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
Five Ways Smart Hotel Rooms Will Make Travelers’ Lives Easier
Samuel Wich | September 10, 2018
By Samuel Wich In an industry as asset heavy as hotels, innovation is often lagging behind other sectors. It's simply easier and more cost-efficient to tweak an app or to install that new piece of equipment in a factory than it is to equip hundreds of thousands of rooms with the latest technological achievements. The investment necessary to fundamentally modernize the industry is immense. Yet there are smart ways to do it so you don't only improve guest experience but also increase your margins in the process. A little under a year has passed since both Hilton and Marriott announced their plans to take a large step into the age of digit...
Are Hotel Front Desks a Thing of the Past?
Dean Minett | September 10, 2018
By Dean Minett De-cluttering is a big business. Successful books like The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo demonstrate the world's appetite for simplified living, while consultants have popped up all over Australia to help the people get rid of what they don't need. Similar thinking has found its way into business and technology. The Economist ran a piece in 2014 called "De-Cluttering the Company" in which the costly entrapments of bureaucracy are discussed. Eliminating clutter is also a hallmark of commercial technology. Disk drives and cable ports on laptop computers are becoming extinct as data is transferred increasi...
Tourism Tidbits: Developing a Tourism Marketing Plan in a Changing World
Dr. Peter Tarlow | September 7, 2018
By Dr. Peter Tarlow Anyone who even briefly watches the news cannot help but be aware that the world is changing rapidly and the tourism and travel industry continues to face numerous challenges. From hostilities in the Middle East to the up and down cost of fuel, from tsunamis in Asia to crime waves and kidnappings in Latin America, tourism officials often find themselves "hostages of current events." Tourism, and its travel and hospitality related industries, often base their business designs on market share, product improvement, and other non customer-centric designs. As tourism becomes an ever more competitive industry, ge...
Hotel Booking Sites Under Scrutiny: Implications for the Hotel Industry
Stuart Pallister | September 6, 2018
By Stuart Pallister At the end of June, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched a crackdown on a number of hotel booking sites due to concerns they were breaking consumer protection law. Concerns included search results rankings, pressure selling, discount claims, and hidden charges. The CMA has sent warning letters to a "range of sites", demanding that these booking sites review the way they rank and display information, and comply with the law. It says "the next step is to take any necessary action – including through the courts if needed – to ensure people get a fair deal." EHL assistant professor of mar...
How Serviced Apartments Are Tuning Into Modern Traveler Needs
JLL Real Views | September 6, 2018
As the line between work and leisure trips continues to blur, serviced apartment operators are both fuelling and catering for this growing 'b-leisure' market. More than two thirds of business travelers tag on extra days before or after meetings on at least one trip a year, according to Egencia. Combine it with changing traveler preferences for home-style accommodation in convenient locations, and serviced apartments are an increasingly popular choice. "Many of today's travellers want to stay somewhere where they tend to have more space and greater independence than in traditional hotels," says Eva Chan, vice president of JLL Hotels and ...
To Q3 and Beyond: Hotel Industry Forecast for San Diego, Arizona, Colorado, and Other U.S. Markets
Robert A. Rauch, CHA | September 6, 2018
By Robert A. Rauch U.S. Economy Companies are reporting solid revenues as well as profits. Q2 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was at 4.2 percent, the best quarter in five years. Business and consumer confidence and spending are strong and future growth for 2019 looks good. Interest rates and inflation have increased modestly, in sync with movements in the economy. Having said that, my favorite index is the Institute for Supply Management's Purchasing Management Index. That index fell to 58.1 in July, 2018 from 60.2 in June, below market expectations of 59.5. The reading pointed to the weakest expansion in the manufacturing sector in three ...
Five IoT solutions that can improve your guest experience radically
Valpas Enterprises | September 6, 2018
Anticipating guests' needs and creating personalized experiences is becoming a norm in hospitality industry. Competition is fierce and in order to stand out, modern systems need to be implemented to provide the satisfaction the contemporary traveller requires. Take a look at our list of convenient IoT solutions that will significantly improve every hotel's guest experience. Amazon Alexa – voice-based interaction with services and devices "Hey, Alexa. I'd like to listen to some music." "Okay, let me play some smooth jazz." Alexa enables the guest to use voice-control on different smart home devices. It's basically a guest's persona...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 201: Hotel History: Architect Morris Lapidus
Stanley Turkel | September 5, 2018
By Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: Architect Morris Lapidus (1902-2001) Morris Lapidus was an architect, primarily known for his Neo-baroque "Miami Modern" hotels constructed in the 1950s and 60s, which have since come to define that era's resort-hotel style – synonymous with Miami and Miami Beach. A Russian immigrant raised in New York, Lapidus designed over 1,000 buildings during a career spanning more than 50 years, much of it spent as an outsider to the American architectural establishment. Born in Odessa in the Russian Empire (now the Ukraine), his Orthodox Jewish family fled Russian pogroms to New York when he was an in...
Leaders Communicate the Purpose (Keynote Video Clip)
Bryan K. Williams | September 5, 2018
By Bryan K. Williams Excellence is one of those words that is thrown around everyday, but many people don't stop to truly grasp the full meaning. The root word in excellence is excel, which means to go beyond. Beyond what? (I'm so glad you asked). To go beyond what is expected. It means to exceed expectations, and exceeding expectations has NOTHING to do with meeting expectations. They don't like each other, and are always in a fight. Like light and darkness, one is always seeking to dominate, but only one can prevail. If I order a cup of green tea, and you bring me the cup of green tea, that is not excellence. Even if you are smiling a...
Celebrity Chefs: Are They Worth It?
Stuart Pallister | September 4, 2018
By Stuart Pallister Celebrity chefs are 'very expensive' but they can bring instant brand recognition to your hotel restaurant. That was the general consensus among panelists at the F&B breakout session at the International Hotel Investment Forum held recently in Berlin. Celebrity chefs: a recipe for success? Moderator Sophie Perret, director of HVS in London, raised the issue of celebrity chefs during the session, saying that some in the industry still feel it's a 'recipe for success'. Jon Yantin, Managing Partner - EMEA of F&B advisory firm Hospitality House, said the chef is not irrelevant but "if anyone thinks Gordon Ramsey ...
Hospitality Financial Leadership – Igniting Your Financials by Putting Hours of Work in Your P&L
David Lund | September 4, 2018
By David Lund In hospitality we all know that payroll is by far the largest expense and therefore it has the biggest negative impact on profitability. Turn this around and know that finding ways to be more efficient with payroll can have a big impact on labor costs and a positive impact on your hotel's bottom line. If you don't have hours of work in your monthly P&L, you are missing a massive opportunity to better understand payroll and productivity leading to ways to manage your business better. You know what they say, you can't manage what you can't measure. Putting hours of labor into your financial statements is just good housek...
The Ultimate Guide to TripAdvisor for Hotels
Vikram Singh | September 4, 2018
By Vikram Singh When TripAdvisor was founded in February 2000 in a small office above Kostas Pizza on 315 Chestnut Street in Needham, Massachusetts, I don't think anyone could have predicted the amount of time and energy it would consume, and the strong emotions it would conjure. Since I started my blog in 2013, I have consistently fielded questions about TripAdvisor. Looking back at the sheer volume of time I spent answering these complex emails, I think it's time to for me aggregate my knowledge, experience and advice in one place. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions, along with my responses. Is my competition trying ...
RAR Hospitality Appoints and Promotes Leaders to Hotel Executive and Leadership Team
RAR Hospitality | August 30, 2018
San Diego– August 30, 2018— San Diego-based hotel management company RAR Hospitality is proud to announce the hotel executive promotion of Cameron Lamming to Chief Development Officer and President and addition of Cindy Wu-Park as the new Corporate Director of Finance, Hallie Leitter as Director of Sales at The Lafayette Hotel, Swim Club & Bungalows, and Kim Acosta as General Manager of Rio Del Sol Inn. "Our robust operating performance and strategic growth relies on our employees and to see members of the RAR team continue to push forward in their careers inspires our expansion as a company and team," said Robert Rauch,...
How America’s Motels Became Hipster Havens
JLL Real Views | August 30, 2018
In the heart of Palm Springs, a once nondescript Howard Johnson motel with an on-site Denny's restaurant is now the Ace Hotel & Swim Club, replete with outdoor fireplaces, live music by the pool, a vintage photo booth and Middle East-meets-California fusion dining. The Drifter, once a rundown, dodgy edifice in New Orleans, now offers specialty coffees from La Colombe and poolside craft cocktails for guests staying in minimalist-style rooms. The Vagabond in Miami, a former dive motel built in 1953, today has rooms with hypo-allergenic Italian bedspreads and stenciled geometric wall art. Across the United States, hoteliers and develop...
Renovating Your Commercial Property? Don’t Forget the Parking Lot!
Cicero's Development Corporation | August 29, 2018
PLAINFIELD, IL, AUGUST 29, 2018 -- Whether you run a retail mall, office building or a hotel franchise, parking lots greet your guests before you do. They are the first chance for your guests to experience your brand of hospitality, and they are your last chance to leave a lasting impression as they head home. So if you are planning a renovation of your property don't forget to include your parking lot. Parking lots receive their fair share of traffic. It is inevitable that these lots will endure wear and tear as time progresses. Here are four very common problems that occur: Potholes: Potholes are a common type of damage. They are ...
StayNTouch CEO Jos Schaap Shares His Vision for the Future of Hotel Technology
StayNTouch Inc. | August 29, 2018
There is no shortage of great ideas — rather, the bigger challenge can be found in bringing those great ideas to fruition and envisioning the ways in which they can change lives and better businesses. When Jos Schaap first saw a B2B application on an iPad in 2012, he wasn't merely consumed with admiration of that technology in its existing form — he was already imagining how it could impact hoteliers. What would that look like? How could new and innovative software change the hospitality industry for the better? His determination to cultivate this idea within the hospitality industry lead to the conceptualization of StayNTou...
DigiValet Powers In-Room Technology at the Newly Opened Loews/Universal Aventura Hotel
DigiValet | August 29, 2018
A Unique Experience for Guests ; Unparalleled Benefits for Owners, Operators New York (August 29, 2018) — DigiValet, the company that is transforming the guest experience at luxury hotels around the world, has teamed up with The Loews Universal Aventura Hotel, Universal theme park's newest hotel, to mark the US debut of DigiValet's unparalleled guest experience http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-aventura-hotel-opening-20180815-story.html The in-room technology provides unrivaled benefits for guests as well as hotel ownership and management, leading to a smoother, more intuitive, and elevated travel experience. For...
Newly Released 2018 Guest Experience Assessment Provides Valuable Insights to Hoteliers on Guest Engagement
Travel Tripper | August 29, 2018
StayNTouch, Travel Tripper, and TrustYou examine trends in guest experience in their new report, "The Complete Guest Experience: How Does Your Hotel Stack Up?" Bethesda, Md. — Sept. 6, 2018 — StayNTouch, Travel Tripper, and TrustYou have partnered to launch a new report that examines guest experience trends and their adoption in the hotel industry. The report provides key insights and takeaways to empower hoteliers to improve their own guest-driven decisions and gain a better understanding of the market. The study surveyed more than 300 hoteliers in the U.S., Canada, and key hotspots around the globe on questions regarding c...
What’s So Great About Wellness Hotels?
Tucker Johnson | August 28, 2018
By Tucker Johnson When the first wellness-inspired 'EVEN Hotel' by IHG opened in 2014 I remember thinking, "It's not for me but there must be a bunch of people that are looking for something like this." In retrospect, I guess my assessment wasn't too far off as four years later they have only nine hotels open and 14 in the pipeline. These growth numbers seem especially weak when compared to 'avid', IHG's answer to Millennial-focused brands Tru (Hilton) and Moxy (Marriott). The 'avid' brand was announced in 2017, and now has one hotel open and 126 hotels in the pipeline. I often read about new wellness-inspired hotels and amenities a...
Hospitality Management in India: Five Trends to Know
Prashant Das | August 27, 2018
By Dr. Prashant Das Although a layman's perception of hospitality is overwhelmed by the notion of "guest-oriented services", the scope of hospitality management in India has drastically expanded in recent years. There must be more to an industry with an annual revenue worth $1 trillion and over 8 million employees globally. The share of travel and tourism within the Indian economy is around 10% and steadily growing. More importantly, the industry claims to create nearly 8% employment in India which is expected to grow in the future. Within the next ten years, the hospitality sector will create nearly 70 lakh new jobs directly and nearly...
Loyalty Begins With a Smile
Alan Young | August 22, 2018
How a trip to Budapest reignited my love of travel By Alan E. Young, CEO, Puzzle Partner Loyalty begins with a smile. It sounds simple enough however it can be a challenge to receive a smile in today's hectic, overly self-indulgent environment. We focus on selfies, Facebook, Instagram and have slowly lost touch with what is most important, creating face to face relationships that can last the test of time. The hotel industry faces this challenge daily. While reading an article on Skift titled, "Google Finds Customer Service Beats Loyalty Programs," I saw this as such a basic point. Of course, great service will trump a loyalty program e...
Enhancing the Guest Experience with Personalized Menus
Larry Mogelonsky | August 22, 2018
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) A modern hotel must give its guests a personalized experience if it hopes to keep pace with traveler expectations. While all hoteliers broadly understand the concept, integration costs and outdated management protocols can become potential barriers. Hence, when I see an effort at personalization that bypasses these barriers, no matter how small, I get excited. Turning our attention to another central aspect of the modern hotel experience – F&B – how do you make patrons in your restaurant feel as if you have personalized the dining experience for them? While undoubted...
ALICE and the Government of Puerto Rico Create the Ultimate Traveler’s Experience Platform: “My Puerto Rico” Redefines Hospitality and Elevates
ALICE | August 22, 2018
My Puerto Rico Campaign Overview 3 min 32 sec video "My Puerto Rico" will revolutionize the local industry by becoming the first tourism destination to adopt a customer service platform designed to elevate the visitor's experience. August 22, 2018 – ALICE, the hospitality industry's leading operations platform, has partnered with the Government of Puerto Rico's Tourism Company (PRTC) and Roca Marketing to develop an innovative destination concierge service and trip planning platform available to every hotel and visitor. The new mobile hospitality app, "My Puerto Rico," will improve hotel performance and the guest experience, an...
European Hotel Industry Performance Over the Cycle
Dr. Isabella Blengini | August 21, 2018
By Dr. Isabella Blengini Over the last four years, we observed a certain level of volatility in the main indicators of hotels' performances, including the occupancy rate, the average daily rate (ADR) and the revenue per available room (RevPar). In particular, European countries like France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland, started showing some encouraging signs of recovery, notably over the last two quarters of 2017. France seems to be the country that has been hit the hardest by the prolonged economic downturn that involved Europe. On the country, Italy showed a good degree of stability in terms of hotel performance over the same...
