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What Is a POS System?
Tiziano Nessi | January 11, 2021
By Tiziano Nessi The point of sale (POS), historically known as the cash register, was invented by an Ohio saloon owner in 1879 in order to stop theft from employees and guests. Today, the physical need to store and safeguard pennies, nickles and dimes is over. In some restaurants nowadays cash registers are actually cashless, e.g. the chain Natural Kitchen in London. POS are mandatory for fiscal reasons in every country. Storing the articles' names and prices in these devices has speeded up and improved the service provided to the clients. POS, used in retail and F&B, is the sister of the Property Management System (PMS) used in ho...
Hospitality Financial Leadership – Me and Stephen King
David Lund | January 11, 2021
By David Lund I read his book, “The Shining,” while working that first winter in the bar at the Algonquin Hotel, in St. Andrews N.B., Canada which is my hometown. The book captivated my imagination about all things supernatural and the hotel. I can say that I had more than one conversation with my Lloyd on some of those lonely nights tending the bar in a hotel that was closed. The bar was the only thing open in the hotel – with me in charge Thursday to Saturday nights that winter. It was lots of fun! Mr. King lived just down the road so to speak from my hometown and it was and maybe still is popular folklore that he wrote “The S...
How Hotel Salespeople Are Using Tech to Put People Back in the Sales Process
Doug Kennedy | January 11, 2021
By Doug Kennedy In recent years, sales conversations between buyers and suppliers have moved to digital formats such as email and in-app platform messaging in CVENT, The Knot, and CVB apps. Too many salespeople mistakenly believe two urban legends: that planners exclusively prefer digital communications, and that the most important factor is simply being the first to respond. On top of it all, the 10+ years of surging demand in the pre-pandemic era caused the sales culture at many hotels to devolve into an “order-taking paradigm” and set the stage for what I call the era of “silent selling.” On the other side of this equation, p...
Aimbridge Hospitality Awarded Management of Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort
Aimbridge Hospitality | January 11, 2021
Plano, TX (January 11, 2021) – Aimbridge Hospitality, the leading, global, third-party hotel management company, has been awarded management of the 584-room Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort, located just 20 minutes from downtown Phoenix. Boxer Resorts, a company of Boxer Property Management Corporation, will continue to asset manage the property. Aligned with concentrated focus, agility, and expertise to operate each hotel vertical, Aimbridge is the largest third-party operator of full-service and resort properties, including top franchised branded hotels and independent properties. Rob Smith, executive vice president of full-servi...
IHG Signs With Lina Snacks Foods Company to Open Holiday Inn Riyadh The Business District
IHG | January 11, 2021
IHG® Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s leading hotel companies, has signed a Management Agreement with Lina Snacks Foods Company, to open Holiday Inn Riyadh The Business District. Building on IHG’s recent signings in KSA, including voco Jeddah North, this latest development supports IHG’s growth ambition in Saudi Arabia and builds on the strong signing momentum in the region. Expected to open in January 2022, the 138-room property will be strategically located close to King Khalid International Airport and the Riyadh Front, the new leisure destination of Riyadh developed in line with Vision 2030, making it an ideal choice f...
IHG Signs With Minh Dong Travel Service and Trading Company Limited to Develop Crowne Plaza in Danang, Vietnam
IHG | January 11, 2021
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®) has signed a management agreement with Minh Dong Travel Service and Trading Company Limited – a member of PGT Group – to open the second Crowne Plaza in Danang. The 300-room Crowne Plaza Danang Waterfront will welcome guests in 2023. With unobstructed views of the ocean, the 38-storey hotel will be highly sought-after by business and leisure travellers seeking a single destination for work, meetings and relaxation. Ideally located next to the beachfront on the city’s main thoroughfare Vo Nguyen Giap street, and only a five-minute drive to central Danang, it will perfectly complement the existi...
Spirides Provides $13.5 Million Hotel Construction Loan for New Comfort Suites in Lake Buena Vista-Orlando, FL
Spirides Hospitality Finance Company | January 11, 2021
TAMPA, FL—Spirides Hospitality Finance Company has successfully provided and the borrower has officially closed a $13.5 million construction and permanent mortgage loan made by a Southeast U.S. headquartered bank to finance the development of a new Comfort Suites in Lake Buena Vista, Orlando, Florida. This new 127-suite, 5-story Comfort Suites will be built on 2.5 acres of land located at 11942 Ravello Resort Drive. Located in Lake Buena Vista and just off of Interstate 4, the site is a short drive from the entrance to Walt Disney World’s Disney Springs shopping, dining, and entertainment complex near the City of Orlando, in Orange C...
WTTC Says New Travel Measures to Curb COVID-19 Should Replace Quarantines
WTTC | January 8, 2021
Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO, said: “WTTC supports measures designed to curb COVID-19 and protect public health but calls for the complete removal of unnecessary quarantines. “Requiring inbound travellers and holidaymakers to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 pre-departure test should ensure safe travel. This will be critical to encourage essential bookings for future flights and holidays. “However, there is still uncertainty around the type of tests which will be accepted upon arrival, and they must be made widely accessible and affordable for all. “But unlike many other countries where the proof of a negativ...
Saying Goodbye to 2020 With Gratitude
Matt Peterson | January 8, 2021
By Matt Peterson This past year has been a tough one; a year which was, for many, filled with suffering and loss and I for one, alongside most others, could not wait for 2021 to commence. In reflecting on the last 12 months, I have consciously decided to adopt a different mentality for what lies ahead. I recently came across a quote from the theologian Paul Tillich which read “suffering introduces you to yourself and reminds you that you are not the person you thought you were.” It was followed by the comment, “suffering teaches us gratitude.” Wow. So, in retrospective, I choose to reflect on 2020 with gratitude. I am grateful f...
STR: Canada Hotel Results for Week Ending 2 January
STR | January 8, 2021
HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee—STR data for 27 December 2020 through 2 January 2021 showed Canada’s hotel industry with slightly higher occupancy compared to the previous week. 27 December 2020 through 2 January 2021 (percentage change from comparable week in 2019/2020): Occupancy: 19.9% (-53.8%) Average daily rate (ADR): CAD124.53 (-25.9%) Revenue per available room (RevPAR): CAD24.73 (-65.8%) Occupancy for previous weeks came in at 17.7% (26 December), 23.5% (19 December), and 24.6% (12 December). For the week ending with 2 January, British Columbia recorded the highest occupancy level (27.6%) among the provinces. ...
Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index Rose 5.0% in December, Ends Year Down 13.2%
Baird | January 8, 2021
HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee, and MILWAUKEE—The Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index was up 5.0% in December to a level of 4,574. For 2020 as a whole, the stock index fell 13.2%. “Hotel stocks continued their rebound in December as the positive vaccine and re-opening sentiment remained front and center for investors,” said Michael Bellisario, senior hotel research analyst and director at Baird. “Despite the significant pandemic-related impact to hotel demand that occurred in 2020, hotel stocks performed relatively better than they did in 2011, 2015, and 2018, which demonstrates how forward-looking the stock market is today.” “Despite ...
Shaner Introduces Grand Universe Lucca, Autograph Collection in the Tuscan Destination of Lucca
January 8, 2021
LUCCA, Italy / January 8, 2021: A new era in hospitality shines bright in the coveted Tuscan destination of Lucca, where the Grand Universe Lucca, Autograph Collection, recently opened in the heart of the city. Offering 55 superbly appointed rooms and suites, the former 16th century palazzo turned luxury auberge stands proudly adjacent to the Piazza Napoleone and across from the iconic Teatro del Giglio, where performances by Lucchesi composers Puccini, Catalani and Luporini have inspired a moving music culture that beats well into the present day. A masterstroke of the Florence-based Archea Associati S.r.L., Grand Universe Lucca’s i...
Kolter Hospitality to Open AC Hotel Orlando Downtown
AC Hotels by Marriott | January 8, 2021
ORLANDO, FL – January 8 2021 – The design-driven AC Hotel Orlando Downtown, slated to open January 12, 2021, will usher in a new level of urban sophistication as the area’s first lifestyle hotel. This contemporary property managed by Kolter Hospitality is set to offer a true high-rise experience in the heart of the city. Towering above Garland Avenue and spread across eight floors of Orlando’s SunTrust Plaza Building, the 180-room hotel will feature a European aesthetic inspired by AC Hotels’ signature design philosophy. The thoughtful interiors, curated for both business and leisure guests, will include a refined neutral beige c...
The Ritz-Carlton, Turks & Caicos Appoints John Hazard as General Manager
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. | January 8, 2021
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – January 8, 2021 – The Ritz-Carlton, Turks & Caicos, is pleased to announce that John Hazard has been appointed General Manager of the highly anticipated resort, slated to debut in Summer 2021. John is a passionate global hotelier with over 19 years of hotel management experience across the United Kingdom, Middle East and the Caribbean. An industry expert, John will be responsible for all aspects of operations, bringing the legendary Ritz-Carlton service to this world-renowned beach destination. “John is an exemplary leader whose years of experience in hospitality and continuous drive for...
Crescent Hotels & Resorts Adds The Ven at Embassy Row DC to Latitudes Collection
Crescent Hotels & Resorts | January 8, 2021
Washington, DC (January 8, 2021) – Crescent Hotels & Resorts has added The Ven at Embassy Row to the company’s “Latitudes” collection of lifestyle hotels & resorts. Crescent, based in Fairfax, Virginia is a nationally recognized operator of major hotels and resorts throughout the United States and Canada. The 231 room Ven at Embassy Row, Washington, D.C., a Marriott affiliated Tribute Portfolio Hotel is expected to open in January 2021. Surrounded by Embassy Row’s stately mansions, this boutique hotel’s prime Dupont Circle location is just steps to the Red Line Metro Station, directly connecting guests with the natio...
UK Hotel Sector Needs Urgent Government Support, Says HVS
HVS | January 8, 2021
London, 8 January 2021: Insolvencies and job losses in the UK’s hotel sector caused by the pandemic are likely to increase through 2021 as businesses face a very tough year ahead, according to global hotel consultancy HVS. “While strong gains in top-line revenues when they come, will be cause for celebration, operating profits will be anaemic and less than half of 2019 levels in the Provinces and around a third of 2019 levels for London hotels. When fixed costs are then deducted many operations will be loss making and will experience negative cash-flow until further strong revenue gains can be made in H2 2021 and beyond,” says ...
Sage Hotel Management Adds Canopy by Hilton Washington D.C. Bethesda North to Portfolio
Sage Hospitality | January 7, 2021
Sage Hotel Management, a Sage Hospitality Group company, announced today the addition of Canopy by Hilton Washington D.C. Bethesda North to its portfolio of managed hotels. “We are thrilled to welcome this stunning property into the Sage family,” said Daniel del Olmo, President and COO of Sage Hotel Management. “The Canopy brand, and this property in particular, are a perfect fit for our company and our growing portfolio of more than 50 lifestyle hotels across the country. We look forward to working with our new partners at Federal (NYSE: FRT), as their business priorities and company ethos are very well aligned with that of Sag...
Can Hotels Claim Business Interruption Insurance Due to a Pandemic?
HotStats | January 7, 2021
Does a pandemic qualify for business interruption insurance? It’s a question hoteliers shouldn’t be asking themselves, but rather, their insurance company. COVID-19 was swift and pernicious, bringing the hospitality industry to its knees. As hotels find their footing, filing a business interruption claim with their insurer is of the essence, regardless of the ambiguity over whether a pandemic qualifies a business for such relief. Insurers, unsurprisingly, have denied the vast majority of these claims, which have in turn triggered scores of lawsuits asking courts to make insurers honor their contracts. Insurance companies contend t...
Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh Opens in Cambodia
Hyatt Regency | January 7, 2021
CHICAGO (January 6, 2021) – Hyatt Hotels Corporation today announced the opening of Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh, the first Hyatt hotel in the Cambodian capital and the second Hyatt hotel operating in Cambodia. The 247-room property is the largest hotel from a global brand in the city and is located in the heart of the cultural and business district of Doun Penh, which is a 30-minute drive from the airport and within walking distance to the Royal Palace, National Museum and the riverside. “We are excited to open our doors and introduce the Hyatt Regency brand to Cambodia, supporting the country’s hospitality industry as well as reinf...
Rubelmann Capital to Acquire Leading Hospitality Industry Trade Publications Hotel Business and InspireDesign
Rubelmann Capital | January 7, 2021
NEW YORK, Jan. 7, 2021 -- Rubelmann Capital announced today the acquisition of the iconic hospitality trade media brand Hotel Business and partner brand InspireDesign from ICD Publications, Inc. Hotel Business is the leading voice in the hotel, leisure and travel sectors, covering the dominant trends and transformative innovation across the hospitality industry. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitality industry leaders and insiders look to Hotel Business for the top news, insights and analysis driving the industry into the future. Rubelmann Capital's focus on acquiring growth businesses backed by long-term capital to dri...
Hospitality Financial Leadership – The Top 7 Front Office Controls
David Lund | January 7, 2021
By David Lund As you know the front office is the command post for your operation, and it’s also the point where all the receipts come through. Making sure you have solid internal controls at the desk is not only good business, it’s mission-critical. Without these safeguards you are wide open and as someone once said, good internal controls help keep honest people honest. Now don’t get me wrong. I believe we need to trust the people we have on our teams, and I also have seen what can happen when there is an opportunity. So, this piece is about eliminating most of those weaknesses at the front desk. Room Rebate Review and Approval ...
Shep’s 2021 Top 10 Business Predictions
Shep Hyken | January 7, 2021
By Shep Hyken Every year I write my customer service and customer experience (CX) predictions in my Forbes.com column. This year, I thought I would share a brief version of them with our Shepard Letter subscribers. So, here are my Top 10 Predictions for 2021: 1. Customers continue to get smarter. This has led to my list of predictions for several years. Our customers keep getting smarter about customer service and experience. They tolerate fewer customer service failures and demand better because they know it’s possible. 2. Customers are becoming impatient. They want what they want NOW. Consider the result of the more than 1,00...
Mexico: A Story of Steady Recovery
STR | January 7, 2021
Mexico’s hotel industry has been a rather unique case of linear performance recovery. While most countries have seen fluctuations in the metrics, Mexico has been on a steady ascent leading to a November that produced the country’s highest performance levels of the pandemic. The country’s beach destinations, always popular on the international and domestic tourist trails, have been key to that recovery as restrictions on international entry have been limited to the state-level. Timeline The first two months of 2020 produced performance levels much aligned with the comparable months of 2019. In March and April, however, the pande...
U.S. Hotel Occupancy Improves With New Year’s Travel Boost
STR | January 7, 2021
HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee — 7 January 2021 — Thanks to a travel boost leading into the New Year’s holiday, U.S. weekly hotel occupancy improved noticeably from the previous week, according to STR‘s latest data through 2 January. 27 December 2020 through 2 January 2021 (percentage change from comparable week in 2019/2020): Occupancy: 40.6% (-17.2%) Average daily rate (ADR): US$107.93 (-21.5%) Revenue per available room (RevPAR): US$43.81 (-35.1%) Hotel demand jumped in week-over-comparisons while TSA checkpoint counts showed five days with more than 1 million passengers. Substantial hotel demand growth is not expected ...
