The new site, www.hotelandrestaurant.co.za, is a dynamic hub that will not only bring Hotel & Restaurant's brand offering into the spotlight as the ultimate platform for the hospitality industry, it will offer an improved news distribution channel that will engage readers on all multimedia levels, according to publisher Bradley Kantor.
The most notable of the new developments is the launch of a Press Office, designed to aid industry suppliers and advertising and PR agencies in advising the industry of their clients' news and developments.
It is anticipated a newly developed Careers portal will become the leading online resource for the hospitality industry, giving recruitment agencies and private companies a portal to post new positions specific to the sector.
Hotel & Restaurant's Buyers' Guide, already an extensive database of suppliers to the industry, will see the services and products benefit from improved searchability.
"This is a very exciting development for us," commented Kantor. "Not only is it a new model for us from a publishing perspective, it changes the focus of the site into an interactive, commercially viable business hub.
"We believe this product will take Hotel & Restaurant to a new level and cement the brand's position as market leader."
The new portals will be welcomed by the hospitality industry, providing a one-stop shop that will become known for its functionality and ease-of-use in terms of career development and the dissemination of news, while the Buyers' Guide will be recognised for its brand-building ability for suppliers in the industry, he said.
In addition to these new developments, Hotel & Restaurant has put in place a social media marketing strategy to promote the brand's multiple offering.
What made the website redesign particularly gratifying was the fact that it was built in-house by the company's own digital team, Kantor added.
