Why It’s Prime Time for Hotels and Resorts to Run a Special

Guess what? On July 12 and 13, 2022, your guests will be primed to make a purchase. Yes, it’s a bit corny, but it’s true.

In just under two weeks, the annual online shopping extravaganza called Amazon Prime Day is coming. Your guests and prospects will likely have their wallets out, ready to pounce on a deal from the world’s biggest shopping site. And, believe it or not, that may be a prime opportunity for you to make some sales of your own. RetailMeNot estimates that 88% of Americans plan to shop during those days and many have been postponing a big purchase until the sales drop. Shoppers have also indicated that they are willing to spend not just at Amazon but also at other retailers.

Haven’t thought about offering a Prime Day deal? Consider these reasons why you should:

• People are looking to buy. In 2021, analysts estimated that Prime Day sales exceeded $11B, up from an estimated $10.4B in 2020. Amazon doesn’t disclose its sales figures, but they did say that during the 2021 event, they sold more than 250 million products US consumers were responsible for 65% of sales.
• Other retailers have joined the party. While Amazon is the headliner, other retailers are offering their own deals. The hype around Amazon’s shopping bonanza drives traffic to other sites and more retailers are taking advantage of the excitement by offering competing promotions, including Target, BestBuy, and Walmart. Since these other retailers are already advertising great sales that day, why shouldn’t you try to drum up some additional bookings on a Tuesday or Wednesday in mid-July?
• Human psychology is rarely intuitive. Research shows that once a consumer is in “I want to buy something” mode, they’re much more likely to make other purchases, even if they’re unrelated. In fact, the best-case scenario is that your guests visit Amazon.com, don’t find any deals worth going for, and then get an email from you with an offer they can’t pass up. They’ll be just itching to book.
• You can offer an experience. After two years of pandemic life, people are ready to travel. They are starved for vacations and experiences. Think about the amazing experiences you have to offer as an alternative to consumer goods. According to PhocusWire in late March, 93% of Americans were planning to travel leisurely at least once in the next 12 months. However, due to the rise in gas prices, a recent survey by the Conference Board and AAA indicated that in the next six months only 23% of people plan to take a road trip by car, and only 36% are planning any type of vacation, by car or otherwise. Where does this leave you for Prime Day? Target your guest’s pent-up wanderlust but keep it local with value-added promotions. You’ll be more apt to entice those who won’t need multiple tanks of gas to visit. In 2019, Killington quickly pulled together a Prime Day deal and had great success.

Consumers are paying attention and looking for deals, just like they do during the holiday season. See if you can take advantage of this two-day retail holiday to fill in soft periods, rather than offer deep discounts. As Inntopia’s Tom Foley, SVP Business Intelligence, suggests:

It’s also rumored that there will be a second Amazon Prime event in the fall of 2022. Stay tuned!

One note, though — Prime Day is Amazon’s trademark, and that means your business may not be able to use those words to advertise your own sale (we’re not lawyers, and this is not legal advice). Target is calling their promotion “Deal Days”, Walmart is calling theirs the “Deals for Days” event, and lots of other retailers are referring to it simply as a shopping holiday. So, before you advertise, be sure to consult your legal department to help decide on appropriate wording.