INTRODUCTION
With more than a decade’s experience in quality and innovation, Best Loved Hotels is internationally recognised as a leading source of information for trade and consumer users both at home and abroad, using both print and electronic media.
CONCEIVED BY HOTELIERS
After extensive research with travel planners and consumers, Best Loved has recognised and met the strong demand for a high-quality, full-colour pictorial guide to the best of all types of accommodation in the UK and Ireland.
A ONE-STOP REFERENCE
Simple to use, yet packed with all the information needed to create itineraries for varying tastes, budgets and aspirations – whether for corporate travel, leisure travel, or both.
CRITICALLY SELECTED
We critically select each hotel using a wide range of criteria including AA, RAC and tourist board ratings, travel press reviews, recommendation from other Best Loved hoteliers and personal inspections by Best Loved’s editorial team.
TARGETED
We leverage years of marketing knowledge in our unparalleled distribution model. With a broad range of properties of all types – from grand manor houses to welcoming inns – we reach the right potential customer at the right time.
WHY BEST LOVED?
 REACHING THE GLOBAL TRAVEL TRADE
Despite all the talk about the death of the travel trade, the need for consultative travel specialists continues to expand. However, consolidation suggests that only agents with knowledge, experience and insight will survive. How will your hotel reach these specialists? Best Loved meets this need head-on with our unparalleled trade reach.
- 17,500 individually-addressed copies sent to qualified US travel trade professionals
- 3,000 copies reach major travel offices in global markets including Scandinavia and Germany
- More than 1,500 targeted UK- and Irish-based incoming tour operators, travel agents, and conference agents, including members of ABTA, ITAA, SITE and BITOA
- Copies sent to VisitBritain offices worldwide
- The Five Hearts Club, our travel trade affinity group, has more than 7,000 registered members
- Registered travel trade users can use our exclusive electronic commission tracking system
- Electronic Travel Trade Newsletters, published nine times a year, reach the market via e-mail
TARGETING THE UK LEISURE TRAVELLER
For most hotels, the UK market is by far the most important - and in an increasingly competitive environment, the cost of generating quality enquiries continues to rise. With a decade’s history of quality, the Best Loved brand is seen by over 2.5 million discriminating UK and Irish readers annually - a high-value, low-cost marketing vehicle for any hotel.
- Total coverage of the UK & Ireland, with more than 11,000 in-bedroom copies
- Retail distribution of more than 3,500 annually, including book shops, direct mail and other channels
- Joint venture promotional distribution with past partners including BMW, Majestic Wines and Audi
- Comprehensive UK national and regional media distribution
- 15,000-copy distribution of Best Loved’s Little Gold Book each summer
- A consumer affinity group, the Red Rosette Travel Club, with more than 8,000 registered members
- Electronic Consumer Newsletters reaching our leisure travel database 12 times a year
- Our Web site, bestlovedhotels.com, provides instant-update capabilities to keep your details current - and a demographic with more than 60% of unique users as UK consumers
ACCESSING THE UK CORPORATE MARKET
Annually, UK/Irish corporate travel buyers spend in excess of £4.6 billion domestically. Best Loved is committed to helping you define your corporate travel services - from overnight business travellers and incentive recipients to large conferences and meetings - and making sure users differentiate your hotel from the competition.
- 5,000 copies of Best Loved Hotels are sent directly to managing directors, marketing/sales directors, PA’s, executive secretaries, in-house travel managers and conference/event managers – all pre-identified as having purchasing power over corporate travel plans
- 1,500 copies each year reach professional conference and meeting planners
- Best Loved Corporate News print newsletters (published quarterly) and electronic bulletins (published nine times a year) reinforce the message via direct mailing and e-mail
- The Gold Rosette Travel Club provides a community for more than 4,000 registered users
- Our database includes more than 8,000 UK corporate professionals
- Tactical mailing opportunities can include specific copies sent to targeted local companies of your choice
- Your Best Loved directory and Web pages can be supplemented by a corporate-focus page for your own daily sales needs
WHY BEST LOVED?
- Best Loved’s hotel retention rate is in excess of 85%
- Best Loved is the only publisher of its type to personally visit travel agents annually
- US travel agents selected to receive Best Loved have booked accommodation in the UK in excess of £100 during the last 24 months
- A typical Best Loved travel trade user creates more than 20 free independent travel (FIT) bookings a year
- Our average reader stays in hotels for business or leisure 15 times a year; more than 50% take 4–5 short UK breaks each year
BEST OF ALL WORLDS
CAN YOU AFFORD NOT TO BE A BEST LOVED HOTEL?
What percentage of your expected revenue comes from the UK leisure, UK corporate and international travel markets?
Now, compare the costs of participation in Best Loved against your marketing budget for each of those sectors.
Finally, weigh the numbers against Best Loved’s wide electronic and print distribution - plus our additional sales and marketing initiatives - to reveal just how much real value you’ll receive for your money.
ADD MORE VALUE
Best Loved’s global distribution alone provides you with an extraordinary customer targeting exercise. However, choosing from our complete portfolio of sales and marketing tools can even better utilise your budget whilst meeting specific promotional needs.
QUESTION: We have new conference rooms. How can we tell people?
SOLUTIONS:
- Quarterly Corporate Newsletter to 5,000 key corporate buyers
- Individual tactical mailings to local corporate prospects
- Special offers released to our Gold Rosette Travel Club
QUESTION: How can I target specific US travel agents?
SOLUTIONS:
- E-newsletters targeted to travel trade users
- Personalised access to Best Loved’s travel trade database
- Best Loved’s travel trade trips and US travel agent sales visits
QUESTION: We are doing a series of themed breaks. What is the best way of getting the word out?
SOLUTIONS:
- An exclusive e-newsletter targeted to UK leisure consumers
- Reprints of your page from the Best Loved directory tailored for themed leisure breaks or special events
QUESTION: How do we promote our restaurant’s new award?
SOLUTIONS:
- Inclusion in the Best Loved directory’s regional food showcase
- Special celebratory offer issued to Red Rosette Club members
- Access to media contacts to aid your own promotional efforts
If you’d like to have more information about Best Loved Hotels’ services sent to you, please e-mail us with your address at customerservice@bestloved.com.
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