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
THE PLAYERS Championship’s Impact on Jacksonville Hotels in 2024
Angela Lahti | April 24, 2024
By Angela Lahti Each year, Ponte Vedra Beach in the greater Jacksonville, Florida, area hosts THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass. The event, often referred to as “golf’s fifth major,” is an annual tournament on the PGA Tour and offers the largest purse of any regular-season PGA Tour event. A University of North Florida study completed in 2015 estimated the total economic impact of the event in Duval and St. Johns counties at over $40 million. The 2024 edition, held March 11–17, marked the event’s 50th anniversary; a record-setting $25-million purse was offered, with $4.5 million claimed by this year’s winner, Sco...
U.S. Hotel Development Kicks Off Q1 2024 With Growth and Record-Highs
Lodging Econometrics (LE) | April 24, 2024
April 24, 2024 – PORTSMOUTH, NH As seen in the Q1 2024 U.S. Hotel Construction Pipeline Trend Report from Lodging Econometrics (LE), at the end of the first quarter, there are 6,065 projects with 702,990 rooms in the pipeline. This new all-time high represents a 9% year-over-year (YOY) increase in projects and a 7% YOY increase in rooms compared to last year. The details can be seen directly within the stages of the pipeline, which all saw YOY growth in Q1. Presently, there are 1,144 projects comprising 141,336 rooms under construction, marking a 9% increase in projects and a 1% increase in rooms YOY. Projects slated to start construc...
From Wall Street and Silicon Valley to Hospitality Leader: Exclusive Interview and Insights From DerbySoft Co-Founder Feng Ou
Alan E. Young | April 24, 2024
By Alan Young Steve Jobs once said, “The mark of an innovative company is not only that it comes up with new ideas first, but also that it knows how to leapfrog when it finds itself behind.” There is, perhaps, no more relevant sentiment to apply to the hospitality industry – a sector that is continuously molded by the fire of consumer preference yet often utterly resistant to the crashing waves of technological change. Of course, this isn’t a novel observation; hospitality has long been criticized for its slow adoption of new-age technology and processes. However, it is a reality that bears repeating, both to identify the progr...
AHLA: DOL Overtime Rule Will Hurt Hotels and Limit Employee Opportunities
AHLA | April 24, 2024
WASHINGTON (April 24, 2024) – American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) Interim President & CEO Kevin Carey issued the following statement today after the Department of Labor (DOL) released its final overtime rule to raise the minimum salary threshold under which all employees must be paid overtime for any hours worked over 40 in a week. “This rule is part of a growing list of aggressive federal regulatory efforts that are making it even harder for hoteliers to operate their businesses in this challenging environment. The impacts of this regulation will risk the elimination of jobs and make it more difficult for employees to ...
Red Roof Names Zack Gharib as President
Red Roof | April 24, 2024
COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 24, 2024 – Red Roof®, an award-winning leader in the lodging industry, has named hotel industry veteran Zack Gharib as President, effective immediately. Gharib brings more than two decades of senior management experience in franchising, operations and brand management with companies such as Marriott, Vacasa, LaQuinta by Wyndham and Highgate Homes. He is widely regarded as a hospitality management innovator, having created and launched award-winning development, strategic planning and franchise operations programs over more than two decades of industry leadership. He joins Red Roof as the company accelerates its gro...
Wherever You Go, There Is Artificial Intelligence
Klaus Kohlmayr | April 24, 2024
By Klaus Kohlmayr It’s a daily occurrence to see mentions of Artificial Intelligence (AI) throughout multiple industries, including the hotel space. And why not? AI systems can effortlessly perform tasks associated with the cognitive functions of humans, and rather than reducing jobs, AI applications seek to enhance employment opportunities. The hotel industry is one of the most promising business sectors that can leverage the power of AI. This is due to the ongoing processing of vast amounts of data to better understand the underlying demand patterns or elevate pricing strategies. AI is also a growing opportunity to improve business ...
Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa Welcomes Jesse McDannell as Executive Chef
Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch | April 23, 2024
Scottsdale, Arizona (April 23, 2024) – Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch, the premier Arizona desert resort located at the base of the McDowell Mountains, welcomes Jesse McDannell as Executive Chef. In his role, McDannell will oversee the dining experiences at the resort as it completes a $110 million renovation and transformation to a Grand Hyatt property. “We are thrilled to welcome Jesse McDannell to the incredible team at Hyatt Regency Scottsdale,” said Lance Marrin, General Manager of Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa. “Jesse’s extensive experience working in the hospitality industry paired with...
Redefining Hotel Technology
Michael Toedt | April 23, 2024
Embracing Guest Centricity Over Transactions By Michael Toedt Doug Rice, a distinguished figure in hotel technology, recently critiqued the stagnation of Property Management Systems (PMS)[1] in his piece for Hospitality Upgrade. Despite three decades, the core functionality of PMS has remained largely unchanged. While interfaces have evolved, the underlying processes have not, posing a significant roadblock to efficiency and personalization. PMS may be the nerve center of on-site operations, yet the broader technological landscape of a hotel comprises numerous systems, all purporting to enhance the guest experience. The real questio...
stayAPT Suites & Powerhouse Hotels Forge Partnership to Expand Presence With 30 New Locations
stayAPT Suites | April 23, 2024
Six Locations to Break Ground in 2024 MATTHEWS, N.C., April 23, 2024 -- stayAPT Suites, the innovative apartment-style hotel brand, is pleased to announce a significant expansion initiative in partnership with Powerhouse Hotels, a joint venture between JCap Realty Group and Cullinan Holdings. This collaboration involves signing a multi-unit development agreement, adding 30 new locations to stayAPT Suites' portfolio, and expanding the brand footprint to 25 states over the next five years, with six locations that will break ground in 2024. The strategic alliance between stayAPT Suites and Powerhouse Hotels underscores confidence in the b...
Six Senses Kyoto Opening Marks Brand’s Entry Into Japan
Six Senses | April 23, 2024
KYOTO, Japan – April 23, 2024 – Six Senses Kyoto opens its doors today, marking the brand’s entry into Japan and an exciting new addition to its flourishing urban collection. Conveniently situated among the iconic heritage shrines and palaces within the ancient capital, Six Senses Kyoto invites guests to both an epicenter and an escape, to enjoy holistic wellness, signature sustainability and out-of-the-ordinary experiences. Six Senses Kyoto marks a historic milestone of taking the Six Senses brand into new frontiers, while continuing to enrich IHG's luxury and lifestyle portfolio - now the second largest in the world. A Tribute...
Customer Satisfaction Climbs Again as Travel Industry Rebounds to Pre-Pandemic Levels, ACSI® Data Show
the ACSI | April 23, 2024
ANN ARBOR, Mich., (April 23, 2024) — If last year’s industrywide customer satisfaction improvement pointed to the travel industry returning to normal, then this year’s marks confirm it: Travel is back! Satisfaction across airlines, lodging, car rentals, and online travel agencies climbs again, returning to prepandemic levels, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI®) Travel Study 2023-2024. The airline industry stands out, hitting an all-time customer satisfaction high of 77 after a second straight 1% year-over year improvement. “Airline customer satisfaction has climbed to new heights, reaching scores not...
The Future of Hotel Procurement Is in the Cloud—Here’s Why
Johannes Vocke | April 23, 2024
By Johannes Vocke If your hotel uses in-house software to manage procurement, leadership may be reluctant to adopt a cloud-based solution—especially if an on-premise system has served you well for many years. This mindset is likely to put your hotel behind competitors in the near future if it hasn’t already. Many leading hoteliers are leveling up their procurement departments with cloud-based infrastructure - investments that are now key to streamlining procurement operations, navigating an uncertain market, and satisfying new guest expectations. Even more than AI, the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, or robotics, hoteliers bel...
Canada Hotels Record First Transient Occupancy Increase in Four Months
CoStar Group | April 23, 2024
WASHINGTON – 23 April 2024 – After four consecutive months of year-over-year declines, Canada’s hotel industry reported a marginal lift in transient occupancy, according to CoStar’s March 2024 data. CoStar is a leading provider of online real estate marketplaces, information and analytics in the property markets. March 2024 (percentage change from 2023): Occupancy: 61.0% (-2.1%) Average daily rate (ADR): CAD185.23 (+3.9%) Revenue per available room (RevPAR): CAD112.99 (+1.7%) Transient, according to CoStar, includes rooms sold to individuals or groups occupying less than 10 rooms per night. “The slight increa...
Tripadvisor Announces 2024 Travelers’ Choice Hotels Award Winners: Check-In to the Best of the Best Places to Stay Around the World
Tripadvisor, Inc. | April 23, 2024
NEEDHAM, Mass., April 23, 2024 -- Today, Tripadvisor, the world's largest travel guidance platform, unveiled the elite group of winners of its annual Travelers' Choice Best of the Best Hotels Awards, celebrating this year's highest rated hotels in the world based on Tripadvisor reviews. Leading the pack, achieving the No. 1 Top Hotel in the World designation, is Brazil's Hotel Colline de France, a boutique hotel renowned for its personalized service and French elegance in the middle of the mountain town of Gramado. Tripadvisor's Best of the Best hotels are among the top one percent of the 1.6 million hotel listings on Tripad...
Concord Hospitality Appoints Will Loughran Chief Operating Officer
CONCORD HOSPITALITY | April 23, 2024
RALEIGH, N.C. (April 23, 2024) — Concord Hospitality, the award-winning hotel management and development company currently operating over 140 hotels across North America, announces the appointment of Will Loughran as its new Chief Operating Officer effective April 22. Louhgran will report to Concord Hospitality President & Chief Executive Officer Mark Laport. He succeeds Nick Kellock, who will retire in May after more than 15 years of dedicated service with Concord Hospitality. “Will’s extensive knowledge of the industry and expertise across full-service, premium select-service and extended stay will only further boost our organiza...
Castle Peak Holdings Expands Trailborn Brand Into the Southeast With July Opening in Highlands, North Carolina
TRAILBORN | April 23, 2024
The new hospitality brand inspired by the great American outdoors to expand portfolio with a new, design-forward hotel located in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains featuring a destination restaurant and bar in a historic log cabin, an outdoor Nordic spa, and curated programming Highlands, NC (April 23, 2024) – Castle Peak Holdings, the investment and development company behind Trailborn – the first vertically-integrated hospitality brand specializing in designing and operating boutique hotels with full-service restaurants and bars, exclusively located in the country’s most extraordinary outdoor destinations – has announc...
Radio Hotel Appoints Danielle Dymond as New Hotel General Manager
Radio Hotel | April 23, 2024
NEW YORK, NY (April 23, 2024) — Radio Hotel, the first and only full-service boutique hotel in Washington Heights, announced Danielle Dymond as the new Hotel General Manager. In her role, she will serve as the strategic business leader of property operations at the 221-room hotel and be responsible for creating and maintaining a high-performing service culture and managing budgets and reputation. As former Director of Sales & Marketing at Radio Hotel, Danielle will also oversee and execute hotel marketing strategies. Danielle began her career with Radio Hotel, a Sightline Hotel, in November 2021 as the pre-opening Director of Sales &a...
Cycas Hospitality Selected to Introduce Fairfield by Marriott Brand to UK Market
Cycas Hospitality | April 23, 2024
Cycas Hospitality's growth momentum continues into the second quarter of 2024, following the hotel operator’s appointment to manage the UK’s first Fairfield by Marriott hotel, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s global portfolio of over 30 extraordinary hotel brands. The 142-room new-build property is set to open in early 2026, and brings Marriott’s midscale hotel brand, characterised by the Marriott family farm heritage, in a first for the brand’s expansion into the UK. Positioned within the British Motor Museum complex just off the M40, the new Fairfield by Marriott hotel will offer guests unparalleled access to the museum's exhibits and ...
The Red Carnation Hotel Collection Unveils 100 Princes Street in Edinburgh
Red Carnation Hotels | April 23, 2024
Edinburgh, Scotland (April 23, 2024): Red Carnation Hotels, the family-owned hotel collection, proudly announces the opening of its latest masterpiece and first property in Scotland, 100 Princes Street. Heralding the start of a new era at its storied Edinburgh address, this boutique hotel is poised to become a beloved destination providing an exclusive, intimate and authentic Scottish experience. Inspired by the adventures of the Scottish explorers who frequented the building as the former headquarters of the Royal Overseas League, 100 Princes Street is an exquisitely curated property that promises a journey into Scotland’s rich cultural,...
HSMAI Takes Commercial Strategy to the Next Level With Commercial Effectiveness Organizational Assessment
HSMAI | April 23, 2024
McLean, VA (April 23, 2024) – The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) has announced the launch of the Commercial Effectiveness Organizational Assessment, a tool providing a structured framework for assessing where a hotel organization’s commercial structure is strong and where improvements are needed. The tool and accompanying report, Taking Commercial Strategy to the Next Level, are a free member benefit for HSMAI members and available to the industry for purchase. The goal of the HSMAI Commercial Effectiveness Organizational Assessment is to allow a hotel organization to assess and score their impleme...
U.S. Group Business Delivers Higher Q1 Performance Year-Over-Year According to Hospitality Group and Business Performance Index by Knowland and Amadeu
KNOWLAND | April 23, 2024
Larger events and other business segment improvements promote stability ARLINGTON, Va. — April 23, 2024 — Knowland, the world’s leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, and Amadeus, a leading technology provider for the travel industry, today present the metrics from the companies’ Hospitality Group and Business Performance Index (the “Index”). Beginning with the first quarter of 2024, the Index now focuses on year-over-year (YOY) performance. This first report shows the group health index is 102.3 percent YOY and six of the top 25 U.S. markets have achieved 110 percent compared ...
5 Ways Learning Management Systems Embedded in Your PMS Help Jump-Start Onboarding
Warren Dehan | April 23, 2024
Hoteliers planning on new hires and seasonal hires must focus on shorter lessons, interactive experiences, and providing accessible learning tools to workers By Warren Dehan Independent hoteliers are looking for impactful ways to train tomorrow’s workers – and fast. Hotel leaders must find ways to shorten training time and improve worker decision-making, starting with how they interface with on-property technology. The hotel property-management system typically has the most significant learning curve for new hotel workers, and it’s up to PMS developers to design systems that help new employees easily acclimate to their property’...
Insights into the Hotel Industry: A Conversation with Bob Rauch
Robert Rauch | April 22, 2024
In the interview with Gary London, Bob Rauch discusses various aspects of the hotel industry in 2024, particularly focusing on the United States and Southern California, with an emphasis on San Diego. Listen as we dive into the resilience of the hotel market, technology improvements, and labor challenges within the industry. Resilience of the Hotel Market: Despite facing challenges such as 9/11, the Great Recession, and the COVID-19 pandemic, the hotel market has stayed resilient, with periods of strong growth interspersed between downturns. San Diego, in particular, has managed to capture markets even during weaker periods due to its c...
HFTP Announces 2024 CHTP of the Year Award Recipient: Troy Morton
HFTP | April 22, 2024
HFTP is thrilled to announce that Troy Morton, CHTP has earned the 2024 Certified Hospitality Technology Professional (CHTP®) of the Year award for attaining the highest score of the year. Morton will be recognized for his achievements during HITEC® Charlotte 2024, taking place June 24-27 at the Charlotte Convention Center. Troy Morton’s Background As part of the Aimbridge Hospitality group certification partnership, Troy pursued CHTP certification because he felt it would make him more well-rounded within the hotel technology field and more knowledgeable in his current role with Aimbridge as a senior IT project manager. With a pr...
