An article in 4Hoteliers.com listed the five most effective hotel social media initiatives in the last year which “helped social-savvy guests stay more connected to their favorite brands.”
1) Ritz-Carlton on Foursquare: a concierge campaign that gave tips, ideas and recommendations on things to do at the destination where the hotel is located right on the guest’s smartphone.
2) InterContinental Hotel Group iPad apps: Guests can access concierge-type information from in hotel iPads and/or use free iPhone booking apps for all its brands.
3) Four Seasons’ in-room networks and city chats: Each month, a different hotel concierge within the luxury chain hosts a twitter chat giving guests and potential future travellers a chance to get learn more about a specific Four Seasons’ property and destination.
4) Renaissance Navigator Program gives hotel guests inside access to the destination’s local haunts, as seen and frequented by people who live in that location onto iPads, iPhones and PDA’s. Through technology, guests can “track their paths and get further information on-the-go as they chart their navigation through new cities via their handheld device, and tweet the hotel and the Renaissance team for information on the go.”
5) Guest reviews on hotel websites such as Starwood and Marriott allows guests to write comments regarding their stay directly onto hotel-managed sites. This gave guests the opportunity to post “the good, bad and the ugly” about their experience in a way really unseen until now except on sites like TripAdvisor.
In a compelling column in today’s 
