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
When Everything Is Worthwhile, Nothing Is…
Georges Panayotis | November 28, 2017
By: Georges Panayotis The industry's mutation is in full swing and driven by clientele and disrupters. Needs and expectations are diversifying, as are the information channels. This pushes hoteliers to open up and diversify to offer an increasingly broad array of services. These changes within the structures go hand in hand with changes in the city and in the way tourists - business, leisure and combined - evolve. Today's clientele refuse obligations. They want to experience their stay in accordance with their needs and habits with comfort at least equal to home. Both in the hotel and outside, they want to have ready access to ...
ADA Compliance & Defense Lawyer Update: 99 ADA Lawsuits Dismissed as Fraudulent and Malicious
Jim Butler | November 21, 2017
By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com 21 November 2017 JMBM's ADA Compliance and Defense team, led by my partner Marty Orlick, continues to help hotels and other businesses achieve compliance under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), and is actively defending numerous ADA lawsuits brought against our clients. Today, he shares one of the stranger tales of serial ADA litigation and describes how the judicial system in New Mexico stopped the plaintiff and her lawyer from filing frivolous and malicious ADA lawsuits. New Mexico Judge Dismisses 99 ADA Lawsuits as Fraudulent ...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 187: Hotel History: Hotel Galvez & Spa, Galveston, Texas
Stanley Turkel | November 15, 2017
1. Hotel Galvez & Spa (1911)*, Galveston, Texas (224 rooms) The Hotel Galvez opened on June 10, 1911, a little more than a decade after Galveston was decimated by the great hurricane of 1900 which claimed more than 6,000 lives. The Hotel Galvez was named after Bernardo de Galvez, the Spanish Colonial Governor who first chartered the Texas Gulf Coast and for whom the city of Galveston was also named. A year after it opened, the Hotel Monthly newsletter billed the Galvez as one of the "best arranged and most richly furnished seaside hotels in America." It was known as the "Queen of the Gulf" and "The Playground of the Southwest." The ...
Using Microlearning and Training Tech to Boost Team Morale
Larry Mogelonsky | November 15, 2017
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Making guests happy is a noble pursuit for any hotel as we all know this translates into higher occupancies, the ability to grow rate, more asset value and quite a few other monetary advantages. While we can talk to no end about physical and operational upgrades that contribute to this goal, perhaps none is more impactful than having motivated and attentive associates servicing your customers. After all, this is a people business, so your guests' experiential satisfaction will ultimately be influenced by the happiness of your very own employees. This leads to the question about how ...
Hospitality Is and Will Remain a Heartfelt Industry
Georges Panayotis | November 14, 2017
by Georges Panayotis In Ancient Greece, intelligence, known as noús was originally the organ that was used to mobilize our capacity to escape from a dangerous situation by elaborating a strategy and plan of action. This is precisely what artificial intelligence will have to do to help us take on the massive changes that are currently underway in our society. Our accommodations are becoming more ecological, more economical, more entertaining, friendlier and more competitive. We are now faced with an infinite set of possibilities. The range of our products will be constantly redefined by the predictive model, which will enable us t...
Do You Train Your Team To Be Locally Authentic?
Larry Mogelonsky | November 8, 2017
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) By now, the phrase 'local authentic experience' has been tattooed on every hotelier's back ever since it started to trend some five to ten years ago. And yet, even to this day many properties have some serious shortcomings in this area, either through a lack of attention to detail when it comes to soft goods and decor items with local flair, or associates' lack of knowledge regarding the immediate neighborhood. True, we have brand standards to abide by, but that shouldn't stop you from engaging in small acts of regional expressionism, especially when you already know that it is such...
Get More Content, Get Customers in 2018
Alan E. Young | November 7, 2017
Why content marketing sells but isn't about selling By Alan E. Young, Puzzle Partner Ltd. If we were to ask you what the core, driving purpose and motivation of your content marketing strategy was, what would your answer be? Would it be to target a specific demographic or persona? To evoke a certain type of emotional response? Or, quite simply, would it be to sell your product or service? It actually doesn't matter, because within the digital marketing landscape that exists today, all of those answers are inherently wrong. Marketing today — and we're talking about the campaigns and strategies that really work — isn't about ...
Hotel Industry Pillars: You Sleep, You Dine
Georges Panayotis | November 7, 2017
By Georges Panayotis The two pillars of the hotel industry are accommodations and restaurants. A fresh wind is also blowing on the catering industry, with newcomers and changes in customer expectations and practices. The days when pubs served a single menu to employees at lunchtime and great dishes of French gastronomy graced starred table are fading. The Food & Beverages sector is emerging in a new light, sometimes with determination. Here again, digital companies such as Deliveroo, are multiplying the catchment area of restaurateurs without forgetting to take a substantial commission - any resemblance to hospitality players is not...
Thanks to Erika at Omni Resort at ChampionsGate for a Perfect Front Desk Welcome!
Doug Kennedy | November 6, 2017
By Doug Kennedy As a hotel industry hospitality trainer, I surely have a more critical eye for detail than the average guest, yet I still try to be patient regardless. As a lodging industry conference keynote speaker, I often stay at large resorts that cater to conventions., so I always remind myself to lower my expectations for hospitality, as they are rarely met. Typically, I find myself as the only guest in the lobby (checking outside of the mass arrival times), yet still having to wander through rope lines. After navigating the maze, I stand there staring at the top of someone's head as they seem to obsess on the computer screen. Fi...
What to Consider for Your New Hotel Website
Larry Mogelonsky | November 1, 2017
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Everyone knows you need a functional website, no matter the business or the locale. For hotels, most of us recognize that often a website may be a customer's first introduction to your property. As such, it should entice, educate and make them want to stay with you. Hence, for many GMs, one of the largest items on the 2017 marketing budget is likely the development of a new website, or at the very least a refurbishment of the current one to show newcomers that there's something new to get excited about. This can come in the form of new interfaces or layout schemes, pages, offers, ev...
Homeland Security Warns Against Threats to US Infrastructure
Jim Butler | October 27, 2017
By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com 27 October 2017 Cybersecurity breaches and risk management continue to be a concern for businesses of all sizes and types. A recent warning distributed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the FBI regarding targeted hacks in several critical industries is an illustration that anyone can be vulnerable such tactics, including the hospitality industry. My partner Bob Braun, senior member of JMBM's Global Hospitality Group® and co-chair of JMBM's Cybersecurity and Privacy Group, summarizes the recent report and its conclusions ...
Making Sense of the ‘Level Playing Field’ Plea
Larry Mogelonsky | October 25, 2017
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) I attended an interesting travel panel during the summer in my hometown of Toronto. The topic was the leisure segment, with the panelists all senior members of tourism bureaus and hotel organizations, while their presentations quoted the usual ream of statistical gobbledegook. The mood was rosy as Canadian travel statistics have never been better with the nation approaching its 150th anniversary. The ebullience in the room was so thick that I felt that it couldn't be cut with even the finest Japanese samurai sword. But then I asked the question with a somewhat naïve tone, "Have...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 186: Hotel History: The Harvard Club of New York (1894)*
Stanley Turkel | October 25, 2017
By Stanley Turkel, CMHS 1. The Harvard Club of New York (1894), New York City The Harvard Club of New York at 27 West 44th Street was originally built in 1894 (with major additions in 1905, 1915, 1947 and 2003) and designed by McKim, Mead & White. Its classic Georgian design recalls the buildings at Harvard Yard in Cambridge. In 1966, the Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Harvard Club of New York as a landmark despite the opposition of the Harvard Club to the proposed designation. It was one of the first buildings in New York to be named a landmark. It is also listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. O...
Kennedy Training Network Appoints M. Cathy Cook as Executive Director of Training & Development
Kennedy Training Network | October 24, 2017
Prior to joining KTN, Ms. Cook served for 17 years as a Manager – Development, for the Learning & Development Division of Marriott International Davie, Florida – October 24, 2017 – Kennedy Training Network, Inc., a premier provider of hospitality sales & guest service training for clients throughout North America and Europe, announced the appointment of M. Cathy Cook as Director of Training & Development. Ms. Cook will oversee KTN's existing team of hospitality and sales trainers while also personally delivering KTN's extensive menu of workshop topics. Additionally, Ms. Cook will design new programs to expa...
Resort Fee Litigation Advisory Group: How to Avoid Litigation on Resort Fees and Other Mandatory Hotel Charges
Jim Butler | October 19, 2017
By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com 19 October 2017 Note: If you are a consumer with a Resort Fee issue, please do NOT contact us! We do not represent consumers with complaints against hotels. We are part of the fabric of the hotel industry and are committed to informing, educating and assisting players in the hotel industry. What does the FTC say is your potential liability for mandatory hotel charges? In evaluating what you should do about the new furor over mandatory hotel charges, it would be helpful to have a clearer understanding of what the FTC seems to be saying on...
Using Agile Marketing in 2018 to Maximize Results, While Minimizing Risk
Alan E. Young | October 18, 2017
How hotel and travel companies can experience ROI uplift of 20% to 40% with micro-marketing practices By Alan Young It's no secret — the process of building out your 2018 business plan and marketing strategy can, more often than not, feel like gambling. Are you going to wager all your chips (marketing dollars) on black or red, odd or even? Should you make a high bet, or an inside bet? What happens if your bet is a bust? Did you just gamble away the potential success of your business or product? What if we told you that you could minimize that perceived risk, while maximizing results? Typically, the missteps experienced in marketin...
Your Wine List Is Too Long
Larry Mogelonsky | October 18, 2017
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) One of the fundamental marketing principles I abide by is: Keep It Simple Stupid. While that fourth word is often incorporated only to make it into a highly memorable acronym (KISS), it is not far from the truth. Perhaps the more apt word is 'busy' in that we are all too rushed and distracted to notice everything that's happening around us. For example, you stand at a busy urban intersection. Have you noted what the make and model of every car that passes by? Have you read every billboard? Do you notice the attention to detail that goes into each person's fashion sense? We have so m...
Supply and Demand Policy: The Destination Alone will Decide
Georges Panayotis | October 17, 2017
By Georges Panayotis We are entering a prosperous period, let's not miss it! France's calendar is filling up with major events such as the Olympics 2024 and perhaps Expo 2025. Economic growth is taking off in Europe and finally in France as well; the time is right to take advantage of this favorable period to align our accommodations supply with customer expectations. As we have already mentioned, new technologies, new services and changes in mentalities in the management of human resources will all play important roles in renewal; but that is not all. It is also essential to revitalize investments in the sector to develop a coheren...
Hotel Lawyer: Tips on Negotiating Your Annual Hotel Budget
Jim Butler | October 16, 2017
By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com 16 October 2017 It is budget season again — that time when operators and owners sit down to agree on the financial blueprint for the next year. My partner Bob Braun has worked on many hundreds of hotel management agreements and issues arising under them. Today, he shares some insights about the how to maximize the budget opportunity for constructive dialog between owners and operators. It's Budget Season - What are you doing about it? by Robert E. Braun, Hotel Lawyer Importance of budgets It's hard to overstate the importance of a b...
Reinvigorate Your Guest Satisfaction Surveys
Larry Mogelonsky | October 11, 2017
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Does any hotel still offer customer satisfaction surveys? Do you, as a hotelier, rely upon comment cards as a quality control for your operations? A decade ago, the answer would undoubtedly be yes, but now it isn't so black-and-white. Let's reflect on what's happened, specifically related to the advent of internet-born travel websites. With the success of online review sites, including the behemoth that is TripAdvisor, it's all too easy to surmise that their growth was primarily because of how they aggregated hotels and cross-linked to OTA booking engines. However, we must also stom...
When Guests Complain, Be All EARS!
Doug Kennedy | October 11, 2017
By Doug Kennedy Considering all of the many components of a positive guest experience during even just a 24 hour stay, and how many guests are in a hotel on any given night, it should not be surprising to any hotelier that at some point during a shift every colleague is likely to encounter complaints. Surely we can and should do all that is possible to prevent short comings, but it is also essential to train everyone how to respond in such a way as to not only fix what is broken, but also to show compassion for the guests' inconveniences. To their credit, most hotel operators seem to be working hard to improve the overall quality of the...
Fracture, Rupture, Humanity – The Image of Hospitality
Georges Panayotis | October 10, 2017
By Georges Panayotis How can the image of hospitality be improved when a good share of hotels has been weakened by the trivialization and aging of the product and by the turnover and demotivation of personnel who are often poorly paid and poorly regarded? Not to mention the value for price that is often considered excessive. Lately there has been talk of rupture regarding new hybrid products, hotels, and also inns that respond to the needs of millennials, post adolescents or carefree adults who wish live and share a community experience. If we look at the overall picture we can finally see innovations on certain segments, but is this a ...
Resort Fee Litigation Advisory Group: How Resort Fees Became an Explosive $2.7 Billion Issue
Jim Butler | October 6, 2017
By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com 06 October 2017 Note: If you are a consumer with a Resort Fee issue, please do NOT contact us! We do not represent consumers with complaints against hotels. We are part of the fabric of the hotel industry and are committed to informing, educating and assisting players in the hotel industry. Resort Fees are a $2.7 billion issue — a juicy target for Federal and State governments as well as plaintiffs' lawyers It is very likely that the Resort Fee issue will present challenges in the near future to all stakeholders in the hospitality i...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 185: Hotel History: The Peabody (1869)
Stanley Turkel | October 6, 2017
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS 1. The Peabody Hotel (1869), Memphis, Tennessee (464 rooms) Following the Civil War, Memphis began the process of rebuilding. In 1869, Colonel Robert C. Brinkley opened a 75-room hotel which contained private baths, ballroom, saloon and lobby. Brinkley planned to name the hotel after himself but when he learned that his dear friend, philanthropist George Peabody, had died, he christened it The Peabody. Its lobby was soon filled with Memphis business and society leaders as well as plantation owners and riverboat gamblers. Presidents Andrew Johnson and William McKinley, Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee, Nathan Be...
