You’ll find a little bit of everything in the city that never sleeps, from cozy boutique hotels to historic grande dames. New York’s best hotels offer five-star amenities and over-the-top service in a palatial space to rest your head. You’ll also find culinary delights around every corner, from the world-renowned restaurants at Michelin-starred spots like Eric Ripert’s Le Bernadin to Masa Takayama’s acclaimed Momofuku.
Despite the pandemic, travelers are optimistic and eager to travel again; 56 percent say they’re likely to take a leisure or vacation trip this year. With tourism booming again, hoteliers must focus on optimizing their visibility across the top review sites and platforms that drive bookings.
The most popular hotel booking search engines include OTAs, hotels’ own websites and aggregators (meta-search engines that trawl OTAs and direct hotel sites to return a compendium of results). But what about the most influential hotel reviews sites? To no one’s surprise, Google came out on top in a new study by CivicScience that polled more than 1,700 adults to see which websites they use for researching and booking their next hotel.
As we know, Google isn’t just a search engine, it’s also a hotel booking platform. As a hotel owner, you must make sure that you’re well represented on all of the top review sites and that you have a seamless booking process.
For example, you should have a dedicated page for your hotel on Google My Business. Not only will this help you manage your reputation, but it will also ensure that you’re showing up when potential guests are searching for your property on Google Maps or in general. If you don’t already have a listing, it’s easy to create and claim yours for free.
Another site that you need to be visible on is TripAdvisor. Not only does it rank properties based on guest reviews, but it also ranks hotels based on its own criteria. In addition to its star ratings, the site offers tips on how to get extra perks at a property.
The Mark Hotel in Manhattan is a standout for both its history and amenities. The 1920s landmark is an art deco stunner that has been updated with all the latest luxury features and modern technology. The hotel’s opulent amenities include six high-end restaurants, a rooftop helipad, and Rolls Royce airport shuttles for guests. Designed by famed architect Jacques Grange, the Mark has both character and comfort, from its avant-garde black and white lobby to its spacious rooms and suites.
For a touch of European luxury, stay at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo in Italy, which overlooks Lake Como. The resort is a converted pair of canal palaces and is known for its gracious staff and luxe suites. For a more tropical getaway, try the Jade Mountain Resort in St. Lucia, which is surrounded by the Pitons mountains and has dome-shaped villas for spectacular ocean views. Located just steps from the beach, the hotel is known for its luxurious spa and upscale dining options.
