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
2024 Budget Planning: What Is Top of Mind for Hotel Owners & Operators?
HotStats | October 19, 2023
Budget season is upon us, and around the world hotel owners and operators are buried deep in data trying to come up with 2024 performance numbers. What unique challenges are hotels facing in the 2024 budgeting and planning process? HotStats reached out to global hospitality leaders to find out. By Michael Grove Chief Operating Officer HotStats 1. 2023 Hotel Performance: Growth Is Slowing In UAE, Saudi Arabia, India, Brazil, and the Caribbean, hotel profit margins in the first half of 2023 well surpassed 2019 levels, whereas they lagged in the UK, Germany, Spain, Poland, and Qatar. In China, hotels experienced tremendous growth rel...
U.S. Hotel Results for Week Ending 14 October
CoStar Group | October 19, 2023
WASHINGTON – 19 October 2023 – U.S. hotel performance increased from the previous week, and year-over-year comparisons remained mixed, according to CoStar’s latest data through 14 October. 8-14 October 2023 (percentage change from comparable week in 2022): Occupancy: 68.5% (-2.3%) Average daily rate (ADR): US$164.25 (+3.2%) Revenue per available room (RevPAR): US$112.51 (+0.8%) Among the Top 25 Markets, Oahu Island saw the largest year-over-year increases in occupancy (+17.8% to 85.2%) and RevPAR (+29.7% to US$243.22). Las Vegas posted the highest lift in ADR (+14.7% to US$226.94) and the second-largest jump ...
Curiosity Makes a Better CX
Shep Hyken | October 19, 2023
By Shep Hyken “Curiosity killed the cat.” According to Wikipedia, this saying first appeared in a 1598 play, Every Man in His Humour, by English playwright Ben Johnson. The following year, Shakespeare used a similar quote in Much Ado About Nothing. The intent behind this saying is “to warn of the dangers of unnecessary investigation. …” In other words, be careful pushing for more information. Knowing more is not always best. That may be the case for the cat, but it’s not so in the world of customer service. A good customer service rep, salesperson, or anyone interacting with a customer should be curious. And that kind of ...
Hilton Partners With Paval Holding and Apex Alliance to Bring LXR Brand to Italy
Hilton | October 19, 2023
Hilton launches its LXR luxury brand in Italy with the picturesque Grand Hotel Gardone Lake Garda, opening in 2026 ROME and McLEAN, Va – Hilton (NYSE: HLT) has announced plans to open Italy’s first LXR Hotels & Resorts property, following a franchise agreement with Paval Holding and Apex Alliance. With a stunning lakeside location, Grand Hotel Gardone Lake Garda, LXR Hotels & Resorts is set to open in 2026 following a multimillion Euro renovation, elevating the hotel’s interiors while preserving the grand façade. The hotel is owned by the Lithuanian group Apex Alliance and Romanian Pavăl Holding and will be managed by A...
Travel Outlook’s Omnichannel Telephony Enhances Guest Service and Reduces Hotel Labor Expense
Travel Outlook The Premier Hotel Call Center | October 19, 2023
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO (October 2023): In a world where seamless communication is paramount for business success, Travel Outlook is now offering an omnichannel telephony system for its hotel clients. This new system will revolutionize the way hotels connect with their guests, offering a unified and consistent communication experience across all channels. Travel Outlook understands that communication is the cornerstone of success in today's fast-paced business world, and their omnichannel telephony adapts to a hotel’s unique requirements and helps them stay ahead of the competition. The omnichannel system brings together the best of bo...
Madison Beach Hotel Names Ryan Wollman Director of Sales and Marketing
Curio Collection by Hilton | October 19, 2023
Madison, Conn. [October 19, 2023] – Madison Beach Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton, a AAA Four Diamond Award-winning boutique resort and Top Performer for the Hilton brand, today announced that Ryan Wollman is named Director of Sales and Marketing. He most recently served as Director of Sales and Marketing for the Los Angeles Airport Marriott (LAX Marriott), where he supported the 1,000 room property through a $50M renovation, along with the implementation of key resort sales and marketing strategies helping to drive both group and leisure performance. Wollman’s hotel career began as part of Hilton’s Management Development Program...
AHLA Foundation and Yum! Brands Executives Appointed Conti Professors
THE SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT | October 19, 2023
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State School of Hospitality Management has named Anna Blue, president of the AHLA Foundation — the nonprofit arm of the American Hotel & Lodging Association — and James C. Fripp, chief equity and inclusion officer of Yum! Brands, as its 2023-24 Walter J. Conti visiting professors. The Conti Professorship program brings hospitality industry leaders and scholars to serve as guest lecturers and mentors with students in the Hospitality Management program, as well as to connect with faculty members and researchers in the school. As part of its 35th anniversary year, Blue and Fripp represent the con...
Coconut Grove’s Iconic Mayfair House Hotel & Garden Appoints Rhys O’Connell as General Manager
Mayfair House Hotel & Garden | October 19, 2023
Miami, FL, October 19th, 2023 – Bringing more than 20 years of luxury hospitality experience to idyllic South Florida, the Grand Dame of Miami, Mayfair House Hotel & Garden, is pleased to announce the appointment of Rhys O’Connell as General Manager of the newly renovated hotel. O’Connell brings an extensive resume spanning more than two decades with some of the world’s most recognized hotel brands. Most recently, O’Connell served as General Manager of The Surf Lodge in Montauk, New York where he managed daily operations of the $30 Million topline revenue hotel including improvement strategies and guest experience. Beginning his...
Pacific Hotel Austin Opens Cambria Hotel Austin Downtown in Texas
Azul Hospitality Group | October 19, 2023
AUSTIN, TEXAS — October 2023. Pacific Hotel Austin LLC today announced the opening of Cambria Hotel Austin Downtown, a new downtown upscale hotel at 68 East Avenue adjacent to the Rainey Street Historic District. Pacific Hotel Austin developed and owns the property, which is managed by Azul Hospitality Group. The hotel is now accepting reservations and will open its doors to the public on October 19. “Developing this project in Austin is nostalgic and emotionally satisfying for us,” said Pacific Hotel Austin Principal Andrew Wood, who co-owns the Cambria with his brother, David, who is also a Pacific Hotel Austin principal. “We att...
JV of NewcrestImage, Dabu Group & Preeminent Hotels Acquire Two Marriott-Branded Hotels in The Woodlands, Texas
NewcrestImage | October 19, 2023
A joint venture of NewcrestImage, Dabu Group, and Preeminent Hotels has acquired ownership and operation of two Marriott-branded hotels -- the 90-room Courtyard and the 90-suite Residence Inn -- located in The Woodlands, 35 miles north of Houston. The transaction closed during the week of October 9. Both properties will be fully renovated starting next year and will remain open during the renovations. The hotels are convenient to George Bush Intercontinental Airport, as well as to a variety of major corporate offices such as Chevron Phillips Chemical Co., ExxonMobil, Huntsman Corp., McKesson Specialty Health, and Repsol USA. Also nea...
Angelenos Protecting Hospitality Launches Campaign Against Ballot Initiative That Would Force Hotels to House Homeless People Next to Paying Guests
Angelenos Protecting Hospitality | October 19, 2023
LOS ANGELES (Oct. 19, 2023) – Today, Angelenos Protecting Hospitality (APH) officially launched. APH is the lead group that will work with Los Angeles voters and stakeholders to defeat a ballot initiative that would force all hotels in the city to house homeless people next to paying guests. Los Angeles residents are set to vote in March 2024 on whether to require all local hotels to house homeless people next to paying guests as part of a measure proposed by Unite Here, a labor union that represents LA-area hotel workers. If the initiative passes, LA would become the first city in American history to force hotels to house homeless peo...
Out of Autopilot and Into Our Best Life: Booking.com Shares Its Seven Predictions for Travel in 2024
October 19, 2023
The leading digital travel platform’s most extensive travel predictions research to date foresees travel as the primal pulse of life in the year ahead AMSTERDAM, 19 OCTOBER 2023 – As 2023 enters its final months and 2024 optimistically appears on the horizon, numbness and detachment loom as a result of the perma-crisis, including increased cost-of-living and climate change concerns. People around the world have emotionally checked out of the news agenda and events at home in order to take a much-needed breather. Where in years past travel has been a means to escape life, Booking.com is releasing research that shows that travel is ...
Cloudbeds Expands Proprietary Payment Solution to More Than 36 Countries
Cloudbeds | October 19, 2023
The fully integrated Cloudbeds Payments drives efficiencies in operational costs and mitigates risk of payment fraud in hospitality industry San Diego, October 19, 2023 -- Cloudbeds, the hospitality management platform powering more reservations and happier guests for lodging businesses around the globe, today announced the expansion of its in-platform payment processing solution, Cloudbeds Payments, to 36 countries globally, allowing tens of thousands of hoteliers to reduce operating costs associated with payment fraud, chargebacks, manual reconciliation, and human error. The expanded solution is designed to reduce friction for guests in ...
U.S. Hotel Industry Reports Higher Performance for September 2023
CoStar Group | October 18, 2023
WASHINGTON – 18 October 2023 – The U.S. hotel industry reported higher performance results from the previous month, according to September 2023 from CoStar. CoStar is a leading provider of online real estate marketplaces, information and analytics in the property markets. September 2023 (percentage change from September 2022): Occupancy: 66.2% (-0.5%) Average daily rate (ADR): US$160.18 (+3.5%) Revenue per available room (RevPAR): US$106.07 (+2.9%) Among the Top 25 Markets, New York City experienced the highest occupancy level (87.6%), which was up 1.6% year over year. Markets with the lowest occupancy for the mo...
Omni Hotels & Resorts Breaks Ground on Beachfront Omni Pontoque Resort at Punta de Mita
Omni Hotels & Resorts | October 18, 2023
DALLAS, TX (October 18, 2023) Set to open in Summer 2026, Omni Hotels & Resorts has officially broken ground on Omni Pontoque Resort at Punta de Mita, the brand’s first luxury resort in Mexico. This beachfront resort will feature 244 guest rooms and suites as well as two 4-bedroom villas with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. The resort will pay homage to the local culture rooted in the location’s natural surroundings. “The Omni Pontoque Resort at Punta de Mita marks an exciting new chapter for Omni as we further elevate our brand by expanding into this premier destination,” said Kurt Alexander, President of Omni Hotels &...
Amora Beach Resort Phuket Repositions as a Five-Star Property With Multimillion-Dollar Renovation
Amora Group | October 18, 2023
PHUKET, THAILAND – Amora Beach Resort Phuket receives extensive refurbishment costing THB 500 million (US$14 million) as part of its repositioning into a five-star modern lifestyle resort that meets the preferences of active and adventurous couples, friends and families. Located on a private 80m stretch on Bang Tao Beach, the 264-key resort is expected to re-open in December this year with newly built facilities. Owned and operated by Amora Hotels & Resorts, Amora Beach Resort Phuket first opened its doors in 1999 as a four-star resort, and with its refurbishment, serves as the flagship resort for the group in Thailand....
Maximizing Hotel Profitability by Connecting BI, Ops and Maintenance Software
Larry Mogelonsky | October 18, 2023
By Adam and Larry Mogelonsky If there’s one resounding message in the current world of hospitality technology, it is consolidation, consolidation and consolidation. That in itself can be a nail-biting process, but from our perspective as asset managers we want to highlight the new ways that hotels can unlock value once these integrations and data centralizations have been set up. While in the near past, a lot of our technology consultation work was focused on figuring out the proverbial ‘low-hanging fruit’ to therein derive a critical path for tech upgrades that will incrementally save on costs or free up the team’s time, now th...
Tivoli La Caleta Resort Launches in Tenerife Following Extensive Renovation
Tivoli Hotels & Resorts | October 18, 2023
Lisbon, October 18, 2023 – Making its debut in Spain, Tivoli Hotels & Resorts is pleased to announce the opening of Tivoli La Caleta Tenerife Resort, bringing the brand’s timeless glamour into the Canary Islands. Following extensive renovations, Tivoli La Caleta officially opens its doors, welcoming guests with elegantly appointed guest rooms and suites, exciting dining concepts and a world-class spa, all with panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and the hotel’s luxurious gardens. Located on southern Tenerife’s picturesque coast, nestled between the mountains and the Atlantic’s deep blue sea, Tivoli La Caleta offers ...
NewcrestImage Acquires Three Courtyard by Marriott Hotels at Major Airports
NewcrestImage | October 18, 2023
NewcrestImage is acquiring three Courtyard by Marriott hotels from W.P. Carey, a real estate investment trust with headquarters in New York City. Two properties – at Albuquerque International Sunport and at Indianapolis International Airport – have already closed, while the third property at Chicago O’Hare International Airport is expected to close in early November. “These hotels, with their strategic airport locations in high-traffic markets, offer significant opportunities for growth,” said Mehul Patel, Managing Partner and CEO of NewcrestImage. “To fully capture this upside potential, all three properties will undergo fu...
Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita Welcomes Michael Rodriguez as New Food & Beverage Director
Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita | October 18, 2023
PUNTA MITA, MEXICO, October 18, 2023 – Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, a beloved, five-star resort nestled along Mexico’s Pacific coast, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Michael Rodriguez as new food and beverage director. With a dynamic career spanning over a decade in the luxury hospitality industry, Rodriguez brings a wealth of experience, coming off back-to-back new hotel openings and a renovation. Known for his relentless pursuit of excellence and exceptional leadership skills, Rodriguez is eager to push the culinary team at Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita to new heights. “Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita has an unparall...
One&Only Resorts Appoints Executive Leadership in North America – Mexico and Montana, United States
One&Only | October 18, 2023
(18 October 2023 – Dubai, UAE) Kerzner International Holdings Limited (“Kerzner”), the owner of the iconic Atlantis Resort and Residences, the ultra-luxury One&Only Resorts, Rare Find, a diverse collection of unique resorts in captivating destinations, and new fitness lifestyle brand SIRO, focusing on holistic health and wellbeing, have announced new executive appointments in North America for One&Only as the brand continues to grow and develop in new sought after destinations in one-of-a-kind natural locations throughout the world. These appointments underscore the brand’s commitment to strategic growth, while highlighting th...
Arlo Hotels Celebrates Topping Off of Arlo Washington D.C.
Arlo Hotels | October 18, 2023
The Experience-Driven Brand Will Open Its Seventh Hotel – Its First in Washington, D.C. – in 2024 WASHINGTON, DC (October 18, 2023) – Arlo Hotels, the independent lifestyle hotel brand with properties in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Miami and Chicago, announces the topping off of Arlo Washington D.C., its newest property in Washington, D.C. The 12-story boutique hotel, slated to open in August 2024, will be the brand’s seventh property in the U.S. The hotel is owned by Quadrum Global, an integrated development, investment management and advisory group focused on real estate opportunities. Arlo Washington D.C. will comprise 229,846 squa...
Best Western Plus Mobile Inn & Suites Now Open in Alabama
BWH Hotels | October 18, 2023
Mobile, Alabama (October 18, 2023) – Best Western® Hotels & Resorts announces the opening of the Best Western Plus Mobile Inn & Suites, located at 600 West I-65 Service Road South in Mobile, Alabama. The hotel is owned by Hiral Patel and features 65 standard rooms in addition to 17 suites. The property recently completed a top-to-bottom renovation and rebrand that includes a reimagined design as well as several hotel amenity upgrades and new features. Guest rooms and suites have a reconceptualized design infused with a new color scheme and come equipped with a 50-inch flatscreen television in standard rooms and 55-inch in suite...
Terry Bechtold Joins Camelback Resort as Vice President of Operations
Camelback Resort | October 18, 2023
TANNERSVILLE, Penn. – Camelback Resort, a year-round recreational destination nestled in the Pocono Mountains, has named Terry Bechtold its new vice president of operations. In his new position, Bechtold will oversee and direct all resort departments, including its lodge, housekeeping, front desk, retail, Camelbeach and all recreational activities, including skiing, snowtubing, mountain coaster, summer tubing, ziplines and more. According to David Makarsky, managing director of Camelback Resort, Bechtold is an enthusiastic hospitality industry leader with more than three decades of industry experience. “We are thrilled to have Terry joi...
