Calling all Cougars!

Isn't it funny how you can come across the same subject matter time and time again for no particular reason. For the last week every newspaper, magazine, TV program and conversation I have had seems to touch on the phenomenon of..... The Cougar. And not the furry members of the cat family.

According to Wikipedia, a Cougar is a "woman over 40 who sexually pursues younger men, typically more than eight years her junior".

I  remarked to my wife recently that I have now reached an age where a Cougar on the prowl would have long lost interest in someone of my advanced years. Yet another one of life's opportunities has now been sadly snuffed out. Unexpectedly, my wife has no sympathy with my new predicament and caused me greater angst with the revelation that she is now of an age to qualify as a Cougar;-) Hey, that's not funny!

We note with interest that some accommodation providers are shamelessly making the most of this new market demographic.

We see that as an example of inovative niche marketing,  Hotel Diva in San Francisco have introduced the Cougars With Personality Package. OK, it's shamelessly titillating and tacky, but that's what we like about it.

So what does the package include?

• A one-night stay (The Cougar's den)
• Two Hanky-Panky animal-print thongs (Cub bait)
• Two Lemon Drop cocktails (Cougar courage)
  
• Two $25 Gift Certificates for the Epi Center MedSpa (Yes, they do Botox!)
• Professional bra fittings at Nordstrom (Hold 'em high)
• “A list of San Francisco’s hottest Cougar bars” (We assume this is where young dudes hang out)

Judging by the package on offer, I guess Cougars hunt in pairs?

...So, this got us thinking. What sort of accommodation packages could be assembled to target other demographic niche markets?:

• Boy toy or toy boy A much younger boyfriend or husband of an older woman.
  

• Chickenhawke An older gay man who sexually pursues younger males.

• Cradle robber or cradle snatcher A man (primarily, but could refer to a woman) involved with a much younger individual.

• Cub The younger male who is supposedly going out with a "Cougar".

• Gold digger Someone who develops a relationship with a much older partner for primarily financial reasons, especially to inherit the partner's wealth upon death (which is expected to come soon).

• Jailbait A sexually attractive person (primarily female but could refer to a male) who is below the legal age of consent.

• Lolita A sexually precocious girl who is the object of desire of a significantly older man.
  

• May-December romance A relationship in which the age differential between the two adults is wide enough to risk social disapproval.
  

• Manther The male version of a cougar.
  

• MILF An acronym of "Mother [or 'Mom'] I'd Like to F*ck", widely-used idiom that was popularised in the 1999 film American Pie).

• Puma A woman in her thirties who dates a younger man (i.e., 20-somethings), often considered to be "cougars-in-training". It also means Cougars whose age disparity is less than 8 years.

• Silver fox An attractive older male who is pursued by (generally much) younger women.

• Sugar baby The person provided for by a sugar daddy/mommy.

• Sugar daddy/mama/mommy A rich, usually older person who offers money or gifts to a less rich, usually younger person in return for companionship or sexual favors.
  

• Troll A man, often a less-attractive older one, who cruises for sex.

Please feel free to go wild with your accommodation package ideas and make sure you tell us about it.

Is this the worst hotel in the world?

We see that the iconic Hans Brinker Budget Hotel is featured in today's Sunday Herald.

The hotel's extreme honesty publicity campaign has created some classic marketing material and has made this establishment world revered. It takes a special accommodation provider to advertise its point of difference as being; "The worst hotel in the world".

In our quest to inspire others, we featured this property HERE by suggesting that fellow moteliers emulate the Hans Brinkler and ...offer less! The video is very good.

We also suggested in our post HERE that fellow moteliers emulate Hans Brinkler and get into the "environmental responsibility" caper to satisfy the throngs of environmentally conscious guests, wringing their hands and craving to save the planet during their stay. The video is compulsory watching from a hotel "that is leading the the world in it's eco-commitment".

In an environment where the accommodation industry can some times take itself a little too seriously, we like Hans Brinkler's style and injection of humor.

For further inspiration, some of their more memorable advertising is reproduced below:

In marketing, never forget to state the obvious

 

With accommodation, we are selling an "experience" - Looks like he has had a memorable stay

Cleaning standards are consistently the number one consideration with guests

 

We like the Accidentally Eco-Friendly byline. By offering guests less you can save the planet!

 

 The obligatory vinyl mattress - Ewww!

 

 Ah, that classic accommodation icon - the pubic hair in the shower waste

Jasons leading from the front

We note that Jasons Travel Media are creating a good profile in the MSM with several media releases hitting the mark.

One recent example was a Jasons survey HERE that quizzed Kiwis on their holiday planning habits has sparked media interest and a wider story on forward accommodation choices/bookings.

It's good to see Jasons CE, Matthew Mayne feature in the company's press releases.

We like Jason's recent bold appointment of CE, Matthew Mayne. He fills in some big shoes left behind by original Jasons founder, John Sandford and former CE, Stephen Joyce that left the position to pursue his high profile political career.

If the ghost of past CE's is not daunting enough, Mayne will need to manage a print distribution company moving into a digital era. He will be balancing the wants, needs and perceptions of shareholders, a charismatic board, the traveling public and a diverse range of advertisers dominated by Ma and Pa moteliers. Multitasking and cat herding skills will need to be honed.

We all know that moteliers can be a high maintenance and difficult audience. Often a motel business is the operator's first business venture and a lot of time is spent grasping the concept of running a small business. The value of Jasons offer can be sometimes difficult to understand by the flow of motel operators that move through the industry. The psychology of a motelier is wired a little differently to other business operators in other sectors. Business decisions are often based on "what others are doing" emotion and perception. Mayne will need to tap into this audience by maintaining a positive profile and understanding what makes them tick.

Now that Mayne has had time to warm the chair and learn the ropes, we look forward to seeing some of his personality emerge in Jasons future communications.

After meeting with Matthew Mayne recently, we were impressed with his steely determination and knowledge of the motel sector. We think he has the right stuff to lead Jasons into a new era and will be following his progress with interest.

Holiday auction for tsunami aid

A positive news story today about moteliers raising funds by a TradeMe auction for victims of the tsunami in Samoa.

What a fantastic initiative that has attracted worthy MSM coverage and positive publicity. The offer assembled on TradeMe looks pretty good to us too - To view the auction:  Click HERE.

By WILL HINE in Queenstown 
The Southland Times  
14 October 2009

A Queenstown motelier is hoping for a wave of support as she raises money for the victims of the tsunami that devastated Samoa last month.

Queenstown Motel Apartments owner Dianne Smith is offering on Trade Me a three-day holiday in Queenstown, with all proceeds going to the New Zealand Red Cross tsunami emergency appeal.

Mrs Smith said her daughter Vanessa was friends with Highlander and Samoan rugby player Romi Ropati, who had lost family and friends in the tsunami.

"That got me going because I knew he worked hard for his family in the islands.

"I've met him a couple of times and he's a lovely, lovely man."

The tragedy also hit close to home with the Motel Association of New Zealand – of which her husband Peter Smith is national president – losing a member in the tsunami.

Queenstown businesses Real Journeys, Skippers Canyon Jet, Nomad Safaris, Prime Restaurant and HMS Britannia Restaurant have all contributed products and vouchers to Mrs Smith's auction, taking the value of the package to $2132.

The winning bidder would be able to take the holiday within the next 12 months, subject to availability.
The auction closes on Monday.

Source: Click HERE

Time To Man-up

The countdown has begun.

The month of Movember is almost upon us. Get ready to celebrate being a man!

Motel Fail

Er...just the continental for me thanks

 

Who would be brave enough to ask...why? Go to their website HERE

 First rule in advertising - say what you are?

 

Wouldn't it be great to send a postcard to the folks back home from the Hotel Ass

 

 Ever stayed in a sh*t accommodation establishment before?

 

 Apparently the owner's ego is even bigger

What were they thinking?!?

Ooops! - unfortunate product placement

Traveller Expectations Not Met

In order to create some brand awareness and showcase their Jasons Business Traveller New Zealand Accommodation Directory, Jasons Travel Media recently released the results of two surveys that they conducted.

The findings highlighted the gap between what business travellers want in accommodation, and what advertisers are delivering.

Accommodation operators’ that  advertise in Jasons Business Traveller were asked to rank key factors in what they perceive business customers want when choosing accommodation and this resulted in the following results in order of importance:

1. A comfortable bed
2. Location
3. Car parking
4. Free Internet and newspapers

Business travellers were also quizzed to rank the key factors they were looking for when choosing accommodation and this resulted in the following results in order of importance:

1. location, location, location! 
2. A comfortable bed
3. Free Internet and newspapers
4. A place to eat on site

For business travellers, location was by far the most important with 81% ranking this their number one consideration. The main difference between the perception of accommodation operators and the needs of business travellers was the importance of having food available on site.

Although not quite making the top four, security was a consideration for 25% of business travellers, particularly among female respondents. Car parking seemed to be either not required or taken for granted.

Interestingly, price, quality ratings and environmental concerns didn't even make the radar.

For Jasons Travel Media's press release, click: HERE

Accommodation Stats Are: "Steady As She Goes"

Statistics New Zealand have today released the accommodation survey results for August.

In order to prove that we are an optimistic lot, the motel sector can extract some positives from these results. The motel sector can be pleased with its relative performance of all accommodation sectors by following up from a modest guest night gain in July with a more solid result in August.

The results for August 2009 must be kept in perspective as these are being compared with last years low base, however we can at least content ourselves that the figures are heading in the right direction.

Total guest nights in all short-term commercial accommodation sectors are more or less the same in August 2009 compared with August 2008.

When compared with August 2008, guest nights in the North Island were down 3 percent and the South Island up 4 percent. Regions that are on the main skiing routes seemed to return better results than those regions that are not.

Seven of the 12 regions recorded more guest nights in August 2009 compared with August 2008, with the following regions showing the largest increases:

• Otago, up 22,000 (6 percent)
• Canterbury, up 14,000 (4 percent).

The regions showing the largest decreases were:

• Auckland, down 32,000 (8 percent)
• Bay of Plenty, down 10,000 (6 percent).

Short-term overseas visitor arrivals to New Zealand in August 2009 were down 1 percent from August 2008.

In August 2009, four of the five accommodation types had more guest nights than in August 2008. The best news was that the largest increase was recorded by the motel sector, up 7,000 (1 percent). Backpackers/hostels showed the only decrease, down 16,000 (5 percent).

In August 2009, hotels continued to enjoy the largest share of total guest nights (39 percent), followed by motels (35 percent), and backpackers/hostels (14 percent).

Hotels had the highest occupancy rate (49 percent) of all the accommodation types in August 2009, followed by motels (41 percent), and backpackers/hostels (32 percent).

Source: Click HERE

When Should Accomodation Providers Disclose Guest's Personal Details?

Cactus Kate alerted us to the saga playing out in the media of property developer and socialite, Lynne Carter being tossed and dissed from the five star luxury boutique hotel, Mollies in Auckland.

The titillating tale of a former high flyer's fall from grace is a fascinating read that appeals to the masses, however we are more interested in the role of the accommodation provider that provided tantalising tidbits to the media in the latest chapter of Carter's much publicised life.

There have been two recent stories from the Herald on Sunday with last week's Hotel bans socialite for acting like 'country bumpkin' and yesterday's Socialite back out on bail.

So what did Mollies Hotel reveal about their high profile guest?

"Mollies general manager Joanna Bourke outlined a string of problems with Carter, including slow payment of room fees, erratic behavior in the dead of night and her omnipresent dog, Louis.

"She smokes and we don't allow smoking, and her dog pisses everywhere," Bourke said. "We have chucked her out many times but she keeps coming back in the middle of the night.

Bourke said Carter had been staying in a $600-a-night suite "on and off" for the past six weeks. The hotel had now changed the locks to keep her out.

"She was smoking all the time and the dog was in the room. It was peeing everywhere.

"She would get up in the middle of the night ... She was out like till 3am, running up and down the hallways calling out 'Louis, Louis' and we had complaints from guests saying 'who is the woman running up and down the hallway screaming?'

"Or we would have functions on... It was horrible, it really was."

On another occasion, Bourke said Carter sat in the Herne Bay hotel's library, staring vacantly at the ceiling.

Bourke said that, in her opinion, Carter had "gone from someone who was well-dressed and well-spoken... and she has turned into a country bumpkin who walks around with no shoes and dirty hair".

Bourke said Mollies could not hire out her suite because of the stench of dog urine and stale cigarette smoke. "We have to air it a little bit longer to get rid of the smell."

Last Tuesday, police escorted Carter off the premises, and Bourke wants them to issue a permanent trespass notice.

"I am having lots of trouble trying to get the police up at Ponsonby to help me out to try and get a trespass notice out on her. They just don't want to have a bar of it. I mean, having her here is not good for our business."

As an accommodation provider, the main part of the contract with a guest is to provide accommodation and related services in return for consideration. However part of the gig is that the accommodation provider will never compromise a guest's right to privacy. Essentially there is an unwritten rule that an accommodation provider will act with the utmost discretion and respect the concept of "what goes on tour, stays on tour." In return the guest has certain obligations that include acting in a manner that does not cause disturbance to others and not to wreck anything!

If a guest breaks their side of the bargain, are all bets off? Should the accommodation provider then be able to retaliate by broadcasting the personal idiosyncrasies and alleged indiscretions of their guest?

We can relate to why Mollies have spoken out. Nothing infuriates an accommodation provider more when a guest turns into an arse and develops a case of misplaced entitlement by thinking that their consideration allows them to vandalise property, cause mayhem and disturb the peaceful enjoyment of others. We can understand the short burst of satisfaction when the hotel struck back and told-all to the media.

But in this case we believe the hotel got it wrong.

Not only have they broken the cardinal rule of not publicly disclosing the private details of a guest, but they have also contributed opinion and gotten personal.


Cactus Kate makes comment on her popular blog:

"I've never stayed at Mollies and now never will. Least not the place reminds me of a grandparents home in furniture and decor.

I also recommend that every married man (or woman) wanting a bit of discretion in conducting their affairs stays away from the place as well.

Even though the website rates itself for the catch phrase "Fancy a Midweek Affair"? Not bloody likely at Mollies.

For the room rate and "boutique" nature you would expect silence. Stone silence."

Quite.

So, the hotel has publicly revealed that it will tittle-tattle on the indiscretions of its guests, but they have also insinuated breaches in their own security and procedures by admitting that they continually allowed a supposed crazed "P" addict to return and rub shoulders with fellow paying guests. Not a good look.

Accommodation providers should learn a valuable lesson here by adopting a simple and effective  media procedure for similar circumstances: that is STFU.

A Digital Postcard From Wellington

OK, first of all apoligies about the lack of updates. I have many excuses, however will not bore you with the details...

One highlight for us since our last post was attending the inaugural eTourism Conference in Wellington. A big thank you to Lea Boodee and her team at on-Cue that put on a very sucessful gathering at Te Papa - well done!

Wellington even put on some reasonable weather and by our reckening is looking very sexy and upbeat. The retail sector is puting on a brave face, the restaurants/cafes are bustling and the streetscape is full of well-dressed happy people. No wonder the capital has recently been named as NZers’ most popular destination.

Meanwhile back at the conference, we were impressed with the calbre of the attendees. There were the usual government agencies, RTOs etc that were there by default, however there was good support from enlightened travel industry folk that paid their own way including several moteliers.

The wide range of speakers were impessive highlighted by Mark Rocket, Former Founding Director of New Zealand Tourism Online and Lawrence Smith, of Cabbage Tree Creative.

I guess we will be hearing more about eTourism in an environment where more than 80% of global travellers turn first to the Internet when making their travel plans. The Internet has empowered travellers, but has also distracted them. When on-tour they not only inhabit the real world, but continue to interact with a multitude of virtual communities.

Discussions on how to leverage the increasing customer use of the Internet to research and purchase travel related items online and to gain loyal returning visitors was facinating.

Marketing via email, txt  was also discussed in detail, however the increasing relevance of social media was a recurring theme.

Overall a very entertaining and intense day and a half session was had by all. My own social networking with several delegates continued until 3am one evening.

The following video has been done before, but it is worth another look as the numbers are impressive: