Blogs are a great way to get to know the hospitality industry. They can give you a more intimate personalised view of what the sector is all about and of what goes on behind the scenes. There are a number of hospitality blogs out there, but which are the best ones to follow?
Just like hospitality news websites, the blogs cover a wide range of topics, going from luxury hotels to distribution channels, food & beverage, hostels, social media and even the history of hotels
Mary Gostelow
Mary Gostelow, the author of the Gostelow Report, a bible for hotel industry insiders since decades, is arguably the doyenne of hospitality blogging and journalism. Besides being the publisher of the definitive Gostelow Report, market intelligence for the luxury hotel sector worldwide, she is contributing editor of Elite Traveler and HOTELS Magazine, a regular columnist of Best In Travel, Destination of the World News and iltm.net. Her website, offers a wealth of news and blogs about luxury hotels, travel, lifestyle, fitness & spas, food & wine and fashion.
Boutique Hotel News
The Boutique Hotel News blog, as the name of the site would suggest is oriented towards the boutique hotel sector. For instance, one can learn about iconic hotel properties or about Europe’s largest chain, AccorHotels’ recent acquisition of a 50% stake Sam Nazarian's Los Angeles-based SBE Group, a US luxury lifestyle hospitality company that develops, manages and operates hotels, residences, restaurants and nightclubs. Another current theme concerns Hong Kong-based Goodwin Gaw's entry into the European hotel sector through the purchase of a 50% stake in the Hospes Hotel Group, a Spanish luxury boutique hotel brand with 10 properties across the country.
Serviced apartment news
Serviced apartment news provides blogs and updates about the rapidly-developing serviced apartment and extended stay sector. The site’s blogs cover topics, such as: US apartment operators entering the UK and European markets; Amazon’s launch of Alexa for Hospitality; or future trends in apartment living.
Meininger Hotels
As one of Europe’s biggest branded hostel groups, Meininger is named after Meiningerstrasse in Berlin where the company’s first property opened in 1999. The website features a blog which is focused on interesting discoveries in the various European destinations where the group’s hostels are located. One can browse the selection of blogs under rubrics, such as: Europe Trip; World Trip; Shopping and Fashion; Food & Drink; Art and Culture; and Fun Facts.
Duetto
Duetto is a consultancy whose mission is to help hotels optimise their distribution channels through attracting more direct bookings. The group’s blogs take up such subjects as loyalty programme trends, Chinese travellers’ needs and wants or what would happen if Amazon entered the hotel booking arena?
Social Hospitality
Social Hospitality is a digital marketing consultancy, which focuses on four areas of expertise: digital strategy, social media, content creation and public speaking. The group publishes a regular series of blogs about topical themes, such as “5 Ways Instagram Can Help Boost Restaurant Marketing”, Will Google Make Yelp Extinct? or “How Storytelling Can Help Increase Your Restaurant’s Sales”.
Larry Mogelonsky
Larry Mogelonsky is the owner of Hotel Mogel Consulting Limited and the founder of LMA Communications Inc., a Toronto-based marketing agency. He regularly publishes a selection of blogs on his website, treating a wide variety of topic, including, for example: “Sustainability as a Modern Pillar of Branding and Marketing”; “Sharing Economy Adaptation Via the ‘Hometel’”;or
“In Vino Veritas LXVII – Baco The Other Noir”, which discusses a North American hybrid grape varietal.
Stanley Turkel, hotel historian
The history of a hotel is increasingly viewed as creative and effective tool for marketing and promoting the property. Stanley Turkel, hotel consultant and author, has published a long list of historical vignettes about hotels. Some examples include: “A Couple of New York Gems”, about a pair of New York hotels; “Astor House, Lincoln’s First Choice in New York City, which describes the city’s first modern palace hotel; and one about the Hotel Ponce de Leon, built in St Augustine Florida in 1888.
Blog Influencers
