W Hotels tops 2013 L2 Digital IQ Index

Louise Oakley, February 5th, 2013

W Hotels earned the top spot in the third annual Digital IQ Index compiled by L2, a think tank for digital innovation.

The chain was the only hotel brand out of 57 to be ranked ‘Genius’ by L2, which recognised W Hotels for its large, engaged communities and innovative programming.

InterContinental and Westin took joint second place in the ranking, while Four Seasons and The Luxury Collection were ranked third.

The remaining brands in the top 10 were Sheraton, St. Regis, Hilton, Fairmont and The Ritz-Carlton.

L2 evaluated 57 hotel brands on more than 675 data points across four dimensions: Site, Digital Marketing, Social Media, and Mobile.

Clinical professor of marketing, NYU Stern, and founder, L2 Think Tank Scott Galloway said: “In the next decade, hotel brands will live and die by the sword of digital. The influence of digital platforms and content on where a traveller decides to stay is remarkable”.

Key findings from the Index included a 15% year-on-year increase in the number of hotel brands with a mobile optimised site, with 81% of brands now offering this.

All 57 brands were present on Facebook, with 93% of brands maintaining both global and property level pages.

Pinterest and Instagram have gained significant traction, reported Galloway, with adoption rates of 96% and 82%, respectively.