Some 16 months after comparing seven hotel chains’ websites and observing which had noticeable social media presences that were visibly linked on those sites, Best Western continues to take top honors.
You may click the image to zoom.
With user-friendly icons on the bottom of the corporate website, their catchy-phrased blog, Facebook page, Twitter page @TheBestWestern, and YouTube channel are interactive and engaging.
The Four Seasons arrives in second place for me, because of small-font Twitter and Facebook text and icons near the bottom.
Clicking the text and icons (which I think should have larger fonts), they redirect to inside pages of every global location you can either follow and tweet or like and share. Their social media page also references a YouTube channel, iPhone applications, and a custom short URL. Have a look.
Marriott takes third place, mainly due to Bill Marriott’s blog which has links to three Twitter accounts.
Hilton takes fourth place because of their Twitter (@HiltonOnline) and Facebook pages that rotate in and out in the bottom left of the website. I wish these links didn’t rotate but were placed side-by-side like the Four Seasons in a static location.
Sheraton, Holiday Inn, and Days Inn round out the seven websites I looked at — and these three have zero social media references on their websites. None that I could find, anyway. I also place them in this order due to their user-friendliness and not overwhelming me when all I want to do is book a room.
Thoughts? Do you like these?
If your favorite hotel isn’t highlighted above, let me know what it is and whether social networking sites are linked therein.
Ari,
Lovely post – short, concise and informative.
I feel that you stuck with hotel chains rather than smaller lone soldiers.
Take a look at Roger Smith Hotel in New York – in my eyes, totally one to watch when it comes to Social Media and Hospitality. And of course, u could follow us too @inbalhotel
In addition, if you do like the larger brands, Fairmont hotels are incredibly impressive with their social media mix
Thanks again
Fair point, Ruth. As I mentioned up front, this was a revisit of an older post to see what’s changed over the past year and a half. I’m sure there are oodles more hotels out there — so can you suggest how one would be able to find hotels that do effectively use social media? You mention a hotel in New York; but how would one know that?
Best Western is my favorite.
Their booking system is very good and sites are easy to explore
Have you slept there, too?
Sure
I spent too many nights there while traveling for work 😉
Hotels always seem to have fancy websites, don’t you think Ari?
Regarding those sites, some (e.g. Days Inn’s website) look rather spammy and a “BUY ME NOW!” type of site, which I don’t like. The Sheraton website on the other hand looks very good, and quite classy! I actually went and had a look around, its very nice isn’t it!
It’s amusing how different people view different things differently. 😉
I like to see when individual hotels that are part of these chains take on their own approach. I’m sure there are all sorts of corporate politics to wade through to do this but this is where the real and local personality shines through.
I wonder how much a franchise can do, really.
I like Chuck’s idea, but the main concern might be finding someone at each individual hotel that could do a credible job.
Makes you wonder who’s creating a website — and how many focus groups they test, eh?
What’s not mobile-friendly about this blog, specifically?
The comment box after a number of characters just started displaying …. and didn’t add anymore text, I was so busy typing I did not notice when it occurred and then I could not seem to use backspace on my smartphone to get back and make it shorter so I could post (or spot my spelling mistakes), could figure any other way of doing it either and then just lost everything I had typed and gave up. It could have been me as I am still working out all his new fangled technology! I am learning it so I know how it works and if I can go for a short drive, hike 3000ft up a hill and look at a stunning view, work for a few hours and then head back – yea ha!
Shoot me a message if it happens again. Sounds like your device and not the plugin that lets you see it.
I’ve stayed at most of these chains. My default chain these days is Best Western. It’s usually affordable and three stars, and they give you a decent breakfast.
What sort of holiday marketing do you do?
I really like the idea of evaluating website within a niche for their social media adeptness. Best Western does a nice job of making their icons easily seen. With the Four Seasons, I don’t mind the small icons because it’s such an elegant design and they’re a high end company. If they did go larger, I’d really want to see them change the icon colors to match their design.
Like Alex, Best Western is my favorite too. Fast and EASY!