
New Braunfels, TX 78132
Phone: 830-625-7738 
Email: Jonathon@TBarM.com
www.TBarM.com
 
Media Contact
Julie Keyser-Squires, APR
Softscribe Inc.
180 River Springs Drive NW
Atlanta, GA 30328
Phone: 404-256-5512
Email:  Julie(at)softscribeinc.com
www.softscribeinc.com

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