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Harnessing social media, to drive sales and improve hotel operations

July 21, 2010 |

While it can be daunting to develop and implement a strategic plan for online reviews and social media, InterContinental Montelucia Resort and Spa was able to look at social media as an opportunity to use online guest feedback to its advantage in marketing, sales and operations.

Michelle Wohl, VP of Marketing at Revinate

InterContinental Montelucia Resort and Spa is a luxury property in Scottsdale, Arizona. Set in the foothills of Camelback Mountain, the property features 293 guest rooms as well as 34 multi-million dollar privately owned villas on 35 acres. The hotel opened to the public in 2008.

JC Thompson is the Director of Training and Quality at the hotel. He originally joined the staff to manage the 34 private villas but after a year of operation a need arose to both develop and drive quality at the resort. This opportunity brought together his passion for exceptional service, honed as a concierge for Four Seasons, with his natural ability to inspire people to perform better.

Harnessing Social Media

JC found a mentor in Managing Director, Valeriano Antonioli, and together they decided to embrace online reviews and social media to drive sales and improve hotel operations. Knowing that 80% of Montelucia guests were going to TripAdvisor before booking rooms, Antonioli saw an opportunity for Montelucia to be more customer-focused and socially savvy than anyone in the marketplace. To save time gathering all the reviews from multiple sites, they invested in Revinate, which provides a dashboard that allows them to track all reviews in one place.

Today, review sites and OTAs are one of the biggest influencers in a guest

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