Planning a meeting in Las Vegas or attending a convention in Las Vegas and having to organize satellite events?
| Las Vegas: The Heart of Hospitality |
Moreover, websites are no longer restricted to view-only portals nowadays, so hotels are investing time in sharp media tools like blogs, newsletters and webinars, which get the message out even further while reducing hefty traditional media expenses. Targeting meeting planners, properties use the hotel blog to write about meeting ideas or use webinars to converse with them about current industry topics and thus show their capabilities for meeting their needs. Simply put, creating and sharing content builds interest and confidence in the brand.
— Mobilizing the Digital Interface
Mobile devices have been projected to overtake PCs as the most common electronic device in 2013, and more travelers are looking beyond the PC and using mobile devices for their hotel researching and booking needs. Smart hotel marketers are keeping their eyes out for authentic ways to make use of emerging mobile applications in 2013, even enabling guests to communicate room preferences or needs directly with the hotel from the palm of their hand. Another development is creating mobile device applications that become a “virtual concierge” that provides interactive hotel tours, automatic check-ins and area maps to enhance the overall hotel experience.
— Reviews Rule
Even though the methods change with the times, positive feedback from outside sources remains a crucial part of a hotel’s marketing mechanism. Today and in the future, impartial review websites like TripAdvisor and Yelp! carry tremendous clout with customer perception. Many hotels are making it policy to encourage guests who remark about an enjoyable stay to post a review, and they often do. Successful properties also frequently monitor these review sites to collect positive feedback for reposting on the hotel’s own website and to stay aware of any guest concerns that can be addressed to benefit future guests.
Social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, are other incredibly powerful sources of reviews for hotels. Past and prospective guests likely already are users, and meeting planners visit these interfaces to research, compare and read reviews of hotels before recommending them to attendees. To best utilize these popular media, hotels are beginning to designate a staff member to oversee the property’s social media presence by maintaining contacts, answering customer-service inquiries in real time and updating incentive offers.
Do not overlook the powerful review force that is the local community. The most successful hotels balance their business between local traffic and out-of-town visitors. Locals unable to justify grand vacations are likely to book a weekend “staycation” getaway, especially as hotels target exclusive discounts to local and regional residents. Locals also continue to be strong brand ambassadors since visitors to a new city often ask their local contacts where to stay.
Even in the fast-paced digital world, personal attention, comfort and connectivity continue to trend in 2013 and beyond.
Hotel Renovations and Expansions
Las Vegas never sleeps and neither do the most successful hotel properties and resorts. As customers and their tastes change, the entrepreneurial spirit in Las Vegas beckons owners to keep up with the pace and provide what their visitors want and need to make their stays the best they can be. Take a look at the newest renovations and expansions hitting the streets of the Entertainment Capital of the World.
Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas recently completed an Art Deco–inspired renovation of its 424 guestrooms and suites. The new interiors are chic, modern and Las Vegas glamorous. Located on floors 35–39 of the Mandalay Bay tower, the Four Seasons Hotel rooms offer sweeping views through floor-to-ceiling windows, and the bold colors, high-end furnishings and state-of-the-art technology reflect the city’s energy and drama.
The Golden Gate Hotel & Casino has just completed its first expansion for the property in more than 50 years. Upgrades include a 7,000-square-foot casino floor expansion, a new high-limit gaming pit and a new hotel lobby. Plus, a 35,000-square-foot, five-story hotel tower with 16 new suites and two penthouses now supplements its existing 106 rooms, and a new porte-cochère off Main Street is in the works. While retaining the dark interiors reminiscent of early 20th-century San Francisco, the new hotel rooms now feature 1920s Art Deco designs and nods to Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack.
The Riviera Hotel & Casino recently underwent a $20-million renovation of guestrooms, suites, the casino and its meeting space. Part of the casino renovations included adding a new Race and Sports Book, but more so the renovation placed a greater emphasis on the convention center side of the property with its now 160,000 square feet of meeting space.
The Palms Las Vegas is wrapping up a $50-million renovation begun this past summer. This project included the redesign of the Palms Tower’s 428 rooms and suites, which now feature warm wood tones, velvet textures and custom artwork. Also added are some new dining options, notably the pan-Asian Xishi and the sports-themed restaurant and lounge Heraea, and the gaming space has been upgraded with more than 250 new slot machines and reconfigured to maximize flow.
— Mobilizing the Digital Interface
Mobile devices have been projected to overtake PCs as the most common electronic device in 2013, and more travelers are looking beyond the PC and using mobile devices for their hotel researching and booking needs. Smart hotel marketers are keeping their eyes out for authentic ways to make use of emerging mobile applications in 2013, even enabling guests to communicate room preferences or needs directly with the hotel from the palm of their hand. Another development is creating mobile device applications that become a “virtual concierge” that provides interactive hotel tours, automatic check-ins and area maps to enhance the overall hotel experience.
— Reviews Rule
Even though the methods change with the times, positive feedback from outside sources remains a crucial part of a hotel’s marketing mechanism. Today and in the future, impartial review websites like TripAdvisor and Yelp! carry tremendous clout with customer perception. Many hotels are making it policy to encourage guests who remark about an enjoyable stay to post a review, and they often do. Successful properties also frequently monitor these review sites to collect positive feedback for reposting on the hotel’s own website and to stay aware of any guest concerns that can be addressed to benefit future guests.
Social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, are other incredibly powerful sources of reviews for hotels. Past and prospective guests likely already are users, and meeting planners visit these interfaces to research, compare and read reviews of hotels before recommending them to attendees. To best utilize these popular media, hotels are beginning to designate a staff member to oversee the property’s social media presence by maintaining contacts, answering customer-service inquiries in real time and updating incentive offers.
Do not overlook the powerful review force that is the local community. The most successful hotels balance their business between local traffic and out-of-town visitors. Locals unable to justify grand vacations are likely to book a weekend “staycation” getaway, especially as hotels target exclusive discounts to local and regional residents. Locals also continue to be strong brand ambassadors since visitors to a new city often ask their local contacts where to stay.
Even in the fast-paced digital world, personal attention, comfort and connectivity continue to trend in 2013 and beyond.
Hotel Renovations and Expansions
Las Vegas never sleeps and neither do the most successful hotel properties and resorts. As customers and their tastes change, the entrepreneurial spirit in Las Vegas beckons owners to keep up with the pace and provide what their visitors want and need to make their stays the best they can be. Take a look at the newest renovations and expansions hitting the streets of the Entertainment Capital of the World.
Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas recently completed an Art Deco–inspired renovation of its 424 guestrooms and suites. The new interiors are chic, modern and Las Vegas glamorous. Located on floors 35–39 of the Mandalay Bay tower, the Four Seasons Hotel rooms offer sweeping views through floor-to-ceiling windows, and the bold colors, high-end furnishings and state-of-the-art technology reflect the city’s energy and drama.
The Golden Gate Hotel & Casino has just completed its first expansion for the property in more than 50 years. Upgrades include a 7,000-square-foot casino floor expansion, a new high-limit gaming pit and a new hotel lobby. Plus, a 35,000-square-foot, five-story hotel tower with 16 new suites and two penthouses now supplements its existing 106 rooms, and a new porte-cochère off Main Street is in the works. While retaining the dark interiors reminiscent of early 20th-century San Francisco, the new hotel rooms now feature 1920s Art Deco designs and nods to Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack.
The Riviera Hotel & Casino recently underwent a $20-million renovation of guestrooms, suites, the casino and its meeting space. Part of the casino renovations included adding a new Race and Sports Book, but more so the renovation placed a greater emphasis on the convention center side of the property with its now 160,000 square feet of meeting space.
The Palms Las Vegas is wrapping up a $50-million renovation begun this past summer. This project included the redesign of the Palms Tower’s 428 rooms and suites, which now feature warm wood tones, velvet textures and custom artwork. Also added are some new dining options, notably the pan-Asian Xishi and the sports-themed restaurant and lounge Heraea, and the gaming space has been upgraded with more than 250 new slot machines and reconfigured to maximize flow.
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If accepted, your submission will be edited for length and clarity. There is no monetary payment if your item is used; instead, you can publicize yourself through a five-line biography with your contact information that will appear at the end of the article.
Send submissions to
editorial@MeetingPlannerResources.org. We will contact you if your submission is chosen.