The Tricycle of Guest Service Excellence: A Perfect Model For Remarkable Experiences
Doug Kennedy | October 4, 2024
The Art of a Great Arrival for Luxury Hotels
Adam and Larry Mogelonsky | May 22, 2024
Guest Experience
How Marijuana Legalization Impacts Hotels
Larry Mogelonsky | October 10, 2018
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) With national legalization of marijuana in Canada coming into effect on October 17, 2018, it raises quite a few lucrative opportunities for hotels to capitalize on this new market, as well as a few cautionary notes. Further, with numerous states already adopting similar policies and even more soon to join the fold, this trend is one you must pay attention to. For starters, you must ask whether or not there is any money to be made in marijuana tourism. While you can certainly draw affirming statistics from the likes of anomalies like Amsterdam or Copenhagen's Christiania District, a ...
Hospitality Is the Ultimate Cachet – Images Planted, Dreams Launched!
John Hendrie | October 8, 2018
By John Hendrie The marketplace is bustling with experiences for consumers to consider. It hurts your head! However, Colleagues, we've got it, and others want it. The term, hospitality, evokes certain emotions and expectations, and we are the practitioners who make it work. We fulfill the dreams and deliver the goods. Hospitality represents a most worthy cachet, and we cannot afford to lose that edge. Cachet, you say. What does that actually mean? By definition, a cachet is a sign showing something which is genuine, authentic or of superior quality – a mark of distinction and prestige. In this age of experience, that is exactly wh...
Legend Hotel Lagos Airport Opens at Murtala Muhammed International Airport Marking Curio Collection Debut in Africa
Larry Mogelonsky | October 5, 2018
LAGOS, Nigeria and MCLEAN, Va. - Hilton (NYSE:HLT) today announced the opening of Legend Hotel Lagos Airport, Curio Collection by Hilton, which marks Hilton's 500th hotel to open across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). The hotel joins the exclusive Curio Collection by Hilton, a collection of more than 60 one-of-a-kind hotels and resorts celebrated for their individuality and appeals to travellers seeking local and authentic experiences. Legend Hotel Lagos Airport is located at Murtala Muhammed International Airport which serves more than eight million passengers each year [1]. The stylish hotel is adjacent to the airport's private...
How Does Your Restaurant Account for Allergies
Larry Mogelonsky | October 3, 2018
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Food allergies are not only commonplace nowadays but continue to become more prevalent, particularly in a North American context. This means that allergic considerations will only become more prevalent as millennials and post-millennials come to dominate the travel economy as well as the workforce. Those individuals who are known to have certain afflictions are well-aware of the challenges they face – the common ones being peanuts, fish, shellfish, eggs, tree nuts, dairy and soy, but can also include seemingly more innocuous examples like garlic, red meat, wheat, berries or ce...
Creepy Stairwells, Ghastly Garages and Eerie Elevators-Neglected Nightmares
Roberta Nedry | October 2, 2018
By Roberta Nedry Dark, dismal and dirty stairwells. Parking garages that are Gross! Elevators that are extremely eerie! Well, it is almost Halloween, so these may seem appropriate and in season, BUT these are not amusement park novelties. They are actually part of your hotels, your businesses and your environments all year long-YUCK! I am constantly amazed by the experiences in beautiful hotel lobbies, impeccable office buildings and delicious restaurants that come to a screeching halt when you enter one of these backstage areas for the same high-class setting. Why, oh why are these areas relegated to be the stepchildren of the establis...
THE SALES PROCESS:: Step Two ADVANCING THE SALE
ProSolutions | October 2, 2018
By Jana Love Are you ready to explore the next significant step of building a successful sales conversation? Knowing the steps to take to move the call along professionally will positively enhance sales closure. Remember you can't force a sale, you need to earn the sale. And to do that, some homework prior to the call is required. Let's get started. Prepare and Anticipate Your Customer ~ Some customers know exactly what they want, while others will come to you to be educated on what you have that will interest them. The key to successfully dealing with both of these customers is being present and knowledgeable. As a sales pers...
Hoteliers Can’t Afford to Ignore Operational Communication Technology in 2019
Beekeeper | October 2, 2018
Report shows increased attention is being paid to non-desk workers; Beekeeper engages employees, creates operational efficiencies and drives job retention San Francisco, October 2, 2018 — As hoteliers begin planning their 2019 budgets, they will be focusing in part on implementing technology that will help their deskless employees better communicate with management and each other. Eighty-two percent of hospitality companies plan to increase spending on deskless technology in 2019, according to a new deskless workforce report issued by Emergence Capital. "The Rise of the Deskless Workforce" shows that hotel companies will direct pa...
Cannabis & The Hospitality Industry
Chamberlin Public Relations | October 1, 2018
As more states ease laws on cannabis usage, hotels are finding new ways to incorporate the drug into their product offering, either catering to new demographics or offering new services for those eager to try something different and exciting. According to a Gallup poll from late last year, more than 65 percent of Americans "support legalizing marijuana for both recreational and medicinal use." So far, 31 states across the country now permit marijuana use in some form, even though the drug is still classified as "schedule 1," meaning that it has a high potential for abuse. Even so, recreational use of cannabis is now legal in nine states...
McCarren Hotel & Pool Debuts OpenKey’s Mobile Key Access
OpenKey | September 27, 2018
Innovative technology delivers convenience that today's travelers expect DALLAS, TEXAS (September 27, 2018) – McCarren Hotel & Pool, one of the most sought after urban retreats located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, has unveiled keyless room access powered by OpenKey's innovative technology. OpenKey, the industry standard for universal mobile key in hotels, will support the McCarren's efforts in delivering an unparalleled experience to its digital native guests. McCarren Hotel & Pool is a neighborhood oasis where guests can enjoy one-of-a-kind experiences paired with luxury amenities and first-class service. The modern gue...
Using the Little Guestroom Features to Differentiate
Larry Mogelonsky | September 26, 2018
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Oftentimes marketers and hoteliers alike get caught up in the big picture as they try to sell their products on only the flashiest features. Be it the great outdoor pool, the award-winning restaurant or the million-dollar-redesigned chic lobby bar, we aim to emotionally impact potential customers with dynamic visuals and impressive amenities. Through this singular focus we are strategically manipulating the narrative so that it is simple, memorable and unique to the guest – a vital task in today's uber-competitive environment where consumers' attention spans are infinitesimall...
Marriott Selects Volara as the Official and Exclusive Partner for Its Voice Pilots
Volara | September 26, 2018
The voice hub for the hotel industry is chosen for its increased guest privacy protections, secure integrations hub, interaction accuracy, and support for multiple natural-language processing platforms New York — September 26, 2018 — Volara – the voice hub for the hotel industry – announces that it has been selected by Marriott International Inc. as its official and exclusive partner for its pilots of voice technologies. Volara's software provides conversation management and secure integrations for 98 percent of the hotels using Alexa technology in the United States today. Marriott will benefit from Volara's soft...
What Do Hotel Guests Really Want? Anticipated Versus Actual Use of Amenities
Chekitan S. Dev | September 25, 2018
by Chekitan S. Dev, Rebecca W. Hamilton, Roland T. Rust, and Matthew V. Valenti Abstract: Hotels provide a lengthy menu of amenities based on the (largely accurate) perception that guests want those amenities and claim they will use them. While many guests do exactly that, a substantial percentage will "overpredict" which amenities they will use. This study of fifty hotel-wide and in-room amenities details both the overpredictions and, in some cases, underpredictions of amenity use by 724 guests in thirty-three hotels operated by six hotel brands—one upscale, two upper upscale, and three luxury—belonging to one hotel company...
Takeaways From the 2018 Guest Experience Assessment Report: Better Alignment of Tech & Value for Guests
Jos Schaap, CEO -Founder and CEO | September 25, 2018
By Jos Schaap CEO and Founder - StayNTouch The relationship between hospitality and technology is ever-evolving as the demands of the modern guest continue to redefine the industry landscape. With the on-going need for guest personalization and value-driven service, the most successful hotels will be those who allocate more of their budgets for technology that actually aligns with delivering a better guest experience for all types of travelers. This may empower a self-service model for some guests, and high-touch, personalized service for others. To gain a better understanding of current guest assessment trends and technological, guest-...
Hospitality Financial Leadership: Unplugging the Brand and Cranking up the OTA’s – Hotel Overachiever
David Lund | September 24, 2018
By David Lund It's nothing new to hear about hotels or owners who have said "good bye" to brands and have gone on their own as an independent hotel. This is the story of one such hotel and a look at their results. I am also going to highlight the typical costs associated with being affiliated with a brand and what some say is the biggest reason to get out while you can. The whole idea was the new owners. They bought the hotel with the express purpose of taking down the flag and making the hotel an independent. The market was strong and the hotel with its brand was doing quite well – a positive revpar index with its historical comp...
Why Asset Managers and Owners Should View Hotel Maintenance as a Revenue Opportunity
Guestware | September 24, 2018
By Mike Benjamin Hotel Preventive Maintenance (PM) has long been viewed as a necessary hotel engineering function and best practice. Most owners assume the management team is doing proper maintenance to achieve the useful life of assets (equipment, guest rooms and public spaces) and to avoid costly premature failures or replacements. Both owners and operators want to know PM's are getting done, but few prioritize and monitor maintenance as a key performance metric like they do with revenue. Research shows strong hotel maintenance is a revenue opportunity. Hotel guest satisfaction research has shown for years that guests are less likely ...
What Four Things Impact First Impressions?
ProSolutions | September 20, 2018
By Katie Scheer First impressions are paramount since they are highly accurate; how you are instantly evaluated can make or break your success. And you have heard before that a first impression is made within 5 seconds, but I believe it's faster. Why? Personal experience– I get a feeling about something or a situation within 2 seconds (don't you?). The science- 20 million billion bits of information move around our brains every second, and it calculates sounds, sights, smells, taste, touch, and thoughts in every moment at the same time (from The Phenomenal Experience). This means we need to up our game and make sure that we contro...
Continuing the Post-Stay Relationship
Larry Mogelonsky | September 19, 2018
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) How do you spur past guests to return to your property or, at the very least, interact with a member of your team after they've left? Nowadays, the extent of most hotels' post-stay communications with customers pertains only to generic templated emails and hardly ever a phone call or a handwritten note. As this is the new normal, any property that breaks away from this mold will be much more likely at getting a lasting impression. And so, a recent UPS delivery brought an unexpected surprise – a package for my wife from a small property in Newfoundland called Fogo Island Inn th...
Choice Hotels Launches Virtual Pay Online
Choice Hotels | September 18, 2018
First Hotel Company to Eliminate Need for Faxed and Emailed Authorization Forms for Corporate Travel ROCKVILLE, Md., Sept. 18, 2018 -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) has launched a virtual payment option on ChoiceHotels.com to create a seamless booking experience for corporate travelers, becoming the first hotel company to adopt this payment method on its consumer-facing website. With one click during the checkout process, corporate travel managers now have the option to book reservations using a centralized form of payment, and without having to supply each traveler with a physical card or provide an authorization form. ...
Train Your Front Desk Team on the “5 Pillars of Hospitality Excellence”
Doug Kennedy | September 17, 2018
By Doug Kennedy When a guest enters your lobby, chances are they are about to have their first human interaction with your hotel's individual "brand." In the past, most guests called to book by voice and then called back multiple times prior to arrival with questions about driving directions, transportation, area restaurants, hours of operations and the like. These days most guests book online and then Google search for answers to these and other pre-arrival questions. Therefore, while I have always believed that the front desk staff played a critical role, now more than ever they truly are the first impression makers, for better or for...
It’s Budget Season… Are You Ready?
Intelity | September 17, 2018
"As the summer winds down and the 2019 budget season ramps up, hoteliers need to bring technology to the forefront of their capital plans." Studies show mobile solutions from Intelity and KEYPR are high on guests' wish lists for 2019 According to Hospitality Technology's 2018 Customer Engagement Technology Study, 65% of guests say they are willing to pay higher rates and are more likely to return to a hotel that offers access to the technology they deem important. Guests' technology demands for 2019 include having a hotel mobile app with a variety of features, the ability to check-in and out from a mobile device, and high-tech features ...
Q&A With Andrew Cohan, MAI, Managing Director Horwath HTL Miami
Andrew Cohan | September 13, 2018
Hotel Online recently requested a Q&A with Andrew Cohan, MAI, Managing Director of the Miami office of Horwath HTL on his views of the hotel industry. Andrew's areas of expertise are many, but his true passions include development of health and wellness offerings in the lodging sector. He is also keenly interested in sustainability and the opportunities to use local resources as a significant element of a hotel brand's amenities and value propositions. Here, Andrew discusses some of his insights and observations guiding developers in these arenas to help create "transformational experiences." With such a robust proliferation of bran...
Do Travelers Read Press Releases Anymore?
Larry Mogelonsky | September 12, 2018
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Being a staff writer for several publications and a member of most travel writer associations with a highly visible email address, I'm the recipient of dozens of media releases per day. If ever I leave my cell phone at home for longer than half a day, my inbox is bombard by over a hundred of these 'important news bulletins', all of them 'urgently' awaiting my attention. While I'm annoyed to be receiving so many of these – most of them are irrelevant and more like spam, even though I am a business recipient and not a general consumer – what frustrates me more is how ineff...
How Hotels Can Leverage the Psychology of Impulse Buying to Capture More Revenue and Enhance the Guest Stay
September 12, 2018
By Jos Schaap CEO and Founder - StayNTouch Let's consider a scenario. You're out shopping for a few household items at a local Target or Costco, but while you cross those items off your list, you come across some tempting, unrelated deals. Maybe a great deal on a new TV or electronic, a decorative item for the house, a luxury skincare item, or a gift for a loved one. In the first scenario, you fill up your cart and head for an open check-out lane. In the span of a few short minutes, you're out the door and unloading your haul into the trunk of your car. In the second scenario, you fill up your cart and head for the check-out — onl...
The Profession of Hospitality: Enough With Elites, Welcome Entrepreneurs!
Georges Panayotis | September 11, 2018
By Georges Panayotis The entire profession agrees that the sector is short of manpower. Very often, restaurants, bars, hotels are unable to find competent, motivated and loyal staff to make their business grow and provide irreproachable customer service. Once you have gone around and squared the circle, you find yourself back at the beginning. Consultations, experiments, meetings, debates, brainstorming... much effort has been put into finding a solution, but but they result in half-measures and ultimately do not really solve this problem. Nevertheless, it is central to our profession, which is based on know-how and human contact. Paral...
