The Tricycle of Guest Service Excellence: A Perfect Model For Remarkable Experiences
Doug Kennedy | October 4, 2024
Crafting a Unique Employer Brand for Today’s Talent Market
Veronika Mercier | August 14, 2024
Smart Strategies
Karisma Hotels & Resorts Launches Autism Concierge
Karisma Hotels & Resorts | July 31, 2023
Achieves Autism Double-Checked certification for select resort brands in Mexico and the Dominican Republic MIAMI, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, Karisma Hotels & Resorts, in partnership with Autism Double-Checked, is pleased to announce the introduction of the world's first-ever Autism Concierge. providing a dedicated contact for all autism-related questions and serving as an extension of the Autism Double-Checked comprehensive three-part training program. Karisma Hotels & Resorts is the first hotel group to offer an Autism Concierge, which encourages guests traveling with a child with autism or adult guests wit...
Choice Releases First “Choice Privileges State of the American Traveler Survey” in Partnership With Harris Poll
Choice Hotels® | July 27, 2023
Survey finds consumers are prioritizing experiences and exploring the U.S. and want to spend less than $200/night on lodging ROCKVILLE, Md., July 27, 2023 -- Today, Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), released its first Choice Privileges State of the American Traveler Survey, a poll of more than 2,000 U.S. adults that sheds new light on Americans' travel plans and priorities this summer and beyond. This survey, conducted in partnership with Harris Poll, comes as nine new brands with nearly 600 hotels, including Radisson Blu, Radisson and Country Inn & Suites, are now available to be booked on ChoiceHotels.com. Earlier this...
Hospitality Industry’s New Tipping System: What You Need to Know
EHL Insights | July 26, 2023
By Michael Gyger, Sébastien Fernandez How tips are distributed can quickly become a hot topic in restaurants and hotels. Employees care about justice and want to be rewarded according to their efforts. Is it fair that a server who is capable to deliver a better service than his or her colleagues (and gets more tips) has to put all the money earned in a pot that will be equally shared with other employees? Or, is it fair that a server keeps all the tips received when part of the excellent customer experience is also shaped by fellow colleagues (chefs, runners, bartenders)? None of these systems is totally fair, but they are used in many re...
TravelBoom Releases 2023 Leisure Travel Trends Study
TravelBoom | July 26, 2023
Study reveals customers are making up for lost time. MYRTLE BEACH, S.C., July 26, 2023 -- TravelBoom, the leading data-driven digital marketing agency for hotels, resorts, and vacation rental companies, released its annual Leisure Travel Trends Study after recently surveying approximately 2,000 travelers in 2023. The findings uncover the influence of an ever-changing economy on travel choices, increases in online bookings, an increased frequency of vacations, and the most sought-after amenities when booking. The study explores the step-by-step process travelers undergo when navigating a selection of locations, planning, and booking a vac...
Making Bartech Happen at the Hotel Lugano Dante
Adam and Larry Mogelonsky | July 26, 2023
By Adam and Larry Mogelonsky To enjoy the summer, one often needs a good cocktail. So, why not make it the most inspirational cocktail imaginable? For this, let’s dive into some ‘bartech’ to see how you can innovate in the restaurant and ramp up revenues in the process. Implementing change at any level of a hotel’s operations is always difficult for any number of reasons, and yet from the guest’s perspective often it’s the little touches that stand out to make the experience exceptional. While the two of us are perpetually bullish on technological upgrades and the growth of wellness at hotels, even the introduction of a fanc...
Serviced Apartments: Top Trends to Watch This Year
Eva Lacalle | July 24, 2023
By Eva Lacalle Marked by changing traveling patterns and blurred lines between working and living, the new era of hospitality shows no signs of slowing down. From bleisure travel to slomads, serviced apartments have a perfect opportunity to grab the spotlight – and some extra revenue. The trick is to stay on top of trends and implement them before your competitors do. Top 6 serviced apartment trends We'll explore the most relevant trends for serviced apartments – sustainability, multi-functional spaces, the rise of new target clients, extended stays, and much more. Keep reading to discover them all. 1. Sustainability Sustainabil...
Best Practices for Improving Employees’ Performance
Ana McFee | July 21, 2023
A company’s success is heavily dependent on the performance of its employees. It’s vital that managers take the necessary steps to help foster employee performance, so that goals are being surpassed, and the business is thriving. To boost employee performance, there are a few key strategies that need to be implemented. In this article, we cover eight strategies you can use to improve employee performance. 1. Analyze performance metrics Performance metrics provide managers with an in-depth look into employee performance. Effective metrics allow businesses to measure how well employees are working individually and as a team. It can...
Journeying With an Aim: How Is Purposeful Travel Changing Hospitality?
Reeves Mathews | July 20, 2023
By Reeves Mathews It is no secret that the hospitality industry has undergone many changes over the last few years. Simultaneously, the global health crisis and economic challenges made consumers undergo certain behaviour changes. These consumer changes, responsible travel organisations, conservation NGOs, and purpose-driven travel bloggers together contributed to incorporating sustainability and purpose into travel habits. Travellers today are thinking twice before they embark on an adventure. The conversation around travel and sustainability grew, working to minimise the negative effects of tourism and turn travel into a positive forc...
Summer 2023 Trip Length and Spending Are Both on the Rise
Allianz Partners | July 18, 2023
RICHMOND, Va., July 18, 2023-- Americans are planning to set their status to "out of office" for longer stretches and open their wallets a little wider this summer, according to this year's 15th Annual Vacation Confidence Index from Allianz Partners USA. While the traditional week-long vacation is still elusive, new research indicates travel is becoming a priority again based on longer trips and increased spend. As both travel and confidence have rebounded in recent years, the average number of nights spent away has been steadily creeping up and now sits at 4.5 versus 4.3 (2022) and 4.1 (2021). The shift is beginning ...
Develop Your Supportive Leadership Skills for a Healthier Workplace
EHL Insights | July 18, 2023
Have you heard of the recent trends such as the “Great Resignation”, “Quiet Quitting” and “Career Cushioning” that are transforming the job market? While most leaders are aware of these trends, many seem helpless to counter the problems that are causing employees to leave, underperform, and generally dislike their jobs. A very sobering study by UKG suggests that nearly 70% of employees feel that their manager has more impact on their mental health than their therapist or their doctor, putting their influence on par with that of their life partner. And 60% of employees worldwide say their job is the biggest factor influencin...
The Hotel Cloud Checklist
July 17, 2023
By Michael Heinze How The Cloud Enables Better Hospitality Hospitality is a personal and engaging industry, and hotels want their technology to reflect these qualities to better serve their guests. Despite the trend of larger hotels and the widespread availability of the Internet, guest expectations have remained the same. What has changed is how guests expect to receive services. In the past, bookings were made through mail inquiries, phone calls, or fax. Legacy PMS was the system used for these bookings, but it was built to meet the needs of 30 years ago. Today, guests expect personal recommendations, fast information, services, and t...
How Online Platforms Help Independent Hotels Compete in the U.S.
July 17, 2023
By Maryam Mujica OTA participation boosts profitability and proves net positive for travel accommodations, particularly for smaller properties. This is how. The US accommodation market is iconic. It’s 1950’s motels lining empty desert roads, sun-soaked Miami beach resorts, old-world luxury with park views and much more besides. No wonder the US is the world’s largest tourism market and its third most visited destination. Even after 3 years of pandemic shutdowns and restrictions, hospitality entrepreneurs remain resilient. Due to increasing consumer demand, many are expecting 2023 to be their best year yet. The market remains dy...
Instagram: The Rising Phoenix of Social Media Marketing?
Lodging Interactive | July 11, 2023
In a recent article, we discussed numerous inaccurate predictions of Facebook's downfall by many self-proclaimed "experts." In a similar vein, we now consider how Instagram offers savvy hotel marketers a true business advantage. The phrase "Instagram is dead" echoes through digital corridors, causing concern among hotel marketers. If I were to collect a penny for every time this is stated, the scent of the Caribbean's salty sea breeze would gently blow through the shutters of my private island. Yet, I understand this sentiment, as Instagram’s ever-changing landscape seems to be creating insurmountable roadblocks to follower growth and en...
Tourism Tidbits: Handling Stress for Travel and Tourism Professionals
Dr. Peter Tarlow | July 10, 2023
Dr. Peter Tarlow One of the ways that the travel and tourism industry promotes its leisure market is that vacations are a time to destress. Unfortunately, all too often travel, both for business and leisure, seems to promote stress rather than destressing us. Anyone who has ever traveled understands why travel in English is derived from the French word, travail, meaning hard work. Travel, especially in high season, is work. In today's complicated world, we deal with overbookings and airline cancellations, power outages and weather conditions, and in the twenty-first century, security and pandemic concerns have added extra stress to th...
Sunny Forecast for Summer Travel: Nearly Half of All Americans Are Planning to Vacation This Season
MMGY Travel Intelligence | July 6, 2023
Short-term trips, cannabis tourism and other trends stand out in latest MMGY Global Survey Building upon the significant gains from 2022, new research by MMGY Travel Intelligence indicates that the American tourism industry will experience another blockbuster summer in 2023. According to the latest edition of the research firm’s Portrait of American Travelers® study, more than three-quarters of U.S. adults plan to take a vacation in the next 12 months, with nearly half of all adults (48%) planning to travel this summer specifically. “Though certain segments continue to lag, including the meetings/conventions and corporate transient...
The Art of Communication: Are We Still In This Together?
Gary Hernbroth | July 6, 2023
By Gary Hernbroth “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” ― George Bernard Shaw Are you as frustrated hearing about “poor communication” as I am? I can’t think of a coaching client or organization I’ve worked with that didn’t have the area of achieving better communication at or near the top of its list of concerns. Adding to that, we heard a constant dose of the battle cry “We’re in this together!” from many different places in the industry when the Covid-19 pandemic was raging. Considering that so much of our ongoing communication between buyers and sellers still...
What to Expect for Travel to Europe in the Summer of 2023?
Gregg Rockett | July 6, 2023
By Gregg Rockett A recent CNN story predicted that the number of Americans traveling to Europe this year will be 55% greater than in 2022. Allianz Partners identified this year’s most popular destinations (i.e., impacted) to be London, Paris, Dublin, Amsterdam and Lisbon - all destinations with infrastructure already creaking under relentless year-round tourism. This massive migration occurs despite the highest airfares in six years and hotel prices that are nearly 40% higher versus 2022, according to Hopper’s report on Summer Travel to Europe. Add to that, the Euro is approximately 10% more expensive than it was at this time in ...
Are Americans on the Tipping Point of Tipping?
Linchi Kwok | July 5, 2023
By Linchi Kwok In the old times, Americans typically tip 15 – 20% of the pre-tax bill in sit-down restaurants with wait staff. For hotel room service, tipping 10% is expected if gratuity is already included; otherwise, 20% or more should be added. When tipping means more than gratitude In California, tips do not count toward servers’ minimum wages. Accordingly, servers will earn the state’s or city’s minimum wage, plus tips. In some other states, servers make as little as $2 - $3 an hour because employers can count tips as part of their minimum wage. Still, tips have become an essential source of income for many service work...
Sustainable Business Travel: Our Partnership for a Greener Future
Jack Mahan | July 5, 2023
By Jack Mahan, Rod Clough, Janet Ott At HVS, we take sustainability seriously. It is an important topic for us as a firm and also for the hospitality industry as a whole. As consultants to hotels and hotel operators, we spend much time traveling to meet our clients and conducting site inspections at hospitality properties across the country and globe. Travel is an essential component of what we do as a firm. More broadly, business travel represents nearly one-fifth of all global travel. In 2019, U.S. residents alone took more than 460 million business trips, according to Sustainable Travel International. Unfortunately, business travel al...
How Marketers and Employers Can Provide a Spirit of Vacation All Year
The Conference Board | June 29, 2023
What people seek on their vacation provides a window into their emotional, mental, and even physical needs. These insights can serve as input—at any time of the year and for companies beyond the travel sector. Marketing and employer branding strategies can offer delights, experiences, and sensations similar to those which people look for on vacation. Insight for What’s Ahead: The June edition of the Consumer Confidence Survey® from The Conference Board shows that people across age groups want to have a good time with friends and family, escape daily routines, and enjoy good food. But there are differences: under 35-year-olds are...
Customers Don’t Care About the Details; They Care About the Destination
Shep Hyken | June 29, 2023
By Shep Hyken On a recent flight, the captain of the airplane announced over the PA system what time we would arrive at our destination. That would have been enough to make most people happy. However, he continued his announcement with a three-minute-plus speech. We learned that we would take off to the west, make a U-turn a few minutes later to head east, how high we would go, the various cities we would be flying over, that we would take a right turn as we approached the runway to land, and more. I looked around and noticed many people were annoyed or had stopped paying attention to the long-winded announcement. The point is most c...
Two Ridiculous Customer Service Debacles and What We Can Learn From Them
Shep Hyken | June 28, 2023
By Shep Hyken In 1996 the U.S. hosted the Summer Olympics. I’ll never forget reading about this story. Wade Miller, a Santa Fe, New Mexico, resident, tried to buy tickets to the volleyball match from the Summer Olympics ticket office in Atlanta. When the agent found out he lived in New Mexico, she refused to sell him a ticket. She claimed she couldn’t sell tickets to anyone outside the United States. He appealed to the agent’s supervisor, who also believed that New Mexico was not part of the United States, even though New Mexico became the 47th state in 1912. There is a happy ending to the story. Miller eventually bought ticke...
How Your Hotel Can Capitalize on Business Travel Rebound & Bleisure Travel Trends
Cendyn | June 26, 2023
The recovery of business travel and the evolution of bleisure travel globally highlights the importance of adapting to changing travel trends. Hotels that proactively embrace these trends and tailor their offerings accordingly position themselves as forward-thinking and customer-centric. This adaptability allows hotels to stay relevant and appeal to the evolving preferences of modern travelers. Industry statistics – bleisure and business travel According to a global 2022 survey of global travelers conducted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association, bleisure travel doesn’t seem to be a passing fad. The survey ...
Tripadvisor Reveals Best Travel Experiences in the World for 2023
Tripadvisor | June 20, 2023
Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Awards continue with Best of the Best "Things to Do" - a definitive guide to unforgettable bookable travel activities and excursions NEEDHAM, Mass., June 20, 2023 -- Today Tripadvisor®, the world's largest travel guidance platform, announced the winners of its 2023 Travelers' Choice® Best of the Best "Things to Do" Awards. As the summer travel season gets into full swing, these are Tripadvisor reviewers' favorite activities from across the world that will turn any vacation into a trip to remember. Analyzing 12 months of Tripadvisor review data (May 1, 2022 - April 30, 2023) from millions of travelers ...
