Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

It's Official: We're Over

New research from Deloitte indicates that 51% of internet users are watching what other internet users post.

If you haven't considered joining the conversation? Game Over.

Thanks to our buddy Joe Buhler for the catch.

Fear of the Fridge

The hotel mini-bar. One of those "amenities" that has fallen out of favor because hoteliers saw the opportunity to jack the price of nuts to $9 and a soda to $5, thinking the consumer wouldn't notice. Now, with electronic sensors built in to sense (and charge for) movement of product, most travelers avoid even opening the door for fear of being nicked.

The Meridien Hotel Vienna, is way past that foolishness, making the items in its mini-bars free (and just rolling it into the room charge).

However, according to HotelDesigns.co.uk editor Patrick Goff (as seen on WIWIH), "guests have become so terrified of the appallingly high prices charged by hoteliers that they won't even open the minbar for fear of being clipped."

Sad.

Back of the Plane

I rarely sit in the back of the airplanes I fly. But, when you’re flying standby, you takes what ya gets.

Damn, y’all have small bladders.

Or, you just like marking your territory at 32,000 feet.

Culinary Irving

I've had the pleasure to sample several of Irving's finest restaurants over the years...and have many faves. And this week, Bureau CEO Maura Gast introduced me to another: Via Real.

Great service. Warm decor...and a widely varied menu. I recommend the Tentacion (filet and scallops) while Maura enjoyed the Macadamia crusted scallops.

But both of our heads turned as someone at the next table was served the beef tenderloin, grilled and served on a red oak plank. Wonderful presentation and an aroma that said to both of us, "ahhh, next time."

The Dumbification of Music

If you're one of those people that thinks today's music sucks, you may be closer to the truth than you know.

When I import music into iTunes, I know that I'll be getting a compressed version of the song, clipping some of the highs and lows in return for being able to stuff more tunes on my iPod. I get that.

What I (and, I'm guessing, most of us) didn't know is that the source recordings are increasingly being dumbed-down by today's music producers, resulting in the original track sounding far less robust than those cut a decade ago.

The reason: Today's producers are increasingly using iPods and earbuds to test the sound of the final product...and not the high-end speakers and Sennheiser headphones they used to employ to insure the purest sound. There's more on this sadly disturbing trend in this story from the Wall Street Journal.

You Can Go but You Can't Spend

Interesting article the other day on CNN.com about enterprising U.S. travelers that visit Cuba, despite this country's ban on such an activity.

Most intriguing is that it's actually not illegal for Americans to travel to Cuba. It's just illegal to spend money there.

Who makes up these laws?

When Signs Attack

Kind of like the DMO banner ad we featured last week, I think I know where the creatives behind this counter sign were going. That is before they forgot to think it through...

Because if they had, they would have realized that the sign admits that checking in at the Delta Connection gate is a hassle. Now, I'm not saying that it's not...but I'm not sure I'd come right out and suggest that my gate agents are preparing to hassle the consumer.

Maybe, "Next Time, Save Time" would have been a better choice.

No, no need to thank me. I like you guys.

Most of the time.

Fun with "Do Not Disturb" Signs

Playful Embassy Suites has been having fun with their room keycards and "Do Not Disturb" signs for a while now. Keycards sport messages like "When choosing beds, we went with comfy because uncomfy didn't do well in our surveys" while the door hangers read "There's a Good Reason for You NOT to Knock Right Now."

Through October, the hotel chain is staging a competition that lets the consumer get in on the fun...by suggesting what the next "Do Not Disturb" signs should say (thanks to Sue Pelletier at Face2FaceMeetingsNet for the catch). Very cool...on a number of levels.

However, if you're planning on entering the contest, please note that a bunch of great lines are already in play at the L'Auberge du lac Casino Resort in Lake Charles LA (and, presumably throughout the Pinnacle chain of Resort Casinos). Among the choices their guests have:

• You seem like a nice person, but I'm not feeling very sociable right now.
• Maybe Later. I'm doing a little servicing of my own right now.
• Keep Walking. Nothing to see here.
• If this sign is a hangin' don't come bangin'.
• Not Now. I'm still admiring your work from yesterday.

I'm guessing these might be off the table for Embassy competition...but I can't wait to see what y'all come up with.

Did So. Did Not. Did Too.

Last week, Australian Tourism Minister Fran Bailey trotted out that country's new visitor impact statistics, pointing to the masterful "Where the Bloody Hell Are You" campaign as a key driver in the multi-billion dollar growth.

Promptly, the Opposition Party's Tourism Spokesperson refuted the numbers as inflated.

Tourism Marketing Professionals in America must be shaking their collective heads in sheer disbelief. The Opposition has a Tourism Spokesman?

Here in America, I doubt if any of the current crop of Presidential candidates can SPELL Tourism.

Just another example of how every other country in the world values and respects tourism...while we (at least at a Federal level) continue to ignore the incredible economic and social opportunities that international tourism offers. Sad.

Go Ahead and Smoke

As "No Smoking" policies are becoming de rigueur around the country, it often surprises me momentarily when I smell cigarette smoke. And it's been years since I hopped into a rental car to be greeted by the scent of an ash tray.

In line, waiting to get the keys to my rental car on my just completed visit to Louisiana, I overheard the guy in front of me ask if he could get a "smoking" car (and I don't think he meant a Ferrari GT). The agent smiled and replied that "the entire fleet is 'No Smoking'...but don't worry, everybody smokes in them anyway."

As I walked to my ride, I chuckled to myself at the meltdown her supervisors would have had if they knew of this response. That is, until I hopped in the car.

Evidently, she's right. Everybody in Baton Rouge does smoke in the rental cars.