They say a picture is worth a thousand words, which is why more and more hoteliers are turning to Leonardo Media to manage and distribute their rich media content.

From global hotel companies such as InterContinental Hotel Group and Carlson Hotels to specialized companies such as Destination Hotels & Resorts and Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Leonardo delivers a comprehensive and centralized solution that is easy to use, easy to manage and can save hoteliers—regardless of size or market—time and money.

The Internet is an invaluable tool for hoteliers, since more and more people are booking online. With the vast options available to travellers, the importance of making a lasting impression cannot be underestimated.

InterContinental Hotel Group, which has more than 3,600 hotels worldwide, wanted to reach out to potential guests by better showcasing its hotels’ assets. IHG decided to expand the rich media content on its site to allow for unlimited images and virtual tours and knew it couldn’t do it alone.

“The greater content we provide on our site gives us a leg up on other hotel chains and third-party intermediaries,” explains Dan Smart, manager of e-commerce for the InterContinental Hotel Group. “Prior to teaming with Leonardo, we were manually and internally managing the online media content for all of our hotels. Now, we can provide our hotels a single location to load images and manage information. This has improved the turnaround time for image posting from three weeks to two days.”

Cindy Jaques, advertising and designs solutions manager for Carlson Hotels, agrees that Leonardo is a timesaver and adds that it allows the company’s five brands to showcase what sets them apart through the use of still images and virtual tours on individual hotel Web pages.

“Leonardo has saved us countless hours by distributing our photos. Now we are able to have consistent and up-to-date images across all distribution channels,” she says.

Consistency is essential for Nancy Kern, director of marketing services for Destination Hotels & Resorts, a company that manages independent, upscale and luxury hotels, resorts and golf clubs in more than 30 locations across the United States.

“Because of our unique structure, properties are added and removed from our portfolio continually,” Kern says. “Before turning to Leonardo, our image management was hodge-podge and content parity was lacking. Once Leonardo took over, we were able to guarantee our online images were high-resolution and consistent across all channels.”

Small Luxury Hotels of the World, which is comprised of more than 360 properties worldwide, appreciates the flexibility and aggregated sourcing the Leonardo solution provides. SLH properties can load and update images when they want but they are centrally located so that corporate can, in a Web-based environment, monitor the high-quality images being used and provide access to GDS, media and promotional partners.

“Leonardo allows us to communicate visually with the world by presenting a snapshot of each of our Small Luxury Hotels. With 70 percent of our business coming through the GDS, Leonardo’s distribution of our hotels’ images is invaluable, and drives our business,” says Lanny Grossman, director of communication.

Leonardo CEO David Elton says the company has set the bar high when it comes to the management and distribution of rich media content and it’s paying off as more and more hoteliers begin to realize the impact Leonardo’s solutions can have on a company’s day-to-day operations.

”Many of the industry’s biggest players are already experiencing operational efficiencies and cost savings that Leonardo solutions provide,” Elton says. “We appreciate the trust our partners have in us and are pleased to have the outstanding support from hotel companies around the world.”

About Leonardo Media | Leonardo is the world leader in travel content management, e-marketing and content distribution across the global travel chain. Its online solutions are designed to simplify the management of rich content and the automation of distribution to the GDS, travel channels and their travel partners. For all travel partners, Leonardo services provide the largest 'one stop' aggregated source of digital content for hotels, destinations and attractions in the travel industry.

Leonardo works with more than 60,000 hotels, including many prominent global hotel chains such as Intercontinental Hotels and Resorts, Carlson Worldwide, Worldhotels, Raffles/Swissotel, Rosewood, Jumeirah Preferred Hotel Group, Kersner International, Small Luxury Hotels, Leading Hotels of the World, Le Meridien, Nikko, Peninsula, Starwood, Resort Quest, Luxe, and Destination Hotels and Resorts. Leonardo also works with more than 80 Tourist Boards, including Singapore, Portugal, The Hague, and Antigua and Barbuda. Its major travel channel partners include Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre, Worldspan, Pegasus, WizCom, Worldres along with Lodging.com, Cheaptickets, Yahoo!, Opodo, Vista, Planetgo, Aergo, Widderoe, and NorthStar Travel Media.

Megan Lawrence
Marketing Manager
+44 20 7098 9835