How is the collaboration between 1898 The Post and The Fully Bookers have launched?
We spoke to Joachim Schlosser, who is Director of Rooms, Sales & Revenue at 1898 The Post in Ghent.
“The partnership began around 2021 as a result of our own search for ways to improve our SEO. We were looking for an agency that not only understood search engine optimisation but also specialised in the hospitality sector. Through that search, we came into contact with Mitchell and entered into a partnership. Since then, we have been working together on our online visibility and reaching the right target audiences.”.”
As a Belgian company, what is it like for you to work with a Dutch organisation?
“We view the partnership as a positive experience. What we particularly appreciate is The Fully Bookers’ direct and honest communication. We are told clearly what is required, what is going well and where there is room for improvement. It is precisely this openness that helps us to make the partnership as efficient as possible and to move forward together.
Of course, there may be differences in communication and culture between Belgium and the Netherlands, but personally I find this directness to be a great advantage. We also appreciate the fact that, despite the distance between Ghent and The Hague, the team regularly visits us to discuss our collaboration in person.”
Which result or moment has stayed with you the most, and why??
“For me, the greatest added value lies primarily in the knowledge and insights we’ve gained in the field of SEO. The Fully Bookers helps us understand how people search online, which keywords are relevant, and how we can ensure that potential guests find us even when they aren’t specifically looking for our hotel.
The reports and explanations have taught us a great deal over the past few years about our online visibility and how we can improve it. We are also pleased with the growth of our international target audiences. Guests from countries including the United States, Australia and Canada are important to us. We’ve noticed that these guests continue to find us and that their average spend has risen significantly compared to before. This is a valuable development for us.“
What impact has this collaboration had on your development and on achieving your ambitions?
“Above all, this collaboration has helped us to better understand our online visibility and to continue focusing our efforts on attracting the right guests. We know which markets are important to us and want to further strengthen our position amongst these target groups.
Our ambition goes beyond simply achieving a high occupancy rate. We want to continue improving the service we offer our guests and provide them with an experience where everything is just right, right down to the smallest details. This includes high-quality facilities, personalised service and ensuring our guests have a worry-free stay.
We believe it is important that this benefits not only our guests but also our staff and our company. The insights gained from this collaboration help us to analyse our online presence and our target audience with greater understanding.“
How do you see the future of our partnership with The Fully Bookers?
“We are optimistic about the future of our collaboration. We look forward to continuing to work together on our online visibility and reaching the right target audiences. In this regard, it would be a great next step for us to make the results from the SEO reports even more tangible.
We can see the growth for ourselves, but we also want to be able to explain more clearly to colleagues and other stakeholders what certain rankings and results actually mean for our hotel. Practical examples or short videos could help with this.
We also appreciate the personal contact with the team. We consider the fact that The Fully Bookers regularly visit us to discuss developments to be an important part of our partnership. We look forward to continuing this partnership and working together to achieve our ambitions.“
Fancy a night away in Ghent?
Then be sure to pop into The Post or enjoy a lovely cocktail at The Gobbler!
Be sure to check out the website.
