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
React Mobile Releases Updated BLE Beacon Designed to Improve Location Accuracy, Increase Battery Life
React Mobile | July 30, 2020
The discreet, easy to conceal device has a 7+ year battery life and delivers precise room-level location accuracy indoors in multi-story buildings for added staff safety Seattle, July 30, 2020 — Finding the right employee safety solution can be overwhelming, especially when hotels are facing deadlines to comply with state mandates and meet brand standards for adding safety technologies by the end of this year. React Mobile, the most trusted provider of panic button solutions to hotels, has released an updated proprietary beacon designed to deliver precise, up-to-the-minute location information within a multi-story building. The square,...
5 Reasons Guests Matter More Than Ever
David Berger | July 30, 2020
Hotels hamstrung by operational limitations, dizzied by government mandates, and sensitive to traveler anxiety are challenged, but will rise again through continued focus on the guest experience By David Berger Providing a quality guest experience is more important than ever for hoteliers seeking to compete in the post-COVID-19 world. Much has been said over the past six months about social distancing, mask etiquette, and the need for greater vigilance in protecting public health. No question this is table stakes, but the goal of hospitality—providing a positive guest experience—is more paramount than ever. Here are ...
Ripe for Rebound: The Future of Hospitality
David Millili | July 30, 2020
By David Millili They say that smooth seas do not make for skillful sailors, and indeed, over the past several months, that belief has been put to the test. As global communities continue to work tirelessly to combat the spread of the coronavirus, the hospitality industry has been placed in an incredibly vulnerable position. But, within that sobering reality, it’s important to remember that the hospitality sector is no stranger to crisis. Our industry has survived countless challenges and periods of economic downturn, and COVID-19 is no exception. Now, as our economy braces for revival, hospitality leaders have their focus trained o...
Delta Hotels by Marriott to Open in Willowbrook, Illinois With 165 Guestrooms
Delta Hotels and Resorts | July 30, 2020
Willowbrook, IL – July 30, 2020 – Delta Hotels by Marriott Chicago Willowbrook announces its opening on Wednesday, August 5th. Located near Burr Ridge and Darien, Illinois, the hotel focuses on doing the simple things perfectly, featuring a clean aesthetic and a modern take on comfort. This is Delta’s first branded hotel in Willowbrook. Delta Hotels by Marriott Chicago Willowbrook is owned by Willowbrook Hotel, LLC and managed by Maverick Hotels and Restaurants of Chicago, Illinois. The Delta Hotels by Marriott brand is rooted in simplicity and focused on perfecting the small details that make all the difference during trav...
Autumn Offers Worth Driving For
Larry Mogelonsky | July 29, 2020
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) This is the summer for staycations. With group, convention and most corporate travel in stall mode due to COVID-19, you will need strong programs in place to motivate leisure guests from now-critical drive markets to continue to book with you through the autumn months. As part of this seismic shift in travel behavior, first consider the disruption to L2B timeframes. For the rest of summer, bookings at this point may mostly be last-minute as travelers hold out due to the vacillating news cycle on Covid numbers. Many rural resorts already have high occupancy and simply need a few nigh...
The 7 Ps Marketing Mix of Home-Sharing Services: Insights From Over One Million Airbnb Reviews
Linchi Kwok | July 29, 2020
By Linchi Kwok The 7 Ps marketing mix framework is a widely used managerial tool that helps businesses identify the principal components of a service product. The 7 P elements include Product, Promotion, Price, Place, Participant, Physical Evidence, and Process. The 7 Ps framework can assist marketers in making decisions regarding segmentation, positioning, and differentiation. Even for the same type of products with different brands, marketers can still drive higher sales through the improvement of a product’s marketing mix. The empirical study about 7 Ps of home-sharing services Building upon the 7 Ps marketing mix framework, ...
AHLA’s National Day of Action—Save Hotel Jobs – Wednesday July 29, 2020
Danny Hudson | July 29, 2020
By Danny Hudson It comes as no surprise that the hotel industry is hurting. The drop in travel and occupancy was quickly reflected in the supplier community, group and event locations, technology companies and the wide array of companies that service the hotels that welcome the world’s travelers. We need your help! By adding your name to www.HotelsAct.org now you directly help raise the visibility of the message that the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is advocating for on our behalf. On an HFTP Hangout around three months ago, Rich Siegel of Hospitality Upgrade identified a gap in support for the technology sector. ...
A Boring Customer Service Experience—That’s What Our Customers Want
Shep Hyken | July 29, 2020
Call me boring, but I want the same thing every time—at least when it comes to customer experience. I want it to be good. I want it to be consistent. I want to predict the experience I’m going to have with the people and places I do business with. If you ask the CEO of a big company or the owner of a small business, I bet they would say the same. We want our customers to always have a good experience with us—one they can count on always happening every time they do business with us. We want them to find that our people are always knowledgeable, always helpful, always friendly and always respond quickly. We want our products to alw...
Archipelago International Adds Two Hotels to Its Cuban Portfolio
Archipelago International | July 29, 2020
JAKARTA, Indonesia, July 29, 2020 - Archipelago International, Southeast Asia's largest privately owned and independent hotel operator, today announced that it has been awarded the management contracts for a further two hotels in Cuba. The first of these is the iconic Panorama Hotel in Havana. To be rebranded as the ASTON Panorama Hotel, the property, which first opened its doors in 2002, comprises 320 rooms and is best known for its impressive architectural design and superb location, facing the sea in the city's Miramar district. The second hotel is the Holguin Costa Verde Hotel, which will be rebranded as the ASTON Costa Verde Beach ...
Radisson Hotel Group Appoints Phil Hugh as Chief Development Officer for the Americas
Radisson Hotel Group | July 29, 2020
Minneapolis - July 29, 2020 - Radisson Hotel Group today announced the appointment of Phil Hugh as Chief Development Officer for the Americas. Hugh is a seasoned and enthusiastic development leader with 20 years of experience leading and motivating Franchise Sales & Development teams. In this role, he will be responsible for the execution of the company’s growth goals for the Americas. Hugh and his team will work towards driving the expansion of all seven of Radisson Hotel Group’s brands. “I am thrilled to welcome Phil to our team as we add a renewed passion and commitment to our development efforts,” said Jim Alderman, chief ex...
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Reports Second Quarter 2020 Results
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts | July 29, 2020
PARSIPPANY, N.J., July 28, 2020 - Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) today announced results for the three months ended June 30, 2020. Highlights include: Diluted loss per share was $1.86, and adjusted diluted earnings per share was $0.10. Net loss was $174 million for the second quarter and adjusted net income was $9 million. Adjusted EBITDA was $63 million. System-wide rooms remained flat year-over-year. Global comparable RevPAR declined 54% year-over-year. Paid quarterly cash dividend of $0.08 per share. "We generated positive adjusted EBITDA in the second quarter, driven by our drive-to and le...
Montage Hotels & Resorts Partners With Sterling Global Financial for Montage Cay Opening 2023
Montage Hotels & Resorts | July 29, 2020
ORANGE COUNTY, CALIF. (July 29, 2020) – Montage Hotels & Resorts today announces Montage Cay, a 48-acre private-island resort and residential community in The Abacos Islands in the Bahamas. Owned in partnership with Sterling Global Financial, the project will see the rebranding and complete redevelopment of the private island of Matt Lowe’s Cay in The Abacos, re-emerging as Montage Cay, alongside the launch of The Residences at Montage Cay. The private island features seven pristine beaches, varied topography with elevated sight lines for expansive sunrise and sunset views, mature and diverse landscaping, and stunning scenery ...
STEP Act Would Provide Needed Relief for Travel Employers
U.S. Travel Association | July 29, 2020
WASHINGTON (July 29, 2020)—U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President for Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes issued the following statement on introduction of the Sustaining Tourism Enterprises During the COVID-19 Pandemic (STEP) Act (S. 4299): “Protection, relief and stimulus for travel-related businesses needs to be a significant priority in order for the broader economy to recover, and the bipartisan STEP Act introduced in the Senate includes a number of crucial measures for employers to hold on until they can rehire and help fuel an economic turnaround. “The grants the bill would provide through the Economic D...
Starhotels appoints Antonio Ducceschi as Chief Commercial Officer and Gaetano Gatti as Chief Operating Officer
Starhotels | July 29, 2020
Florence, July 29th 2020 - Starhotels is pleased to announce two new leaders for its Commercial and Operations departments, as part of an undergoing strategic reorganization: Antonio Ducceschi has been appointed Chief Commercial Officer, while Gaetano Gatti will now be leading Operations as Chief Operating Officer. The new organizational set-up comes from internal developments, aspiring to give a stronger impulse to the company’s business expansion plans. Antonio Ducceschi is a passionate professional with a strong background in the tourism industry. After several international experiences, lastly in the Principality of Monaco as Reg...
M&R Hotel Management and Magnuson Hotels Rebrand 285-Room New Jersey Conference Center
M&R Hotel Management | July 29, 2020
M&R Hotel Management, a top US management company with operations across 5 states, has selected Magnuson Hotels, the fast-growing franchise alternative, to rebrand its 285 room Magnuson Grand & Conference Center Somerset-Bridgewater located in New Jersey. Formerly affiliated with Fairbridge Inns, the Magnuson Grand & Conference Center Somerset-Bridgewater is a full-service hotel featuring 8,000 sq. feet of meeting/banquet space for up to 300 guests. The hotel is located close to Rutgers University, corporate offices of Somerset, Bridgewater, New Brunswick, NJ Transit in New Brunswick, an hour from New York City. Through th...
Edgewood Tahoe Appoints Jim Hindman as New Executive Director of Food and Beverage
Edgewood Tahoe | July 29, 2020
STATELINE, Nev. (July 29, 2020) - The iconic Edgewood Tahoe announced today that Jim Hindman has been named Director of Food and Beverage, where he will oversee the luxury lodge’s three distinct dining destinations: Brooks’ Bar & Deck, The Bistro and Edgewood Restaurant. “We are thrilled to be welcoming Jim to Edgewood, where we are confident that he will match the expertise of the current culinary team and ignite a positive momentum on property with his superior knowledge and overall passion for food and beverage,” says General Manager Corinna Osborne. Jim brings with him a strong understanding of the industry, strategi...
Brand-New Boutique Resort at the University of Florida to Deliver a Mobile-First Guest Experience
INTELITY | July 29, 2020
Hotel ELEO at the University of Florida will provide guests with personalized, contactless service through a custom, INTELITY-powered brand app Los Angeles, CA (July 29, 2020) - INTELITY®, the provider of hospitality’s most comprehensive guest experience platform, has signed a deal with Hotel ELEO at the University of Florida to deliver contactless service to guests with a branded mobile app. The app will supply robust digital capabilities and another layer of safety for guests and staff at the new, upscale hotel in Gainesville, Florida. With the new app, guests will have the ability to tailor service to their preferences before, dur...
Survey: Only 37 Percent of Hotels Have Brought Back at Least Half of Their Employees
AHLA | July 29, 2020
WASHINGTON (July 29, 2020) – As Congress debates a new round of COVID-19 recovery legislation, a new survey of American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) members shows that the pandemic continues to have a devastating effect on the hotel industry and its employees. Results show nearly nine in ten hotels have been forced to lay off or furlough employees due to COVID-19 and the resulting drop in travel. Four months into the crisis, only 37 percent of survey respondents report that they have been able to bring back at least half their full-time employees. To raise awareness for hotel industry priorities, AHLA is declaring Wednesday, Ju...
Advantage Reserve Announces Collaboration With Kennedy Training Network to Optimize Reservations Sales
Advantage Reserve | July 29, 2020
Fort Lauderdale, FL, July 29, 2020 — Advantage Reserve, the leading provider of high-quality central reservations services to the hospitality industry, has announced the launch of a new sales training partnership with Kennedy Training Network (KTN), the lodging industry’s best source for hotel training programs. This collaboration will enhance the guest experience, improve performance levels, and increase reservations conversions for Advantage Reserve’s diverse customer base of luxury hotels and resorts. During this unique period across the world in 2020, the hospitality industry faces a crucial time for reservations sales, and the v...
Impact of COVID-19 on Global Tourism Made Clear as UNWTO Counts the Cost of Standstill
July 28, 2020
The enormous toll of COVID-19 on international tourism has now become clear, with World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) data showing the cost up to May was already three times that of the 2009 Global Economic Crisis. As the situation continues to evolve, the United Nations specialized agency has provided the first comprehensive insight into the impact of the pandemic, both in tourist numbers and lost revenues, ahead of the upcoming release of up-to-date information on travel restrictions worldwide. The latest edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer shows that the near-complete lockdown imposed in response to the pandemic led to a 98 per ...
How Government Loan Assistance Has Helped Prop Up Hotel Profitability
HotStats | July 28, 2020
The tidal wave of COVID-19 has left many in the hotel industry gasping for air amid choppy financial waters. Luckily, governments across the globe have tossed hotels a much-needed financial floatation device. Unfortunately, keeping government loan assistance straight can be tough, especially if you’re trying to keep a hotel running or investments profitable. Wondering how government loan assistance is helping hotels get back on solid financial ground? We’ve mapped out how governments across the globe are using funding to jump-start hotel profitability. How Has Government Assistance Helped the U.S. Hotel Industry...
Tripadvisor Celebrates the Best in Travel With 2020 Travelers’ Choice Awards
TripAdvisor | July 28, 2020
NEEDHAM, Mass., July 28, 2020 -- Tripadvisor®, the world's largest travel platform, as part of its ongoing efforts to support the recovery of the tourism and hospitality industry, today announced the winners of its 18th annual Travelers' Choice® Awards. This coveted award program celebrates travelers' favorite hotels, restaurants and airlines around the world, honoring 4,817 unique businesses this year. Winners are calculated based on the quality and quantity of the millions of reviews, opinions and ratings collected on Tripadvisor in 2019, prior to the pandemic. With over 8.7 million businesses listed on Tripadvisor, these awards are a ...
Take Charge of Your Capital: You May Think You Are, But This May Not Be the Case
Alex Sogno | July 28, 2020
By Alex Sogno As you’re reading this, regardless of where in the capital stack you sit, you probably have a stronger than usual desire to know exactly what’s going on with the underlying asset, the cash flow, the promised CapEx program, the debt covenant compliance, and how badly you mispriced your risk (you’re not alone). Your focus is likely on re-balancing your risk/return proposition the best you can, by either 1) increase your return or 2) decrease your risk. During these Corona days, the most likely strategy to succeed would be the latter. Or is it? Given the right agreements with the right parties, and a shared understandin...
IHG Signs With Ha Long Investment and Development for InterContinental Halong Bay Resort in Vietnam
IHG® | July 28, 2020
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®) today announced the signing of InterContinental Halong Bay Resort and InterContinental Residences Halong Bay with Ha Long Investment and Development Limited Company, a member of BIM Group, marking IHG’s expansion into the Quang Ninh province, Vietnam. Slated to open in 2023, the project draws inspiration from its beachfront location in Halong Bay which includes more than 1,600 islands and inlets forming a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars, and InterContinental brand’s distinctive style. InterContinental Halong Bay Resort will feature 175 guest rooms while InterContinental Residences Halong ...
