Resource Guide - Airport Lodging Directories

Mary C. | 22 April 2005 |

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Resource Guide
Mary Bowling, Blizzard Internet Marketing, Inc.

AIRPORT LODGING DIRECTORIES
Many airlines are currently requiring check-in two hours prior to flight time. Travelers with long commutes and early morning departures often prefer to alleviate the stress of foul weather and/or heavy commuter traffic by spending the night before close to the airport.

Business travelers tend to stay near airports for convenience and because these hotels usually have the specialized services that they require, such as internet access and business centers. Weather delays, missed connections and “bumping” also contribute to the demand for overnight stays near airports.

Can web browsers looking for a place to stay before or after their flight find your hotel? To make certain that they do, you will want to be listed in the appropriate directories.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORIES
The only big player in this niche is Airport Hotel Guide. This Page Rank 6/10 directory comes up high in free listings for many relevant terms in the major search engines. It lists over 2,800 airport hotels in more than 200 cities worldwide and appears on the official websites for many international airports. The site offers plenty of useful information for travelers, such as airport maps, security guidelines, currency converters, car rentals, ATM locators, a flight tracker, etc. Visitors can view the site in 12 different languages. Basic and “preferred hotel” listings are available, which give the hotel rating, distance from the airport and shuttle information. Hotel reservations can also be made from the website. E-mail help@airporthotelguide.com for advertising options.

Airport Accommodation – Hotels Worldwide focuses mainly on European airport lodging, but includes North American hotels, too. To add your URL and description, go to the “Travel Resources” section and drill down to your location. Page Rank is 4 of 10 and the site is beginning to appear in search results for airport hotel terms in Western Europe.

AirNav is subtitled “The Pilot’s Window to a World of Aviation Information”. It provides technical information for pilots - special airport rules, navigational aids, runway specifics, etc. The site also lists airport lodging for all airports - not just those in major cities. Get a free listing by drilling down to the airport(s) near you and adding your information. This site also offers hotel reservations through a privately-branded system, Interactive Affiliate Network.

ParkSleepFly “Many airport hotels offer park, sleep and fly specials with either an off-airport parking partner or through the use of their own parking lots. Now, ParkSleepFly.com provides you with a place to strategically market these packages.” These complete transportation/hotel packages make flying much more hassle-free by coordinating details. Similar packages for cruise ports are also offered. Submit the form at www.parksleepfly.com/hotel_accounts/index.php to receive advertising information.

Trip Advisor This Page Rank 8 of 10, searchable directory ranks highly in many free “city + airport + hotel” searches, and is generally a good place for all lodging properties to be listed, whether they are near an airport or not. Trip Advisor allows lodgers to publically post reviews of places they have stayed. Hotels are listed according to how many good and bad critiques they get. Many savvy travelers check trip advisor before booking anything related to travel. Search by name or destination to make certain you are not yet listed. Then, go to www.tripadvisor.com/AddUrl to add your property. There is no charge.

LOCAL/REGIONAL DIRECTORIES
Some airports, like Baltimore / Washington International, have their own official airport hotel directories. "We are BWI Airport’s official hotel reservations service, and the only hotel reservation service endorsed by the Baltimore Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. We offer hotel services for over 25 BWI airport hotels, as well as airport services, car hire, and many other services. Whether you require a BWI hotel for a day or a week, we can handle all of your accommodation needs."

In a recent Yahoo search for "chicago airport hotel", Chicago Traveler came up on the first page in the organic searches. It has all kinds of information about all of the airports in the Chicago area and lists hotels as well as limo and shuttle services.

In another Yahoo search, this time for “denver international airport”, one of the top sponsored ads was for USAirport Parking, which has a section with links about airport lodging near DIA. E-mail manager@usairportparking.com with your listing request.

There doesn’t seem to be much consistency in either optimization or sponsored placement among the websites promoting airport hotels. Therefore, it’s necessary to perform your own research to see who is appearing highly in either free or paid listings for your market. Think like a customer and search for things such as "hotel near atlanta airport", “airport lodging in flagstaff”, “ronald reagan airport hotel”, etc. Also perform searches for the airport itself. You will likely find an online partner or two to help you cash in on your proximity to an air travel hub.

Airport hotels must be properly optimized for the most-searched, relevant terms for their market. If being near an airport is one of your top draws, make certain you have a page on your site about the airport and the services you provide to air travelers. Along with good optimization, the page needs relevant content so that it is interesting and useful to visitors.

It may take some time and tweaking to compete for high organic rankings in the larger markets, such as Dallas and LA. However, many secondary airport markets are ripe plums ready to be picked by those with good search engine optimization. If you would like help with this, please call Blizzard Internet Marketing at 1-888-840-5893.