Macdonald Hotels & Resorts has just opened its new Macdonald Monchique Resort & Spa in Portugal close to the leading golf courses i the Algarve and a 15-minute drive from Portimão and an hour from Faro International Airport.
These are the golf courses that are close to the Macdonald Monchique Resort & Spa:
- Penina Hotel & Golf Resort;
- Onyria Palmares Golf and the Gramacho,
- Vale da Pinta and Silves golf courses at Pestana Golf Resort, near Lagos.
The Macdonald Monchique Resort & Spa is utilizing the Monchique region’s thermal waters. It seems like that the Macdonald Monchique Resort & Spa is following the trend by providing the opportunity to cycle and trek.
Hotel facilities include:
- 4 restaurants – an informal petiscos (Portuguese tapas) bar and a pizzeria through to a gourmet food market and a fine-dining restaurant specialising in local fish and wines;
- a Sensorial spa, where facilities include a Turkish bath, a rock sauna and sensorial showers, and relaxation rooms; indoor and outdoor pools, a state-of-the-art fitness centre;
- and a kids club for children aged 4 to 12, along with a family swimming pool and a children’s playground.
How can the Macdonald Monchique Resort & Spa beat the competition?
In the following I will summarize what the Macdonald Monchique Resort & Spa doing already well and what should be their focus in 2016.
I would start with the positive features:
- They already have a social media presence on Facebook and TripAdvisor (below I will explain how could they exploit TripAdvisor better). The Macdonald Monchique Resort & Spa is also utilizing the social commerce feature of Facebook (“Book Now!”);
- The website is mobile-friendly;
- Provides services for the meeting industry (business tourism)
Now let me list, what is missing our should get more attention in 2016:
- Adding live chat function to foster online sales and customer service.
- Capture email leads.
- Adding social sharing app where it can be useful (see: SEO, online communication: user generated content, etc.)
- Contact menu: adding the sales manager’s name, photo and contact information.
- Social e-commerce on the rise. Therefore, Instagram presence is a must have/imperative.
- Booking retargeting.
- It would be great if the guest could select his own room alone.
- Digital customer service via companion mobile apps (e.g. Alice, CheckMate, GuestDriven, Cloudbeds) – they help us to serve better the ‘always-on’ guests.
- User Generated Content (like the one you are reading at this moment): the connected customers‘ main source of information are online customer reviews, peer group members’ opinion. Unlike the Baby Boomers, they prefer to discover information over interruptive communication.
- Personalizing offers based on the customer need instead mass offers.
- Driving direct bookings is a must! Although in Europe, 62% of sales (of hotel chains; 74% of single hotels) i made via OTAs (source: Phocuswright & h2c, December 2015).
Here are my tips how you can utilize TripAdvisor:
- Cross-linking between your website and your TripAdvisor profile.
- Actively ask for reviews (e.g. send post-stay email for reviews)
- Add TripAdvisor widget, signage for your website
- Just like on other social media platforms: manage your reviews and answer all questions.