HFTP® Acquires Leading Hospitality Industry Brands: Hospitality Upgrade, Hotel-Online, The CIO Summit and The Executive Vendor Summit
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals | June 25, 2024
Industry Happenings
HSMAI Honors Hospitality Heroes as Part of the Annual Adrian Awards
HSMAI | July 16, 2020
The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is recognizing hospitality professionals who have taken a leadership position, championed a cause, or created a program that has directly benefited industry workers, medical personnel, first responders, or communities that have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic with the first-ever HSMAI Hospitality Heroes Adrian Award honor. “It is truly incredible how hospitality professionals have stepped up during a time of crisis,” said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHBA, president and CEO of HSMAI. “It’s true that hospitality is founded on a community of individuals who...
56% Travel Buyers Have Revised Their Travel Policy in Light of COVID-19
the Global Business Travel Association | July 16, 2020
As recovery continues companies look to safeguard employee health and safety Alexandria, VA – As signs of recovery continue in the business travel sector, travel procurement professionals are prioritizing the health and safety of employees according to a new poll released today by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA). Over half of travel buyers report their company has changed its travel policy and 70% characterize the policy changes as being ‘somewhat’ or ‘a lot’. When asked what travel program changes have been made due to the pandemic, instituting new rules about pre-trip approval (53%), having more frequent or detailed...
Hotels Plan For a COVID-19-Informed Future
JLL | July 16, 2020
The next normal will include safety ratings and cleanliness councils July 16, 2020 - The coronavirus pandemic has roiled the hospitality industry, closing more than 5,000 hotels in the U.S. alone in March and April. By the start of June, nearly half were still shuttered, according to STR, a hotel data provider. Now, after months of lockdowns and travel restrictions, some parts of the world are slowly starting to reopen to international travelers. In other areas, regional travel is beginning in earnest. But in a world still grappling with the pandemic, it’s far from business as usual. Hotels are transforming their cleaning protocols...
Hotels and Casinos Cannot Afford to Gamble With Employee Safety
Shannon McCallum | July 16, 2020
Travelers with COVID fatigue are flocking to Las Vegas in search of normalcy, but their tendency to ignore safety protocols is putting workers at risk; Employee safety devices and contactless technologies are helping hoteliers protect their people By Shannon McCallum Imagine being able to ride a bike down the middle of Las Vegas Boulevard without fear of oncoming traffic. That was the scene mid June … before visitors from nearby states began driving to the entertainment capital of the world in search of a respite from COVID-19. Las Vegas is open, but it is far from business as usual, and it will take some time for large convention bu...
Beekeeper to Host ‘Communicating for Agility’ Webinar Featuring Insights From MOHG
Beekeeper | July 16, 2020
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s Director Rooms and Quality will share how the iconic hotel chain is engaging and motivating its employees on the long road to recovery Oakland, Calif. And Zurich, July 16, 2020 — With the resurgence of COVID-19 cases in many parts of the world, hoteliers need to be more agile today than ever before. As newly crafted safety and operating protocols continue to evolve, hoteliers must react quickly to ensure that changes are carried out effectively by their frontline employees. Next week Anja Luthje, group director rooms and quality for Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, will join Beekeeper in discussing ...
Returning to Hospitality Operations
Adam Knight | July 14, 2020
By Adam Knight Unless a property is seasonal, most hotels aren't built to be closed. Ask around and you'll find that many hospitality professionals have never gone through the process of closing or opening a hotel. The first half of 2020 has changed that and we find ourselves at the start of the second half of the year with closed hotels still trying to decide if they should reopen and recently-opened hotels either struggling to operate on very minimal staffing or being overwhelmingly busy (with very minimal staffing). In any of these scenarios, trying to figure out what to do to safely reopen or to reassess plans that were put in pl...
COVID 19: Making Your Hotel Business Future-Ready
| July 14, 2020
Travel and hotel trade professionals are just beginning to find their feet after the unprecedented effects of almost zero global demand due to COVID-19. One thing is certain: an altered lifestyle will emerge as a result of this crisis. Businesses will either be sold, shut, hived off and in some cases thrive exponentially. The key to survive and subsequently thrive depends on many factors such as cash in bank, demand, debt ratio, liabilities both external and internal, flexibility and a robust plan to see through this period. Whilst some factors are beyond a hotel's control and not all issues can be rectified now, there are however key cor...
A Model for Hotels to Hospitals (H2H ©) During an Unprecedented Era
Fred DeMicco | July 14, 2020
By Frederick DeMicco and Jackie Guzman During the early months of 2020, once it was apparent that the novel coronavirus (COVID19) was a global pandemic, people everywhere started to think of creative solutions to help ease the problems of the virus. One solution was to convert hotels into hospitals (H2H ©) and into housing for healthcare workers. With the virus halting travel, many hotels were left close to vacant. On top of that, many healthcare professionals were worried about traveling back and forth between work and home, at the risk of infecting their household. Therefore, hotel managers came up with the idea of opening their doors t...
Bending Without Breaking: How Labor Flexibility Can Help Hotels Survive the COVID-19 Pandemic
Mark Heymann | July 14, 2020
By Mark Heymann The COVID-19 pandemic isn’t going away anytime soon, and the widespread resurgence of cases across the U.S. throughout June and July is a prime example of that. From a hospitality perspective, the unfortunate reality is clear: hotels will continue to face an uphill battle until a vaccine or effective treatment becomes available. There’s no way around it -- point blank, period. The only way forward is by adapting to the circumstances in front of us. How? Well, a good way to start is by implementing flexibility within labor management processes. Unforeseen obstacles are arising every day amid the pandemic, which furthe...
‘Employee Safety’ Webcast Series Is LIVE!
React Mobile | July 14, 2020
Seattle, July 14, 2020 — The “New World, New Employee Safety Culture” webcast series is LIVE! Hosted by React Mobile CEO Rob Monkman, the fast-paced online resource provides answers to some of hoteliers’ most pressing questions about employee safety post pandemic and amidst civil unrest. Questions posed include: What does the new employee safety culture look like today as we roll into recovery? How is technology helping to define hospitality’s new normal post pandemic? Which contactless technologies are being implemented to protect front-line workers? What can technologists do to help hoteliers implement new operating procedures? Wh...
HFTP Pivots In-Person Events to Cyber HITEC
HFTP | July 13, 2020
Attendee safety concerns, global travel restrictions and uncertain guidance drive decision to transition from in-person to virtual event. The online event, which will offer education and vendor interaction, will become available on October 27, 2020 and run for one month. AUSTIN, TEXAS, USA (July 13, 2020) — Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) announced today that October’s “Best of HFTP” in-person events will pivot to a virtual “Cyber HITEC.” The in-person event, which included HITEC San Antonio, HFTP Annual Convention, Entrepreneur 20X and Club Forum, was scheduled for October 26–29, 2020 in San Anto...
Travellers Should ‘Wear to Care’ in the New Normal Says WTTC
July 13, 2020
London, UK: The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has called upon all travellers to don protective face masks to show they ‘wear to care’ in the new normal of travelling. As countries transition from lockdowns to reopening their borders, the wearing of face masks helps signal the return of safer travels, while also providing personal protection for users as well as those around them. The advice from WTTC in favour of mandatory mask wearing comes from evidence that countries which are recovering faster and avoid second COVID-19 spikes are those where the use of face masks have been widely enforced and encouraged. Following...
How Big Hotel Brands Have Stepped Up Their Hygiene Game
July 13, 2020
The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have rattled the tourism and hospitality industry. The cancellation of flights, conferences, events and hotel reservations have left the industry in sharp decline, with planned travel down 80-90% and global losses estimated at $300-450 billion. So how can hotels prepare, and step up their hygiene protocols to make their establishment safe and trustworthy? What can smaller hotels and lodging providers learn from the best practices of other hotels who are leading the way? 1. Set clear protocols The first step is to be very clear about the safety guidelines and protocols for your establishment – incl...
Economic Theories on COVID-19’s Impact on Hospitality and Tourism
July 13, 2020
Fever, dry cough, and tiredness. These are the COVID-19 symptoms according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Yet those are also the textbook symptoms that the world economy is experiencing today. What is missing is a small footnote that says, “By the way, watch out for the return of the Say’s Law”. If we were at the doctor’s, we would then ask: “Is it serious?” The answer would be: “It depends, we don’t know much about it!” Well, why not? COVID-19's negative impact on the aggregate demand and aggregate supply The COVID-19 crisis, like the 2008 crisis, led to a substantial drop in demand: customers don’t consume, gu...
Hilton Introduces Hilton EventReady With CleanStay, Setting New Standards for Event Cleanliness and Customer Service
Hilton | July 13, 2020
SINGAPORE - For more than 100 years, Hilton hotels around the world have set the stage for the world’s most coveted and important meetings, events and entertainment gatherings – from star-laden award shows and movie sets to energetic political conventions, global conferences and wow-worthy weddings. Today, that tradition continues – even at a safe distance. To address safe group travel practices and evolve today’s event experience, Hilton today announced a global, industry-leading cleanliness and customer service program specific to meetings and events. Hilton EventReady with CleanStay is the next phase of the company’s recently ...
Change Is on the Horizon: What’s Next for Marketing in a Post-Pandemic World
Alan Young | July 9, 2020
It is time to shift from "here's why you should buy this service/product" to "here's how we can help" By Alan E. Young Around the world and across industries, marketers now face arguably one of the toughest challenges of their careers. There is, after all, no universally established gold-standard for marketing during a wide-spread pandemic, because a global crisis of this magnitude is hardly ‘textbook’. As the media coverage so often reiterates, we now find ourselves in uncharted territory. Although the importance of brand agility and frequent innovation is well-understood by business owners and B2B marketers, the coronavirus pan...
Hotel Operators Must Be flexible, Be Lean and React Quickly to Change, Says HVS Webinar Panellists
HVS | July 9, 2020
09 July 2020, London: Financing the cost of re-opening the hotel sector was the hot topic tackled in the second hotel webinar organised by global hotel consultancy HVS, legal firm Bird & Bird, EP Hospitality and AlixPartners, which was held yesterday [8th July]. The seminar, with nearly 350 industry executives attending, kicked off with an overview from EP Hospitality chief executive Chris Sheppardson, who said that Covid-19 was “the greatest catalyst for change for the last 60 years”. It’s vital, he said, to share information and communicate as noone has ever experienced anything with such a far-reaching impact.AlixPartners’ m...
Impacts of COVID-19 on the Boston and Cambridge Hotel Industry
July 8, 2020
By RKG Associates and Pinnacle Advisory Group For 2019, Pinnacle Advisory Group estimated that Boston and Cambridge hotels generated nearly $2 billion in rooms revenue, based on a total supply of nearly 25,700 rooms, an average occupancy of 81.4 percent and an average daily rate (ADR) of $259. Over 13,300 people are employed in the hotel industry sector in Boston and Cambridge. Due to the pandemic and the stay-at-home requirements starting in March of this year, demand for hotel rooms has dropped precipitously. On March 31, Governor Baker began a provision of lodging that was defined as a COVID-19 Essential Service, allowing hotels in th...
Hotel Marketing in the Summer of Covid
Larry Mogelonsky | July 8, 2020
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) With a vaccine far off, the balance of 2020 and some of 2021 will find us working under a powerful Covid cloud. Marketing is still needed, though, as it’s the lifeblood for driving awareness and generating demand. The summer months and early stretch of fall are critical for maintaining your current audience as well as finding new ones closer to home. While each property will have its own unique circumstances, there are some generalities that you can use to guide your budget planning. Below is a guide, not in any particular order of priority, split into those programs you should av...
Metro Detroit’s Hospitality Industry Employment Hits Record Highs Before COVID-19
The Workforce Intelligence Network (WIN) | July 8, 2020
DETROIT, July 8, 2020 - Metro Detroit's tourism and hospitality employment prior to the COVID-19 pandemic reached record levels in 2020 and it was ranked as one of the largest industries in the region and statewide, the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau said today. A study by the Workforce Intelligence Network (WIN) and commissioned by the DMCVB in February, found that before the pandemic hit, tourism and hospitality contributed 463,840 direct jobs to the metro Detroit economy. Additionally, another 23,000 indirect jobs were tied to hospitality. In a normal year, tourism and hospitality make up about 25 percent of all metr...
Hotel Sentiment Survey Results: What Does Re-Opening Look Like During a Pandemic?
Nicki Graham | July 8, 2020
By Nicki Graham In a recent survey conducted at Cendyn, we spoke with hoteliers from across the globe and asked them how they are managing their re-opening strategy during a global pandemic. As a reminder to all, hotels are in different situations across the globe – not every hotel is closed right now but many were closed for a significant time and are just re-opening or planning to re-open, albeit at a limited capacity. There are also a number of hotels that are closed for the foreseeable future. This survey is focused on re-opening strategies for hotels across the globe and what their priorities are during this uncertain time. We look ...
Covid Uncertainty Does Not Discourage European Hoteliers
Thomas Mielke | July 8, 2020
By Thomas Mielke As the UK prepares for reopening the hospitality industry, AETHOS sought to get a clearer picture of the sentiment amongst branded as well as independent hotel operators. The idea – to contrast the mood of the British hospitality industry with that of a country where hoteliers have already had a little ‘head start’ due to the earlier lifting of restrictions. Two Steps Forward, One Step Back Unsurprisingly, with UK hospitality businesses still in lock down at the time of writing, operators felt little sense of control of the situation at hand. Unclear policies and regulations, and questions around the timing...
The Shorter The Better: ‘Quickie Trips’ Are Trending as a Majority of Americans Look to Travel This Summer With Added Precautions
Hotwire | July 8, 2020
SAN FRANCISCO, July 8, 2020 - After months of quarantine, Americans are reporting feelings of isolation, burnout and that they are in need of a break, but have yet to take one. A new survey* conducted by online travel site Hotwire® reveals 62% of Americans haven't taken a vacation day since the start of COVID but interest in local travel and shorter trips is rapidly growing. In fact, 72% of Americans are still planning or are interested in summer travel this year, despite taking added precautions to stay healthy. As people slowly look to test the travel waters, Hotwire has teamed up with brain-health expert and New York Times Best Selling A...
Millennial Influencers Will Be Indispensable in Travel Sector Recovery, Says GlobalData
GlobalData | July 6, 2020
Elite and young independent travelers are crucial to the recovery of the travel sector as they are likely to be the first tourists to embark on international travel, however according to a survey by GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, *35% of Gen Z and *48% of Gen Y are still extremely concerned about COVID-19. Many travel and tourism influencers are drawn from this traveler group, and what they think of and write about in their travel experiences can be highly useful to travel marketing and so they will be indispensable for destination recovery if utilized effectively. Johanna Bonhill-Smith, Travel & Tourism Analyst...
