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
JMBM’s 27th Annual Meet the Money® National Hotel Finance and Investment Conference
April 13, 2017
LOS ANGELES--April 13, 2017--The Meet the Money® 2017 conference will bring hospitality industry leaders together from May 8-10 in Los Angeles at the Hyatt Regency Hotel LAX. This marks the conference's 27th year, where hotel owners, operators, developers, consultants, investors, brands, lenders and other capital providers will gather to get deals done and discuss and catch up on the latest issues and opportunities involving the hotel industry. "This year's conference is particularly important," said Jim Butler, Chairman of JMBM's Global Hospitality Group®. "The hospitality industry is at an interesting po...
Trump Hotels Names Suzie Mills New Area Managing Director of Trump Hotels in New York
Doug Kennedy | April 12, 2017
NEW YORK – April 12, 2017 – Trump HotelsTM, a global luxury hotel enterprise with an unparalleled history of providing extraordinary customer experiences, is delighted to announce that company veteran, Suzie Mills, has been named as new Area Managing Director for Trump Hotels in New York region: Trump International Hotel & Tower® New York (Central Park) and Trump SoHoÒ New York. With an accolade-filled career spanning two decades – much of it at Trump Central Park – Ms. Mills will be now responsible for the high-level operations, performance, and strategic direction of both hotels, and also the day...
What Hoteliers Need To Know About Indonesia
Larry Mogelonsky | April 12, 2017
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Right now, we are all still talking about the rapid growth of China and to a lesser extend India, Russia and Brazil under the collective banner of BRIC. Their evolution into capitalistic territories has presented countless lucrative prospects for hospitality organizations both big and small. But there should be a fifth name in this acronym which is often overshadowed despite what's happening on the ground and despite it being the fourth most populous country in the world. From what I've read of recent, the archipelago nation of Indonesia has as many opportunities for the hotel indus...
Severe shortage of skilled tourism workers in Vietnam creating huge challenge to growing sector
Larry Mogelonsky | April 11, 2017
April 11--The severe shortage of qualified workers is a huge challenge to the rapidly growing tourism sector, experts warn. The sector is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 7 per cent in 2016-20, and as a result the total demand for direct human resources is expected to be a whopping 870,000 by 2020, according to the Institute for Tourism Development Research. The sector's demand for human resources will be two or three times the number needed by other major sectors such as education, health and finance. In HCM City alone, around 21,600 workers are needed every year until 2020, or 8 per cent of the total workforce, accord...
Are You Giving Your Guests Enough RevPAH?
Doug Kennedy | April 5, 2017
By Doug Kennedy As I often say in my hospitality workshops, we in the hotel industry are in a very unique business of selling space and time, so we had better be REALLY good at the intangibles. Although we charge them for rooms, the guests are buying an overall experience that is made up mostly of human interactions. With hotel brands so quickly copying each other's amenities, services and décor, just about the only point of differentiation is the human engagement delivered by the people we call colleagues. In the hotel business we measure our RevPAR, which everyone knows is Revenue Per Available Room Night. Fortunately for us, o...
The Importance Of How You Address Senior Hoteliers
Larry Mogelonsky | April 5, 2017
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) The workplace today is vastly different than it was 50 or even 20 years ago. Organizations have a flat structure, people opt to work from home, attire is far more casual and we've all but stopped addressing our superiors by their formal titles. While most of these progressions are indeed progress and advantageous for productivity, employee happiness and innovation, it's the latter one that may cause some problems specific to the hospitality industry. As a cross example, the phasing out of the necktie for front desk staffers (for the men at least) will likewise change guests' percept...
Franchising: The Length of the Chain and the Weight of the Ball
Georges Panayotis | March 31, 2017
By Georges Panayotis Something makes no sense in the kingdom of franchising. Relations between franchisees and franchisors are tense. While there are two ways to look at this: problems are swept under the carpet and any responsibility for shirked dialogue is refused, or else every question is taken on… even upsetting ones. Words have meaning. At the root of this contractual relationship between the operating investor and the owner who sells the use of the brand, it must be an open rapport that is unequivocal. While they may have legitimate demands in terms of hotel groups' commitments to them, franchisees must remember how go...
Wine Is A Story About People
Larry Mogelonsky | March 29, 2017
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) You drink wine. You have a fondness for white or red. You have your favorite producing countries, regions, varietals, blends, vineyards and wineries. Then you can also take into account terroir, age of the vines, vintage, aging process and yearly climatic fluctuations. There's a reason why good sommeliers must go to school to perfect their expertise. Wine is a complex story with many layers to regale the novice to even the most veteran drinker. Increasingly, though, it's becoming a story about people above all else. It doesn't matter about country of origin, the prestige of the winery, micr...
Four Actionable Steps to Stay Relevant Through Customization and Personalized Services
Dr. Meng-Mei (Maggie) Chen | March 28, 2017
by Meng-Mei (Maggie) Chen Hoteliers are seeing their relevance diminishing almost by the day as customers increasingly turn to alternative (non-hotel) types of accommodation and make reservations through online travel agencies (OTAs) rather than book directly with the hotels themselves. Hoteliers cannot afford to give up though and must stay relevant. Leveraging customer data and technology to initiate customized offerings and personalization could help to make them more relevant. However, when some industry experts advocate personalization, somehow the suggested solutions tend to be more related to selling upgrades or improving their e...
Hotel Lawyer: What’s Happening with EB-5 Financing for New Development Projects? Is it Still Available?
Jim Butler | March 27, 2017
By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® 27 March 2017 Unless Congress acts in time, a critical part of EB-5 financing will lapse on April 28, 2017 The Regional Center program was enacted in 1992 as a "pilot project." Since then, it has been renewed or extended many times by Congress, with the current extension due to sunset April 28, 2017. Combined with some negative comments by a few foes of the program, some have begun to wonder out loud if the end of EB-5 financing is near. And, if Congress does not act soon, it would have a serious impact on the program. Important people, is an important part. What will likely happen if ...
Hospitality: One Doesn’t Suffer the Future…it is Built
Georges Panayotis | March 23, 2017
by Georges Panayotis Contrary to other sectors, the world of hospitality need not fear disappearing into a black hole and despite the upsets it might traverse, it is growing and will continue to do so. To each his place in the sun. From the inns of yesteryear to the hotel capsules found in airports today, and, of course, youth hostels, residences, traditional palaces and hybrid formulas, the hotel universe has not stopped adapting to travelers' changing needs. The good news is that these travelers are increasingly numerous and will continue to stay in commercial accommodations. But which? The challenges experienced by hotel business...
The Solution To Industry Stagnation Is Innovation
Larry Mogelonsky | March 22, 2017
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) During the 2008-2009 economic downturn, even though the future of most hotels was uncertain, the corrective actions for such times of hardship were not. Properties across the board responded to the lower occupancies and tightening of travelers' purse strings by cutting costs in whichever way would balance the budget. Now, however, it would seem as though we are confronted with a mercurial problem, that of a flattening of pace. Whereas the calamitous events of just shy of a decade ago hit us like an exploding hot lava volcano, this present day 'flattening of pace' is not nearly as visceral. ...
Hotel Sales: “Why Do Our Rates Change? We Discount When It’s Slower!”
Doug Kennedy | March 17, 2017
By Doug Kennedy Every day your hotel sales, reservations and front desk colleagues are fielding questions from both prospects and guests regarding why it is that the rates are so much higher during certain periods as compared to other dates. For convention hotels, the question might be "Why are the rates so much higher in mid-October than July?" For the catering sales manager the question is: "Why is the F&B minimum spend for my wedding so much higher on a Saturday in May or June?" For beach resorts the rate objection is "Why are rates higher for July 4th?" At mountain ski resorts it's the opposite, as most rate objections occur for...
Crystal Clear! The Hotel Industry May Have Found its Secret Ingredient: Transparency
Georges Panayotis | March 16, 2017
by Georges Panayotis There is no magical solution for success: audacity, tenacity, inventiveness are all present. The profession has understood the need to evolve to survive. If these elements provide the essential ingredients, the secret ingredient - the one that makes a good family dinner worthy of the best tables - is missing. The hotel industry may have found its secret ingredient: transparency, which becomes primordial in light of the many expectations of consumers who want clear information. The evolution of the hotel industry is in full swing and products and services are changing to better meet customers' needs. It is high t...
InFISHigate This Underrated Menu Choice
Larry Mogelonsky | March 15, 2017
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) As health eating takes the world by storm, many people are adopting strict or esoteric diets that are becoming commonplace in any urban area. Vegetarians, vegans, paleo, raw diet – all must be appeased. As a staunch meat-lover, I can't fully grasp those who stave off cow and lamb entirely. But if I had to, I could give up red meat and poultry, but never fish. There are so many regional varieties and flavors of fish that I simply couldn't go without getting my krill fill each and every week. It's a fantastic protein compromise on the spectrum of striploin to tempeh. Smack full of omega...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 175: Hotel History: William Cornelius Van Horne; My Five Published Hotel Books
Stanley Turkel | March 13, 2017
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: William Cornelius Van Horne (1843-1915) William Cornelius Van Horne was born on February 3, 1843 on a farm in Will County, Illinois. His great grandfather, Jan Cornelissen Van Horne had emigrated from the Dutch Republic in 1635 to the British colonies and settled in New Amsterdam, now known as the Island of Manhattan. The family prospered and became landowners and businessmen who played an important role in the industrial and political development of New York State. William Van Horne's father, Cornelius Covenhoven Van Horne, was trained as a lawyer at Union College. He is said to have "chafed at th...
Looking Ahead Nine Months For Hotel Technology
Larry Mogelonsky | March 8, 2017
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) When it comes to technology, hotels are often seen as laggards to adoption, but I don't see this as the case. Quite the opposite in fact, with our resources and the diverse range of operations, the next nine months of 2017 should prove to be exciting times for new hardware and software installations, but only if you have vision. To help you stay on the forefront of what's available to help grow your business, here are five industry trends as well as a few companies that I consider to be game-changers for the remainder of the calendar year. 1. Energy efficiency everywhere. Whether or not you...
Hotel Lawyer: Where is The Hospitality Industry Headed in 2017?
Jim Butler | March 7, 2017
By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® 22 February 2017 The Lodging Industry Investment Council (LIIC) met in Los Angeles during the American Lodging Investment Summit 2017 and our friends from Hotel News Now (HNN) were on the scene. Some of us were asked by HNN for our take on where the hospitality industry is headed in 2017 — including my friend and fellow LIIC board member, Mike Cahill, who will present the "LIIC Top Ten" hospitality issues of the year at the national hotel finance and investment conference, Meet the Money®, as he does every year. To read my comments about why 2017 will be a year of change, as ...
How to Follow-up on Voice Reservations Inquiries With Personalized Emails and Phone Calls
Doug Kennedy | March 2, 2017
By Doug Kennedy If you're like most hotel marketing and revenue leaders, chances are that one of your major near term strategic goals is to drive more direct bookings and thus reduce the costs of customer acquisition. Certainly this strategy calls for finding ways to drive traffic to your website and make it easy for them to book there right now. However, while many guests will book online, others prefer to first speak directly with a credible reservations agent. Generally, the higher the rate, the longer the stay, and the more they guest has a personal interest in the visit (such leisure guests) the more likely they are to call. To con...
Enough Room for Everyone? How Hotels are Meeting the Airbnb Challenge
Alan E. Young | March 1, 2017
By Alan E. Young, Co-Founder and President of Puzzle Partner Everybody has a place to live. And thanks to Airbnb and other rent-by-owner sites, everybody can turn their spare room into a moneymaking short-term rental. In the taxi industry, this sharing model let Uber crush the cab companies. The situation isn't that dire for hotels, yet; consumers are more likely to take a chance on an unknown provider for a 15-minute car ride than for a five-night stay. That doesn't mean hotels don't have to take the new competition seriously, however. Airbnb's $30 billion valuation is now larger than that of any of its hotel competitor...
The Need for Hotel Careers in the Face of the Gig Economy
Larry Mogelonsky | March 1, 2017
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) As the gig economy continues to take hold in various industries, it is also changing how we think about our chosen line of work. The 9-to-5 office is eroding while working from home and working when you want behaviors are gaining widespread acceptance. The impacts for hotels are manifold. At its core, this freelancer economy promotes a transient approach to wage earning. That is, you get exactly what you put into it and not a penny more. The more you work, the more money you make, with a few demand-based algorithms to keep rates attuned to market pressures. Further, there's little emotional...
Is Technological Ageism an Issue in Hospitality?
Larry Mogelonsky | February 23, 2017
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) Ageism has always been a part of our social fabric, but whereas in the past it was standard to venerate the old for their experience and sagacity, nowadays the situation has been flipped somewhat due to the rapid proliferation of technology. With all the new devices, new media and new apps, it has become increasingly difficult for those who are proverbially 'set in their ways' and without young, sponge-like brains to keep up. Much like how we abridge complex social stratifications into 'the have and the have-nots', we are likewise experiencing a generational movement with regard to 'the tec...
Nobody Asked Me, But…No. 174: Hotel History: Chelsea Hotel (1884); My Five Published Books; Attorneys Take Note
Stanley Turkel | February 21, 2017
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Stanley Bard, manager and part owner of the Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan for more than 40 years, passed away on February 14, 2017 at 82 years of age. His obituary in the New York Times by Sam Roberts called Bard "a Robin Hood of innkeepers who nurtured talented writers and artists and tolerated assorted deadbeats…" The history of the Chelsea Hotel, before, during and after the Bard family's operation is so fascinating and unique that I will quote selectively from my book "Built To Last: 100+ Year-Old Hotels in New York" (AuthorHouse 2011): The Chelsea Hotel (1884) The Iconic Artist Hideaway, Like No Other Th...
What’s Your Opinion on Tattoos in the Hotel Workplace
Larry Mogelonsky | February 15, 2017
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) This is a topic you should definitely review with your HR director. Does a sentence appear in your hiring policy to specify whether or not a candidate is permitted to have any visible tattoos? Or, while unwritten, have you or someone within your organization ever dismissed potential applicants outright on this basis? If you have answered affirmatively to either of these two statements, it may be time to re-evaluate your hiring practices. While discriminatory cases involving skin art have yet to reach the spotlight in our court systems, modifying an outright ban in your internal policies is ...
