“False Starts, and HSMAI Digital Conference Sneak Peek”

Co-Hosts
Robert Cole
Tim Peter
Stuart Butler
Edward StOnge
Isaac Gerstenzag

Potential Topics

WANT TO SEE THE FUTURE? LOOK AT THE CHIPS

https://www.wired.com/story/qualcomm-moves-beyond-mobile/

Google Releases an SEO Tool that Measures 10 SEO Metrics

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/chrome-lighthouse/235465/

A reintroduction to Google’s featured snippets
https://www.blog.google/products/search/reintroduction-googles-featured-snippets/

Google: Here are 6 Ways You Can Get Ready for the Mobile-First Index

Https://searchenginejournal.com/get-ready-mobile-first-index-according-google/228553/

Airbnb launches global hotel technology partnership to support boutique hotels, bed and breakfasts

Airbnb launches global hotel technology partnership to support boutique hotels, bed and breakfasts

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81% of Millennials more likely to use coupons if they get expiration reminders on mobile
73% of consumers more likely to join loyalty programs if points & rewards are automatically updated on mobile wallet loyalty cards
54% of those surveyed have already used a mobile wallet card – and wish brands would use this channel more often

I’ve been using Lighthouse since early October. It sets the bar high – which is great.

Anyone want to discuss how the major hotel brand home pages score compared to the OTAs on the performance metric…?

Performance
* Accor – 0
* Marriott – 1
* LaQuinta – 3
* IHG – 5
* Choice – 8
* Hilton – 10
* Wyndham – 12
* Hyatt – 14
* Radisson – 44
* Best Western – Lighthouse locks up testing scripts
* Expedia – 22
* Booking.com – 27
* TripAdvisor – 37
Airbnb’s standards for hotels: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1526/what-are-airbnb-s-standards-for-hotels

Top Story

1. Airbnb officially opens up platform to hotel distribution
https://www.phocuswire.com/Airbnb-hotel-distribution-launch

1. Inside Airbnb’s Battle to Stay Private
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-06/inside-airbnb-s-battle-to-stay-private

2. As Airbnb’s First COO, Here’s My Plan
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/airbnbs-first-coo-heres-my-plan-belinda-johnson/

Brands

2. Wyndham Enhances Rewards Program
https://www.travelpulse.com/news/hotels-and-resorts/wyndham-enhances-rewards-program.html

3. The man who co-created the legendary club Studio 54 built a massive luxury hotel that’s trying to kill Airbnb
http://www.businessinsider.com/ian-schrager-public-hotel-kill-airbnb-luxury-for-all-les-nyc-studio-54-retail-travel-2017-10

4. AccorHotels details new Smart Room concept
https://www.hotelmanagement.net/operate/accorhotels-details-new-smart-room-concept

5. Think Tank: Acts of Luxury and One-of-a-Kind Concierge Experiences
Think Tank: Acts of Luxury and One-of-a-Kind Concierge Experiences

Intermediaries

6. Expedia Acknowledges a New Balance of Power With Hotels in Direct Booking Challenge

Expedia Acknowledges a New Balance of Power With Hotels in Direct Booking Challenge

1. Expedia stock plunges 19 percent on fourth quarter profit misses
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/08/expedia-stock-plunges-19-percent-on-fourth-quarter-profit-misses.html

7. Hotels win small victory: So why are we still arguing about OTAs?
http://www.phocuswright.com/Travel-Research/Research-Updates/2018/Hotels-Win-Small-Victory-So-Why-Are-We-Still-Arguing-About-OTAs

Tech

8. What’s New at Google
1. Planning travel on the go just got easier [Google]
https://www.blog.google/topics/travel/planning-travel-go-just-got-easier/

2. Google Releases an SEO Tool that Measures 10 SEO Metrics
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/chrome-lighthouse/235465/

3. Google: Here are 6 Ways You Can Get Ready for the Mobile-First Index
https://searchenginejournal.com/get-ready-mobile-first-index-according-google/228553/

4. A reintroduction to Google’s featured snippets
https://www.blog.google/products/search/reintroduction-googles-featured-snippets/

5. Google Releases an SEO Tool that Measures 10 SEO Metrics
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/chrome-lighthouse/235465/

9. Want To See The Future? Look At The Chips
https://www.wired.com/story/qualcomm-moves-beyond-mobile/

1. Here’s what quantum computing is and why it matters
https://thenextweb.com/evergreen/2017/10/01/heres-quantum-computing-matters/

Ruh-Roh

10. Disney has begun populating its parks with autonomous, personality-driven robots

Disney has begun populating its parks with autonomous, personality-driven robots