The Tricycle of Guest Service Excellence: A Perfect Model For Remarkable Experiences
Doug Kennedy | October 4th, 2024
Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino Partners With Travel Outlook to Elevate Guest Service Experience
Travel Outlook, The Premier Hotel Call Center™ | October 2nd, 2024
Interdepartmental Communications & Two-Way Staff Messaging Will Elevate Hotel Operations in 2024
Warren Dehan | January 9, 2024
By Warren Dehan By breaking down departmental barriers, embracing unified data management through an all-in-one PMS, and leveraging modern guest engagement tools, hotels position themselves as pioneers in guest-centric service, setting new standards of excellence in the hospitality industry Thanks to technology, today’s hotel operators are breaking down departmental barriers and adopting a centralized database approach to have a game-changing impact on efficiency. This technology becomes even more transformative when coupled with two-way text messaging between hotel staff and guests. Such digitalization is revolutionizing how hotels m...
Travelodge To Acquire 66 Travelodge-Branded Hotels From Its Largest Landlord – LXi REIT – for £210 Million
Travelodge | January 8, 2024
The 66 hotels will be acquired on a freehold and long leasehold basis enabling the Travelodge group to take control of the assets, enhancing value The assets will be acquired through a newly created property holding group, under a new Travelodge group holding company, benefitting from support to drive further growth from its owner, GoldenTree Asset Management (GTAM) The hotels cover a wide geography, including London, the Midlands and the North of England across City Centre and roadside locations The transaction comes after Travelodge reported record-breaking Q3 results in November, with revenue up 16.7% to £782.0 million and u...
The St. Regis Red Sea Resort Opens in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
St. Regis Hotels & Resorts | January 8, 2024
Ummahat Island, Saudi Arabia - January 8, 2024 - St. Regis Hotels & Resorts today announced the opening of The St. Regis Red Sea Resort in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The captivating new address is the first private island to open in The Red Sea, one of the Kingdom’s luxury regenerative tourism destinations on the west coast of the country. Situated on the pristine Ummahat Island in the Al Wajh Lagoon, the resort is a destination-defining oasis with its avant-garde architecture, sustainable design details and bespoke service. “One of the world’s unexplored treasures, The Red Sea in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is set to be...
Rentyl Resorts Partners With New Luxury Hotel Brand to Develop and Manage an Upscale Historic Hotel on Miami Beach
Rentyl Resorts | January 8, 2024
MIAMI BEACH/ORLANDO, Fla. -- Rentyl Resorts proudly announces its collaboration with DaVinci Hospitality Group and Ferrari Group to brand and manage a new, cutting-edge boutique hotel at 2814 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach. This partnership unites Rentyl’s expertise in creating authentic, extraordinary experiences with DaVinci Hospitality’s proven success in developing captivating properties. “We are delighted to work with DaVinci Hospitality Group,” said Nicholas Falcone, CEO of Rentyl Resorts. “This venture aligns perfectly with our goal of providing a unique Miami Beach experience at a vibrant condo hotel.” Set for transformati...
Tampa’s Epicurean Hotel Unveils $21 Million Expansion
Mainsail Lodging & Development | January 8, 2024
Food-focused Tampa hotel serves up new guest rooms, meeting space, rooftop terrace and more TAMPA, Fla. (Jan. 8, 2024) – The award-winning Epicurean Hotel has opened the doors to its $21 million expansion, giving foodies, connoisseurs of life, and culinary explorers even more to love in the stylish Hyde Park district of South Tampa, Florida. Located directly across Howard Avenue from Epicurean’s 137-room main hotel, the expansion adds 51 new guest rooms and suites, a private lobby, meeting space, and rooftop terrace. The new four-story structure features a classic, crisp white exterior, historic façade, and lush, green landscaping, and ...
U.S. Hotel Results for Week Ending 30 December
CoStar Group | January 8, 2024
WASHINGTON – 8 January 2024 – U.S. hotel performance increased from the previous week, while year-over-year comparisons were skewed downward due to a calendar shift, according to CoStar’s latest data through 30 December. CoStar is a leading provider of online real estate marketplaces, information and analytics in the property markets. 24-30 December 2023 (percentage change from comparable week in 2022): Occupancy: 50.1% (-7.1%) Average daily rate (ADR): US$163.58 (-2.8%) Revenue per available room (RevPAR): US$82.01 (-9.7%) Year-over-year comparisons were negative as the comparable week from 2022 (25 Dece...
Shaner Hotel Group Opens the Inn at Bellefield in the Heart of New York’s Hudson Valley
Shaner Hotel Group, LP | January 8, 2024
HYDE PARK, N.Y.--Shaner Hotel Group, LP, an award-winning international hotel owner and operator, has opened the Inn at Bellefield Residence Inn by Marriott International, a 136-room all-suite hotel. It is in the heart of New York’s Hudson Valley at Bellefield at Historic Hyde Park, a $1 billion hospitality, agritourism and residential attraction being developed. Reservations are now welcome at the Inn at Bellefield, offering sophisticated amenities and elite lodging. A grand opening celebration is set for Spring 2024. Free tours are now available weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 25 Old Vineyard Place, Hyde Park, N.Y. “The Inn at ...
Boston Hotel Market Update: Ten Things to Know
Erich Baum | January 8, 2024
By Erich Baum, Brian Bisema, Raymond Parejo, Nico Cooper Boston is back. The three key demand channels have returned to an approximation of their pre-pandemic levels (conventions and business travel up, leisure down), and the city’s RevPAR has improved to third in the nation, supplanting Miami and various West Coast rivals. Here are ten things to know about the city. 1. Boston’s revenue per available room (RevPAR) is on pace to finish 2023 at approximately 110% of its 2019 level. Occupancy is lagging slightly, at 97% of the pre-pandemic peak, but average rate is picking up the slack. 2. Conventions came roaring back in 2023. The ...
SureStay by Best Western San Francisco Marina District Makes Its Debut in California
BWH℠ Hotels | January 8, 2024
San Francisco, California (January 8, 2024) The SureStay by Best Western San Francisco Marina District has opened its doors in San Francisco California, and invites travelers to experience one of the newest hotel brands in the industry – SureStay® Hotels, comprised of four distinctive brands offering traditional and longer stay travelers’ comfort and value while away from home. The SureStay by Best Western San Francisco Marina District will provide guests with an experience they can count on, and the amenities today’s travelers have come to expect. SureStay’s service promise reflects the brand and the hotel’s commitment to pro...
Scott Kawasaki Appointed Director of Sales & Marketing at Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa
Renaissance® Hotels | January 8, 2024
HONOLULU, HI (January 8, 2024) – Highgate, a leading hotel management, investment and development company, has appointed Scott Kawasaki as Director of Sales & Marketing of the new Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa, set to celebrate its grand opening in March 2024. In his new role, Kawasaki will lead all sales efforts to maximize revenue and overall profit, as well as oversee all marketing and public relations strategies. With over nearly three decades of experience in the hospitality industry, Kawasaki brings an exceptional record of achievement to his new role. He most recently served as Area Director of Sales & Strategy, A...
The Somerset on Grace Bay Appoints Beverly Howell as General Manager
The Somerset On Grace Bay | January 8, 2024
Grace Bay, Turks & Caicos – January 8, 2024 – The Somerset on Grace Bay an intimate five-star resort located on almost five acres of private beach, has announced the appointment of Beverly Howell as General Manager. Beverly brings more than 20 years of experience to her role at The Somerset on Grace Bay through decades of work in the Turks and Caicos tourism industry. Previously, she served as the General Manager of Point Grace Resort for 13 years. Beverly also held the position of General Manager for the opening of Le Vele Resort in 2004, as well as for the opening of The Regent Grand Resort in 2008. Beverly has maximized yield...
AHLA Foundation Launches New Scholarship Application Portal for Hospitality Students Nationwide
The AHLA Foundation | January 8, 2024
The new platform will allow increased access to scholarship opportunities, supporting the future of hospitality and diversifying the talent pipeline. WASHINGTON (January 8, 2023) – AHLA Foundation, the charitable arm of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, launched a new platform to streamline its scholarship application process. The platform not only improves the user experience, but includes a built-in eligibility assessment that allows students to access every Foundation-hosted opportunity for which they qualify. The Foundation has long supported rising hospitality talent through the generous support of individual donors and c...
Complimentary Registration Now Open For Doug Kennedy’s Next Training Webcast: Contemporary Approaches for Upselling at Check-In
Doug Kennedy | January 8, 2024
Sponsored By Travel Outlook, Better Talent, and Track Hospitality Software Register your team and participate live, or view the recording, of Doug Kennedy’s next 40-minute training webcast scheduled for Monday, January 22, from Noon – 12:40pm EDT. REGISTER HERE “Lately, too many hotels seem to be relying on pre-arrival drip campaigns to upsell guests to higher-priced accommodations. The problem is that guests’ inboxes are flooded with similar offers from airlines, rental cars, and other hotels on their itinerary, so most just ignore them,” said Kennedy, “And that’s assuming they don’t get marked as spam.” Kennedy bel...
AI + Hotels = An Ideal Guest Experience
SHIFT DIGITAL | January 8, 2024
AI is changing how hotels operate and, consequently, transforming the customer experience into one that’s customized, elevated, and, frankly, top-notch. Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming industries across the board, and the hospitality industry is no exception. From streamlining operations and reducing costs to improving customer experiences, AI is solving workforce and technology challenges for the hospitality industry while meeting ever evolving (and high!) customer expectations. Part one of Shift’s three-part blog series examines how the hospitality industry uses AI to enhance the customer experience. By seaml...
Amadeus’ Media Solution for DMOs Now Available in the Americas
Amadeus | January 8, 2024
Amadeus’ own digital advertising platform & services, unique to the travel industry, have launched in the Americas, building on proven success in the EMEA region. January 8, 2024 – As Amadeus for Destinations continues its expansion in the Americas, Amadeus’ Media Solutions, which provides Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) and Convention & Visitor Bureaus (CVBs) with a holistic view of their digital advertising campaigns, has also expanded this year into the region. After having successfully operated in the Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) region for over 2 years, Amadeus is now delivering the same level of service to...
IDeaS Enhances Client Experience Through Tailored Learning Pathways and Expanded Training Opportunities
IDeaS | January 8, 2024
World’s leading provider of revenue management solutions continues to evolve its “Client-First Framework” to meet tomorrow’s opportunities MINNEAPOLIS—Jan. 8, 2024— IDeaS, a SAS company, the world’s leading provider of hospitality revenue management software and services, redoubles its commitment to providing a top-tier client experience with new enhancements to the IDeaS learning journey. This effort includes the implementation of live chat support, monthly live learning events, quarterly panels, and on-demand tailored virtual training sessions. The needs of hotels are changing, and as IDeaS technology adapts, the company...
The Hospitality Industry’s Key Historical Metrics
CoStar Group | January 4, 2024
Performance benchmarking is paramount in the hospitality industry, and whether measuring success against yourself, the competition or a specific segment of the market, the process involves foundational historical metrics. This article is part of a series on hotel benchmarking data sets. Reach the other editions here: The role of profitability data in a comprehensive hotel benchmarking experience | Using business on the books in a complete benchmarking approach Who uses hotel historical data? How does it support strategies? Benchmarking is the foundation of any decision making. If you don’t know where you have been, you don’t kno...
Top Customer Service and CX Predictions and Trends for 2024
Shep Hyken | January 4, 2024
By Shep Hyken Happy New Year! What’s 2024 going to be like? I recently wrote two articles in my weekly Forbes column with my top predictions and trends for customer service and customer experience. I’ve taken five of my favorites from the list to share here in The Shepard Letter. Here are my top predictions for 2024. You can simply read these predictions or take action on them. (I hope you choose to take action!) So, here are my top predictions for 2024. 1. Smarter Customers This is the same prediction I’ve started with for several years. Our customers are smarter than they were last year (again). They no longer compare ...
Wake-Up Call: How Staffing Shortages Spell Opportunity for Hoteliers
Joe Vargas | January 4, 2024
By Joe Vargas During the pandemic, around 70% of all hospitality workers in the United States were laid off. While travel volumes have largely returned to their 2019 levels, much of the industry’s labor force has opted not to return, choosing other opportunities and career paths instead. The severity of this issue has been highlighted in several reports. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that in 2022, accommodation and food services had the highest churn, quit, and job opening rates of any other industry in the US. In an eye-opening survey by Deloitte, over half of hotels say that they have between 25% to 75% of the workforce the...
Jonas Hospitality Selects Jeff Kessinger to Lead Sales
Jonas Hospitality | January 4, 2024
Jonas Hospitality is thrilled to announce Jeff Kessinger as the new Vice President of Sales on the Property Systems team. Jeff will provide leadership and vision to Jonas Hospitality sales teams, further unifying the family of brands. Jeff has been a part of the hospitality industry for more than twenty-five years when he joined Marriot International as a Management Trainee and Operations Manager for hotels. From there, Jeff segued into systems solutions, primarily focusing on the hospitality sector. Jeff spent time as a Sales Executive for MSI Solutions then Senior Account Executive for MICROS / Oracle before joining the Springer-Miller S...
Aligned Hospitality Management Adds La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham NW Tucson Marana to Portfolio
Aligned Hospitality Management | January 4, 2024
PHOENIX, AZ — January 4, 2023 — Aligned Hospitality Management is continuing to expand its presence in Southern Arizona with the addition of La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham NW Tucson Marana in Tucson, AZ, elevating its total portfolio to 21 properties. This strategic acquisition underscores the company's sustained momentum in the region. The La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham NW Tucson Marana, owned by Yogi Investment Corporation, has 65 keys and a wide range of amenities, including BBQ grills, a business center, daily housekeeping, a fitness center, complimentary breakfast, and more. The property is uniquely sit...
Vancouver’s Rosewood Hotel Georgia Undergoing Comprehensive Renovation
Rosewood Hotel Group | January 4, 2024
Vancouver’s legendary city retreat to unveil reimagined accommodations and revived culinary and beverage spaces in 2024 Rosewood Hotel Georgia, downtown Vancouver’s iconic and most luxurious retreat, has announced that the property closed on January 1, 2024 to undergo an extensive renovation and will re-open early April 2024. The refurbishment of the adored gathering spot will encompass signature spaces throughout the hotel including the lobby and 1927 Lobby Lounge, its accommodations and the beloved Reflections Terrace. The new design will seamlessly connect contemporary elements with classic luxury features, showcasing materials rangin...
Best Western Ottumwa Inn & Suites Now Open in Iowa
BWH Hotels | January 4, 2024
Ottumwa, Iowa (January 4, 2024) – Best Western® Hotels & Resorts announces the opening of the Best Western Ottumwa Inn & Suites, located at 2813 N Court Street in Ottumwa, Iowa. The hotel is owned by Anil Chaudhari and features 41 guest rooms and 20 suites. Offering a modern design, the property recently underwent a refresh with renovated guestrooms featuring a bright color palette, remodeled bathrooms and brand-new artwork. Guestrooms also come equipped with new sofas, flatscreen televisions, mini fridges and microwaves. When visiting the Best Western Ottumwa Inn & Suites, guests can access a number of amenities including...
Great Wolf Resorts Names Dr. Romie Mushtaq as Chief Wellness Officer
Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. | January 4, 2024
CHICAGO – (Jan. 4, 2024) – Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. appointed triple-board certified physician and noted neurologist, Dr. Romie Mushtaq, as the company’s first Chief Wellness Officer. Mushtaq, who is widely recognized by the name Dr. Romie, will help establish a wellness-focused foundation for Great Wolf that includes training materials, educational tools and specific programs to assist the company’s 10,000 Pack Members achieve their wellness pursuits and a better sense of mindfulness. Dr. Romie will utilize a data-driven approach to understand the needs of the company’s Pack Members both at the resort and corporate level...
