HeBS today announced receipt of three W³ Silver Awards for outstanding achievement in Web 2.0 and website development.  The W³ awards are sanctioned and judged by the International Academy of the Visual Arts, consisting of top-tier professionals from media, advertising and marketing firms.  The 2009 awards were chosen from a pool of 3,000 entries from top companies and agencies worldwide.

W³ Silver Award Winners:

• City of Indian Wells, Online Campaign Category (Interactive Sweepstakes)
• Biltmore Hotel, Hotel & Lodging Category (Website Design)
• The Allison, Hotel & Lodging Category (Website Design)

“These awards show how important an innovative, interactive campaign and a creative website are to a hotel’s marketing and distribution efforts,” said Max Starkov, president and CEO of HeBS. “The award winners, our client hoteliers, understand the competitive advantages of a comprehensive, well executed Direct Online Channel strategy. A powerful web presence enables them to reach out directly to their customers, resulting in increased revenues and above-industry average ROIs.”

The hotel website has become the first point of contact with past, present and future customers. In the case of hotel websites not developed according to industry’s best practices, this is often the last point of contact with the customer. Hotel websites can no longer exist as mere online brochures and transactional mechanisms; they have to be at least as engaging and interactive as social media networks and the blogosphere. Sites must now provide a range of Web 2.0 features and functionalities such as sweepstakes, contests, photo sharing, blogs, quizzes, interactive games and event calendars.  With interactive campaigns, such as Indian Wells’ 30 Day Free Room Giveaway Sweepstakes, hotel websites must intrigue users by allowing them to interact with the destination or brand.

The above W3 Award winners understand it is no longer sufficient to have just any hotel website. Today’s online travel consumers demand that a hotel website have honest and truthful content, rich media, and interactive features and functionalities that guarantee an impeccable user experience every time.

The W³ Awards honor superior creativity on the web and recognize the individuals behind award-winning web sites, web advertising and web marketing programs.  W³ is the first major web competition to be accessible to a wide range of agencies from the major agencies to the smaller firms.

About HeBS
Hospitality eBusiness Strategies (HeBS), the industry’s leading Internet marketing strategy consulting firm for the hospitality verticals, is based in New York City (www.hospitalityebusiness.com). HeBS has pioneered many of the “best practices” in hotel Internet marketing and direct online distribution. The firm specializes in helping hoteliers build their direct Internet marketing and distribution strategies, boost the hotel Internet marketing presence, establish interactive relationships with customers, and significantly increase direct online bookings and ROIs. A diverse client portfolio of over 500 top tier major hotel brands, luxury and boutique hotel companies, hotel management and representation companies, franchisees and independents, resorts and casinos and CVBs has sought and successfully taken advantage of HeBS’ firm hospitality Internet marketing expertise. Contact HeBS consultants at (212) 688-2731 or info@hospitalityebusiness.com.