Beginning September 1st, 2022 we are implementing two additional benefits for all leads accepted via Instant Connect that vendors can earn to align incentives and ensure that you are delivering responsive service to hoteliers and make sure that you're set up for success which include: 

1. 50% Discount...on all leads accepted via Instant Connect, meaning that you get 2x as many leads for the same price 💪
2. Earned access to the money-back guarantee...companies who follow HTR's Lead Program Guidelines to ensure that all leads are followed up with in a timely fashion and by defined best practices will earn the added benefit of being eligible for the HTR Money Back Guarantee.  This benefit is extremely unique and is not offered by any other marketing or lead gen platforms (ie. Linkedin, Facebook, Google, etc) and as such it is one that companies earn into by providing a great experience to hoteliers.

Why is HTR offering these added benefits for vendors who follow best practices?

Over the past several months we have received complaints from hoteliers who place info requests on Hotel Tech Report that vendors take too long to reply which is why we built the Instant Connect feature to dramatically reduce time-to-followup and improve both the user experience for hoteliers as well as the vendor experience (time-to-followup is directly correlated with lead success rated).

Instant Connect facilitates a better marketplace experience for hoteliers, ultimately the entire marketplace will shift fully to this model.  That said, we're going to be rolling this out slowly to give vendors a chance to migrate over to the new system and optimize your lead targeting criteria.  

How much of a discount will vendors receive for Instant Connect leads?

Vendors who accept leads via Instant Connect will receive increasing incentives over the first 6-months post-launch as a reward for delivering better, more responsive service to hoteliers placing requests through the platform. Below are the scheduled incremental increases in the discount amount for Instant Connect leads:

• September '22: 15% off Instant Connect leads
• October '22: 25% off Instant Connect leads
• November '22: 30% off Instant Connect leads
• December '22: 35% off Instant Connect leads
• January '22: 40% off Instant Connect leads
• February '23: 50% off Instant Connect leads

What are the lead program guidelines that vendors need to follow in order to be eligible for these added benefits?

You can find more info in the Lead Program Guidelines documentation and below is a quick summary overview of the criteria:

• Rule I. Decline Leads You Don't Want, Don't Ignore Them
• Rule II. Provide Timely Replies to Leads that You Want
• Rule III. Follow Recommended Best Practices to Make Sure You're Setup for Success
• Rule IV. Maintain a Strong Reputation on the Platform

As with all new variables, verified case studies will start out as having a nominal impact on the HT Score in their first year at roll out and will increase in importance over time to ensure that all vendors have time to prepare for the update.

Can Case Studies Determine the Leader in a Category?

While case studies are a nominal part of the overall HT Score (<3%), they can be the determining factor in a close race where two companies have maxed out most other variables similar to how this can happen with Google's Search Algorithm.  Here is an example of how this can happen:

Example Scenario and Analogy of Google Page Speed Algorithm Update

• Imagine that 2x websites with amazing and mostly similar domain authority each have an excellent blog post about 'gardening tulips'
• Imagine blog post A consistently ranks ahead of blog post B but has really poor page speed and user experience metrics.
• When Google rolls out the user experience update, despite ranking better across other metrics, post B could move into the lead.

If you notice your rank change in a category where you have close competitors in the rankings this can be easily resolved by just making sure that you at least have some verified case studies published for buyers.

Submit your innovation to get featured

🚨Submissions deadline is June 15, 2022

Update: Check out the 2022 HITEC Orlando Innovation Showcase & Event Recap

How it Works

1. Complete the submission form by NO LATER THAN JUNE 15th
2. Get featured in HTR's HITEC Orlando 2022 recap innovation showcase article
3. Get the word out about your latest and greatest to the global hotel tech community

💡 Please remember to carefully read the guidelines. Our team gets hundreds of submissions and it is critical for your submission to follow these guidelines in order to get included and featured in the article

This Premium Membership Agreement ("Agreement") is made and entered into by and between CITYKEY LLC (DBA HotelTechReport), and the subscribing entity ("Member"). This Agreement sets forth the terms and conditions under which Member agrees to subscribe to and use the Company's Premium Membership services.

1. Agreement to Terms

By subscribing to HotelTechReport's Premium Membership, Member agrees to be bound by this Agreement. If Member does not agree with any part of this Agreement, Member must not subscribe to or use the Premium Membership services.

2. Membership Plans

Premium Membership is available in various plans, each offering different levels of benefits and services. Details of the specific features included in each plan are provided on the Company's website. The Company reserves the right to modify the benefits and pricing of these plans at any time.

3. Payment and Renewal

• Quarterly Plans: Quarterly plans auto-renew and must be cancelled 30 days in advance of renewal.
• Annual Plans: Annual plans are manually renewed with a renewal offer. Any vendor that does not accept the renewal offer by the end of their term a) forfeits said offer and b) will lose any credits unused during the previous membership period. All credits purchased as part of a discounted and bundled membership package including but not limited to lead credit, agency credit, posting credit and PPC credit do not rollover upon renewal and expire upon downgrade or renewal.

4. Membership Benefits

• Access: Premium Membership benefits are available only to the Member and their designated team members. Benefits are not transferable to other parties.
• Changes: The Company may modify or discontinue certain benefits at any time. Members will be notified of significant changes in advance.

5. Usage and Conduct

• Compliance: Members must comply with all applicable laws and regulations while using the Premium Membership services.
• Prohibited Activities: Members are prohibited from engaging in activities that harm or disrupt the HotelTechReport platform or other users, including but not limited to spamming, hacking, and distributing malware.

6. Intellectual Property

All content, tools, and resources provided as part of the Premium Membership are the intellectual property of the Company. Members are granted a limited, non-exclusive license to use these resources for their own business purposes. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or modification of these resources is prohibited. 

7. Limitation of Liability

The Company shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising out of or in connection with the Premium Membership services, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. The Company's total liability for any claims related to the Premium Membership services shall not exceed the amount paid by the Member for the membership during the 12 months preceding the claim.

8. Governing Law

This Agreement is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without regard to its conflict of law principles.

9. Amendments

The Company reserves the right to amend this Agreement at any time. Members will be notified of any significant changes, and continued use of the Premium Membership services after such notification will constitute acceptance of the new terms.

10. Transferring Agency Credits

Gold and Platinum Premium Membership plans are steeply discounted, offering up to 55% off standard rates. Due to these substantial discounts, the following limitations apply:

1. Usage Limitations: Packaged memberships may use no more than 30% of total package credits towards Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) campaigns and sponsored retargeting collectively.
2. Non-Transferability: Agency credits and posting credits included in these specifically designed and discounted plans are non-transferable into pay-per-click credits or lead credits. These credits are to be used solely within the scope of the benefits provided in the respective membership plans.

11. Market-Based Repricing of Ad Products

HotelTechReport invests significant resources in traffic generation ranging from search engine optimization to paid traffic acquisition, technical advancements, software tools, email campaigns, and more. From time to time, HotelTechReport must reprice ad products based on shifting customer acquisition costs to match market conditions. This means that any usage of credits will be debited at the market rate at the time of use. For example, if the cost of an eblast campaign at the time of membership purchase is $7,000 and is repriced to $7,500 four months later to meet market conditions, and the Member uses those credits five months into the membership, that eblast will deduct $7,500 from the Member's agency services credit balance to reflect current market pricing. Repricing of ad products will occur no more than once per annum. 

12. Advertiser Guidelines and Policies

Members agree to abide by the Company's advertiser guidelines and policies. These guidelines and policies are designed to ensure a fair and transparent marketplace, and adherence to them is a condition of maintaining Premium Membership status.

13. Mergers and Acquisitions

In the event that a Member is acquired by another company, the acquiring company will retain the benefits of the Premium Membership for the duration of the current membership term. However, any credits associated with the Premium Membership may not be transferred to another company account.

 --

By subscribing to HotelTechReport's Premium Membership, Member acknowledges that they have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Agreement.