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Where Next for the Big Hotel Brands?
JLL | January 15, 2016
World leading hotel operators are active in almost every corner of the globe leaving little room to expand in developed markets, which are awash with well-known hotel brands. Take prime locations such as London, New York or Singapore, for example. Major chains such as Hilton and Marriott have expanded aggressively by launching sub-brands to cover every consumer travel segment. It's no surprise that boutique and lifestyle names have grown by 25 per cent since 2009. Although some consolidation is now underway – Marriott and Accor have made high profile acquisitions of Starwood and Fairmont respectively to significantly boost their p...
Service Excellence: 5 Ways to Elevate Your Personal Brand in 2016
Bryan K. Williams | January 12, 2016
Something is different when YOU are at work. It's up to you to determine if that "something" is positive or negative...it is never neutral. On this webinar, Bryan will discuss five ways to serve with excellence and become even more valuable in 2016! Use this opportunity to recharge and launch into this new year! This online event will be led by Dr. Bryan K. Williams. He is a keynote speaker, author and service consultant. Bryan is very passionate about helping companies reach high levels of service and organizational excellence. He travels globally to work with companies in various industries, and is the creator of the pop...
A Soft Landing in 2017 / Robert A. Rauch, CHA
Bob Rauch | January 5, 2016
2015 ended as expected: a record year for the hospitality industry, 2016 is looking to continue that trend with expected ADR growth at 6 percent and though occupancy looks to remain relatively flat, this translates to a 6 percent growth in RevPAR and perhaps the most profitable year ever in our industry. Now that you're done celebrating, I'd like to warn you that our current economic cycle will be reaching an end sometime next year. I'm not foreseeing a recession as we've experienced in past economic downturns, but more of a soft landing in 2017 as the economy pulls back slightly. There are a multitude of factors that wi...
Tourism Tidbits: Terrorism’s Aggressive and Passive War on Tourism
Dr. Peter Tarlow | January 4, 2016
by Dr. Peter Tarlow The multiple recent terrorist attacks in diverse places such as London, England; Istanbul, Turkey; San Bernardino, California; Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, and Tel Aviv, Israel along with the major tourism threats in places such as Ankara, Brussels and Munich and New York, ought to be a warning to the tourism industry that it is entering into a new and dangerous age. In the past, most tourism centers assumed that either they would not be targets of a terrorism attack or that the attack would be against a highly specific and well-known target. Classically it was assumed that we could almost predict which areas would be mos...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 154: Hotel History: The Jefferson Hotel (1895), Richmond, Virginia*
Stanley Turkel | January 4, 2016
By Stanley Turkel, CMHS 1. Hotel History: The Jefferson Hotel (155 rooms) Tobacco baron Lewis Ginter began building the hotel in 1892 and opened it in 1895. Designed by Carrère and Hastings, the same architecture firm that designed the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue, the Ponce de Leon Hotel (St. Augustine), Flagler's Whitehall Mansion (Palm Beach), the House and Senate Office Buildings (Washington, D.C.) and many more. As a centerpiece for the upper lobby, Ginter commissioned Richmond sculptor Edward V. Valentine to create a life-size image of Thomas Jefferson from Carrara marble. Ginter imported exotic palm trees fr...
Marriott’s Acquisition of Starwood: Winners and Losers
Vikram Singh | December 22, 2015
by Vikram Singh Marriott's acquisition of Starwood is great news for investors, but unfortunately not for Starwood hotel guests and employees. The quote that sums up the reasoning behind this deal came from Starwood Chairman Bruce Duncan. "We are committed to what is best for shareholders." Notice that employees and guests are not mentioned. This is because they are not the focus of the consolidation. Industry consolidation is aimed at increasing investors' profits or killing a competitor in the industry. With this deal, Marriott is hitting both those key points. When a deal like this is made, the numbers have been run and re-run hundre...
Thoughts on the Aftermath of the San Bernardino Terrorism Attacks & the Impact on Travel & Tourism
Dr. Peter Tarlow | December 16, 2015
By Dr. Peter Tarlow The most recent successful terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California raises not only a number of security issues but also issues on the media and public policy. The results of this debate may have a great impact on the tourism and travel industries. There is no doubt that these attacks casued media frenzy. Major news outlets in the US and Europe dedicated whole days to the attack. In fact, they created a sense of national or international panic. If terrorists seek publicity and provoke public fear, then we are forced to ask the question: have the media become unwilling allies of the terrorists? Certainly no one ...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 153: Hotel History: The Sagamore Hotel (1883), Bolton Landing, New York*
Stanley Turkel | December 14, 2015
By Stanley Turkel, CMHS 1. Hotel History: The Sagamore Hotel (375 rooms) More than 132 years ago, hotel operator Myron O. Brown, manager of the Mohican House Hotel in Bolton Landing, convinced four millionaires, who were summer residents on Lake George, to build an exclusive resort community. Together they bought Green Island and opened the Sagamore Hotel in 1883 with luxurious accommodations. They were later joined by John Boulton Simpson of New York City who was named company president. The architects were the Wilson Brothers from Philadelphia under the supervision of M.O. Brown who became its manager until 1905. A Glens Falls photogr...
Top 10 Trends for 2016 by Robert A. Rauch, CHA
Bob Rauch | December 2, 2015
2016 promises to be the most profitable year our industry has ever seen due to strong rate growth, minimal supply impact, low interest rates and oil prices and a somewhat minimal impact from disruptors like Airbnb, living wage bills and health care costs. As we do every year, following are the trends that will help you maximize your business opportunities in the year ahead. Analytics rule! Everything is trackable now. Not only can we see how much attention a certain ad campaign is getting, but we can see the geographic location of the users interacting with it, their age, and a general idea on their income. Use this information to targe...
Tourism Tidbits: Being Positive When Your Colleagues Are Negative
Dr. Peter Tarlow | November 30, 2015
by Dr. Peter Tarlow Somehow no matter how much we may try to make December a happy month, there are always some people who tend to take a negative view on life. In a business situation, such as tourism, negativity can be deadly. It is essential that not only front line personnel maintain an upbeat view of the world, but also those who work behind the scenes. The basic rule is that negativity not only breeds further negativity but also tends to be self-serving in that negative and pessimistic people tend to create self-fulfilling prophecies. That is that the negative eventually overtakes the positive and thus justifying the original nega...
Quadrum Global to Develop New 26-Story Hotel on New York Garment District Property Aquired Last Year
Quadrum Global | November 25, 2015
NEW YORK (Nov. 25, 2015) – Quadrum Global ("Quadrum"), an international developer and investment firm focused on value-added properties, announced today that it will build a hotel at 351 West 38th Street, a Garment District property it acquired last year. The firm has hired two key advisors who will begin the planning process for the new hotel. JLL's Hotels & Hospitality Group will advise Quadrum on the selection of a hotel brand and operator to align with the hotel's lifestyle amenities and services. In addition, Quadrum has commissioned award-winning Marvel Architects to design the 26-story hotel, which will include more tha...
Nobody Asked Me, But…No. 152: Hotel History: Balsams Grand Resort Hotel (1866)*, Dixville Notch
Stanley Turkel, CMHS | November 23, 2015
By Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: Balsams Grand Resort Hotel (203 rooms) The Balsams first opened just after the Civil War as the Dix House, a rustic 25-room summer inn established by local innkeeper, George Parsons. The original inn honored the name of the town's founding father and first landowner, Colonel Timothy Dix. A patriot of the American Revolution, Dix lost his life in battle in 1812, at which point his attorney and business partner, Daniel Webster, took over. Webster sponsored the town's first settlers, the Whittemore family. These pioneers shared their hearth and home with wayfarers on the old Coös Trail...
Customer Service Training Is a Waste of Time
Bryan K. Williams | November 23, 2015
By Bryan K. Williams It's amazing how many companies waste their time and money on customer service training. Year after year these companies bring their staff together for an annual meeting. At these meetings, a hired speaker or company leader gives a keynote about exceptional customer service, and depending on the effectiveness of the speaker, the audience may genuinely be motivated. Hey, they might even learn a tip or two. Then…nothing. The staff returns to work, and absolutely nothing is different. The leaders hope that this periodic training will be enough to create a strong culture. Nothing could be further from the truth. ...
Global Hotel Investment Volumes in Q3 2015 Hit US $60 billion, a 37% Growth Over Q3 2014 Reports JLL
JLL | November 18, 2015
Global hotel investment volumes 2015 hit US$60 billion in Q3 2015 - 37% growth over the same period 2014. There's strong confidence, that JLL's full year forecast of US$68 billion will be exceeded. ...
Tourism & Terrorism: Terror in the Air and in Paris, A Tourism Tidbits Special Edition
Dr. Peter Tarlow | November 17, 2015
By Dr. Peter Tarlow Terrorism Attacks on the Russian Airliner and Paris and What They Will Mean to You! This month has not been easy for specialists in tourism security. We first witnessed the terrorist bombing of the Russian aircraft causing not only death and destruction to innocent civilians but also a major blow to Egypt's tourism industry. Friday afternoon, Texas time, the first reports of November 13th terrible attacks in Paris began to come through the newswires. It is still too early to provide a full security picture of the events. The French police are correctly holding back information and being during their investigation not...
JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group Respond to Marriott Acquisition of Starwood Hotels
JLL | November 16, 2015
16 November, 2015 Commenting on the announcement that Marriott has acquired Starwood Hotels, Mark Wynne Smith, Global CEO of JLL's Hotels & Hospitality Group, said: "This merger has created the world's biggest player in the hotel sector, opening a big gulf between the next largest players, Intercontinental Hotels Group and Hilton. "We will now start to see further merger activity as other hotel groups seek to match the titanic organisation that Marriott and Starwood have created. Consolidation among the major brand companies has been talked about for a number of years and boards are biting the bullet on the need to...
Beyond the Established Gateway Cities: JLL Identifies the Leading ‘New World Cities’
JLL | November 4, 2015
The old concept of a global city hierarchy is being replaced by the concept of city clusters and systems of cities Established World Cities' remain dominant commercially but face stiff competition and tough growth challenges Several 'Emerging World Cities' break from the pack and are on a fast track to maturity Mid-sized, globally specialised 'New World Cities' are drawing capital, corporations and talent LONDON, 4 November 2015 - New research from JLL (NYSE:JLL) in conjunction with The Business of Cities reveals that the old world order and the traditional hierarchy of cities is breaking down. Globalisation, urbanisation and technolo...
10 Essential Steps to Business Plan Development for 2016 by Robert Rauch
Bob Rauch | November 4, 2015
Before we complete our business plans for 2016, a review of macroeconomic data is in order. China's growth is slowing but we do not anticipate a downturn in the U.S. economy in 2016. According to Bernard Baumohl, Economic Outlook Group, our favorite and most accurate economist, there will be no downturn in the U.S. but we will slow to about a 2.5 percent GDP growth rate over the next three years. He feels we are in the middle of this cycle and that the consumer will drive the economy despite weak jobs reports and the recent Q3 slowdown. Unemployment is low, the Conference Board says consumer confidence is the second highest in 8 years, ...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 151; Hotel History: The Grove Park Inn (1913)* & The Biltmore Estate
Stanley Turkel, CMHS | November 2, 2015
By Stanley Turkel, CMHS 1. Hotel History: The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa, Asheville, North Carolina The Grove Park Inn is one of the country's most celebrated resorts located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Asheville, North Carolina. It was built by Edwin Wiley Grove (1850-1927), owner of the Paris Medicine Company, manufacturer of Bromo-Quinine and Tasteless Chill Tonic. In the late 1890s, Grove's Tasteless Chill Tonic sold more bottles than Coca-Cola. Edwin Grove's doctors sent him to Asheville, North Carolina to determine if the climate would help reduce or cure his bouts with extreme hiccups, which would last several weeks at a...
Tourism Tidbits: Bioterrorism and Tourism
Dr. Peter Tarlow | November 2, 2015
by Dr. Peter E. Tarlow When we think of tourism security we tend to think about either criminal acts that often plague the tourism industry such as: pick-pocketing, room invasions, or con artists, or about overt acts of terrorism such as a bomb. Rarely do we consider the hidden forms of terrorism that can impact the tourism industry. These forms of terrorism are often not detected until it is too late and while bombs are public killers actions such as bioterrorism are often silent killers. The dictionary definition of bioterrorism: "a terrorist acts involving the use of harmful agents and products of biological origin, as disease-produ...
Leadership Excellence: Leaders are Lifters
Bryan K. Williams | October 26, 2015
By Bryan K. Williams (Dedicated to: Doug Brooks, Charles DeFoucault, Carter Donovan, Jim McManemon, Diana Oreck, Theo Gilbert-Jamison, Angela Hornsby and Horst Schulze) The best leaders are lifters. Plain and simple. They know how to lift the hearts, hopes, esteem and performance of their staff. If you are my leader, then my life should be better somehow. There should be something amplified about me in a positive way, as a result of being on your team. You should challenge me and encourage me. You should insist that I do my absolute best, always. Nothing less will suffice. With you, I know that there are additional levels of excellence ...
Are Workplace Well-being and Experience Part of Your Business Strategy?
JLL | October 22, 2015
JLL report highlights increased benefits of focusing on employee well-being over tactical wellness programs CHICAGO, Oct., 2015 – Onsite fitness classes and free activity trackers are nice, but they're just tools for building a successful workplace wellness program. To make a more meaningful investment in employee health—and gain the productivity uptick that typically comes with it—companies need to move beyond wellness and think about the more comprehensive concept of well-being. In a new report by JLL released today at the CoreNet Global Summit in Los Angeles, Bernice Boucher, Managing Director-Americas of JLL's Wor...
The Next Battle in Corporate Real Estate’s War for Talent: Data Scientists
JLL | October 21, 2015
Corporate real estate is increasingly data-driven but analytics expertise is in short supply Chicago, Oct. 21, 2015 – The war for technology talent isn't just a problem for tech firms. The shortage of real estate and workplace-focused data scientists is becoming a major concern for corporate real estate (CRE) departments, according to JLL research. And CRE departments are not just competing with each other they are facing competition with the tech industry and start-ups, competitors, service providers and other departments inside their own companies. In the last five years, corporate real estate leaders have become fierce competit...
Stanley Turkel Named Recipient of the Historic Hotels of America 2015 Historian of the Year Award
October 14, 2015
WASHINGTON, DC— October 14, 2015, Stanley Turkel has been named the recipient of the Historic Hotels of America 2015 Historian of the Year Award. Turkel was honored with this distinguished award on October 9, 2015 at West Baden Springs Hotel (1902) at French Lick Resort in West Baden Springs, Indiana. This is the second year in a row Turkel has been awarded this prestigious honor. The Historic Hotels of America Historian of the Year Award is presented to an individual for making a unique contribution in the research, and presentation of history and whose work has encouraged a wide discussion of greater understanding and enthusiasm...
