Hilton Hotel Web Site In Australia and ACCOR Hotel In Australia Website - Coursework Example

Comparison between Hilton Hotel Website in Australia and Accor Hotel Website in Australia Abstract This report explores the comparison between the Hilton Hotel website and Accor Hotel website, both in Australia. Introduction of both hotels have been discussed comprehensively. Comparison based on definition images has also been explored in this report. Customer interaction in Hilton website has been evaluated through means of send email comments and queries. The techniques used by Accor site to attain effective customer interaction including new technologies such as GPS, RSS, and mobile services have been discussed. The issue of ease and clarity of both websites has been addressed through appropriateness of image, quality and size of images, ease to access desired location, and page loading time. Advertisements and traffic of visitors have been compared on two websites. Use of social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube has also been explored and compared on both sites. Contents Abstract 1 Introduction 3 Definition images 4 Hilton Definition Images 4 Accor Definition Images 6 Customer interaction 8 Customer interaction in Hilton Website 8 Customer interaction in Accor Website 9 Clarity and Ease of Hilton Hotel Website 10 Clarity and Ease of Accor Hotel Website 11 Advertisements on Hilton Website 13 Advertisements on Accor Website 13 Hilton and Accor Facebook Page 14 You Tube in both Hilton and Accor Websites 14 Conclusion 15 Works Cited 16 Appendices 17 Introduction Corporation of Hilton Hotels is a top hospitality firm that owns, franchises, and manages more than 2000 hotels across the world. The international arm of the company, Conrad Hotels, has presence in Australia, Ireland, England, Belgium, Egypt, Hong Kong, Turkey, and Singapore. Although traded publicly, the chain was for the long period dominated by management of Hilton family members beginning in 1919 where the pioneer Hilton Conrad acquired his first hotel. Hilton managed to run a globe chain of premium hotels by the late 1940s. In the late 1960, Conrad sold its global operations and focused more on management of franchising and contracts. The organization established arrangements of innovative joint venture that turned out to be standard practice of the industry. The company stretched to gaming industry and in 1989, gaming offered 44% of the income of the company. Hilton Barron delegated everyday chain management to Bollenbach Stephen in 1996. Currently, Hilton runs several hotels in Australia which include; Hilton Adelaide hotel, Hilton Brisbane, Hilton Cairns hotel, Hilton Melbourne International Airport, Hilton Melbourne South Wharf, Hilton on the Park Melbourne, Parmelia Hilton Perth hotel, Hilton Surfers Paradise Residences, and Hilton Sydney (HHonor Hilton WorldWide). Hilton has remained as the most recognized brand in the industry with its forward thinking and stylish in hospitality. Accor is a leading hospitality company with more than 4,000 hotels in 85 nations across the globe. It offers hotels in all sorts, from budget-priced Formula 1 to the five-star Sofitel chain, Ibis in Europe, Etap, and Mercure and midrange Novotel in Asia/Pacific and Europe region. The group also offers its globally based clients food services (hotel and employee vouchers), onboard services of railway (dining and sleeping berths), and casinos. By the year 1986, revenue of Accor hit approximately $ 2 billion with $ 32 million being net profits. Novotel maintained its position as the highly profitable with hotels in 31 nations while Sofitel encountered a high competition in market of luxury hotel. In 2000, Accor opened a maximum of 254 new hotels with 12 Sofitels included (AccorHotels). The firm also launched Accorhotels.com as its first website, providing online booking and information that hit the top of 12 million users in the same year. Definition images The perception individual acquire about a company when they come across the name of the company is very important. Image of a business is made up of an infinite variety of advertising, facts, organizational history, goals, and events that combine to make an impression on the public. The importance of having well defined image is to match to the targeted market. It is also vital to define the image as closely as possible. In definition of business image, it is important to identify the qualities to be associated with as a company. Hilton Definition Images Definition image of Hilton hotels, as shown in Australian website, is creating perception of it prowess in hospitality sector. It depicts its resorts and hotels across Australia, French Polynesia, and New Zealand. Through website, clients are able to discover unique destinations in the southern Hemisphere where unique wildlife, diverse landscapes, and stunning natural beauty endlessly match with contemporary, cosmopolitan cities. Website has also succeeded in creating a good perception to its customers as it explains what it brands can deliver. It portrays enviable sceneries from the world-renowned entertainment hub and iconic skylines in Sydney and Tokyo to cultural richness and natural wonders of Indonesia and China, Asia Pacific region of amazing excitement and beauty every corner of the view. In order to develop image that defines Hilton hotels in Australia, the company has been able to narrow down to target those clients planning adventure in the region. The website has succeed in defining Hilton hotels in one clear statement and this has helped to describe the hotel in a memorable, consistent fashion so as to position it in minds of prospects. Its statement is ‘be spontaneous and keep your travel schedule flexible, book our best available rates online and travel whenever, wherever’. However, this is put in more clear and brief way as ‘Be spontaneous, enjoy flexibility’(HHonor Hilton WorldWide). Hilton has a logo that it uses to identify its brand and it is used in its website to express a catchy visual image. Figure 1. Logo of Hilton Hotels Source: HHonor Hilton WorldWide, Auistralia 2010. 27 Nov. 2010. . Since consumers tend to be attracted to an outstanding service, the website has incorporated spontaneous sparkling golden color picture of Hilton Sydney hotel that attempts to echoes its services. Figure 2 Main image on the Hilton page Source: HHonor Hilton WorldWide, Auistralia 2010. 27 Nov. 2010. . Accor Definition Images Accor website defines its image as a hospitality services provider with a wide marketing range offering every kind of hotels types from deluxe (Mercure or Mercure Network), luxurious hotel (Sofitel), resorts (all Seasons), budget hotels (Formula 1), voyage (Ibis), business center (Novetel), and the hostel brand ( X Base Backpackers). It also tries to enhance its position in Asia-Pacific region as the leading hotel group offering the best to its clients in tourism sector. It has also managed to create friendly and effective booking process and in the website, it is has stated that booking a hotel has never been easier and customers are welcomed to one of the largest hotel group in Europe. The group has managed to put across a more clear and coherent message to it client, which states ‘enjoy your stay’. This message is clearer compared to the one put across by Hilton group. Brands of Accor provide hotel accommodations designed to the particular requirements of every leisure and business client. The perception of it brands has be reinforced by the image showing enthusiastic family member and a smiling businessperson. Its definition of image is inclined to diversity of its brands in contrast to Hilton that capitalizes on its strategic positions. Figure 3 Main image on Accor page Source: AccorHotels, Accor Hotels 2010. 27 Nov. 2010. . Its logo is not more graphic compared to that of Hilton group since it bears its word, two flying birds and a tag line; the spirit of smile. This is the logo that the group uses to indentify itself with Figure 4 Accor Logo Source: AccorHotels, Accor Hotels 2010. 27 Nov. 2010. . Customer interaction In the current era, the internet has formed part of typical culture. Majority of businesses are getting many orders over the internet compared via catalogue. Apart from visiting the site, customers are also increasing their rate of interaction such as services online, researching products, raving and ranting, sharing opinions, and uploading videos. Presently, clients are able and willing to be involved with marketing and creating the products and services they consume. Customer interaction in Hilton Website Customers are able to send email comments or queries concerning Hilton hotels, the website, or HHonors. The website insists that privacy and security are vital matters to the brands of Hilton Family. Therefore, customers are advised not to include sensitive personal details in any comment the send to the company for their own privacy protection. In addition, the company has a means of collecting comments on recent stay at the Hilton Family hotels. Customers are encouraged to send email or call on 1-800-445-8667 in order to ask for assistance from guest. Within Australia, customers are able to make a toll-free call on 1800446667. In section of customer support, clients are able to find answers to most frequently asked questions. The answers tackled include; how client can change reservation online, how to cancel reservation online, where to get the cancellation policy, how to manage Hilton HHonors account, the corporate rate, the required ID to obtain the government rate, explanation to AAA, and what is AARP. The website offers online reservation services where customer is able to find the desire hotel by location and to confirm the availability of accommodation. Availability of hotels is inquired by day and month of checking in and checking out. It is also possible for a client to sort hotel by city, by airport, by attraction, by address or by route. Additionally, clients who have already acquired reservations are able to keep on monitoring them. This type of customer interaction is friendly to the client due to its simplicity and its effectiveness. The rate of interaction in the website has also been boosted by inclusion of facebook, twitter, and You Tube where customers are able to send feedbacks and evaluate services. Customer interaction in Accor Website Customer interaction in Accor website is higher compared to Hilton Family Hotels since clients are efficiently guided on how to contact the hotels. The website has indicated that it highly encourage and appreciate customer’s questions, suggestions, and comments in order to help the group to improve its hotel and online services. Customers are provided with full list of hotels and given option to pose question to a particular hotel. Similar to Hilton Family Hotels, answers to technical hitches in using the website are addressed. In addition, comments, suggestions, and questions on the website are encouraged in this website. Reservations are made via the website and queries regarding the confirmed reservations are catered for. Customer is also able to cancel, modify, or even review a reservation as well as contacting reservations center. Also questions regarding group partners are addressed and clients are able to inquire about personal belongings left at the hotel. The technology of interaction with customer in Accor website is a notch higher compared to that of Hilton Hotels since it has incorporated GPS and mobile services. Using GPS, customers are able to download POIs’ into GPS device and get every hotel included in itinerary of the client in just few clicks. Customers are also able to interact with hotels utilizing new established platforms of mobile. This improves interaction because it is possible to making reservation while on the move. In addition, Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is the ultra-practical service from Accorhotels.com that allows clients access promotions and other events in real time. This means that Accor is highly placed to be effectively evaluated by customers and feedbacks due to improved means of customer interaction. Clarity and Ease of Hilton Hotel Website The website has chosen it images very carefully by collecting photographs and illustrations that are compliance with mission of the company. The Austrasia Hilton hotels mission is to be spontaneous while enjoying flexibility and this is depicted by a spontaneous picture of Hilton Sydney with sparking golden color. The enjoyment of flexibility is depicted on picture of white cotton towel with a yellow flower stuck on it. Figure 4: High quality images from Hilton page Source: HHonor Hilton WorldWide, Auistralia 2010. 27 Nov. 2010. . The website has used few major images to avoid competition of eye’s attention that is caused by too many images. Since the website is marketing many products, it has accommodated some more images of other hotels although placed as minor features. All images placed in the website are used to enhance its content. The images presented are of high quality with clear and nice look while at the same time balancing their size in order to prevent delays in loading time. The size of largest picture is 30.6 kb with the remaining images having an average of 4kb each. In order to capture short attention of the visitors, the content of Hilton website is clear and at the same time succinct. The viewer is able to scan Hilton Hotels in Australia, French Polynesia, and New Zealand since they are boldly highlighted. The user experience has been simplified because site is set up in a manner that it is easy to navigate to the intended location with few clicks. Clarity and Ease of Accor Hotel Website The mission of Accor group is to make sure that customers enjoy their stay and to make booking an easy experience. To synchronize with organization mission, few images of Accor brands have been presented in the website revealing a nice atmosphere that customer would enjoy. An image of a well-prepared guest room in one of Accor brands in Australia is placed on page. Since hotel booking is made easier with Accor groups, the booking tab is on top of the image to make sure that customer access it with ease. Figure 6 High quality image from Accor website Source: AccorHotels, Accor Hotels 2010. 27 Nov. 2010. . However, compared to the Hilton website, Accor website has incorporated many graphics and images that have the potential to distract the viewer. Additionally, booking and promotions tabs are serving as hindrance or distraction to main images that could result to ineffective delivery of the intend message. Figure 7 Image of booking tab on top of main image Source: AccorHotels, Accor Hotels 2010. 27 Nov. 2010. . The quality of images are clear and magnificent however, compared to the Hilton website images, Accor site images are huge in size. This causes website to load slowly and can be a frustrating encounter to visitors. Although text content of this site is clear, it also bears a lot of content that would be disadvantage to viewers with short attention spans. The experience of users has been simplified since they can navigate to the intended section with few clicks. Advertisements on Hilton Website According to the site, traffic of visitors has increased by 23% and the website has capitalizing on this opportunity to advertise its brands. Mostly, site visitors do not notice website footer if it not fascinating enough. Visitors of this web are able to view well-designed advertisements of Hilton Hotel brands in Australia, French Polynesia, and New Zealand. Various Hotels in the region are well captured via attractive images and their varied pricing are also made available. Visitors are able to buy advertised brand by clicking on the advertisement. Advertisements on Accor Website Most of websites are using online means to reach to customers apart from being a booking channel. Accorhotels.com was launched in 2000 where it witnessed 12 million visitors in the same year and this trend has continued to grow. Accor website in Australia has used advertisement as a means of being heard by website visitors. Its advertisement is more aggressive compared to Hilton because it has capitalized on special offer and incorporated embedded videos. Apart from advertising its brands, visitors are also informed on how they can partner with Accor to explore great destinations in Asia Pacific and Australian regions at competitive prices. Its advertisements are more graphic compared to those placed on Hilton website. Hilton and Accor Facebook Page Fans are encouraged to join Hilton global community in Facebook in order to be kept updated on what is happening at Hilton across the globe and it has managed to hit record of 69,675 fans. Hilton Facebook fan page has a program where fans can connect with their friends who are far and near. This is in an effort to advertise its brands combined with it social responsibility of conserving environment. Fans are able to comment on wall posts sent by Hilton Hotels and information regarding the organization is also included. Fun page also include Hilton moments, Hilton HHonors and video. Accor Group does not have Facebook fan page. However, it has capitalized the power of social networks through Twitter where it has a base of more than 3,000 followers (AccorHotels). Hilton is also represented in Twitter. You Tube in both Hilton and Accor Websites You Tube is an entertaining tool of communication used on websites where a person is able to share videos. Hilton hotels and Resorts have used You Tube to promote spa eforex at Hilton (You Tube). It has heavily used You Tube to promote it brands with 18 videos to watch. Viewers are able to comment on every video to allow the organization in evaluating reception of its products. Accor group do not use You Tube but it uses videos that are embedded to it website. The video has been labeled as TV Trip where the exterior of hotels are displayed in an appealing way. In comparison to You Tube, TV Trip does not allow viewers to comment on video although it can be embedded to another site such as blogs. It is taking time to load and this can result to frustration on users. Conclusion Hilton has defined its image as a leader in hotel industry where customers are offered products that allows them to be spontaneous while enjoying flexibility. It logo and images used in the website have also complemented in defining its image. Definition image of Accor Hotels in Australia is it wide range of products it offers in hospitality sector. This has been depicted through images available on its website. Accor statement is clearer and brief compared to the one put across by Hilton group. Both groups have well-structured means of customer interaction but Accor has incorporated new technologies such as GPS and mobile services as well as RSS. In clarity and ease, Hilton website has effectively balance the quality and sized of images. However, Accor website has high quality images but they are big in size and have more graphics causing it to be slower in loading page. Both sites have capitalized on visitors traffic to advertise their brands. Hilton has utilized Facebook page, Twitter, and you Tube but Accor has opted for Twitter and embedded videos. Works Cited AccorHotels, Accor Hotels 2010. 27 Nov. 2010. . HHonor Hilton WorldWide, Auistralia 2010. 27 Nov. 2010. . You Tube, Hilton Hotels & Resorts 2010. 28 Nov. 2010. . Appendices Figure 1. Logo of Hilton Hotels Source: HHonor Hilton WorldWide, Auistralia 2010. 27 Nov. 2010. Figure 2 Main image on the Hilton page Source: HHonor Hilton WorldWide, Auistralia 2010. 27 Nov. 2010. . Figure 3 Main image on Accor page Source: AccorHotels, Accor Hotels 2010. 27 Nov. 2010. . Figure 4 Accor Logo Source: AccorHotels, Accor Hotels 2010. 27 Nov. 2010. . Figure 4: High quality images from Hilton page Source: HHonor Hilton WorldWide, Auistralia 2010. 27 Nov. 2010. . Figure 6 High quality image from Accor website Source: AccorHotels, Accor Hotels 2010. 27 Nov. 2010. . Figure 7 Image of booking tab on top of main image Source: AccorHotels, Accor Hotels 2010. 27 Nov. 2010. . Read More