Coronavirus May Kill the Airbnb Super Host
Larry Mogelonsky | April 29th, 2020
Six Actions Taken by Chinese Hoteliers as Immediate Remedies for the Coronavirus Crisis
Global Asset Solutions | April 22nd, 2020
News Top: April
What to Do When a Guest or Worker in Your Hotel Is Diagnosed With Covid-19
Stacy Bercun Bohm | April 7, 2020
By Stacy Bercun Bohm and Daniel Miktus To address the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Governors and local officials have enacted countless emergency orders requiring individuals to stay in their homes except for certain essential activities, and ordering “non-essential” businesses to shut down. While some of the orders – particularly in South Florida – have required hotels to shut down except for certain guests including medical workers and emergency first responders, most of these orders exempt or except the hotel and lodging industry and its employees from these shutdown and stay-at-home measures. Regardless of whether y...
Covid-19: Impact on the Indian Hotels Sector
Mandeep S Lamba | April 2, 2020
By Mandeep S Lamba, Akash Datta, Dipti Mohan The world is still coming to terms with the Covid-19 outbreak and there is no doubt that the pandemic will change the world as we know it. With the globalized world going into partial or complete shutdown, the overall impact on human life, economic growth and businesses is immeasurable, both in the short term and long term due to the uncertainty as things evolve. While most Economists and Analysts currently expect the global economy to rebound, by some measure in the latter part of 2020, the exact timeline cannot be determined till the virus is contained across the globe. Nearer home, the ...
Hotel Marketing and Revenue Management in the Time of Pandemic
Vikram Singh | April 13, 2020
By Vikram Singh As I write my first article during a global pandemic, my title inspiration comes from the Columbian literary superstar, Gabriel García Márquez. COVID-19 has rapidly decimated the industry I have worked in for over 20 years. There have been hardships before, but this one seems darker and more insidious than anything we have seen before. Nobody knows exactly what lies ahead, but the current reality is that thousands of our hospitality industry colleagues – many in my own personal network – have lost their livelihood or taken huge cutbacks in compensation and benefits. March was a month filled with bad news that was s...
Hospitality Financial Leadership – Should I Develop a Detailed Budget and Monthly Forecast?
David Lund | April 20, 2020
By David Lund The simple and only answer is yes, you should. Without these tools you are flying in the dark and sooner rather than later you are going to run into a mountain. In my opinion if you are running your hotel business without this and you think that is okay then you are simply irresponsible. If you are thinking it is too complicated or only for the big kids, well, you are wrong again and this recap will be an eye opener for you. This piece is about a client of mine and how we worked to develop these tools, and how they are helping him manage his business as proactively as possible during this crisis. As he recently called it, ...
For the First Time, DoubleTree by Hilton Reveals Official Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe so Bakers Can Create the Warm, Welcoming Treat at Home
Doubletree by Hilton | April 9, 2020
MCLEAN, Va. - For the first time ever, DoubleTree by Hilton is sharing the official bake-at-home recipe for the brand’s beloved and delicious chocolate chip cookie, so at-home bakers can create the warm and comforting treat in their own kitchens. The warm chocolate chip cookie welcome is synonymous with DoubleTree hotels worldwide, and travelers look forward to receiving one, fresh from the oven, upon their arrival. DoubleTree cookies have a passionate fan following and a long history. More than 30 million are consumed every year, and the DoubleTree chocolate chip cookie even became the first food to be baked in orbit during experim...
COVID-19 Hotel Recovery Strategy: Top 10 Ways to Prepare Your Hotel for the Rebound in Travel Demand
Margaret Mastrogiacomo | April 21, 2020
By Margaret Mastrogiacomo As Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to impact travel globally, it is important to observe industry forecasts and trends that will ultimately shape your recovery strategy as hotels begin to plan for the initial rebound in travel demand. According to a special forecast from STR and Tourism Economics, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the hotel industry is projected to report significant declines across demand, occupancy, ADR, and revenue per available room (RevPAR) in 2020. While travel has come to a virtual standstill due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the market is expected to regain its footing in the latter part of th...
COVID-19 and Hospitality: Why Attracting Millennial Travelers Is Essential to Your Hotel’s Recovery Plan
Nicole Dehler | April 1, 2020
By Nicki Dehler "This too shall pass" is a sentiment that surely everyone can take comfort in right now, and one which hoteliers especially should keep in mind. The continued spread of COVID-19 has taken the world by storm, and has seemingly overwhelmed the hospitality industry. As the fear of transmission continues to surge, our communities are banding together, as new emergency regulations urge us to self-isolate and avoid all non-essential travel. Currently, the timeline for a return to normalcy is anything but guaranteed: Will this 'new normal' last for a month, or three, or for the majority of 2020? While we cannot change our cu...
How Hotels Will Need to Adapt Duty of Care Policies for the Coronavirus Pandemic
Nancy Huang | April 22, 2020
By Nancy Huang Duty of Care, which for hotels is the legal obligation to ensure the safety or well-being of its guests, has always been an important aspect for hotel operations. Though many hotels are currently closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, many hoteliers are already concerned with how they will need to exercise Duty of Care once they reopen. Not only will government standards resulting from the pandemic dictate new requirements from businesses, but the public’s expectations for health and safety will also be markedly different than before. To ensure a smoother reopening for your hotel, we’ve compiled some of the most impo...
Hotel Operations in the COVID Era
Ajay Mehtani | April 16, 2020
By Ajay Mehtani and Dipti Mohan Social distancing has become a norm in today’s COVID-19 world and hotels need to re-evaluate and update their SOPs to adapt to this change. HVS has prepared this document to help hoteliers in the planning process regarding the formulation of SOPs on how to operate their hotels once the lockdown has been lifted. We strongly recommend that hotels always follow the guidelines provided by the Health Department and the state and central Government, including guidelines on maintaining records etc. based on local authority requirements, to formulate their SOPs. The first step is to make a Guest Booklet or C...
In the Time of COVID-19: Top 5 Things You Need to Know Now in Hotel Digital Marketing
NextGuest | April 6, 2020
By Margaret Mastrogiacomo As we navigate unprecedented times during the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has put travel on pause. While everyone is social distancing, people continue to stay connected online through social media, FaceTime, video conferencing, and email. People are searching for an escape and for quality content to lessen their stress and enhance the quality of time at home. In light of this, many hotels can continue creating valuable and entertaining content across channels to stay connected with guests. If any marketing remains live at this time, the focus should be on brand awareness, with tasteful mess...
An Initial Checklist for Temporary Hotel Closures
Alex Sogno | April 6, 2020
By Alex Sogno During the COVID-19 crisis, many hotels will unfortunately have to stop their operations and close temporarily. This can be out of necessity if your forecasts suggest the losses experienced at these low occupancy levels are not sustainable. While closing down several floors could have saved enough variable costs in the past, the introduction of systems such as LED lights have made these savings minimal and insufficient in the current crisis. In many European countries, such as the Czech Republic and Spain, all hotels have been ordered to close by their governments. While companies like Marriott and IHG have already reopen...
White Lodging Plans Fall Opening of 182-Room Union Club Hotel at Purdue Following Renovation
White Lodging | April 23, 2020
West Lafayette, IN (April 23, 2020) – The renovation of the 182-room iconic Union Club Hotel at Purdue University remains on schedule and is expected to welcome guests starting in the fall semester. The hotel’s management company, White Lodging, recently announced the hotel’s leadership team, which includes Victoria Wicks, general manager; Brett Ociepka, assistant general manager; and Stephanie Portrey, director of sales and marketing. “We’re all adjusting to what might be the new normal as we emerge from this health crisis,” said Wicks. “There’s no predicting the future, but our focus, in addition to ensuring the safety...
Aimbridge Hospitality Responds to Covid-19
Aimbridge Hospitality | April 9, 2020
Aimbridge Hospitality’s leadership is taking decisive actions during this unprecedented time of the coronavirus crisis to support hotel owners and their properties, reduce costs, and maintain the well-being of associates and guests. “As we leverage our scale to add value for our owners during these unprecedented times, Aimbridge Hospitality is maintaining property support and activating resources,” said Dave Johnson, CEO of Aimbridge Hospitality. “We’re preparing for the long term, and reducing costs immediately starting with the corporate office and providing relief at the property level. Ensuring our own...
Accor shelters Australia in fight Against COVID-19
Accor | April 8, 2020
Accor, the largest hotel operator in Australia and New Zealand, is providing vital shelter in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. The company has transformed itself from providing a luxury service to crucial infrastructure, as Accor works with government authorities and community organisations, making its accommodation and services available to those most in need. Accor hotels are sheltering; Front-line health workers The homeless and disadvantaged Vulnerable families Returning residents who are required to go into quarantine for 14 days Accor Pacific’s Chief Operating Officer, Simon McGrath, said: “Welcoming, ...
A Curriculum for Commercial Leaders / Kelly McGuire
KELLY MCGUIRE | April 13, 2020
Keep those big brains active and (relatively) stress free during COVID-19 with this reading program created specifically for revenue management, sales and marketing professionals By Kelly McGuire In these unprecedented times, extremely talented hospitality professionals are finding themselves with some spare time, whether impacted by furloughs or layoffs, or even just reduction in business volumes. Many are obsessively consuming COVID-19 content. It’s the only thing anyone can talk about (for good reason). While it’s important to track the current pandemic and its implications, frankly, I’m starting to bel...
New Report Shows Severity of COVID-19 Impacts on Hotel Industry
AHLA | April 23, 2020
Washington D.C. (April 23, 2020) — As COVID-19 continues to devastate the hotel industry, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) released new data today showing that 70 percent of hotel employees have been laid off or furloughed as eight in 10 hotel rooms across the nation remain empty. As this crisis progresses beyond what anyone could have projected, the impact to the travel industry is nine times worse than 9/11, with forecasted occupancy rates for 2020 hitting record lows worse than rates in 1933 during the Great Depression. “With the impact to the travel industry nine times worse than September 11, the human toll o...
The Hospitality Way of Survival After Covid-19 Crisis
Yutong MENG | April 2, 2020
By Yutong MENG The sudden outbreak of Covid-19 (unofficially called Coronavirus) crisis swept through Chinese Lunar New Year like a hurricane, adding a layer of panic and depression to the hospitality industry which was supposed to be busy and prosperous. According to STR, the average occupancy rate in mainland China began to decline significantly and continuously from January 14, falling from the peak 70% to less than 10%, and currently stable between 5% and 10%. Compared to an average occupancy of 55% in previous Chinese Lunar New Years, the Covid-19 epidemic has caused great trauma to the hospitality industry in China. Meanwhile, ...
How to Make Working From Home Work for You
April 7, 2020
By Beatrice Venturini From a no-no to the new normal In his 2017 TED Talk, the British economist Nicholas Bloom jokes of how his mission to encourage working from home (WFH) was initially met with disparaging remarks like “shirking from home”, “working…remotely” or simply, “getting paid for not getting dressed”. He argued that WFH would save companies money, create more time for productivity and certainly reduce global pollution with less unnecessary travel. What was once a HR issue, essentially reserved for working mothers, has suddenly become an enforced modus operandi worldwide. In the last few weeks, companies big and s...
STR: Mainland China Hotel Industry Shows Early Signs of Performance Recovery
STR | April 2, 2020
BEIJING—Mainland China’s daily hotel occupancy reached an absolute level of 31.8% on 28 March, up from a low of 7.4% during the first week of February, according to preliminary data from STR. Additionally, opening rates have been significant in key markets across the region. “We’re seeing green shoots in hotel occupancy figures, but we must stress that these are only early signs of a recovery that is likely to develop slowly,” said Christine Liu, STR’s regional manager for North Asia. “Some of the demand stems from corporate travel, primarily within the same province, as well as small-scale meetings. Additionally, hotels are ...
Message From Arne Sorenson, Marriott CEO: Our Continued Efforts: We Will Travel Again
Marriott | April 8, 2020
It’s been three weeks since I last communicated with you about the dramatic impact of COVID-19 on our business. Sadly, since that time, we’ve all borne witness to how this insidious virus is impacting our families, our communities and our very way of life. What we’re facing is daunting, but I am heartened by the moments of triumph in everyday acts of courage, humanity and love. Although these are trying times for us all, I remain optimistic that our world will thrive once again. Today, I want to let you know how we’re focused on supporting the communities where our associates live and work. I also want to provide you with an up...
Hotel Industry Foundation Announces Free Training, Education Courses for Hotel Employees
The AHLA Foundation | April 1, 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 1, 2020) – In an effort to support the 8 million hotel industry employees affected by this unprecedented public health crisis, the American Hotel & Lodging Foundation (AHLA Foundation), the charitable giving arm of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), today announced free resources to help industry employees continue their education during this difficult time. As part of AHLA’s Hospitality for Hope Initiative, the AHLA Foundation will provide: Free hospitality management online courses Professional development scholarships for AHLA certifications Continuing education online progra...
Lodging Interactive Launches Touchless Digital Menu System for Restaurants and Hotels
Lodging Interactive & commingle:engage | April 29, 2020
PARSIPPANY, NJ - April 29, 2020 - Lodging Interactive the hospitality industry's premier provider of full-service social media marketing and guest reputation management services today, announced the launch of MyMenusOnline, its new touchless digital restaurant menu system. With MyMenusOnline restaurant guests simply scan a tableside QR code or NFC tag to view the restaurant's menu on their own mobile device. The system is meant to replace traditional printed menus and eliminates concerns in potentially passing germs between in-house dining guests handling the same menus. “The new normal has us all concerned with the cleanliness of every...
The Impact of COVID-19 on Hotel Values
Anne R. Lloyd-Jones | April 15, 2020
By Anne R. Lloyd-Jones, Suzanne R. Mellen, Tanya J. Pierson The COVID-19 pandemic and the related restrictions on travel, business activity, and individual movement are having an unprecedented impact on our industry and economy. Hotel owners, operators, lenders, and investors are all facing greater challenges than ever anticipated, as they grapple with plummeting occupancy, average rate (ADR), and RevPAR and seek solutions to mitigate the impact on EBITDA. Owners and operators are dealing with the current crisis day-to-day, making hard decisions regarding staffing, continuing or suspending operations, and having difficult conversations w...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 239: Hotel History: Admiral Fell Inn
Stanley Turkel | April 7, 2020
By Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: Admiral Fell Inn (80 rooms) Fell's Point was founded in the early 1700s when the Fell Brothers arrived from Lancaster, England. Edward was a shopkeeper and his brother William was a shipbuilder. The old street names in Fell's Point are unchanged: Fell, Thames, Bond, Bank, Caroline, Fleet, Aliceanna, Wolfe, Lancaster, Shakespeare. They are still paved mostly with Belgian stone blocks and their narrow paths are edged by brick sidewalls. The Admiral Fell Inn is four stories high, and therefore the only building in the Point that qualifies as a skyscraper. The Inn is a group of eight different build...
U.S and Canada Waterpark and Resort Trends in 2020
David J. Sangree | April 8, 2020
By David J. Sangree At the beginning of 2020, the continuing trend of two decades of growth was expected in the waterpark industry. Major projects will open throughout the United States in both the indoor and outdoor waterpark categories totaling over $1 billion in investment in 2020. Fourteen new standalone waterparks and one resort with outdoor waterpark are anticipated to open. The indoor segment will total square feet of new waterpark space in 17 properties. However, the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the industry into uncertainty in 2020. This article reflects the projected growth for the waterpark industry as it ...
