Siegel Sez: Not Your Father’s Power Socket
September 3rd, 2021
The Most Important Hotel “Salesperson” Right Now Is Working Behind Your Front Desk
Doug Kennedy | July 22nd, 2020
4 Reputation Management Challenges Every Hotel Manager Faces
Dr. Carlos Martin-Rios | May 29, 2018
By Dr. Carlos Martin-Rios Today, hotels are greatly dependent on a limited number of reservation platforms. A significant feature of these platforms is guest evaluations, which are transformed into ratings and rankings. Consumers pay growing attention to user-generated content and a hotel's position in comparison to competitors can have a significant impact on demand for bookings. As a consequence, reputation management is becoming increasingly crucial for hotel managers. But what exactly is the impact of guest evaluations on a hotel's performance? How do hotel managers cope with negative online reviews? And what are the main challenges...
Tips to Fill Your Urban Hotel This Summer
Larry Mogelonsky | May 23, 2018
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Every North American resort owner knows that the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day is peak. The kids are out of school by mid-to-late June, making it family time for the beach, the great outdoors or a meticulously planned European vacation. For a moment, though, let's focus on urban properties. Bricks and mortar are depreciated all 12 months of the year. There are no summer breaks in your debt obligations even as the meetings and conference segment wanes. Yes, weekend occupancies may be buoyed by weddings or other citywide events, but you still can't thrive off two nights of r...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 196: Hotel History: The Broadmoor Hotel, Colorado Springs, Colorado (779 rooms)
Stanley Turkel | May 23, 2018
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: The Broadmoor Hotel, Colorado Springs, Colorado (1918) For over a century, dreamers, farmers, investors, and even a Prussian Count have held a vision of the magnificence in store for the Colorado Springs area. It took the foresight, dedication and incredible vision of one man, Spencer Penrose, to bring the dream to reality… and to make it wonderful enough to last 100 years. Even before it was the Broadmoor Dairy Farm, the land at the base of Cheyenne Mountain was a ranch where corn was grown for making brooms. Willie Wilcox, who came to the area seeking his fortune and hoping to find a cure ...
It Takes Two to Build, But Only One to Destroy
Georges Panayotis | May 22, 2018
By Georges Panayotis How can we imagine developing a product and a brand that are disembodied, cut off from their source of inspiration, with no link to what should feed them and help them progress? Today, large companies suffer from two major ills: a brutal and merciless transformation that does not wait for latecomers, the rupture that is on everyone's lips; and obvious management problems. Managers have been sidelined, in favor of robotisation, financiers and great strategists without anticipating in the medium term the devastating effects of a lack of management. Because those managers who are operational, who are the lines of ...
Those Who Adore Detesting, Are Now in Over Their Heads
Georges Panayotis | May 17, 2018
By Georges Panayotis Much progress has been made over the past 40 years in the accommodations sector! The new chain concepts have enabled the hotel business to develop considerably in France and Europe and, for some, in the rest of the world. Hotel groups are now number 1 on the old continent and the French hotel industry is one of the largest in Europe. This industry is thriving with very positive growth prospects and it is in full development. More tourists are arriving from all horizons and going to all destinations, what could be better! Our sector has become a magnet for young graduates. The days when the hotel business was a guild...
Epelboim Development Group to Develop New 259 Suite Tru by Hilton Hotel in Orlando, Florida
the author | May 16, 2018
MIAMI--Epelboim Development Group has secured a construction loan totaling $21.5 million from BridgeInvest for the development of an eight-story, 259 suite Tru by Hilton hotel in Orlando Florida. Designed as the largest Tru by Hilton in the U.S. to date, the Orlando property will be located on Westbrook Boulevard, conveniently across the Orange County Convention Center with easy access to major Orlando attractions. As a game-changer in the midscale segment, the Tru by Hilton brand is differentiated by its affordability, attention to the guest experience and vibrant, high-energy environments. The modern guest rooms are designed to maximi...
Being a Senior Team Member in Ten Steps
Larry Mogelonsky | May 16, 2018
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Years ago, it was simple – reaching 65 meant retirement. You got your gold watch, or other memorabilia of recognition, and set out into the sunset of your time on earth. Perhaps a life in Florida or Arizona was in the plans, with many thinking that their last days would be spent in the bliss of endless golf games and beach walks or inspirational hikes. At least, that is what the television commercials wanted you to believe. I vividly remember advertising for Sun Life Insurance where the current marketing slogan was 'Freedom 55' which envisioned a happy future starting ten year...
Corporate Governance: Why Independent Audit Committees Matter
May 15, 2018
By Dr. Cédric Poretti Corporate governance has been a hot topic for many years in the US and Europe as corporations, whether in finance or the hospitality industry, grapple with their supervisory structures. Since 2000, the audit committee has been put forward as an effective mechanism to limit fraudulent financial reporting. Following financial scandals such as Enron and WorldCom, the US Congress issued the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) in 2002 to protect investors by improving the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures. Sarbanes-Oxley requires publicly traded companies to have: the CEO and CFO certifying the financial s...
Hotel Lawyer Jeffrey T. Myers Joins JMBM’s Global Hospitality Group®
May 14, 2018
By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com 07 May 2018 LOS ANGELES—Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP (JMBM) is pleased to announce that hospitality lawyer Jeffrey T. Myers has joined the Firm as a Partner in JMBM's Global Hospitality Group® and Real Estate Department. Myers' practice focuses on the development, financing, acquisition, and operation of hotels, resorts and other hospitality properties. His clients include developers, capital providers, commercial lessors, and tenants. He has assisted clients in a full range of hospitality projects including hotels, ...
Proposition 65 Defense Lawyer: Is Your Hotel Ready for the New Prop 65 Regulation Deadline? / Jim Butler
Jim Butler | May 14, 2018
By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com 07 May 2018 Advice from a Proposition 65 Compliance & Defense lawyer for hotels. For many years, businesses operating in California have been plagued by "bounty hunter" and government lawsuits brought under Proposition 65 — the California law that requires warnings about hazardous substances. The technical disclosure requirements have bedeviled many legitimate businesses for some time. From our continuous interaction with members of the hotel industry, it appears to us that many are not aware of new requirements they must meet b...
All Guest Services Staff Should Love Guests’ “Buts”
Doug Kennedy | May 14, 2018
By Doug Kennedy Each month I get to travel the world and present 6 – 8 training workshops, many of which are for frontline staff. It is a career I have been blessed to have for nearly 30 years. We talk about a lot of important subjects these days, such as the fact that in the era of social media and online guest reviews, every guest contact colleague is in the public relations and marketing field. We also talk a lot about loving guests' buts. The reason I train everyone to love guests' "buts" is because when we can manage to get a good "but" out of a guest, that means that we have shown the guest we are asking because we truly car...
Protecting Your Housekeepers From Injuries
Larry Mogelonsky | May 9, 2018
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Following an immersive full-day seminar at the recent Housekeepers Forum in Toronto to discuss all the latest issues affecting this department, one critical issue addressed that merits further discussion is repetitive strain injuries (RSIs), especially those with an aging workforce. A combined aggravation of both the nervous and musculoskeletal system, an RSI is typically caused by repetitive tasks or those which put the body in an awkward position. There are many different types of RSIs, but as I am not a doctor, the diagnoses and exact syndromes are not the focus here. Rather, it...
What’s the Value of Hotel Loyalty Programs?
Stuart Pallister | May 4, 2018
By Stuart Pallister While hoteliers grapple with how to win over that 'notoriously disloyal' generation, the millennials, what's the value of hotel loyalty programs? Major hotel chains such as Marriott and Hilton, with tens of millions of members, have been using such programs for decades to inspire feelings of loyalty among guests and fend off online travel agents or OTAs. However, not everyone in the industry is convinced loyalty programs work – especially in the luxury segment. At the recent Young Hoteliers Summit staged at EHL, loyalty programs came under the spotlight during a panel session focusing on the luxury sector. Dorc...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 195: Hotel History: The Elephantine Colossus Hotel
Stanley Turkel | May 2, 2018
By Stanley Turkel, CMHS When Coney Island went from a sandbar resort in Brooklyn to the city's biggest beachfront playground in the 1880s, all sorts of attractions popped up. There were beer halls, roller coasters, so called "freak shows" and a one-of-a-kind gaudy structure known as the Elephantine Colossus. It was constructed in 1884 by James V. Lafferty (1856-1898) who thought that the next great architectural step was to design buildings in the shape of animals, birds and even fish. During the twelve years before it burned down, the jumbo-size hotel in Brooklyn was known as the Colossus of Architecture and the Elephantine Colossus. A...
Special Job Titles Deserve Special Prices
Larry Mogelonsky | May 2, 2018
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) A fun solution to help drive more restaurant profitability may be in further specializing your F&B team then giving these dedicated experts uniquely alluring names. The inspiration that sparked this concept came about tangentially when discussing a somewhat recent initiative at select Ritz-Carlton alpine resorts where they have introduced a 'smoreologist' which is, in essence, a fancy name for a pastry chef who spends a bit more of his or her experimenting with fancy graham crackers and marshmallows. Still, though, the name resonates, helps create some excitement amongst the fam...
The CEO’s Role as Thought Leader in the New Era of Engagement
Alan Young | April 30, 2018
It is critical for CEO's to champion a trustworthy voice for their company's brand and execute a consistent content cadence By Alan Young Gone are the days in which CEO's can expect to remain a faceless, behind-the-scenes force of the company. Think Richard Branson, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos – and the growing list of rock star C-level execs. Within a dynamic industry landscape, CEO's across all verticals are stepping up to become the driving market force behind their brand, openly advocating for their company's values, culture, and intellectual capital. A company's brand is often an extension of their chief executive&#...
Starving Boomers and Travel Mindsets
Larry Mogelonsky | April 25, 2018
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) I'm borrowing a term from the art world where the 'starving artist' is a burgeoning creative mind living hand-to-mouth, toiling away at his or her work while also probably taking on a part-time gig and waiting for that golden ticket of making a sale. Adapting the term to describe a new trend within the baby boomer generation is a bit of a stretch as they are hardly starving per se. But it does illustrate the point in that many boomers who have entered a second career or a state of semi-retirement, after departing from the breadwinning days in their former full-time jobs, are struggling to f...
Reinvesting for the Return of Visitors: Recovery Periods Take Three to Five Years to Feel Effects
Georges Panayotis | April 24, 2018
by Georges Panayotis A recovery is wafting over Europe's economy, indicators are in the green, the time has come to reinvest. Our European destinations will fully benefit from this recovery. Less unemployment, better revenues, positive growth perspectives, all the ingredients are at hand to boost arrivals in tourism destinations. Experience shows that in recovery periods, it takes 3 to 5 years before the effects are felt on tourism activity, but cycles are shortening and the economic problems experienced by destinations in North Africa and the Middle East will naturally favor the transfer of tourist customers to our European destina...
What Hotels of Tomorrow Can Learn From the Airbnb’s of Today
Alan E. Young | April 24, 2018
By Alan E. Young The travel and lodging industry has evolved into an undeniably exciting space. Rife with new technology, aesthetically impressive social media pages acting as travel inspiration for millennials and a rise in boutique accommodations. This change and ensuing competition are continuously on the horizon. This competitive landscape stretches between hotels brands as well as between hotels and non-traditional accommodation models, such as Airbnb. With both service models existing within the same industry and catering to similar guest demographics, there is a wealth of experiential knowledge to be shared/gained as they strive ...
Small Luxury Hotels of the World Appoints Larry Mogelonsky as Canadian Ambassador
Small Luxury Hotels of the World | April 24, 2018
April 24, 2018 (Toronto, ON) Small Luxury Hotels of the World™ (SLH) is pleased to announce the appointment of Larry Mogelonsky as its Canadian Ambassador. The announcement was made at SLH's annual Canadian Showcase event held on Apirl 10, 2018 at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto. In making the announcement, Filip Boyen, Chief Executive Officer of SLH, noted, "Canada is our third largest guest-originating market, yet we are critically underrepresented here with only one property. Our goal is to raise the profile of SLH within the Canadian hotel community and, in the process, increase our membership as well as open the world t...
Who Will You See at Meet the Money?
Jim Butler | April 19, 2018
By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com 18 April 2018 - It's almost May, so our annual Meet the Money® Conference is almost here! JMBM's Global Hospitality Group® will host the 28th year of our national hotel finance and investment conference May 7-9, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency LAX. This must-attend event gives you access to plenty of efficient networking and the latest insights into industry trends and strategies. The industry's top hotel owners, developers, operators, brands, investors, lenders, and other capital providers come together every year at Meet the Money to ...
Craving M&Ms! Brand, Management, and Strategy
Georges Panayotis | April 18, 2018
By Georges Panayotis M&MS these are three magic letters to keep as a mantra. M for marque -brand- an image and notoriety that are indispensables to any company. M for management because without people, without their skills, a company is nothing. And, finally, S, for strategy, because without any long-term vision, a business cannot survive. To keep brands alive, it is necessary to be surrounded by designers, marketers, disruptors, chief digital officers who can develop brands and attractive products. Thanks to the creativity of the human mind they will find a way to speak to the client more readily than any algorithm or computer. It ...
Using Wine to Show How Much Customers Care About Industry Jargon
Larry Mogelonsky | April 18, 2018
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) To use wine as an case study but feel free to ruminate on your own example, a big part of the sales process is helping customers decide upon what bottle or glass to buy. While it's always a delight to exchange a few sentences with a fellow oenophile who understands some of unique qualities of specific growing regions or varietals, most of the time we end up dealing with beginners who know the difference between red, white and rose, and not much else. A problem arises when we attempt to sell to these neophytes by using jargon that they may not fully comprehend. The response to the qu...
How Video Tools and Screen Sharing Can Help Today’s Hotel Salespeople Stand Out
Doug Kennedy | April 12, 2018
By Doug Kennedy In the 2010's we have witnessed a transition in group bookings to electronic conversations, as an increasing percentage of meetings, conferences and events are being booked without there being even one voice call between buyer and seller. While there is still human engagement needed to finalize contracts and details, sales is increasingly a depersonalized, transactional process done via direct email (to "sales@hotelname.com") or via correspondence that takes place in online portals. In the currently strong economy, most salespeople seem to be content with simply responding electronically. In other words, if the lead come...
