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Larry and Adam Mogelonsky | July 13th, 2022
U.S. Hotel P&L Turned Positive in July
STR | August 24, 2020
BROOMFIELD, Colorado—U.S. hotel gross operating profit per available room (GOPPAR) reached positive territory for the first time since February, according to STR‘s latest monthly P&L data release. In a year-over-year comparison with July 2019, the industry reported the following: GOPPAR: -93.3% to US$5.74 TRevPAR: -74.1% to US$60.04 EBITDA PAR: -115.1% to US$-9.24 LPAR (Labor Costs): -64.8% to US$28.46 The industry had registered negative GOPPAR values for four consecutive months: March (US$-2.10), April (US-$17.98), May (US$-10.26) and June (US$-5.89). “As the industry inched closer to 50% occup...
Why Midscale and Economy Hotels Are Leading the Current Recovery
Michael Driedger | August 24, 2020
By Michael Driedger Whatever your occupancy is right now, you know that one day it's sure to go up. The hotel industry is currently experiencing something never seen before, and with this also will come pent up travel demand. When the recovery begins and we are all more confident about traveling internationally again, have you thought about where you want your hotel to be strategically? Early signs of what recovery in travel will look like is coming from countries like China where tourism has started again in earnest. According to a McKinsey study this recovery is being led heavily by midscale and economy hotels. The rise in populari...
Lodging Interactive Launches All-Inclusive Subscription Based Digital Marketing Services for Hotels
Lodging Interactive and Commingle:Engage | August 24, 2020
Lodging Interactive, a full-service digital marketing, social media engagement, and reputation management agency exclusively serving the hospitality industry, today announced the launch of its all-inclusive subscription-based digital marketing services for hotels. HotelSiteXPRESS provides fast, affordable website development and digital marketing services enabling any size property to effectively compete within their marketplace. “As the hospitality industry continues to move towards financial recovery, HotelSiteXPRESS has the ability to accelerate the recovery process for hotels by launching new, modern websites, supported by compre...
Tracking the Recovery: How COVID-19 Is Reshaping the Hotel Revenue Mix
HotStats | August 24, 2020
Hotels sell rooms. Yes, there are typically other things that hotels offer within their walls—food, drinks, events, ibuprofen in the sundries store—but when a customer opens up their laptop or calls the property directly, chances are they are thinking to themselves: I am booking a hotel room. It makes sense then that the sale of guestrooms is the single biggest piece of revenue for a hotel. And for that reason, revenue per available room (RevPAR), a performance metric that assesses a hotel’s ability to fill available rooms at an average rate, has been the most promulgated metric in the industry. But as the ...
Carver Hotel Group Announces New Staffing Alternative to Help Clients Impacted by J-1 and H2B Visa Changes
The Carver Companies | August 20, 2020
ATLANTA, GA – August 20, 2020 – Carver Hotel Group (CHG), a division of The Carver Companies, will now offer preferred clients SWATkeepers and SWATservers as alternatives to J-1 and H2B visa staffing. “CHG has always been a leading Task Force agency that works quickly to create solutions for our clients’ changing needs. As our industry begins to recover from COVID-19 impacts, we receive daily inquiries from clients asking if we could help replace the void left by J-1 and H2B visa team members,” said Chief Development Officer Charlene "Charley" Carter. “This new level of Task Force services will help address the issue for our ...
Your COVID-19 Recovery Plan Should Include These 5 Marketing Strategies
Amadeus Hospitality | August 20, 2020
Hoteliers have reopened their doors to a more competitive market than ever before. Travelers are spoiled for choice as every property (no matter what audience they previously catered to) is looking to win their business and keep revenue on the books. It will take a thoughtful approach to your hotel’s marketing plan to entice weary travelers in the era of COVID-19. With their heightened expectations for cleanliness, service, and a good deal in an uncertain economy, is your marketing strategy positioned to succeed? Here is your new 5 step action plan to marketing during a pandemic. Make decisions based on your market This may seem ...
What Summer Search Data Really Tells Us About Post-Covid Travel
Larry Mogelonsky | August 19, 2020
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Travel behavior in the summer of COVID-19 has been erratic and still has a long way to go until it returns to pre-pandemic levels. However, the search data during this recovery period can offer strong clues as to what customers will want from their hotel experiences in the next normal so that operators can adjust their businesses accordingly. Notably, much has already been said about the recent Google Trends numbers which show that search share in many major Western countries for Airbnb and Booking have both trended disproportionately upward relative to Expedia, Hilton and Marriott ...
Travel Channel Star & Industry Expert Anthony Melchiorri Calls on Congress to Save Hotel Industry
AAHOA | August 18, 2020
Anthony Melchiorri, CEO of Argeo Hospitality, host of Travel Channel’s Hotel Impossible and one of the hospitality industry’s top podcast, Anthony Melchiorri Live, appealed to Congress to address the liquidity crisis facing the nation's hotel owners as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. In a video message, Melchiorri urged lawmakers to enact substantive measures to help hoteliers such as as a second round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), banking relief for holders of commercial mortgage-backed security (CMBS) loans, access to the Main Street Lending Program for commercial real estate, and increased resources for the Economic Inju...
How to Stay Safe While Staying Open
Christopher Horn | August 18, 2020
Six best practices for protecting your people and those you serve By Christopher Horn Deciding to close or remain open during a pandemic can be one of the most difficult decisions a hotel company will ever have to make, especially if multiple assets are involved. Many factors need to be analyzed, including the financial, brand, and human resources sides of the business to determine which action is the most fiscally responsible. At Sixty Hotels, we are “Always Open” to show our customers that we are there for them in good times and bad, no matter what. This is especially challenging considering that our hotels are in the heavily pop...
Maestro PMS Helps Keep Hotel Workers Safe Via a ‘Use Your Own Device’ Guest Digitalization Strategy
Maestro PMS | August 18, 2020
Leader in hospitality property-management systems identifies five ways hoteliers can provide a high-quality guest experience while simultaneously protecting their people MARKHAM, ONTARIO, August 18, 2020 — Safety and security are top of mind for hotel operators as they strive to protect their staff amidst today’s challenging and ever-changing travel landscape. Maestro PMS, hospitality’s leading provider of cloud hosted, private cloud and on-premise property-management systems for independent and luxury resorts, conference centers, vacation rentals, and multi-property groups, is enabling guests to self-serve from their phone, tablet o...
Annual Hotel Occupancy Forecast to Decline 29% Over the Next 12 Months With $75 Billion in Projected Revenue Losses
Horwath HTL | August 17, 2020
Magid HTL Forecast Tracker, analyzed in conjunction with Horwath HTL, says COVID-driven declines span both business and leisure travel intentions MINNEAPOLIS, August 17, 2020 – The ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will lead to a 29% decline in annual hotel occupancy over the next 12 months, resulting in a projected revenue loss for the industry of about $75 Billion in room revenue alone. The estimate is according to the Magid HTL Forecast Tracker, analyzed in conjunction with Horwath HTL, the world’s oldest, largest, and most experienced hotel, tourism, and leisure-consulting brand. The forecast shows declines being driven...
Top Considerations for Hotel Balance Sheets During COVID-19 and Beyond
August 17, 2020
One of the many impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is that it has highlighted the importance of working capital. "Cash is King" is all the more irrefutable as industries worldwide struggle to meet lenders’ and creditors' demands. With companies lacking reliable forecasts, more investors now gauge performance based on balance sheet metrics, namely debt levels, asset liquidity, covenants and stable cash flows. These are now, more than ever, favoured by owners and investors to assess if management can keep meeting obligations during the crisis. Balance sheets deserve more attention and are an often-overlooked financial statement. Whi...
Can Sales and Marketing Save the Hotel Industry?
HotStats | August 17, 2020
COVID-19 has knocked the wind out of hotel profits. No more so than within the conference business, a traditionally bustling moneymaker that has wilted amid the pandemic. Still, sitting on your hands until it all blows over is not the smart approach. What many don’t realize is that sales and marketing can be used to set the wheels toward profit back in motion. Wondering how? Here are some ways ... How COVID-19 Has Shifted Hotel Sales and Marketing It’s no secret that COVID-19 has demolished hotel and conference demand. But that lost demand is not permanent. It’s lying dormant as people remain hermetic, browse online and reassess...
Domestic Business Travel Continues to Trend Toward Recovery
The Global Business Travel Association | August 13, 2020
Alexandria, VA (August 13, 2020) – GBTA member companies worldwide, report an emerging willingness to permit employees to engage in domestic business travel, according to the latest poll conducted between August 5-9, 2020, by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA). Respondents to the poll; the 10th bi-weekly survey conducted among GBTA’s members since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in February, continue to report virtually no willingness for employees to travel internationally, with 93% indicating the pandemic has curtailed all or most international business trips. By comparison, 74% of respondents report that the pandemi...
Counting the Social Costs of Tourism in the COVID-19 Era
PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management | August 13, 2020
During the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism scholars and practitioners have directed their attention to local communities in tourist destinations, examining their safety and well-being and the costs that they bear due to tourism activities. Yet according to the SHTM’s Professor Haiyan Song and Dr Jinah Park and their co-researchers, it is now time to discuss the social costs of tourism during crises. How much are local communities willing to sacrifice to reduce these costs? Analysing local residents’ willingness to pay to alleviate public health risk, the researchers explored the situation through an economic lens. Their findings have importan...
Value Reigns in the Hotel Recovery Phase
Larry Mogelonsky | August 12, 2020
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) The summer of COVID-19 for hotels has meant a dominance of local leisure guests and road trips as we await the return of group travel to boost our occupancies and our margins. With the approaching next normal of autumn, winter, more properties reopening and less overall desirability for a vacation to a domestic location during the colder months, it would be all too easy to succumb to a price war. Fortunately, we know the ramifications of a price reduction, notably that it erodes your customer base by making it harder to return to your standard rates. And yet, market forces will dict...
Minibar Systems Introduces SmartHands Elevator Hand Sanitizer Dispenser
Minibar Systems | August 12, 2020
[video width="600" height="338"" mp4="https://www.hotel-online.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/SmartHands_Elevator_Dispenser.mp4"][/video] Rockville, MD - Minibar Systems is pleased to announce our new SmartHands Elevator dispensers are now available for hotels and can soon be purchased online at SmartHands.MinibarSystems.com. The SmartHands™ elevator hand sanitizer works with the dispenser and contains 80% Ethanol Alcohol which exceeds the CDC standard and kills 99.99% of harmful germs and bacteria. Aloe vera leaf extract is added to help aid and moisturize skin after application. Please visit the website for add...
Siegel Sez: When Tech Vendors Get COVID-19
August 7, 2020
Siegel Sez August 7, 2020 I have learned many things during this pandemic and one of them is how the government works. The AH&LA plays a major role in dealing with the government and of course nothing is easy and nothing happens without major challenges along the way. I have joined multiple Zoom calls with Chip Rogers the CEO and President of AH&LA and also with Kevin Carey the COO of AH&LA who have played an active role in making sure the voices of hoteliers and also the suppliers including technology vendors are not forgotten during these times of limited travel. This week Chip Rogers did a webinar with Pat Pacious the Pre...
Reactivating the Caribbean During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Kristina D’Amico | August 6, 2020
By Kristina D'Amico The top priority for all islands in the region has been a focus on residents and the public health issues at hand. Upon knowledge of the COVID-19 pandemic, each island immediately closed its borders, which allowed for a very low number of cases in the region so that the islands could focus on containing the virus transmission without any additional entrants. Given that the Caribbean is the most tourism-dependent region in the world, it was essential to develop new protocols for entry, which had never been implemented before, once the virus spread was under control in each country. Per Honorable Dominic Fedee, Chair o...
Europe’s Summer Season Is at Stake, Can It Be Salvaged?
STR | August 5, 2020
July and August are two of Europe’s most important months for hotels with travellers spread across the continent on summer holidays. However, it is no secret that summer looks much different this time around for Europe due to the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Europe was riding a successful wave with eight consecutive years of RevPAR growth as of the end of 2019. Fast forward through the devastating impact of a global pandemic, and the continent is Europe is behind in its recovery in comparison with other regions around the world. As seen in the chart below, Europe recorded the largest fall in occupancy and remained at a low poi...
Israel Hotel Market Overview 2020 – The Path to Recovery
Simon Hulten | August 5, 2020
By Simon Hulten, Russell Kett Foreword The restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic have severely hit every sector across the globe, and the hospitality industry is undeniably among the hardest hit. In Israel, strict lockdown measures were implemented in mid-March, forcing all except non-essential businesses to close, including most of the country’s hotels. Fortunately, there is light at the end of the tunnel for the lockdown phase and, on 4 May 2020, Prime Minister Netanyahu outlined a gradual easing of lockdown restrictions; the focus of hoteliers has thus shifted from how to manage the closure to developing a sound reopenin...
Understanding the Post-Covid Advantages of Sharing Economy Accommodations
Larry Mogelonsky | August 5, 2020
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Following reports in early July that travel searches on Airbnb (and also Booking) in many key markets are at a 12-month high, hoteliers would be right to be quite anxious as this represents a definitive marker for booking drivers and perceived value in the post-pandemic hospitality world. Why are guests returning faster to the sharing economy than traditional accommodation providers? In this great reshuffling of travel motivations following COVID-19, it would appear as though many hotel customers are switching to home sharing platforms for their next leisure stay. Below I present th...
San Clemente Palace Kempinski Turns to Knowcross Technology to Open Post Pandemic
Knowcross | August 5, 2020
London Aug 5, 2020 - KNOWCROSS, the global leader in providing service quality and optimization solutions for hotels, is excited to share that the San Clemente Palace Kempinski Venice, has chosen to implement the Knowcross platform, to help improve staff communication, better compliance to new safety guidelines and increase overall operational efficiencies. This addition further strengthens Knowcross’ resolve to help and partner with hotels as they look to reopen post the pandemic across the globe. Located on the private island of San Clemente, only minutes away from Piazza San Marco, the San Clemente Palace Kempinski is a proud member o...
UNWTO, ONCE Foundation and ENAT Call for the Reopening of Tourism Destinations to Cater For The Needs of People With Disabilities
UNWTO | August 4, 2020
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is calling on destinations to recognize the needs of travellers with disabilities or specific access requirements as they open up to visitors again. In partnership with the ONCE Foundation of Spain and the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT), the United Nations specialized agency has released new guideline to ensure accessibility and inclusivity as the responsible restart of tourism gets underway. According to the newest data from UNWTO, 40% of global destinations have now eased restrictions on travel introduced in response to COVID0-19. Now, with tourism steadily returning, UNWTO has joined ...
