In our hospitality industry trade media mini series, we speak with Eloise Hanson editor of Boutique Hotel News to discover the thinking of the publication and the news and content that engages its audience. Learn more about Boutique Hotel News
How the publication is made up and its key audience
The subjects and topics that captures readers attention
How to get featured editorially and advertorially
The developments in the sector
For more visit Boutique Hotel News
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Programme Notes
This episode has been automatically transcribed by AI, please excuse any typos or grammatical errors
Ryan Haynes:
Hello and welcome to the next instalment of the mini-series, looking at the Industry Media Hospitality trade publications where we are going to be talking to Eloise Hanson, the editor of Boutique Hotel News. For the other publications that we have followed so far, please check out the listings of our podcast channel and select the one that you want to listen.
Ryan Haynes:
Welcome to Travel Market Life. Joining me now is Eloise Hanson, editor of Boutique Hotel News. I was fortunate enough to meet her when she first joined the publication back in 2019 at the Independent Hotel Show. Eloise, thanks ever so much for joining us today. How's it all going?
Eloise Hanson:
Oh, what a pleasure. It's going very well. I can't believe 2019 was our first introduction, how time flies!
Ryan Haynes:
When it comes to Boutique Hotel News. You've been really driving the ship forward and expanding such a rate of knots, a time of content that you guys actually deliver there from webinars right through to podcasts as well as your day-to-day news and features. Tell us a bit more about Boutique Hote News Eloise.
Eloise Hanson:
Thanks, Ryan. And I'm going to take you a short journey if I may, because Boutique Hotel News was the first of four. Now, media brands conceived by International Hospitality Media and the website Boutique Hotel News launched around 10 years ago. And as you mentioned, I joined in 2019 as a reporter. And what we do is cover the global boutique lifestyle and luxury hotel industry, both independent and branded properties. And as you alluded to, we cover news articles, features on property, videos, podcasts, and webinars.
Eloise Hanson:
So, we are a fully digital multimedia trade publication over the years. IHM has launched three other media brands, but I know today we're just focusing on Boutique Hotel News.
Ryan Haynes:
Absolutely. And I know I'm going to try and get in some of your colleagues of the editors of those publications as well. So, everybody listening, don't forget to check out Travel Market Life's upcoming episodes and go through the list so you can see what you want to listen to and learn more. But who's your audience? Eloise, who are you talking to, who reads the publications and listens to your wonderful voice as you do in the interviews and discussions?
Eloise Hanson:
Thank you. So, we have a weekly e-newsletter that's sent out every Wednesday to a global database of more than 16 and a half thousand subscribers. And we're very proud of this database because it's been organically grown and fully opt-in. And that database, generally speaking, is around two-thirds of operators, managers, owners, and developers. The other categories tend to be your lenders, your investors, and your service providers that make up our database. In terms of website traffic, the UK and the US are by far the most consistent drivers.
Eloise Hanson:
I don't think many people know that we have a large audience base in the YS but again, generally speaking, if we were to look at the top five sitting alongside the UK and the US we have China, India, and Germany, which really highlights the sort of breadth and scope of, of where we cover. But as I'm sure you're aware, depending on what news or features that we run can determine where we get our traffic from. So, in the last months, we've seen a huge uptick from Ireland, interestingly, and in terms of our social media reach across LinkedIn Twitter, or I should now refer to Twitter as X, I need to get into the habit of that, don't worry.
Eloise Hanson:
And meta, we have around 31 and a half thousand followers. So again, these are people who work within the Hospitality industry from your C-suite downwards, but also those real hotel fanatics who just want to know exactly what's happening within the space.
Ryan Haynes:
And exactly, I mean when, when it's such a diverse audience that you need to cater to there as, as well as make sure that you keep up to date with what's happening across the sector and relevant. But tell us what are the topics that are of interest to your audience? What's resonating most, and perhaps tell us why you think you had more Irish visitors last month?
Eloise Hanson:
I'm still trying to rack my brain, honestly. I've been looking at the stories of what's going on in Ireland or what have we covered that's happening in Ireland. But I can tell you that any new hotel opening will always be forever popular with our, with our audiences who are not excited about a new hotel opening, right? Especially ones that have been really hyped up. So, it also provides us with a great opportunity to go along to the hotel opening, get a property tour, and actually sit down with the general manager or the owner or the architect behind the property and record an onsite interview.
Eloise Hanson:
So, there's a win-win with new hotel stories like that for us.
Ryan Haynes:
So other than hotel openings and the opportunity to go behind the scenes, what other types of content really get to juices for your readership?
Eloise Hanson:
Anything that's again, generally speaking quite broad and industry wide is always, again, very popular. But I would say that it has to be innovative, it has to be something really fresh and new. And a good example over the last month is two stories that have come out both within the loyalty space. So, Ennis Moore is launching its disloyalty program, and Selena has also launched a shareholders members program. So, these are two very new, very fresh examples of how loyalty is being redefined within the hotel industry.
Eloise Hanson:
So naturally, those hotels, those two stories in particular have racked up thousands of views on our site. So, I would say that it has to be a good hook, and has to be a real juicy angle there for an industry-wide story to perform well. But what I'm also seeing at the moment, and I definitely think it's a sign of the times, is that any hotel being brought to market, or any hotel acquisition is absolutely shooting up in terms of page views. We're in a tricky time at the moment. Inflation's coming down, interest rates are going up, and the cost of debt is high, but equally, investors want to buy. I think the reason why these stories are so popular is because it's a good barometer of where the market is at, but it also signifies that there are people out there looking for opportunities.
Eloise Hanson:
We're hungry for activity, which is all good signs.
Ryan Haynes:
Excellent. That's good to know. Now, when it comes to being featured, there are any listeners who are hoteliers or vendors out there, suppliers, what's your advice in getting included in the news?
Eloise Hanson:
I would tackle this in two ways, but again, broadly speaking, we look for informed commentary. I want you to demonstrate your knowledge and your understanding of a topical hotel or hospitality related subject matter. Now, this can be an opinion piece and with opinion pieces, I want to know why and what the more unique and creative that opinion piece is. Sorry, I am absolutely all ears. An example is what impact Barbie mania has on cult hotel brands and why Alexa shushes talking about something like that, a topic that I haven't seen covered before, but that's provoking curiosity or prompting curiosity, I should say, honestly, I'm down, I want to hear more.
Ryan Haynes:
I say Alexa wants to hear more as well.
Eloise Hanson:
We also look for educational content, right? So, this is sound advice or tips that do tackle an industry problem. And another example, we've seen how wildfires have dominated Europe and now Hawaii. So, you know, how does one develop a crisis management strategy and what should operators and brands consider? This is also going to be very popular with our, with our readers because they can learn and they can actually walk away and implement very practical and actionable steps. So, I think the key to content is to make sure that it is not, and I mean this respectfully internally focused as an individual person or a company, but turn it outwards externally and explore a wider industry matter.
Eloise Hanson:
I would say that is what we look for.
Ryan Haynes:
I mean, that's a big change in how the media has been looking at its content from let's say 10 years ago when it was just about news. It was about the press releases, and then it was about the features and the sites, and now it's about the opinions and really the learnings that you can get from your experience.
Eloise Hanson:
Well, you look at how generative AI is now being deployed, particularly within, in, you know, journalism work practices and, and it's being used as a, as a research tool or a research method. And I think to cut through the noise when you're going to need to offer more opinion and not just any opinion, that's by informed opinion, knowledgeable opinion, educational opinions or commentaries or analysis. That is how as a media brand and as a journalist, you will cut through that noise.
Eloise Hanson:
And I think the power of opinion is going to be more important now moving forward.
Ryan Haynes:
So, the developments are exciting. Are you in the sector of Boutique hotels, Eloise?
Eloise Hanson:
Well, as I mentioned earlier, Boutique Hotel News is one of four media brands. The latest that we launched about two years ago now, is Urban Living News. And I am absolutely fascinated by the blurring of Hospitality and living. And there are so many ways that these two industries are now colliding together. I've seen hotel groups enter and launch student housing. I've seen service apartment operators moving into the built to rent space. I'm seeing Hospitality investors looking to develop and launch multi-family communities.
Eloise Hanson:
I mean, this list honestly goes on and on. There are so many ways that you can package it up together. And I've moderated a couple of panel discussions on this topic now. So, I'm learning a lot as, as we see this, this trend starts to evolve. What I'm yet to see, and this could be bold and a bit out there, but as a hotel group or a brand target, the senior living sector, I think there might be an opportunity there. So, you heard first.
Ryan Haynes:
Yeah. I must say, Louise, you must come down to Paul and Bournemouth, which is known for senior living. I wouldn't be surprised if one of their models could be transported into something that you are thinking of. Because when you look at some of the buildings now of senior living and how extraordinarily designed, they are and how I guess, youthful older people are nowadays. And we certainly hope that we are still young when we're 80. That's it. It, you can see it's certainly influencing design, how it's going to be influencing the commercials, as you say, we're yet to see. But that's definitely one put out there. And thanks for getting our, our, our, our us thinking.
Ryan Haynes:
And that's, that's what we need. We need editors to help us think. Cause essentially at the end of the day, other than just delivering the news, you're here to instigate debate.
Eloise Hanson:
If I can push along that conversation and get people to start thinking differently, I know that I've made an impact and I know that I've done my job. So, I'm happy with that.
Ryan Haynes:
Eloise, thank you ever so much for joining us today and explaining to us all about Boutique, Hotel News, how to get featured and some of the key topics and subjects that get your readers excited.
Eloise Hanson:
Thank you so much, Ryan, it's been a pleasure.