Powerful Twitter

If you have been following the devastating news about the earthquake in Haiti and wondering what is happening with hotels in the country, perhaps the best place for updates is Twitter.Got to Twitter.com and type “Haiti hotel” into the search field and you will get an incredible list of “tweets” updating you on what has happened to the hotels in the country. In fact, Richard Morse, proprietor of the Hotel Oloffsson in Port-au-Prince has been tweeting throughout the ordeal, providing updates on whatever he knows. The search is filled with links to other Web updates about the catastrophe.

Now, in a situation like this, no doubt there will be false reports tweeted by just about anyone, but I think an event like this offers a lesson: Twitter can be the most direct, instant and, perhaps now, the most widely followed source for instant information. Hoteliers in a crisis situation can use Twitter to connect with the public, provide updates and offer valuable insight into any situation. It can also be used to calm guests, friends and the public when a hotel faces any type of serious situation.

That being said, of course, any hotel needs to consult with legal and crisis management experts, as well as the corporate office, to define a Twitter policy for moments such as these, but this awful situation in Haiti shows you the power of social media and how this new outlet can help distribute your messages and update important information without delay.