Social media has pretty much changed the world. It’s changed the way we receive our news, it’s changed the way we interact with our friends and it’s changed the way we do business. For hotels, it’s changed the way they interact with guests and potential customers. But some have embraced the trend more than others. Here are just some of the London hotels with great social media campaigns aiming to raise the stakes in customer service:
Shining example
The Milestone’s Facebook site is a lesson in how hotels should be using social media to keep their guests and potential guest engaged.
Check rates at the Milestone Hotel
The hotel gets the mix just right – giving a glimpse behind the scenes, telling us about the personalities of its staff and showcasing its lovely rooms and food, without giving us the hard sell. Highlighting the fact that it’s pet friendly, the hotel recently posted a picture of one of its canine guests, Molly the terrier, who staff say loves her runs in Kensington Gardens when she stays.
All heart
Quick to establish a presence on Facebook and Twitter, The Cavendish was also one of the early adopters of Vine.
It encouraged potential guests to get involved by making a romantic Valentine Vine. Whoever made the most romantic 6-second Vine video won an overnight stay at the hotel the day after Valentine’s.
Building excitement
Sometimes the anticipation of a trip is just exciting as arriving. The Four Seasons came up with the perfect way to build on that anticipation.
Check rates at the Four Seasons Park Lane
As the popularity of Pinterest rose, the Four Seasons launched Pin. Pack. Go, allowing guests to connect with local experts before they reached their hotel. With a collaborative board, guests and experts were able to come up with a customised itinerary together.
Let me take a selfie
To celebrate 20 years of the Channel Tunnel, the InterContinental Hotels Group, which owns the likes of Hotel Indigo and the Crowne Plaza, jumped on the selfie bandwagon and asked people to upload a picture tagged #IHGselfie to Facebook or Instagram.
Check rates at the Crowne Plaza London Kensington
At the end of the campaign, an entry from the UK was picked for a break in Paris, while an entry from France was chosen for a trip to London. To create a buzz ahead of the competition, the hotel organised photo walks in both cities while influential bloggers were invited to host events at IHG hotels.
Power of suggestion
No one knows a city better than a hotel concierge, and the Hilton has tapped in on this by launching a Twitter page which works like a virtual concierge.
Check rates at the Hilton London Metropole
You can ask questions about the city you want to visit and the Hilton will share insider tips. Recent guests have asked about recommendations for coffee bars and exhibitions to see while in the city with @HiltonSuggests experts suggesting the Designs of the Year display and the Perkin Reveller restaurant, overlooking the Thames for a bite to eat between sightseeing.
For hotels, it would be foolish to ignore the potential of social media to engage with previous, future and potential guests. While for guests, it makes perfect sense to log onto a hotel’s social media sites before booking to find out what others have to say, to take advantage of special offers, to enter competitions and to ask questions to make sure you get the most of your stay in London.
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Photo credits: Mark Kens, The Milestone Hotel, The Cavendish, The Four Seasons, InterContinental Hotels Group, Hilton Hotels.