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DIGITAL
BENCHMARK
REPORT 2018
Compiled by
SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018 £299
1
Much has changed in the 18 months since our last Digital Benchmark Report. Although the degree of digital marketing undertaken by competing brands still varies, more are now embracing the opportunities for engagement that digital provides. As their understanding grows, their reluctance to invest in digital marketing recedes.”
Welcome - Piers Brown
Attention is a currency, conversation is the original user interface.
Building a personalised connection with prospects will be critical
for digital marketing in 2018. Digital will no longer stand alone
as a separate discipline, but will become integrated in real life
experiences.
N
ew trends are entering the marketplace and Blockchain
brands need to pay attention or risk being
forced aside. With the need to become Blockchain has the potential to disrupt apartment
more visible and reach more potential guests, distribution. The question is whether this nascent
tomorrow’s digital marketing will advance emerging technology will compete or complement the existing
technologies as consumers demand a more ecosystem. From advanced loyalty programmes to
integrated experience. To that end, a number of disintermediation strategies, regaining control over room
underlying megatrends are driving the growth of inventory and guest data is a priority for branded and
digital. independent apartments. Blockchain technology could
theoretically guarantee an open door to travel distribution,
True understanding of the customer journey thereby solving the problem of inventory access. No more
minimum volumes or exorbitant integration costs; virtually
Data-driven marketing is a powerful tool, but how zero cost of guest acquisition and reduced dependence
that data translates to the customer journey will be on OTAs. In the very near future we will discover
paramount in digital marketing success in 2018. Data- what a blockchain-enabled future looks like and what
driven businesses that use machine learning to serve opportunities blockchain gives hoteliers to get closer to
more relevant experiences for their customers are better the customer?
positioned to take share away from their competitors.
The winners will be those that strive first to use data to I hope that you find our 2018 Digital Benchmark Report of
know where potential guests will be on every step of their intertest and value to your business.
purchasing path, learn what appeals to them, and target
market based on their preferences along their journey.
Conversational user interfaces
Piers Brown
Conversational interactions, such as Amazon’s Alexa and
@servaptnews
Google’s Assistant, chatbots and others, will continue to
#SANInnovate
find their place in consumers’ daily routines and lives. It’s
piers@servicedapartmentnews.com
extremely natural and will allow for brands to interact with
consumers that want information, or to transact, or just to
be entertained.
Voice marketing If your brand would like to sponsor the Serviced
Apartment News series of industry reports, or are
Google says that 20% of mobile searches are voice interested in commissioning a more detailed focus
searches, and that number is only going to increase as on a specific aspect within the sector, please contact
consumers get used to asking Alexa, Siri and their smart info@servicedapartmentnews.com to discuss.
fridge for insight on what to buy. Marketers need to
prepare by creating digital content that captures these
types of searches, and advertising in non-traditional
places (like sponsoring smart-fridge recommendations).
SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018 3
Methodology - Mark Harris
Ever since we launched the Digital Benchmark Report in 2015,
serviced apartment brands’ use of digital marketing and social
media in particular has increased spectacularly.
I
n this third edition we again look at the advances Much has changed in the 18 months since our last
made by leading sector brands, but this time over a Digital Benchmark Report. Although the degree of
three-year period and concentrating on how serviced digital marketing undertaken by competing brands still
apartments are using social media and their comparative varies, more are now embracing the opportunities for
online reputation scores. engagement that digital provides. As their understanding
grows, their reluctance to invest in digital marketing
Social media audience figures have been compiled recedes.
by Travel Intelligence Network and the benchmarking
of serviced apartment brands based on their online It will be fascinating to see how far the serviced
reputation was carried out in conjunction with ReviewPro, apartment sector travels in the coming months and years.
leaders in Guest Intelligence solutions for the hospitality
industry.
The research for this report was carried out between
Mark Harris
December 2017 and January 2018. It therefore Director, Travel Intelligence Network
represents a snapshot-in-time of serviced apartment mark.harris@the-tin.com
brands’ digital marketing strategies. Wherever possible
we have compared each brand’s social media reach by
individual social networks and benchmarked their online
reputations.
ReviewPro aggregated 548,800 online guest reviews
published during the 12-month period from 1 July 2016 to
30 June 2017.
The analysis was driven by the GRITM, ReviewPro’s
industry-standard online reputation score, which is used
by thousands of hotels worldwide as a benchmark for
reputation management efforts. The data used was based
on reviews from 175 Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) and
review sites, in 45 languages.
The study included 43 of the serviced apartment brands
covered in this report. When the volume of properties for a
specific brand was too high, the analysis included data for
a random subset of 50 properties. Where applicable, we
have also included rankings and scores for brands from
last year’s study by way of comparison. The following
areas were analysed:
• Global Review IndexTM (GRI) by brand
• Guest satisfaction performance based on other Key
Indexes: Service, Value, Location, Cleanliness and Room
• Review volume by language, country and review source
• Average review statistics per property
4 SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018
List of charts, sources & acknowledgements The research for this report was undertaken by Adam Harris of Sheffield Hallam University and Nikki Hockey of Travel Intelligence Network. Adam compiled the social media audience figures and Nikki carried out the desk research. Additional sources Criteo – Travel Flash Report 2018 Eye for Travel– Does Virtual Reality Have a Place in Travel? Forbes – Seven Mobile Marketing Opportunities for The Travel Industry Google – How people use their phones for travel HVS – Social Media Marketing in the Hotel Industry – trends and opportunities in 2017 The Apartment Service – Global Serviced Apartment Industry Report 2016-17 We are Social/Hootsuite – Digital in 2017 List of charts & tables Fig 1 Emerging technologies in travel Fig 2 % of serviced apartments bookable on line Fig 3 Serviced apartment booking channels Fig 4 What content do mobile travellers crave? Fig 5 The rise of the mobile app empowered traveller Fig 6 Daily active users on social media channels over time Fig 7 ADR directly attributed to occupied room nights generated by social media activity Fig 8 Top performing serviced apartment brands by social media followers Fig 9 Instagram -brands with biggest % increase 2016 vs 2018 Fig 10 Instagram – top brands by followers & % increase 2016 vs 2018 Fig 11 Twitter - brands with biggest % increase 2016 vs 2018 Fig 12 Twitter – top brands by followers & % increase 2016 vs 2018 Fig 13 Facebook - brands with biggest % increase in Likes2016 vs 2018 Fig 14 Facebook – top brands by Likes & biggest % increase 2016 vs 2018 Fig 15 LinkedIn - - brands with biggest % increase 2016 vs 2018 Fig 16 LinkedIn - top brands with biggest % increase 2016 vs 2018 Fig 17 Pinterest - brands with biggest % increase 2016 vs 2018 Fig 18 Pinterest – top brands with biggest % increase 2016 vs 2018 Fig 19 Top brands by total social audience Fig 20 Serviced apartment brands by total social media audience (as at 31.01.18) Figs 21 - 28 Examples of serviced apartment social media posts Fig 29 Top 10 performing brands overall (reputation management) Fig 30 Average Scores by individual criteria (reputation management) Fig 31 Top 10 performing brands by Service (reputation management) Fig 32 Top 10 performing brands by Value (reputation management) Fig 33 Top 10 performing brands by Location (reputation management) Fig 34 Top 10 performing brands by Cleanliness (reputation management) Fig 35 Top 10 performing brands by Room (reputation management) Fig 36 Top 10 review languages (reputation management) Fig 37 Top 10 review countries (reputation management) Fig 38 Top 10 review sources (reputation management) Fig 39 Average review data [by property per year] (reputation management) Fig 40 Summary of ReviewPro rankings of brands (reputation management) Disclaimer Every effort has been made to ensure that the data contained in this report was accurate as at 1st February 2018. However, neither Serviced Apartment News nor Travel Intelligence Network accepts any responsibility for any inaccuracies contained herein. GRITM is based on all reviews whereas the volume of reviews analysed for other Key Indexes (Service, Value, Location, Cleanliness and Room) is lower because not all OTAs and review sites give guests the option to rate each department. The source distribution of a brand’s reviews impacts their performance on department level. SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018 5
Introduction - digital marketing in hospitality
We live in a digital world. Over half the world’s population – 3.75 billion people - are now internet users. Global users
were up 8% in 2017 over 20161.
Nearly two-thirds of the world’s population now uses a mobile phone and half of all web traffic now takes place on
smartphones and other mobile devices, whilst the number of social media users is growing over 20% a year. In fact,
one-third of the world’s population now uses social media every month whilst mobile social media use is growing by
30% year on year. 55% of all active connections are from smartphones.
Against this background of growing and inexorable adoption it is hardly surprising that digital marketing is
transforming the way in which the hospitality engages with its consumers.
Fig. 1 Emerging technologies in travel
50%
45%
40%
27%
30%
20%
14%
10% 9%
3% 3%
0%
0%
Machine Augmented Chatbots and Internet of Blockchain Robotics Other
learning / AI reality / natural things
Virtual language
processing
Artificial Intelligence is the mega-trend driving technology, data and
analytics. Aside from domestic applications such as Amazon’s Alexa, DIGITAL MARKETING
Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana, travel and hospitality sector brands
have already deployed AI-driven voice-activated technology. TripAdvisor BY NUMBERS
already uses chatbots in messaging apps like Facebook messenger;
Hilton uses them in their front of house service whilst the Dorchester •4
2% of global travellers use their
Collection uses chatbots to analyse customer data. smartphones to plan their trips.
AI is set to have a big impact on the travel and hospitality industries, •7
0% check online reviews before
thanks to AI voice technology’s ability to search and book flights or act as booking.2
a concierge service. The technology won’t replace human interaction, but
like mobile and the internet before that, it will further fragment an already •3
2% of online travel sales will be
fragmented distribution landscape. made by mobile by 2020.3
The strategic challenge (and opportunity) for hospitality brands is to •1
48.3 million people use the
communicate the brand experience. Travel brands have witnessed the Internet to book accommodations,
success of Virtual Reality (VR) in the gaming industry and are now aiming tours, and activities.
to emulate it. Facebook’s purchase of Oculus Rift shows where VR could
yet find its natural home. •O
ver 50% of travellers check social
media for travel tips.4
As their customers find new ways to make more informed travel and
accommodation choices, and as Generation Y consumer give way to
Generation Z, hospitality brands will have to adapt their digital marketing
strategies to meet customer expectations driven up by the capabilities of
new technology.
1
We are Social/Hootsuite – Digital in 2017
2
http://www.justluxe.com/luxe-insider/trends/feature-1965252.php
3
https://www.ipro-software.com/blog/mobile-trends-travel-industry/
4
http://www.cmo.com/features/articles/2017/5/5/15-mind-blowing-stats-about-digital-trends-in-travel-hospitality-tlp-ddm.html#gs.mZOilLs
6 SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018
Distribution challenges
Fig. 2 % of seviced apartments bookable on-line
2015/16
2016/17
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Not bookable on-line Bookable on-line
Source: Global Serviced Apartments Industry Report 2016-17
The conflict between serviced apartment operators who want to distribute their inventory to fill space at the highest
possible price and buyers who want access to as many operators as possible through as few systems as possible,
continues to rage.
The reality of distribution, to which digital marketing is intrinsically linked, is that occupancy comes at a price averaging
between 15% and 24% for Online Travel Agents (OTAs) like Expedia or Bookings.com, or the Global Distribution
Systems on which most Travel Management Company (TMCs)5 rely.
As a result, hotel chains have focussed their efforts in direct sales channels by investing heavily in TV and their own
digital channels to reduce distribution costs and leverage consumer loyalty.
With Corporate procurement of serviced apartments maturing, the sector’s Achilles’ heel is increasingly its shortcoming
in online availability and booking processes that are anything but seamless.
As Fig 2 shows, at the start of 2017 28% of serviced apartment inventory was still not bookable online, although this
was an improvement of 6.78% from 18 months previously6.
The distribution landscape for serviced apartment brands is fragmented. Of the 72% of operators that are bookable
online, 81.39% of operators receive up to half of all bookings through their own sites. OTAs account for up to a third of
bookings for 66.03% of operators (up from 60.04% in 2015), whilst GDS accounts for a similar proportion of bookings
for 93.65% of operators. As Fig 3 shows below, after the GDS, direct bookings, OTAs and TMC/RMC non-GDS bookings
deliver similar volumes.
5
Global Serviced Apartments Industry Report 2016-17 (The Apartment Service)
6
Global Serviced Apartments Industry Report 2015-16
SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018 7
Fig 3 – serviced apartment booking channels % OF BOOKINGS 0 – 30% 31 – 50% 51 – 70% 70 – 100% YEAR 2015/16 2016/17 2015/16 2016/17 2015/16 2016/17 2015/16 2016/17 Direct website 62.12% 56.59% 14.56% 24.80% 10.61% 10.85% 12.33% 4.65% OTAs 60.04% 66.03% 22.6% 12.26% 13.21% 15.09% 3.77% 4.72% TMCs/RMCs 70.83% 64.83% 12.5% 17.58% 10.42% 10.99% 6.3% 6.59% Via GDS 94.44% 93.65% 5.55% 3.17% 0% 1.58% 0% 1.58% Source: Global Serviced Apartment Industry Report 2016/17 Part of the problem is one of identification. It is not clear from many apart-hotel or extended stay property names that they are serviced apartments. Instead they become lost in alphabetical hotel listings unless the browser recognises the brand or a descriptive word such as ‘apartment’ in the name. Effective distribution dictates that serviced apartment brands have the systems in place to optimise the conversion of consumer interest into action. However, the knock-on effect of serviced apartments’ slow adoption of simple, easy to use and seamless booking experiences available to consumers from both branded hotel sites and OTAs is that the sector’s growth potential is being restricted. The Millennial generation will shortly dominate the workplace, with Generation Z coming into the market place too. These consumers are digital natives and are totally reliant on digital technology. They demand slick systems that enable them to make informed choices and offer choices that are personalised to their individual tastes. Mobile in travel Fig 4 What content do mobile travellers crave? 8 SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018
The number of mobile device subscriptions has risen sharply over the last ten years. At the end of 2016, 65% of
the world’s population (4.8 billion) were mobile subscribers. By 2020, this will have risen to 5.7 billion - 73% of all
humanity7.
Mobile has transformed travel and hospitality, becoming the focus for bookings and customer engagement. As HCS
puts it, “the vast reach and worldwide interconnectivity of mobile devices make them a suitable platform for commerce.
As mobile device penetration rates strengthen globally, consumer engagement through this platform is only expected to
strengthen.”
Sector brands are spending more in marketing through mobile. In fact, according to eMarketer, 63% of digital travel
advertising spend already goes to mobile and is rising rapidly.
Research by Criteo found that 33% of serviced apartment booking now come from mobile, compared to 39% of hotel
and 22% of air bookings. 20% of serviced apartments booked via mobile come from smartphones.
Most searches now take place on mobile devices, so brands are investing in mobile SEO, using responsive web pages
to optimize the layout of web content to the screen size of the browser; sticking to one concept per page and using
terms that are relevant to a particular topic together with simple graphics.
Customer satisfaction and brand affinity also increases when user experiences are personalised, providing brands
collect relevant information to develop customer profiles. For example, Marriott’s app records users’ amenity
preferences such extra towels and pillow firmness.
Mobile also enabled location-based services. Back in 2014, Ipsos found that 88% of people make local searches on
smartphones, while 61% want mobile search results customized to their immediate location.
Mobile helps users to avoid queuing to check-in at hotels, airports and car rental desks, thereby improving guest
satisfaction. Mobile offers local insight and options too through local area guides and activity booking tools, making
for a richer and more rewarding traveller experience. Arriving at a hotel after the restaurant has closed means
searching for a nearby options, directions and the means to book without having to find the concierge.
Fig 5 – The rise of the mobile app empowered traveller
Source: Amadeus
7
https://www.hvs.com/article/8049-Social-Media-Marketing-in-the-Hotel-Industry-Trends-and-Opportunities-in-2017
SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018 9
Whilst mobile wallets and payments are growing in adoption, some
commentators believe they will be responsible for a 360-degree change ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
in consumer buying habits and expectations. Interestingly, a Sabre survey
showed that over half of travellers said they would prefer to check into ABOUT MOBILE
hotels using a mobile app. A Deloitte study found that 13% of hotel
guests already use mobile payments for their hotel bills. •M
obile is still growing steadily,
especially for Online Travel
No wonder eMarketer predicts hoteliers will increase their 2018 budgets Agencies.
for digital marketing and social media strategy in a bid to grow consumer
awareness and attract more guests. • Tablet usage keeps declining across
all travel categories.
More and more travel brands are creating ‘mobile moments’ to engage
customers. In January 2018 Skift reported8 that consumers now spend •C
ombining booking data can
over five hours a day on their mobile devices, making premium mobile help make up for lower mobile
content a priority, performance.
“Beyond function and utility, relevant mobile moments will turn users into •U
p to 80% of last-minute bookings
members. Brands become market leaders when they reinvent consumer are made on mobile devices.
touchpoints and create new ways to add value on-the-go. Data-targeted
email coupons or real-time app notifications are ways in which mobile •M
obile is the majority for travel
moments can surprise and delight. Innovative mobile ad formats advertisers with a booking app.
also create a huge impact. Immersive ads, for example, can transport
consumers to a virtual vacation through interactive 360 views of the beach •A
pp sees slightly more booking
or a selection of tropical drinks through augmented reality components. dollars per transaction than mobile
Ultimately, the mobile experience must be easy to navigate, personalized, web.
and convenient.”
• The conversion rate on app is 5
times higher than on mobile web.
However, the mobile revolution still has some way to go – especially in
Source: Criteo Travel Flash Report
the UK. 54%9 of British travellers are unhappy with the travel industry’s
slow adoption of mobile technology and half of UK holidaymakers
want to see more mobile check-ins in airports, hotels, and when hiring
transport.
AIRLINES & TMCS ON
In 2017, three quarters booked their holidays online. 48% of UK travellers MOBILE
want to use interactive tech, such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual
reality (VR), to preview and interact with destinations before they book10. •3
6% of airlines feel they are not
investing enough in mobile.
•3
5% of airlines believe having a
mobile strategy is very important for
successful business.
•9
5% of airlines intend to invest more
in mobile.
•7
8% of TMCs believe having mobile
strategy is very important for
successful business.
•3
3% of TMCs feel they are not
investing enough in mobile.
00% of TMCs intend to invest more
•1
on mobile in 2017.
Source: Travelport
8
https://skift.com/2018/01/17/why-marketers-need-to-focus-on-the-big-picture-of-traveler-engagement/
9
http://mobilemarketingmagazine.com/uk-holidaymakers-mobile-tech-innovation-travel-sector-apadmi
10
http://www.information-age.com/technology-elevating-travel-industry-new-heights-123469680/
10 SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018Mobile & social
Almost 80% of social media time is now spent on mobile11. Social media enables brands to stay connected with their
customers.
Traditionally, many accommodation brands have relied on promotional content to engage with their customers through
social media. In contrast, Hyatt Hotels uses user-generated content (UGC) to engage with its customers through social
media12.
The #InAHyattWorld campaign was intended to highlight the brand’s hospitality values. Employees would perform
random acts of kindness for guests and post them on the Hyatt Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. Once
guests started to join in by sharing their own experiences, the hashtag went viral across multiple platforms resulting in
Hyatt developing a microsite dedicated to UGC, populated with 89,000 Instagram images from over 575 Hyatt hotels
and resorts.
Meanwhile Marriott Hotels has been incentivising its rewards programme members by awarding 2,000 bonus points
for referring their hotels to family and friends. Using the social sharing platform Chirpify, members who connect their
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts receive points for each account connected. This social sharing also enables
Marriott to leverage its most engaged users by rewarding those who share branded content – using relevant campaign
hashtags – in exchange for bonus reward points.
Fig 6. Daily active users on social media channels over time
1300 1227
1200
1100
1000
900
Number of users (Millions)
802
800
700
600
600
500
400
319
300 255
200 158
200
100 46
0
Q1 2014 Q3 2014 Q1 2015 Q3 2015 Q1 2016 Q3 2016
Time period
Source: Facebook Inc, Instagram Inc, Twitter Inc, Snap Inc 2017
11
https://marketingland.com/facebook-usage-accounts-1-5-minutes-spent-mobile-171561
12
https://www.translatemedia.com/translation-blog/social-media-travel-industry/
SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018 11OTAs vs. social
Hotel and serviced apartments continue to struggle to compete with Online Travel Agents (OTAs) when it comes to
digital marketing. That’s no surprise given that the Priceline Group (owners of Booking.com and Kayak) spent a record
$3.5 billion on marketing in 2016.13
During the same period Expedia spent $4.3 billion – up almost $1 billion on the previous 12 months. The collective outcome
is that travellers are bombarded with so much advertising content that they turn instead to travel bloggers and
YouTubers for guidance. Unlike brand advertising, bloggers’ views tend to be regarded as more impartial. 70% of
consumers are influenced by bloggers or digital influencers when making a purchasing decision.14
In 2017, Bridgestreet Global Hospitality announced the launch of an OTA for serviced apartments, aimed at the
business travel market, heralding this as “the next phase of its ongoing plan to connect the sharing economy with the
extended-stay travel market”.15
Digital marketing, especially linked to social, has given the hotel guest a real voice. “Hotels are listening more closely to
the feedback of their guests – online and face-to-face. For hotels, reputation is what matters and what guests say about
hotels after they have departed,” says Nikki Forster, PwC Leader of Hospitality and Gaming.16
Arguably there is no more powerful tool than social media in raising brand awareness and engaging with customers. In
a hotel environment, brands can connect with guests before, during and after their stays.
With the proliferation of social media, platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and personal blogs are now commonly
used to comment on peoples’ experiences, including which hotels they have stayed at. “To be at the competitive edge,
hotels need to be involved and engaged with their audience by taking part in online discussions, building an increasing
awareness around its brand, as well as forging existing relationships with loyal and potential customers.
Thanks to social video, YouTube is now the second largest search engine after Google. On average, people spend 15 -
25 minutes per day on YouTube, making the channel very influential. However, it isn’t just bloggers who have influence
on our travel and accommodation choices, Consumers’ personal social networks on social media have a major impact
too.
83% of consumers use social networking, video or photo sites for inspiration17 so accommodation providers need to
have a social strategy in place to drive bookings. Facebook claims that people spend five times more on their platform
than on other travel-related sites.
Fig 7 – ADR directly attributed to occupied room nights generated by social media activity
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Higher than the hotel’s The same as the hotel’s Lower than the hotel’s
overall ADR overall ADR overall ADR
Source: Penn State University
13
https://www.tnooz.com/article/priceline-group-3-5-billion-advertising-2016/
14
https://www.travelport.com/blog/how-social-media-has-impacted-travel-industry
15
http://www.servicedapartmentnews.com/home/news/2017/2/22/bridgestreet-launches-business-travel-ota
16
https://www.pwc.co.za/en/press-room/social-media-hotel.html
17
http://digitalvisitor.com/social-drives-accommodation-bookings/
12 SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018The introduction of dynamic ads on Facebook and Instagram allows brands to tailor their adverts to specific consumer
behaviours, targeting users more likely to spend longer on a landing page instead of just clicking through.
According to Penn State University’s May 2016 study U.S. Hotels and Social Media: Objectives, Reporting, Measurement
and Results hotels are strengthening their presence across these platforms to increase room reservations (61%) and
guest satisfaction scores (59%)18.
Further research by Penn State shows that, by the end of 2016, travel and hospitality brands are the third most
responsive industry in the US on social media. 46% of messages received required a response from the brand. And, as
Fig 7 shows, the average daily rate from social media-generated bookings does not abstract from overall achieved ADR.
New video formats such as live video, 360-degree video (and photos) are now available across Facebook (Facebook
Live), Instagram (within Instagram Stories) and Twitter. Live video allows brands to create engaging content at a
fraction of the cost of more polished productions, for example showcasing behind-the-scenes or live event experience.
Instagram continues to grow. Between June 2016 to December 2016, Instagram increased its monthly active users
from 500 million to 600 million. The launch of Instagram Stories (a Snapchat-like feature that allows users to post
photos and videos that disappear 24 hours later) has been followed by a new shopping feature, both of which create
new opportunities for accommodation providers.
HOTEL SOCIAL MEDIA – DO’S AND DON’TS
DO’S DON’TS
Keep it short – shorter posts with pictures of relevant Sell all the time – it will only annoy your followers.
links get more attention and engagement. Share valuable content, not just your sales pitch.
Respond & engage – take the opportunity to respond Go passive – social media marketing requires frequent
to feedback; thank your guests and followers. Do not posting. Sporadic activity could harm your brand.
ignore them.
Criticise guests – negative feedback can feel
Be genuine and natural – talk in a conversational way unjustified but criticising the guests will make things
to your followers. Connect with them – you are not a much worse.
robot!
www.critonapps.com
18
https://www.hotelmanagement.net/sales-marketing/real-time-guests-interactions-are-causing-hotels-to-take-notice-social-media
SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018 13Social and serviced apartments
We have been tracking the social media activity of the leading serviced apartment brands since 2015.
Fig 8 – top performing serviced apartment brands by social media followers
Ranking Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Linked In
Mercure
1 Jumeirah Living Jumeirah Living Smart City Jumeirah Living
Apartments
Mercure Ascott The
2 Residence Inn Staybridge Suites Jumeirah Living
Apartments Residence
Ascott The
3 Jumeirah Living Residence Inn Staybridge Suites Pierre & Vacances
Residence
Homewood by
4 Pierre & Vacances Protea Hotels Yays Fraser Hospitality
Hilton
Homewood by
5 Staybridge Suites Zoku Zoku Protea Hotels
Hilton
Oakwood
6 Candlewood Suites Candlewood Suites Residence Inn Silverdoor
Worldwide
Homewood by Extended Stay Extended Stay
7 Protea Hotels Pierre & Vacances
Hilton America America
Extended Stay
8 Pierre & Vacances Go Native Citybase Staybridge Suites
America
Ascott The
9 Cheval Residences Cheval Residences Protea Hotels Residence Inn
Residence
Ascott The BridgeStreet Global
10 Citybase Pierre & Vacances Fraser Hospitality
Residence Hospitality
Fig 8 shows the highest-ranked serviced apartment brands by number of followers across the five leading social media
platforms. The results show that the brands performing best tend to do so across multiple platforms. This is in marked
contrast to 2015, when brands restricted themselves to Facebook and Twitter.
The social platform that has seen the greatest growth in engagement by serviced apartments is Instagram. 14 brands
have more than doubled their Instagram followers since 2016, with the top performing brands shown at Fig 9. Many,
however, are starting from a very low base. For example, House of Fisher’s 3,967% increase represents 122 followers,
compared to top performers Jumeirah Living with 132,000 followers.
The brands to combine growth and volume are Yays (+994%), Mercure Apartments (+ 822%) and Go Native (+482%).
However, as Fig 8 shows, there is a large disparity between the reach of the first and tenth placed brands in terms of
overall audience, with Pierre & Vacances chalking up 2,550 followers.
Fig 9 – Instagram -brands with biggest % increase 2016 vs 2018
Followers (+%) Posts (+%)
1 House of Fisher 3967 1 Suite Novotel 2200
2 ATA Hotels 2404 2 ATA Hotels 1513
3 Staycity 1335 3 Staybridge Suites 589
4 Yays 994 4 ResidHome + Sejours et Affairees 563
5 Mercure Apartments 822 5 Fraser Hospitality 373
6 Go Native 482 6 Adagio Aparthotels 244
7 Saco 374 7 ResidHotel 141
8 Homewood by Hilton 290 8 Marriott Executive Apartments 125
9 Derag Livinghotels 227 9 Smart City 114
10 Zoku 195 10 Vision Apartments 114
14 SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018Fig 10 – Instagram – top brands by followers & % increase 2016 vs 2018
Followers at 31.01.18 2016/2018 (+%)
1 Jumeirah Living 132,000 122
2 Mercure Apartments 21,500 822
3 Ascott The Residence 13,500 2
4 Yays 7,112 994
5 Zoku 5,369 195
6 Residence Inn 5,332 92
7 Protea Hotels 3,984 42
8 Go Native 3,817 482
9 Cheval Residences 3,654 71
10 Pierre & Vacances 3,550 u/k
The picture on Twitter is very different. Once again, the brands showing the most growth tend to be those starting from
a lower base. Vision Apartments have grown their Twitter audience by 141%, which equates to just 356 followers.
By contrast the biggest serviced apartment brands on Twitter are split between those seeing significant, and very small
growth. Jumeirah Living are biggest sector brand by followers, having notched up 87,600 – up 11% since 2016. Only
three other brands in the Twitter top ten – Extended Stay America (12,000 followers, up 62%), Homewood by Hilton
(17,400 followers, up 53%) and Protea Hotels (18,600 followers, up 19%) have seen double-digit growth.
This may reflect a shift in emphases to other social networks on the part of some brands, but Jumeirah Living have
achieved significant growth across multiple networks, suggesting that the brand could be allocating comparatively
more resources – or expertise – than its competitors.
Fig 11 – Twitter - brands with biggest % increase 2016 vs 2018
Followers (+%) Tweets (+%)
1 Vision Apartments 141 1 The Sebel 135
2 The Apartment Service / Roomspace 66 2 Vision Apartments 101
3 Extended Stay America 62 3 The Apartment Service / Roomspace 99
4 House of Fisher 57 4 Extended Stay America 94
5 ResidHotel 54 5 House of Fisher 86
6 Homewood by Hilton 53 6 ResidHotel 56
7 Staycity 50 7 Homewood by Hilton 54
8 Citybase 49 8 Staycity 46
9 Go Native 48 9 Citybase 40
10 Apple Apartments 39 10 Go Native 40
SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018 15Fig 12 – Twitter – top brands by followers & % increase 2016 vs 2018
Followers at 31.01.18 2016/2018 (+%)
1 Jumeirah Living 87,600 21
2 Staybridge Suites 24,400 5
3 Residence Inn 19,500 5
4 Protea Hotels 18,600 19
5 Homewood by Hilton 17,400 53
6 Candlewood Suites 12,600 9
7 Extended Stay America 12,000 62
8 Pierre & Vacances 11,800 u/k
9 Cheval Residences 6,040 4
10 Ascott The Residence 5,224 6
This picture is mirrored on Facebook, reinforcing the perception that efforts are being made to exploit other channels at
the expense of the biggest social platform in the world.
Whilst Crossland has enjoyed most growth, their overall audience does not dent the top ten, which is headed by
Mercure Apartments with 558,540 likes. Across the top 10, three have seen their Facebook audience grow; Jumeirah
Living has seen a 43% rise in Facebook followers to 309,263. Extended Stay America and Ascott The Residence make
up that trio with 78,995 (up 86%) and 62,318 (up 29%) respectively.
Fig 13 – Facebook - brands with biggest % increase in Likes2016 vs 2018
Growth in Likes 2016/2018 (+%)
1 Crossland 1364
2 Yays 132
3 The Apartment Service / Roomspace 123
4 Derag Livinghotels 112
5 ResidHotel 91
6 ATA Hotels 91
7 Extended Stay America 86
8 Staycity 83
9 Adagio Aparthotels 72
10 Zoku 58
16 SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018Fig 14 – Facebook - top brands by Likes & biggest % increase 2016 vs 2018
Likes at 31.01.18 2016/2018 (+%)
1 Mercure Apartments 558,540 15
2 Residence Inn 385,629 1
3 Jumeirah Living 309,263 43
4 Pierre & Vacances 132,531 u/k
5 Staybridge Suites 108,344 6
6 Candlewood Suites 98,256 0
7 Homewood by Hilton 88,200 22
8 Extended Stay America 78,995 86
9 Ascott The Residence 62,318 29
10 Citybase 50,507 -1
For serviced apartments, LinkedIn is fertile ground for growing social audiences. Jumeirah Living again head the top
ten of sector brands with 233,055 followers, followed by Ascott The Residence and Pierre & Vacances. Every top ten
brand has seen double-digit growth in LinkedIn followers although 2016 figures are not available for Pierre & Vacances
or Frasers Hospitality.
There is a large gap between the LinkedIn reach of Jumeirah Living and other top ten brands; the leaders outstripping
their nearest challengers almost six times over.
Fig 15 – LinkedIn - brands with biggest % increase 2016 vs 2018
Followers (+%)
1 Vision Apartments 415
2 Homewood by Hilton 220
3 Mercure Apartments 155
4 Yays 111
5 Zoku 83
6 AKA 69
7 Residence Inn 56
8 ResidHotel 55
9 Staycity 55
10 BridgeStreet Global Hospitality 53
SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018 17Fig 16 – LinkedIn - top brands with biggest % increase 2016 vs 2018
Followers at 31.01.18 2016/2018 (+%)
1 Jumeirah Living 233,055 24
2 Ascott The Residence 39,398 35
3 Pierre & Vacances 15,007 u/k
4 Fraser Hospitality 12,134 u/k
5 Protea Hotels 10,782 12
6 Oakwood Worldwide 10,337 21
7 Extended Stay America 9,081 21
8 Staybridge Suites 7,085 16
9 Residence Inn 6,214 56
10 BridgeStreet Global Hospitality 5,353 53
To date, Pinterest is the most under0uised social platform for serviced apartment brands. Smart City have the biggest
presence on LinkedIn (3,776 followers), reflecting the brand’s focus on the business user. Once again Jumeirah Living
ride high in the top ten, boasting 3,255 followers as at the end of January 2018.
Fig 17 – Pinterest - brands with biggest % increase 2016 vs 2018
Followers (+%) Pins (+%)
1 BridgeStreet Global Hospitality 200 1 Smart City 1820
2 Vision Apartments 142 2 ResidHome + Sejours et Affairees 382
3 Yays 133 3 Extended Stay America 55
4 Mercure Apartments 65 4 AKA 22
5 Citybase 39 5 Marlin Apartments 4
6 House of Fisher 38 6 Residence Inn 2
7 Zoku 37 7 Candlewood Suites 1
8 Extended Stay America 36 8 Nomad 0
9 Candlewood Suites 21 9 Park & Suites 0
10 Jumeirah Living 16 10 Suite Novotel 0
Fig 18 – Pinterest – top brands with biggest % increase 2016 vs 2018
Followers as at 31.01.18 2016/2018 (+%)
1 Smart City 3,776 -1
2 Jumeirah Living 3,255 16
3 Staybridge Suites 779 4
4 Homewood by Hilton 357 u/k
5 Zoku 332 37
6 Silverdoor 310 7
7 Pierre & Vacances 261 u/k
8 Citybase 205 39
9 Protea Hotels 190 3
10 Fraser Hospitality 178 u/k
18 SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018Top performers overall
As Fig 19 shows, the serviced apartments brands with the largest social audiences are Jumeirah Living (765,179
followers/Likes), Mercure Apartments (581,538) and Residence Inn (416,792).
However, the gap between Jumeirah Living and the tenth-largest brand – Protea Hotels – is substantial, again
suggesting a disparate level of resources being deployed on social by their respective owners.
Fig 19 – Top brands by total social audience
Total social audience (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest & LinkedIn) as at 31.01.18
1 Jumeirah Living 765,173
2 Mercure Apartments 581,538
3 Residence Inn 416,792
4 Pierre & Vacances 163,149
5 Staybridge Suites 143,307
6 Ascott The Residence 120,440
7 Candlewood Suites 114,984
8 Homewood by Hilton 113,640
9 Extended Stay America 100,986
10 Protea Hotels 66,824
The full analysis of serviced apartment brands’ reach by network, from 2016 to date, can be found at Fig 20.
Fig 20 – serviced apartment brands by total social media audience (as at 31.01.18)
BRAND YEAR FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM PINTEREST LINKEDIN
Likes Check-Ins Followers Tweets Followers Posts Followers Pins
Adagio Aparthotels 2015 8,344 24,170 452 197 no data no data 1,508
2016 23,119 71,184 834 607 608 266 3,159
2017 (Sept) 34,507 92,182 994 903 436 38 4,046
2018 (Jan) 39,684 Removed 1,064 944 544 38 17 246 4,602
Adina Apartments 2015 4,872 0 no data 258 80 no data 603
2016 7,890 - 274 300 608 266 1,092
2017 (Sept) 8,607 - 327 322 no data 1,229
2018 (Jan) 8,704 - 348 327 1,075 333 1,299
AKA 2015 Unknown
2016 4,039 94 3,262 3,379 1,270 373 138 498 2,000
2017 (Sept) 5,212 Removed 3,480 3,614 2,270 487 151 498 3,040
2018 (Jan) 5,619 Removed 3,516 3,691 3,246 543 152 498 3,377
Apple Apartments 2015 2,503 299 1,741 628 88 29 22 46 90
2016 4,489 2,004 3,274 919 689 1,888 54 214 205
2017 (Sept) 6,117 3,598 4,701 1,291 1,135 430 60 214 280
2018 (Jan) 6,144 Removed 4,561 1,284 1,119 430 62 214 287
Ascott The Resi- 2015 37,151 0 4,524 10,200 3,679 237 234 173 15,187
dence
2016 48,450 - 4,938 11,100 13,300 797 145 173 29,222
2017 (Sept) 59,046 - 5,210 11,400 13,100 1,105 no data 36,392
2018 (Jan) 62,318 - 5,224 11,400 13,500 1,180 39,398
SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018 19ATA Hotels 2015 2,667 325 255 377 no data 21 155 2,575
2016 5,135 44,368 394 487 23 - 23 92 3,793
2017 (Sept) 9,098 69,358 480 839 435 91 no data 4,726
2018 (Jan) 9,794 Removed 499 943 576 118 4,979
BridgeStreet Global 2015 Unknown
Hospitality
2016 1,056 56 2,763 4,700 184 27 8 176 3,500
2017 (Sept) 1,270 89 2,951 5,460 162 80 22 849 5,124
2018 (Jan) 1,388 Removed 3,054 5,654 270 179 24 849 5,353
Candlewood Suites 2015 34,375 16 10,400 1,911 12 4 no data 1,899
2016 98,130 240 11,600 2,329 161 1 19 31 3,139
2017 (Sept) 98,445 301,524 12,300 2,438 223 17 23 31 3,581
2018 (Jan) 98,256 Removed 12,600 2,444 271 23 23 31 3,834
Capri 2015 2,865 8,984 353 64 515 26 no data no data
2016 4,978 16,855 294 539 684 104 669
2017 (Sept) 5,431 22,519 410 606 768 105 2 0 772
2018 (Jan) 5,911 Removed 406 608 789 106 2 0 821
Cheval Residences 2015 4,678 377 no data 361 667 71 646 140
2016 16,138 624 5,804 6,824 2,138 1,116 no data 804
2017 (Sept) 21,326 885 5,908 9,658 3,470 2,102 127 878 1,013
2018 (Jan) 21,240 Removed 6,040 10,500 3,654 2,383 129 878 1,064
Citadines 2015 62,497 4,031 1,970 1,608 125 110 no data 83
2016 26,035 - 3,434 2,241 no data 1 1 no data
2017 (Sept) 30,263 29,665 3,683 2,380 1,008 230 1 0 229
2018 (Jan) 30,773 Removed 3,984 2,462 1,141 228 1 0 252
Citybase 2015 52,213 30 1,476 3,671 434 83 84 312 342
2016 51,199 - 2,080 4,965 no data 148 824 569
2017 (Sept) 50,786 - 3,100 6,150 738 474 199 1,113 704
2018 (Jan) 50,507 - 3,108 6,437 775 541 205 1,274 739
Crossland 2015 Unknown
2016 530 1,506 - - - - - - -
2017 (Sept) 6,720 7,505 - - - - - - -
2018 (Jan) 7,757 Removed - - - - - - -
Derag Livinghotels 2015 1,346 245 353 286 Unknown 103
2016 1,609 312 614 450 164 82 40 90 197
2017 (Sept) 3,387 349 426 467 456 155 16 90 254
2018 (Jan) 3,411 Removed 427 512 536 198 15 90 276
Extended Stay 2015 26,706 - 936 2,449 16 1 31 130 5,608
America
2016 42,496 - 7,390 4,412 no data 89 141 7,525
2017 (Sept) 67,204 - 10,600 5,474 691 47 115 141 8,724
2018 (Jan) 78,995 - 12,000 5,903 789 82 121 141 9,081
Flying Butler 2015 158 8 143 115 no data no data 57
2016 206 17 2,036 487 303 22 165
2017 (Sept) 216 21 1,893 495 293 27 no data 187
2018 (Jan) 216 Removed 1,909 530 303 33 189
Fraser Hospitality 2015 Unknown
2016 24,042 145 2,300 3,271 719 400 Unklnown
2017 (Sept) 24,541 169 2,453 3,439 1,076 272 178 980 10,823
2018 (Jan) 31,188 Removed 2,500 3,540 1,342 350 178 980 12,134
Go Native 2015 961 129 1,128 2,705 Unknown 851
2016 3,451 746 1,834 3,815 656 400 59 384 1,267
2017 (Sept) 3,500 774 2,677 4,311 3,989 572 66 384 1,483
2018 (Jan) 3,503 Removed 2,708 4,348 3,817 604 66 384 1,578
20 SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018Halldis 2015 Unknown
2016 14,749 43 1,097 2,328 Unknown
2017 (Sept) 11,935 44 1,134 2,406 484 140 137 449 743
2018 (Jan) 8,800 Removed 1,137 2,409 517 161 141 449 1,009
Homewood by Hilton 2015 59,835 125 6,450 12,700 299 - no data 2,288
2016 72,523 - 11,400 13,600 739 - 348 501 1,500
2017 (Sept) 82,742 21,545 16,200 14,900 2,293 132 359 501 4,575
2018 (Jan) 88,200 Removed 17,400 15,300 2,884 189 357 501 4,799
House of Fisher 2015 917 76 362 1,912 no data 241 357 119
2016 931 91 565 2,619 3 - 37 477 206
2017 (Sept) 964 98 839 5,546 66 81 52 498 254
2018 (Jan) 967 Removed 885 6,145 122 169 51 498 266
Jumeirah Living 2015 Unknown
2016 216,026 - 72,200 5,061 59,500 595 2,800 4,100 187,355
2017 (Sept) 284,076 - 83,400 5,120 115,000 655 3,215 4,088 215,869
2018 (Jan) 309,263 - 87,600 5,311 132,000 688 3,255 4,088 233,055
Marlin Apartments 2015 1,124 655 1,149 792 664 65 6 35 790
2016 1,549 725 1,494 981 633 133 no data 980
2017 (Sept) 2,093 797 1,962 1,200 1,325 298 7 35 1,146
2018 (Jan) 2,149 Removed 2,018 1,376 1,552 458 6 35 1,196
Marriott Executive 2015 Location Specific 91 863 Location Specific 581
Apartments
2016 1,132 229 175,000 1,297 Location Specific 1,408
2017 (Sept) Location Specific Location Specific 1,601
2018 (Jan) 1,739
Mercure Apartments 2015 Location Specific no data Location Specific no data no data
2016 487,472 2,168,293 1,718 1,290 2,332 63 20 40 575
2017 (Sept) 529,181 2,839,693 2,538 1,747 18,300 900 31 40 1,206
2018 (Jan) 558,540 Removed Location Specific 21,500 1016 33 40 1,465
Modena Residence 2015 no data 354 1,113 152 163 79 8 -
2016 24,049 145 2,299 3,271 - - - - -
2017 (Sept) 25,545 169 2,453 3,439 - - - - -
2018 (Jan) 31,189 Removed 2,500 3,540 - - - - -
Nomad 2015 Unknown
2016 1,639 825 125 163 150 129 no data 1,008
2017 (Sept) - - - - - - - - -
2018 (Jan) - - - - - - - - -
Oakwood Worldwide 2015 1,307 - 1,080 303 no data - - 6,223
2016 6,420 - 1,432 626 5 1 - - 8,562
2017 (Sept) 6,475 - 1,638 751 - - - - 9,942
2018 (Jan) 6,511 - 1,686 812 - - - - 10,337
Park & Suites 2015 21,252 - 206 429 Unknown 806
2016 Unknown
2017 (Sept) 39,742 - 1,545 1,292 865 191 26 1,085 1,307
2018 (Jan) 39,697 - 1,540 1,435 908 234 30 1,149 1,490
Pierre & Vacances 2015 103,498 - 7,057 4,543 261 114 158 852 5,677
2016 Unknown
2017 (Sept) 127,570 - 11,300 6,840 4,876 322 259 913 14,279
2018 (Jan) 132,531 - 11,800 6,996 3,550 378 261 913 15,007
Protea Hotels 2015 17,896 260,418 11,800 5,626 706 8 163 497 6,903
2016 24,025 534,835 15,600 6,530 2,807 274 184 497 9,623
2017 (Sept) 32,263 736,068 17,800 6,741 3,678 367 189 497 10,477
2018 (Jan) 33,268 Removed 18,600 6,805 3,984 385 190 497 10,782
SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018 21Quest Serviced 2015 - - - - - - - - 1,555
Apartments
2016 52,915 2,358 - - - - - - 2,626
2017 (Sept) 788 365 - - - - - - 3,121
2018 (Jan) 942 Removed - - 101 2 9 19 3,620
Residence Inn 2015 379,299 337,997 16,800 4,308 567 232 132 16 3,974
2016 382,601 707,084 18,500 6,051 2,772 506 116 976 3,996
2017 (Sept) 385,801 1,024,919 19,300 6,978 5,135 663 116 976 5,956
2018 (Jan) 385,629 Removed 19,500 7,101 5,332 699 117 976 6,214
ResidHome + Se- 2015 848 1,662 - - - - - - -
jours et Affairees
2016 1,133 3,109 - - - - - - -
2017 (Sept) 1,263 3,210 - - - - - - -
2018 (Jan) 1,300 Removed - - - - - - -
ResidHotel 2015 1,464 - 78 203 no data - - 681
2016 1,966 - 123 299 15 0 - - 120
2017 (Sept) 3,148 - 208 308 16 0 - - 148
2018 (Jan) 3,764 - 190 309 18 0 0 0 186
Roomzzz 2015 Unknown
2016 23,519 2,295 3,243 3,140 456 48 40 195 471
2017 (Sept) 24,565 4,253 3,435 3,432 585 71 - - 567
2018 (Jan) 25,732 Removed 3,508 3,539 691 63 - - 590
Saco 2015 2,115 34 1,959 4,212 no data 42 8 944
2016 2,310 44 2,995 7,869 217 89 51 8 1,404
2017 (Sept) 2,929 - 3,606 9,109 908 338 52 8 1,807
2018 (Jan) 3,339 - 3,700 9,240 1,029 421 53 8 1,929
Silverdoor 2015 846 94 2,199 7,942 no data 261 1,944 894
2016 984 173 2,417 8,940 205 232 290 2,100 1,411
2017 (Sept) 1,118 343 2,719 10,000 311 423 309 2,108 1,658
2018 (Jan) 1,149 Removed 2,812 10,500 394 484 310 2,115 1,762
Skyline Worldwide 2015 519 4 446 679 no data - - 276
2016 601 15 611 913 143 130 - - 572
2017 (Sept) 652 25 728 1,151 390 269 - - 681
2018 (Jan) 652 Removed 703 1,151 399 269 - - 701
Smart City 2015 631 22 2,004 814 no data 104 113 267
2016 6,469 - 4,457 2,791 3,174 352 3,800 514 1,814
2017 (Sept) 6,521 42 4,186 2,885 2,317 389 3,777 625 1,847
2018 (Jan) Unknown 4,132 2,885 2,424 389 3,776 625 1,857
Somerset 2015 Unknown 28 103 52 3 - - -
2016 27,589 - 145 20 62 52 - - 4
2017 (Sept) 31,507 - Unknown
2018 (Jan) 32,669 -
Staybridge Suites 2015 90,330 10,141 21,300 4,212 77 - Unknown
2016 102,164 17,862 23,200 4,821 1,898 137 750 309 6,109
2017 (Sept) 108,096 423,069 24,100 4,989 2,556 165 761 309 6,961
2018 (Jan) 108,344 Removed 24,400 4,997 2,699 174 779 315 7,085
Staycity 2015 4,616 - 1,353 1,321 5 11 1 6 435
2016 6,138 - 1,728 1,715 48 19 no data 783
2017 (Sept) 9,187 - 2,308 3,169 534 98 66 198 1,082
2018 (Jan) 11,262 - 2,593 3,446 689 131 64 198 1,211
Suite Novotel 2015 33 - 33 - - - - - 14
2016 no centralised account
2017 (Sept)
2018 (Jan)
22 SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018The Apartment 2015 281 19 1,156 615 58 74 3 5 665
Service /
2016 447 22 1,306 952 77 74 5 5 1,016
Roomspace
2017 (Sept) 989 - 2,084 1,285 95 74 5 5 1,185
2018 (Jan) 998 - 2,173 1,387 100 74 5 5 1,233
The Sebel 2015 Unknown 2 - 95 23 3 39 Unknown
2016 no centralised account
2017 (Sept)
2018 (Jan)
Towne Place Suites 2015 15,270 95,002 211 30 - - 53 90 1,123
2016 22,489 211,138 871 437 no centralised account 128 36 1,127
2017 (Sept) 23,694 280,347 1,046 739 - - 1,299
2018 (Jan) 27,144 Removed 1,082 811 - - 1,357
Vision Apartments 2015 Unknown
2016 3,545 75 148 264 358 87 12 5 106
2017 (Sept) 3,668 88 297 467 437 153 31 96 333
2018 (Jan) 4,494 Removed 356 525 492 186 29 96 546
Waterwalk 2015 Unknown
2016 530 320 1,073 467 - - - - 173
2017 (Sept) 659 466 1,059 478 - - - - 219
2018 (Jan) 685 Removed 1,058 482 - - - - 237
Yays 2015 Unknown
2016 373 - 157 343 650 118 6 84 92
2017 (Sept) 843 - 171 406 7,143 183 11 74 156
2018 (Jan) 866 - 179 424 7,112 265 14 74 194
Zoku 2015 Unknown
2016 5,883 1,144 1,206 614 1,821 134 243 43 1,243
2017 (Sept) 8,544 3,723 1,524 834 4,458 230 314 43 2,037
2018 (Jan) 9,315 Removed 1,546 855 5,369 250 332 43 2,270
Please note that the above figures are for a central, branded presence only and do not include figures for location-
specific pages, posts or pins.
Key
Likes / The number of people who automatically see what the brand
Facebook & Twitter
Followers place on their Facebook / Twitter Page
Each C-I is a customer saying that they have been to the
Check-Ins Facebook
location
Tweets / The number of items that a Brand puts on their Social Media
Twitter & Instagram
Posts page
LinkedIn The number of people who have publicised that they work for
LinkedIn
Numbers the brand
SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018 23How serviced apartments are using social Most serviced apartment brands post only semi-regularly on social media, reflecting the comparative lack of resource allocated. They social to talk to their customers (primarily on Twitter), and do not overload the customer with information. Some of the best performing (in terms of follower numbers) brands mainly most pictures of their locations (Fig 21) whereas others concentrate simply on replying to customer queries (Fig 22). The latter approach encourages perspective customers to follow the account knowing that any questions are more likely to be answered. Fig 21. Interestingly, there seems to be little correlation between the type of content posted by serviced accommodation providers and the size of their social audiences. A normal way in which page traffic can be boosted is the inclusion of hashtags as these ensure that the post appears on the hashtag thread which people search for when they are looking for information about a certain thing, e.g. Business Travel. However, several brands are using paid-for posts on Facebook to ensure maximum reach (Fig 23). 24 SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018
Fig 22 Fig 23 1. Button for giving a post a Paid Promotion Fig 24 The Facebook post from Candlewood at Fig 23 employed the hashtag “#thesuitelife”, placing the post on the same hashtag thread which is linked to the popular children’s TV show The Suite Life of Zac and Cody, thereby exposing the thread to a bigger audience. This post achieved 3,300 likes. SilverDoor (Twitter) - 2,812 Followers + #businesstravel thread SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018 25
Fig 25 The tweet at Fig 26 from Staybridge Suites includes the mention of pets as well as a picture with a dog in the background. This combination attracts twitter users not necessarily looking for a serviced apartment. Some people simply search social media for pictures of pets and this would appear in a search for the word “pets”. These users forward the tweet to their followers, thereby boosting the popularity of the post. Same brands share items over different social media platforms. Both Residence Inn and Ascott the Residence have the same posts on both their Facebook and their Instagram pages (Figs 27 & 28), enabling them to drive followers on both platforms and achieving consistency of content. However, this approach does have a downside in that potential followers might ignore an account if they do not want their social media timeline to be dominated by a particular brand. Nearly all of the Top 10 serviced apartment brands that use Instagram post pictures to promote their locations or simply to cover topics that will get their account to appear on somebody’s “suggested” section. Fig 26 26 SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018
Fig 27 To appear in a “suggested” section, a post needs to incorporate words that are in post that people ‘like’ regularly. For example, the picture posted by Residence Inn on both Facebook and Instagram was captioned “No matter the vintage, wine always pairs best with company. Start mingling, get #InnTheMix”. Fig 28 By using the words ‘wine’ and ‘vintage’, this post will appear on the ‘suggested’ section of those users who normally like posts containing those words, prompting them to look at the account in more detail. There are plenty of people who just use Instagram to look at pretty pictures, which is why the pictures that brands post must be well-crafted or professional shots. By posting appealing images, brands increase the likelihood of being followed by more consumers simply because pages with substantial following have an associated curiosity factor. SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018 27
Online reputation management - methodology
GRITM is based on all reviews whereas the volume of reviews analysed for other Key Indexes (Service, Value, Location,
Cleanliness and Room) is lower because not all OTAs and review sites give guests the option to rate each department.
The source distribution of a brand’s reviews impacts their performance on department level.
For this 3rd Digital Benchmark Report we have again worked with ReviewPro to create online reputation rankings.
ReviewPro aggregated 548,800 online guest reviews published during the 12-month period from 1 July 2016 to 30
June 2017. The analysis was driven by the GRITM, ReviewPro’s industry-standard online reputation score, which is used
by thousands of hotels worldwide as a benchmark for reputation management efforts. The data used was based on
reviews from 175 Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) and review sites, in 45 languages.
The study included 43 of the serviced apartment brands covered in this report. When the volume of properties for
a specific brand was too high, the analysis included data for a random subset of 50 properties. Where applicable,
rankings and scores for brands from our 2016 report have been included by way of comparison. The following areas
were analysed:
• Global Review IndexTM (GRI) by brand
• Guest satisfaction performance based on other Key Indexes: Service, Value, Location, Cleanliness and Room
• Review volume by language, country and review source
• Average review statistics per property
Best performing brands overall
This year AKA, one of the most luxurious brands in the world offering long stay lodging, leads guest satisfaction for
serviced apartment brands. The improvement year-on-year is significant, with the brand’s GRITM increasing from 92.8%
to an impressive 94.4%.
Cheval Residences ranks second with a GRITM of 93.5% and Roomzzz takes third position, with a GRITM of 92.1%.
The GRITM performance of the Top 10 brands continue to improve each year, with five brands achieving a score above
90% versus only three brands the previous year. The new entrants into our Top 10 are Jumeirah Living, Capri and
Marriott Executive Apartments. In addition to performing strongly across all individual criteria such as Cleanliness,
Jumeirah Living goes straight into fourth place for overall guest satisfaction with a GRITM of 91.5%.
Fig 29 - top 10 performing brands overall
Ranking Brand GRI™ Previous Rank (Score)
1 AKA 94.4% 2 (92.8%)
2 Cheval Residences 93.5% 1 (93.3%)
3 Roomzzz 92.1% 3 (91.3%)
4 Jumeirah Living 91.5% 12 (87.6%)
5 Fraser Residence 90.1% 4 (89.8%)
6 Capri 89.2% 12 (87.6%)
7 Modena Residence 89.2% 6 (89.3%)
8 Marriott Executive Apart- 88.5% 11 (87.7%)
ments
9 Homewood by Hilton 88.3% 10 (88.5%)
10 Saco 88.2% 7 (89.1%)
28 SERVICED APARTMENT DIGITAL BENCHMARK REPORT 2018You can also read
