Public Relations Agencies for Hospitality Advice and Ratings

Hospitality public relations firms have different strengths and weaknesses for you to evaluate
By Paul Hirsch Hospitality PR firms support hotels and those industries that support hotel functions such as florists, caterers and travel agencies. The art of public relations is designed to bring positive coverage of the client and let people know about upcoming activities in an upbeat way. You want to hire a firm experienced in hotel public relations with values and priorities similar to you as the client. Public relations agencies for hospitality advice and ratings can come from various sources and must be researched carefully to apply the findings appropriately.
 

Public relations in hospitality requires visiting hotels, going on cruises, flying commercial as a tourist, eating at restaurants and hotels and then communicating about those experiences to the travel media in a way that casts the client's business in a positive light. Hospitality industry public relations can be glamorous, but mostly it requires hustle, creativity and hard work.

1. Learn about hospitality industry public relations and think about how that field can help you or your business.

2. Public relations agencies for hospitality advice and ratings can help you decide which elements of hospitality PR agencies make sense for you.

3. Review the rankings and ratings of both hotel public relations firms and hospitality public relations agencies.

Look for reviews of public relations agencies for hospitality advice and ratings

There are many ways to rate an agency that supports public relations in hospitality. The public relations field is more art than science, so ratings tend to be subjective.
Try: The About Public Relations website ranks hundreds of PR agencies in responsiveness, employee relations, professionalism and many other criteria. This would be a good first reference for selecting a hospitality PR agency in your area. For hotel-specific public relations, the Hotel Executive website offers agency reviews along with tips for public relations in hotels.

Decide on which areas of hospitality PR you want to specialize and emphasize

There is more to hospitality PR than hotels. Even if you own or run a hotel, you probably work closely with caterers, cruise lines, transportation companies, travel agencies and florists. Only the biggest companies do everything, most have to specialize.
Try: The Cruise Line International Association has compiled a list of resources in many disciplines, including public relations firms that support cruise lines and the hospitality industry. The site also offers many communications-related work samples. O'Dwyer PR lists and ranks the major travel-industry PR firms which is very helpful in selecting hospitality PR companies, no matter in which you decide to specialize.

Know some of the reputations developed by hospitality PR agencies

In a subjective field like public relations, the reputation carried by firms means a lot. Even when you're dealing mostly in the realm of ideas, you need to know that your hospitality PR agency will execute the plan and will follow through with the hospitality media.
Try: At All Marketing Matchup you can learn how to judge a hospitality PR agency's reputation, work performance, strengths and weaknesses. This article will be very helpful in your agency review process.

• Ask around and get the opinions of industry peers and colleagues regarding hospitality PR agencies. Others' opinions can be invaluable if you personally trust their judgement.