The Montcalm, London, Marble Arch

Take advantage of a special HMA discount at this popular event for the luxury, international boutique hotel sector

A group of hotel marketers gathered at the Intercontinental Hotel in Westminster, London, recently to debate the merits of the hotel brochure, seemingly a dinosaur in this digital age. Yet the outcome of the meeting may come as a surprise. Here is a brief summary of the arguments for and against the motion in the HMA Annual Debate – Is the Hotel Brochure Dead?

Rob Walk of the Digital Innovation Group arguing for the motion said that websites had killed off brochures some time ago. In fact during the past 15 years the internet had completely changed the way that hotels marketed themselves. The birth of review sites and a greater awareness of what was available to the consumer he suggested, had put paid to the traditional role of printed material.