360-degree content credited with hotel booking boost

Rich content, such as virtual reality-based content, has become one of the main mechanisms of persuading hotel guests to upgrade their room.

Hotel tech provider Nor1 and content production studio FirstView claim some hotel properties experience a 450% increase in upgrade requests if they are shown such content during on a property's website.

The mechanism, which forms part of Nor1's suite of tools for hotels, hits consumers at a number of places during the engagement between a guest and the property.

360-degree tours of a property are now shown during the booking process, for example, allowing users to check a full view of a hotel room.

The same platform is integrated during the check-in process, too, giving hotels the chance to showcase relevant and upgraded rooms up until the final moments before arrival.

Nor1 believes the "future of hotel merchandizing" relies on generating offers of upgrades and other services at the right time in the digital process.

CEO Jason Bryant says: "Different types of guests are driven by different types of media - some it's still photography, others 3D walk-through tours, and others animated walks."

FirstView boss Antonio Batanero claims the integration can lead to a 4.5X additional time on a hotel's website, as users view the content, as well as a 128% increase in conversions on guest transactions.