For all of you naysayers in hospitality out there determined you did not need Twitter, guess again. According to news from Loews Hotels and Resorts starting today you’ll be able to make reservations via Twitter.
Facebook hotel bookings are now not only commonplace, but integral to any viable hotel marketing plan. Now Loews, with their so-called “social reservations,” is taking the game to the next level. That is, the game of Generation C meets hotels, or connected customers getting the booking portals they want. By tweeting @Loews_Hotels with the hashtag #BookLoews, travelers will tweet directly with Loews travel planner to via secure conversation and payment channel. “It’s as simple as that,” so they say.
For some time now hotels we’ve been working with have understood the need to engage with travelers in the 20 to 30 age range, but as tech marches forward and gainst acceptance from all age groups, clearly a paradigm shift of sorts is in motion. This is true for travel, and for any business selling basically. According to the latest PhoCusWright studies, some 34% of all hotel room revenue now comes via digital, and the trend is growing. Piper Stevens, Director of Social Media, Loews Hotels & Resorts, had this to add via the company’s press release:
As we continue to evolve and build on our Social Media strategy, we are focused on meeting the needs of travelers throughout each stage of the travel continuum. When it comes to reservations, we recognize that giving consumers the option of booking efficiently on a network where they are already engaging on a daily basis is going to set us apart and grow our consumer base in a meaningful way.
The new Loews Twitter reservations initiative does not go live until Noon Eastern time in the US, I tried tweeting moments ago, just to check in case, but evidently things are not live as of yet. This is going to be interesting.
Laura Davidson Public Relations, Hall PR, RF-Binder, 5WPR and The Brandman Agency have all done work for various Loews Hotels locations.