Quoting Higher Rates and Overcoming Objections Regarding Rate/Availability Restrictions
Doug Kennedy | February 6th, 2024
Complimentary Registration Now Open For Doug Kennedy’s Next Training Webcast: Contemporary Approaches for Upselling at Check-In
Doug Kennedy | January 8th, 2024
U.S. Travel and Tourism Diversity Matters Announce Partnership
U.S. Travel Association | December 8, 2021
WASHINGTON — December 8, 2021 — The U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Diversity Matters announce a new strategic partnership that will strengthen the association’s focus and support of the industry on issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and provide greater access to Tourism Diversity Matters’ subject matter expertise, research and resources. Tourism Diversity Matters was founded in 2021 to address blind spots in ethnic disparities within the tourism and events industry while providing these industry leaders with resources and tactics to develop more effective DEI strategies to engage, recruit and retain a dive...
Cloudbeds Horizon Launches to Empower Hospitality Schools to Upskill Students in Cloud Technology
Cloudbeds | December 8, 2021
Cloudbeds’ new educational partners program begins following a successful pilot with EHL, the world’s most prestigious hospitality management school (SAN DIEGO) — Cloudbeds, the hospitality industry’s fastest-growing technology provider, announced the launch of Cloudbeds Horizon, a new educational partners program designed to empower hospitality’s future leaders with modern technology skills and innovation. Cloudbeds Horizon launches following a successful pilot program with EHL, the world’s most prestigious hospitality management school. Cloudbeds Horizon partners with hospitality schools and universities worldwide to provi...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 258: Hotel History: The Willard Hotel, Washington, D.C.
Stanley Turkel | December 7, 2021
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: Willard Hotel (394 rooms) The Willard InterContinental Washington, commonly known as the Willard Hotel, is a historic luxury Beaux-Arts hotel located at 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in downtown Washington, D.C. Among its facilities are numerous luxurious guest rooms, several restaurants, the famed Round Robin Bar, the Peacock Alley series of luxury shops, and voluminous function rooms. Owned by InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, it is two blocks east of the White House, and two blocks west of the Metro Center station of the Washington Metro. The National Park Service and the U.S. Department o...
Nobody Asked Me, But…. No. 257: Hotel History: El Tovar & Hopi Gift Shop
Stanley Turkel | November 16, 2021
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: El Tovar Hotel (95 rooms) and The Hopi House Gift Shop One hundred and sixteen years ago, two architectural jewels opened in the Grand Canyon National Park: the 95-room El Tovar Hotel and the adjacent Hopi House Gift Shop. Both reflected the foresight and entrepreneurship of Frederick Henry Harvey whose business ventures included restaurants, hotels, railroad dining cars, gift shops and newsstands. His partnership with the Atchison, Topeka and Sante Fe Railway introduced many new tourists to the American Southwest by making rail travel and dining comfortable and adventurous. Employing many Native-A...
Leader in Group Sales Data Insights Launches Knowland Academy
KNOWLAND | October 28, 2021
Content-rich platform offers easily consumable training modules to help hotels with fast onboarding and upskilling of new and returning sales teams ARLINGTON, VA — October 28, 2021— Knowland, the world’s leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, today launched Knowland Academy, a new way for customers to learn its platform, quickly, easily and in a self-paced environment. Visit academy.knowland.com to see the user portal. Knowland Academy was developed to deliver training in bite-sized, consumable videos, articles, notes on new releases and more, streamlining four weeks of user training...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 256: Hotel History: Severin Hotel Indianapolis, Indiana
Stanley Turkel | October 27, 2021
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: Severin Hotel (424 rooms) The original Hotel Severin opened in 1913 when it replaced the Grand Hotel of Indianapolis. Its location directly across Jackson Place from the Union Station made it the favorite hotel for passengers on the 300 daily trains. It was built by Henry Severin, Jr., the heir to a wholesale grocery fortune, with help from real estate developers Carl Graham Fisher and James A. Allison, who had built the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The hotel was designed by Vonnegut and Bohn, an architectural firm active in early to mid-twentieth-century Indianapolis. When Bernard Vonnegut, ...
Hong Kong Poly Conducts Empirical Study on Adoption of Ecotechnology in Hotels
PolyU's School of Hotel and Tourism Management | October 22, 2021
From smart room key systems to robot concierges, advanced technologies are now the norm in many hotels. In a world on the brink of climate crisis, environmental technologies should be no exception. Curiously, however, the hospitality industry is lagging behind in its adoption of eco-friendly technologies. In the first empirical study of its kind, Dr Eric Chan of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and two co-researchers asked what exactly is holding hoteliers back in their quest to “go green”. Their findings will prove invaluable as the industry takes its next steps towards a smarter a...
Lately, Hotels Seem to Be Falling Short on the People Parts
Doug Kennedy | October 7, 2021
By Doug Kennedy At the time of this writing, I’m on a plane ride back from attending four lodging industry conferences in 10 days, which caused me to be staying at four different large, branded hotels in Minneapolis, Dallas and San Antonio, all of which were close to the convention centers. While all of the staff I encountered were polite and efficient, their service style was overall reactive and not proactive. Notably absent were some core essentials of hotel hospitality excellence that used to be part of “Hotel 101” orientation. Much has been written about the challenges of finding qualified staff, but in each encounter, ther...
FAU’s Peter Ricci Wins 30th Annual ‘South Florida Tourism Professional of the Year’ Award
Florida Atlantic University: | October 7, 2021
Free Online Certificate During Pandemic Helped Tens of Thousands Worldwide BOCA RATON, FL – October 7, 2021 – Peter Ricci, Ed.D., director of Florida Atlantic University’s hospitality and tourism management program, was named the 30th annual South Florida Tourism Professional of the Year by the Academy of Hospitality & Tourism (AOHT). Judges were asked to consider the seven finalists’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, an area where Ricci shined. In March 2020, at the start of the pandemic, he organized a free online certificate offered by FAU’s College of Business that allowed industry professionals who were fur...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 255: Hotel History: Shelton Hotel, New York
Stanley Turkel | October 5, 2021
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: Shelton Hotel, New York, N.Y. (1,200 rooms) Few skyscrapers were as admired as the 1924 Shelton Hotel, at Lexington Avenue and 49th Street, now the New York Marriott East Side. Critics agreed that its picturesque 35-story façade and unusual setback design pointed the way of the future for the skyscraper. The Shelton was built by the architecturally ambitious developer James T. Lee, who was also responsible for two luxurious apartment houses: 998 Fifth Avenue of 1912 and 740 Park Avenue of 1930. He was the grandfather of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, born Jacqueline Lee Bouvier. Mr. Lee’s vis...
Purdue to Rename Hospitality School as White Lodging – J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management
White Lodging | October 5, 2021
WEST LAFAYETTE, IN — October 5, 2021 — White Lodging, one of the leading hospitality development and management companies in the United States, is enhancing the development of the next generation of hospitalitarians as part of the White family’s significant continued support of Purdue University. In addition, Purdue University trustees voted Friday (Oct. 1) to rename the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management in honor of the White family’s longstanding financial and in-kind support. At the request of Bruce White, White Lodging’s founder and CEO, the school’s name will also honor the career and contributions of J.W. “Bi...
TraknProtect Receives Bronze “Leader in Freedom” Award From Safe House Project for Collaborative Efforts to Combat Domestic Child Traffick
TraknProtect | September 28, 2021
Chicago, IL - September 28, 2021 - TraknProtect, a leading employee safety button provider for several major hotel brands, has received the Bronze "Leader in Freedom" award from the national anti-trafficking organization, Safe House Project, for the work carried out through training and education to combat domestic child trafficking. “It is important that we all take responsibility for the fight against human trafficking. Major hotel brands have made a commitment to educate their employees to combat human trafficking as part of the AHLA 5-Star Promise. But we as suppliers and vendors need to also be part of the solution. We travel as muc...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 254: Hotel History: St. Regis Hotel
Stanley Turkel | September 14, 2021
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: St. Regis Hotel (550 rooms) In 1904, Colonel John Jacob Astor broke ground for the building of the St. Regis Hotel at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 55th Street, in the most exclusive residential section of New York at the time. The architects were Trowbridge and Livingston who were based in New York. The firm’s partners were Samuel Beck Parkman Trowbridge (1862-1925) and Goodhue Livingston (1867-1951). Trowbridge studied at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. On his graduation in 1883, he attended Columbia University and later studied abroad in the American School of Classical Studies i...
NCC and Penn State Sign Hospitality Management Transfer Agreement
Northampton Community College | August 30, 2021
Northampton Community College (NCC) students seeking a four-year bachelor's degree in hospitality management can now add Penn State Berks or the School of Hospitality Management in the College of Health and Human Development at Penn State University Park, to their list of possible schools at which they can pursue their academic degree in hospitality management. Leaders from Penn State and NCC signed a transfer and articulation agreement this spring. The agreement establishes a program-to-program enrollment articulation agreement in hospitality management. NCC students who successfully complete the requirements for an associate program w...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 253; Hotel History: Hotel Pennsylvania
Stanley Turkel | August 26, 2021
By Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: Hotel Pennsylvania (1704 rooms) An iconic hotel in mid-town Manhattan is closing its doors for good. The Hotel Pennsylvania will not reopen, succumbing to this past year’s Covid 19 pandemic and years of narrowly avoiding the chopping block. The fourth-largest hotel in New York City was well situated, right across from Madison Square Garden and Penn Station, making it a natural and affordable stop for travelers and concert-goers alike. The Hotel Pennsylvania was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad and operated by Ellsworth Statler. It opened on January 25, 1919 and was designed by William Symmes...
U.S. Travel Convenes Destination Leaders to Chart Future of Tourism Marketing
U.S. Travel Association | August 16, 2021
LOS ANGELES — August 16, 2021 — U.S. Travel this week convened more than 650 destination marketers in Los Angeles for the association’s annual Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations (ESTO), marking one of the largest national gatherings of destination marketers since the start of the pandemic. The industry’s premier knowledge-sharing forum, taking place August 15-17 at the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, is bringing together destination leaders from around the country to chart a path forward while leading by example that professional meetings and events can safely take place. ESTO is being held in-person in accordance...
Hospitality Upgrade Announces Recipient of the John Cahill Student Seat for the 2021 CIO Summit
The CIO Summit | August 10, 2021
Kennesaw State University Hospitality Administration Student Selected ATLANTA, GA – August 10, 2021 – Hospitality Upgrade Publisher and President Rich Siegel today announced the next recipient of the John Cahill student seat will be Alana Agcaoili, an undergraduate student of the Kennesaw State University School of Hospitality Administration. In its 19th year, the upcoming CIO Summit will be held Sept. 8-10, 2021, in Atlanta. The John Cahill Honorary Seat is awarded to one distinguished student from a selected university or four-year college with a hotel program. This student is recommended by his or her professors as an individual wi...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 252: Hotel History: Libby’s Hotel and Baths
Stanley Turkel | August 3, 2021
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: Libby’s Hotel and Baths, New York, N.Y. In the late 1920s, the stock market was soaring, businesses were enjoying record profits and developers were constructing new buildings at a rapid pace. Mortgage companies began offering mortgage-backed securities, a new type of investment. One of the new buildings was the 12-story Libby's Hotel and Baths, built in 1926 at the corner of Chrystie and Delancey Streets in New York's lower east side. It was the first all-Jewish luxury hotel with an ornate swimming pool, modern gym, Russian-Turkish baths and lounges open to the entire community. The devel...
Over Half a Million Hotel Workers Trained in Human Trafficking Awareness
AHLA | August 2, 2021
WASHINGTON – August 2, 2021 – American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) President and CEO Chip Rogers and ECPAT-USA CEO Lori Cohen announced today at an American Hotel & Lodging Foundation (AHLA Foundation) World Day Against Trafficking in Persons event that over 500,000 hotel workers have been trained through the hotel industry’s free human trafficking awareness training since it was released in early 2020. That number is in addition to nearly 100,000 Marriott workers who have completed the training, titled “Your Role In Preventing Human Trafficking: Recognize the Signs” in 2020. The training was produced by Marriott ...
TraknProtect Completes OnWatch™ Advocate Program
OnWatch | July 29, 2021
OnWatch™ Education Platform Teaches Users to Spot, Report and Prevent Trafficking CHICAGO, ILLINOIS — July 29, 2021 — TraknProtect is now a certified OnWatch™ Advocate after training 100% of its company employees on how to recognize and report sex trafficking through the survivor-led and informed OnWatch™ education platform. Introduced nationally last year by Safe House Project and the Malouf Foundation, OnWatch™ is a virtual, anti-trafficking training service available for free at IAmOnWatch.org. Through true survivor experiences, industry experts explain the key indicators of trafficking, as well as how users can support a s...
Maestro PMS Shares the Top 5 Benefits of Remote Training in Today’s New Normal
Maestro PMS | July 27, 2021
Leader in PMS software solutions for independent hotels and resort groups provides key reasons why hoteliers are embracing the trend MARKHAM, Ontario — July 27, 2021 — Hospitality will always be defined by the interactions between frontline associates and hotel guests, which is why face-to-face training and onboarding has always been favored by the industry. Today, as the nation begins down the long road of recovery left from the COVID-19 pandemic, communication between guests and hotels, and even between hotels and employees, has changed. And, many hotel managers are embracing the strengths of remote training alongside what t...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 251: Wish You Were Here: A Tour of America’s Great Hotels During the Golden Age of the Picture Post Card
Stanley Turkel | July 14, 2021
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: “Wish You Were Here” by Barry Zaid (1980) In February 2000, there was a unique exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York: “Walker Evans and the Picture Postcard”. Evans was a titan of 20th-century photography who portrayed broken-down plantations, sharecropper families and bone-dry Southern farms during the Depression, grimy factories in the North and the facial expressions of New York subway passengers. Evans collected picture postcards throughout his life during the golden age from 1900 into the 1920s. This phenomenon was spurred by the United States postal service...
HSMAI Foundation Announces Mike Dimond 2021 Scholarship Program Recipients
HSMAI Foundation | July 7, 2021
The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International Foundation (HSMAIF) is proud to announce this year’s recipients of the Mike Dimond Scholarship. This prestigious program supports degree-seeking students who plan to pursue careers in hospitality. Awardees are Madeline Lalomia and Julia Weinberger. Meet the 2021 Mike Dimond Scholarship Program recipients: Madeline LaLomia Madeline is a student at Pennsylvania State University. She expects to graduate in May 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in Hospitality Management. She studied for a year in Chil...
The Castell Project, Inc. Accepting Nominations for 2021 Castell Leadership Programs
THE CASTELL PROJECT | June 23, 2021
ATLANTA — June 23, 2021 — Officials of Castell Project, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the careers of women professionals in the hospitality industry, today announced that the organization is accepting nominations for its 2021 Castell Leadership Programs. “Recognizing the immediate challenges of bringing women back to work and resetting their careers on the leadership track, Castell Programs engage and inspire women while developing the tools they need to support hotel businesses in this fluid environment,” said Peggy Berg, chair, Castell Project, Inc. “After a year of disrupted support networks,...
