The Art of a Great Arrival for Luxury Hotels
Adam and Larry Mogelonsky | May 22, 2024
Hotel X Supercharges Marketing With Automation and Dynamic Content
Hapi | April 11, 2024
Guest Experience
Don’t Throw Fellow Employees Under the Bus
Shep Hyken | July 18, 2024
By Shep Hyken I couldn’t hold back. I told an employee to stop complaining about her fellow employees in front of us, her customers. Here’s the story. My wife and I were at a restaurant. The server seemed pleasant and professional, but as our food was delivered, we saw a different side of her. There was a mistake in the order. The side dishes we received were not the ones we chose. I didn’t think it would be a big deal. She could either take our meals back to the kitchen or let us keep our meals and bring out the side dishes we ordered. But to the server, it was a big deal. She started to complain about how this happens “...
Tale of Two Travel Markets: High-End Hotel Segments See Steady Guest Satisfaction Improvement, While More Affordable Hotel Segments Post Declines, J.D
J.D. Power | July 16, 2024
Higher Room Rates, Longer Stays and Fewer Trips Put Focus on Quality of Guest Rooms and Hotel Maintenance TROY, Mich.: 16 July 2024 — With an average daily rate (ADR) for a U.S. hotel room of $158.45 in May 2024—the second-highest month ever behind $159.01 in October 20231—virtually every traveler in every hotel price bracket is paying more for a hotel room. According to the J.D. Power 2024 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index (NAGSI) Study,SM released today, travelers’ perceived value for those higher prices is very much dependent on how well the hotel delivers on their expectations. This year, the luxury and upper upsca...
Creating the Wow Factor in Hospitality
Sean Flakelar | July 11, 2024
We have all heard of the Wow Factor. We see it in architecture, the view, the interiors of a resort or in a sensational meal. We feel it in the smallest and most unexpected touches and gestures. The Hospitality Wow Factor Creating the Wow Factor in hospitality involves going beyond your guests’ expectations to deliver memorable and delightful experiences. Bringing the Wow Factor into your business will set you apart from the competition and build brand integrity. Wow Factor Contributors: Know your Surroundings Utilise the surrounding landscape (rural or urban). Know what’s in your backyard and develop local partnerships to create un...
Training Customers to Do It Themselves
Shep Hyken | July 11, 2024
More and more, customers are open to using self-service solutions. Our customer experience research shows that while customers might prefer the human touch, some expect digital, self-service solutions. In certain cases, they even demand it. And it’s not just in customer service. Consider Amazon, the perfect example of a self-service retailer. From researching to purchasing a product, and even in most customer service situations, everything is a self-service experience. Each step of the process is logical and intuitive. For customer service issues, the customer is prompted through a process. Along the way, if the customer still wants ...
The Retro Motel Trend With Hotel Zazz in Albuquerque
Adam and Larry Mogelonsky | July 10, 2024
With the recent Fourth of July holiday, we bring you a story of true American success in hospitality. The Hotel Zazz in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which opened in Fall 2022, is emblematic of the retro motel trend that has captured the hearts of drive-to-vacationing millennials and Gen Xers, alongside other independents like The Vagabond Hotel in Miami, The Dive Motel in Nashville, Skyview Los Alamos in California and Thunderbird in Marfa, Texas as well as multi-property brands like Bluebird and Urban Cowboy. Right along the famed Route 66, all of the 48 guestrooms are imaginatively decorated with colorful, eclectic finishings while the public s...
Why Hotels Should Master the Fundamentals of Guest Experience Before Adding the Bells and Whistles
Joe Vargas | July 10, 2024
By Joe Vargas, SVP & General Manager, Infor Hospitality NBA legend Michael Jordan is famous for his thrilling game style, but he didn’t get there without mastering the basics of the sport. As he famously said, “You can practice shooting eight hours a day, but if your technique is wrong, then all you become is very good at shooting the wrong way. Get the fundamentals down, and the level of everything you do will rise.” The same can be said for the hospitality industry. Innovative features undoubtedly have the potential to elevate guest experiences to new heights. However, hotel executives aiming to close the experience gap must ...
Fulfilling the Elevated Standards of the Changing Luxury Stay
Frank Pitsikalis | July 9, 2024
What one guest considers as “luxury” is different from another and for that reason, luxury hotels must offer their guests a variety of choices mapped to their individual preferences to deliver a hyper-personalized luxury experience. Choice is critical for today’s luxury travelers – choice of where to travel, where to stay, what kind of experience they wish to have, and how they want to interact with a property. As noted in a recent EHL Insights article, We keep defining the word luxury but ultimately it has to be defined by the customer. While the level of service, convenience, and attention rank high on the luxury spectrum, prov...
Since When Have EV Chargers Become a Necessity for Hotels?
Linchi Kwok | July 2, 2024
I rented a pure electronic vehicle (PEV) or battery electric vehicle (BEV) for a road trip to Palm Springs in January. That was the first time I took a trip with an EV, and I discovered that a PEV was only good for short or daily commutes. I will need a hybrid EV or a gas-powered car for longer road trips. My not-as-pleasant EV experience in Palm Springs Before this road trip, I assumed that EV chargers would be “everywhere” in California because California is the pioneer in banning the sales of new gas-powered vehicles. As a result, I did not “bother” to check how many EV chargers the area or my hotel has, even though I kne...
Almost Every Hotel or Resort Customer Reads Guest Reviews
Accor | June 17, 2024
A staggering 97% of hotel guests have consulted guest reviews when looking to book a stay in a hotel or resort, according to a new report from Accor, a world leading hospitality group. The report, based on research1 carried out amongst 5,000 travellers across five European countries who stayed in a hotel or resort during the last 12 months, reveals that almost four in ten (38%) guests do so every time they book a stay, and a further 38% do so most of the time. According to the study, guest reviews and ratings are the second most important factor in the booking decision process, ranking just behind rooms and amenities, and surpassing cri...
Start With YES … Even If It Doesn’t End That Way
Shep Hyken | June 13, 2024
By Shep Hyken It’s time to revisit the idea of avoiding the word “no,” but this time, I want to approach it from a different angle. First, let me tell you about my friend Dr. Nido Qubein, a devoted husband and father, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, president of High Point University, and mentor to many, who came to this country when he was 17 with little more than $50 to his name. Almost 50 years ago, he attended High Point University, never dreaming that one day he would be president of the institution, a position he accepted in 2005. Since that time, there has been incredible growth at HPU. In his first year, the universi...
Simplify the Complicated (Part Three)
Shep Hyken | June 6, 2024
By Shep Hyken This is the third article this year about the concept of simplicity. Why? It apparently resonates with our subscribers, as there have been many comments and emails. Consider these quotes: It was either Mark Twain, Benjamin Franklin, Pascal, Cicero, or some other famous smart person who said, “If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.” Einstein said, “Genius is making complex ideas simple, not making simple ideas complex.” What else can I add to this concept? The same day the last article came out in The Shepard Letter, I was asked to complete some “paperwork.” Once again, I ha...
Sleep Tourism Now Mainstream With the Global Sleep Symposium at the Equinox Hotel
ADAM AND LARRY MOGELONSKY | June 5, 2024
By Adam Mogelonsky, Larry Mogelonsky Once you go down the wellness rabbit hole, there’s no going back. Living a healthy lifestyle has far too many advantages. You think more clearly; you have more energy; your mood improves; you’re happier; then you end up having better relationships and being more successful overall. We wellness folks can often forget, however, that not everyone shares the same mindset. Interest is growing, sure, but we need landmark news stories to emphasize this industry’s progression from niche to mainstream and the multi-trillion-dollar opportunity that awaits hospitality brands who anticipate the societal sh...
Lessons From the Euros: What Can Hospitality Learn From Football?
Tom Brown | June 3, 2024
By Tom Brown Football and hospitality have a lot in common. For a start, there’s their ubiquity. Wherever you are in the world, you’re never too far from someone kicking a football (yes, I’m talking about soccer); just like you’re never far from a hotel, hostel or long-stay lodging. Europe’s attention will be focused on Germany this month as Euro 2024 gets underway, which makes it a pertinent time to ask: what can hospitality learn from football? Value teamwork Football is a team sport. The same is true for hospitality. Let’s explore the metaphor. The most obvious part of a football team is the players on the pitch...
The Cost of Surprising the Customer
Shep Hyken | May 30, 2024
By Shep Hyken Surprising customers with something they weren’t expecting doesn’t have to be expensive. In many cases, it can be very inexpensive or even free. For example, surprising a couple with a cake and candle when they are celebrating at a restaurant costs a tiny fraction of the meal but greatly impacts the evening. For years, I’ve shared the story of a cab driver who surprised his customers with a newspaper, a bottle of water and a side trip to see a famous local landmark. That side trip cost the driver nothing but a few minutes of time. And the newspaper and water cost him far less than the extra tip he received f...
Gen Z Customer Experience Strategy – Dealing With Younger Generations
EHL Graduate School | May 28, 2024
You have to be careful when making assumptions about customers based on generation-specific stereotypes, as there are exceptions to every rule. However, it’s fair to say that Generation Z consumers - born between the mid-1990s and 2010 - have different customer experience expectations, including customer service strategy. And really, it’s hardly surprising. Generation Z is the first generation not to know a world without the internet. Their purchasing decisions are heavily influenced by social media. They favor a digital-first customer experience that is responsive and transparent, and they place a high value on ethical concerns when d...
What Personalized Hospitality Is and What It Isn’t
Doug Kennedy | May 28, 2024
By Doug Kennedy As a hotel conference speaker opinion writer, I always try to stay up on the very latest innovations and tech solutions, and so I start each day by reading at least a half dozen lodging industry eNewsletters. Being a provider of training in the topic areas of hospitality, sales, and guest service excellence, my eyes are always drawn to any headline with the words “personalized” or “guest hospitality” in it. Seems that just about every day, a new article comes out somewhere featuring these words, yet when I read what follows, it inevitably seems to be about some new tech or AI-powered solution that does not result in...
Twenty-One Percent of Customers Admit to Cursing at Customer Service Agents
Shep Hyken | May 24, 2024
By Shep Hyken There’s an old story about an airline passenger who walks into the baggage claim office and starts screaming and cursing at the airline employee. The employee, who is calm and collected, responds, “I am sorry about your lost luggage. At this point in time, there are only two people in the entire world who care about your luggage, and you’re starting to make one of them upset.” Unfortunately, some customers, like the passenger in the story, are angry. If 21% of customers admit they curse at customer service agents, does that mean that 79% are lying? I’m just kidding, of course, but with customer service being m...
The Experiential Travel Boom: The Big Summer Travel Trends for 2024
Ivana Johnston | May 23, 2024
By Ivana Johnston Even with the economy's ups and downs, travelers are spending more on experiences. They're going for bucket-list adventures that showcase their unique passions. This booming industry is expected to reach $1.6 trillion by the end of 2024! Airbnb is also stepping up its experience game with the announcement of its Summer 2024 Icons Program. This new initiative promises a collection of extraordinary experiences hosted by the biggest names in music, film, TV, art, sports, and much more. What's fueling this surge? It's the irresistible allure of adventure and novelty. According to a recent survey by GetYourGuide, 90% of tra...
The Synergy Between Digitalization and Personalized Travel
Reeves Mathews | May 22, 2024
By Reeves Mathews Personalisation remains one of the strongest strategies within travel and tourism, especially as international tourism reaches pre-pandemic levels. Per the first UNWTO World Tourism Barometer of 2024, international tourism ended 2023 at 88% of pre-pandemic levels and is expecting a full recovery by the end of the year. With this growth, many businesses understand the importance of personalisation, especially as tourists from around the world travel with heightened and diversified expectations. Many senior leaders see offering customers an excellent personal experience as key to market success. How is d...
The Art of a Great Arrival for Luxury Hotels
Adam and Larry Mogelonsky | May 22, 2024
By Adam Mogelonsky, Larry Mogelonsky In the realm of luxury hotels, guests have a highly discerning eye. And as they say, first impressions are everything. Combining these two, it’s no surprise that resorts and other envious properties around the globe spent an inordinate amount of time and money on crafting a great arrival experience. Having the honor of working with some of these over the years, we can say that there are lessons for all that are replicable at the non-luxury level. To start, you must understand the luxury mindset – something we articulate in our ‘Mille Club’ designation and playbook for clients with ‘mille’...
Show Me Some Respect – One of the Pillars of Customer Service
Shep Hyken | May 16, 2024
By Shep Hyken Some of you will not recognize the name Rodney Dangerfield, who was one of the funniest comedians of his time, if not all time. He passed away in 2004. (For those who aren’t familiar with Dangerfield, go to YouTube and search for his name, but only if you want to smile and laugh. And just a warning, some of his comedy club material is R-rated.) Dangerfield had a signature line: I don’t get no respect. For example, “I don’t get no respect … … When I was a kid, I played hide-and-seek. They wouldn’t even look for me. … When I was a kid, my parents moved a lot, but I always found them. ...
Sojern Expands Its Guest Experience Solutions to Europe
Sojern | May 14, 2024
SAN FRANCISCO – 14 May 2024 – Sojern, the leading digital marketing platform built for travel, today announces its suite of Guest Experience Solutions are now available in Europe. The launch will kick off in Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom and Ireland, with France and Portugal to follow. In 2023, Sojern acquired VenueLytics, hospitality’s most integrated guest experience platform, and incorporated VenueLytics’ capabilities as an extension of the Sojern Travel Marketing Platform, known as Guest Experience Solutions (GES). In North America, Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) spoke highly of the increased guest satisfact...
The Tension Between Leadership and Customer Service
Shep Hyken | May 9, 2024
By Shep Hyken My friend Sterling Hawkins just wrote a great article about the tension between the leadership of a company and the salesforce. Hawkins reports the president of a Fortune 500 company told him, “Tension between the salesforce and leadership is normal. One is always bargaining with the other for more. The sales team wants more time and budget, and the leadership wants more sales.” That made me think of the tension that is sometimes created between leadership and the customer service team. In the end, it’s mostly because of unrealistic expectations. It reminds me of an episode of Amazing Business Radio when I...
Creating Memorable Guest Experiences: Personalization With Storytelling
Dr. Suzanne Godfrey | May 9, 2024
By Dr. Suzanne Godfrey In the world of hospitality, experiences play a crucial role in creating lasting memories for guests. While everyone may talk about the ideal guest experience, it's essential to recognize that not all experiences are created equal. What truly sets a guest experience apart and makes it unforgettable? Personalization is obviously key. Tailoring each interaction to the individual guest's preferences and needs can elevate a stay from ordinary to extraordinary and as a result, be highly memorable. But there is more than just understanding preferences and meeting needs... This article helps hoteliers to understand h...
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