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
How Hotel Brands Are Cracking the Home Rental Market
JLL Real Views | May 24, 2018
By Natalie Holmes With homesharing apps now a firm fixture on the smartphones of many travelers, big name hotel brands are increasingly looking to build their own presence in the home rental market – and are doing it in their own way. Marriott International is the latest major hotel group to enter the market, launching a six-month pilot project in partnership with home rental management company Hostmaker, to offer a selection of over 200 vetted homes in London. Just days before, Choice Hotels, which has been running a Vacation Rental program since 2016, significantly expanded its offerings to cover 20,000 additional properties acr...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 196: Hotel History: The Broadmoor Hotel, Colorado Springs, Colorado (779 rooms)
Stanley Turkel | May 23, 2018
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: The Broadmoor Hotel, Colorado Springs, Colorado (1918) For over a century, dreamers, farmers, investors, and even a Prussian Count have held a vision of the magnificence in store for the Colorado Springs area. It took the foresight, dedication and incredible vision of one man, Spencer Penrose, to bring the dream to reality… and to make it wonderful enough to last 100 years. Even before it was the Broadmoor Dairy Farm, the land at the base of Cheyenne Mountain was a ranch where corn was grown for making brooms. Willie Wilcox, who came to the area seeking his fortune and hoping to find a cure ...
2018 Compilation: Best Hotel Management School Rankings
EHL | May 22, 2018
When you are deciding which undergraduate or graduate hospitality degree program to attend, rankings can help you compare different programs that have caught your eye. We compiled the best hotel management school rankings out there. So, what are best universities for hospitality and tourism management in the world? The ranking methodologies vary, but EHL is the only university present in the top 5 across all rankings. Eduniversal Best Masters Ranking 2017 Eduniversal classifies and highlights Masters programs which prepare and graduate the most competent students into the global workforce based on the following criteria: The reputati...
The Shared Hotel Room
May 22, 2018
by David Goldstone Airbnb and other "shared economy" businesses have raised the bar for travel providers who wish to deliver personalized, truly local experiences for guests. For hotels, the new environment means a re-think of a hotel's relationship with their guests – and in many ways, a complete redo of the foundations of the guest experience. Attention Hotel Owners: It's No Longer Your Hotel Room Today's travelers see a hotel stay as part of an immersive travel experience that begins with booking and continues through multiple engagements and touch points.[1] To satisfy them, it must be made clear, every step of the way, that i...
Hospitality Financial Leadership: The Three Dimensions of Delegation
David Lund | May 21, 2018
By David Lund Delegation has three dimensions that are powerful tools. Delegation is also quite often misunderstood. In this article I am going to explain my thoughts on how to use delegation to be more productive, to grow your own abilities and to help you see the way forward using delegation to develop others. First off let's examine what delegation is all about and clear up some misunderstandings. I for one was not a fan of being delegated to early in my career and I did not understand how to use it properly. I thought I was being "put upon" by being delegated to. It was not until I had my first post as an assistant controller that I...
The Changing Landscape of Hotel Management
Robert Rauch | May 18, 2018
As new technologies and demographics continue to change how the hotel industry operates, GMs and executives need to have a firm grasp on each catalyst. By Robert Rauch Shifting demographics and new technologies are primary catalysts for the evolving hospitality business; however, the impact on management is enormous. Led by revenue management but now including distribution channel management, social media marketing, Web 2.0, cybersecurity, human resources and more, this industry has been thoroughly transformed. The key is to have GMs and corporate executives who understand this. Here are a few things to consider. Revenue management may...
Scribd and KEYPR Partner to Deliver Digital Library to Hotels
KEYPR | May 17, 2018
Collaboration brings Scribd's unlimited reading subscription service to hotel rooms via the KEYPR hospitality platform LOS ANGELES (DATE) — KEYPR®, the enterprise technology company whose cloud-based platform is the leader in guest experience and staff optimization, announced today that it has partnered with Scribd, the premier digital reading subscription service, to offer its library of more than 1 million of the best ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines to hotel rooms worldwide. Scribd VP of Business Development Rama Sadasivan said, "We are thrilled to partner with KEYPR's diverse and expansive hotel network to bring Scribd to...
Epelboim Development Group to Develop New 259 Suite Tru by Hilton Hotel in Orlando, Florida
the author | May 16, 2018
MIAMI--Epelboim Development Group has secured a construction loan totaling $21.5 million from BridgeInvest for the development of an eight-story, 259 suite Tru by Hilton hotel in Orlando Florida. Designed as the largest Tru by Hilton in the U.S. to date, the Orlando property will be located on Westbrook Boulevard, conveniently across the Orange County Convention Center with easy access to major Orlando attractions. As a game-changer in the midscale segment, the Tru by Hilton brand is differentiated by its affordability, attention to the guest experience and vibrant, high-energy environments. The modern guest rooms are designed to maximi...
Corporate Governance: Why Independent Audit Committees Matter
May 15, 2018
By Dr. Cédric Poretti Corporate governance has been a hot topic for many years in the US and Europe as corporations, whether in finance or the hospitality industry, grapple with their supervisory structures. Since 2000, the audit committee has been put forward as an effective mechanism to limit fraudulent financial reporting. Following financial scandals such as Enron and WorldCom, the US Congress issued the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) in 2002 to protect investors by improving the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures. Sarbanes-Oxley requires publicly traded companies to have: the CEO and CFO certifying the financial s...
The Impact of Terror on Europe’s Hotels
Global Hotel Study: 2017 | May 14, 2018
By Thomas Emanuel How have hotel markets in Europe reacted to terror attacks over the past three years? Tragically, Europe has endured multiple terrorist attacks in recent years. In the past 12 months alone, we've seen a shift in the way terror affects hotel performance, and this article will delve into how several markets reacted following attacks. (All figures are 12-month moving averages, indexed to the month prior to the terror attack unless otherwise stated.) We'll start by looking at France, which has endured several attacks over the past three years, most notably in Paris and Nice. The attacks at the Bataclan and across Paris o...
Hospitality Financial Leadership: Why Teaching Accounting in Hotel School Is a Waste of Time
David Lund | May 14, 2018
By David Lund I have a dream. My dream is that the numbers, the numbers that so many managers agonize over in our industry, are just as accessible as guest service and employee engagement. Let me put this another way for more clarity: I want you and the other leaders and managers in your hotel to be just as comfortable dealing with the numbers as you are dealing with guests and colleagues. You might be thinking that is a tall order. Well, I do not think so. I have seen many managers overcome their fear and confusion with the numbers. I also believe a big part of why the numbers scare so many people off is because we "seemingly" do not k...
Why Competition Is Heating up for Dubai’s Luxury Hotels
JLL Real Views | May 14, 2018
By Emily Perryman Iconic hotels like the 7-star Burj Al Arab have put Dubai at the top of the list for travelers seeking luxurious amenities and world-class service. More than 60 percent of the city's hotel supply is in the upscale and luxury category, but with a plethora of launches over the past 12 months and a strong pipeline of openings, the market is not only growing but it's also evolving as developers and operators put their own twist on luxury. Last year saw the launch of the 110-room Bulgari Resort which, being the only hotel situated on the offshore Jumeirah Bay island, is positioning itself as an urban oasis for guests seekin...
Restaurant Revenue Management Practices: Altering Customer Perceptions
Dr. Reza Etemad-Sajadi | May 10, 2018
By Dr. Reza Etemad-Sajadi Revenue management is all about pricing strategies to allocate the right capacity to the right customer, at the right place, at the right time. Airlines and hotels use such practices, and their customers seem to see the benefits. However, for the restaurant industry, things are different. Based on our research, we found that the majority of revenue management practices in the restaurant business are perceived as unfair (see Table 1). Customers though seem to accept price variations between lunch and dinner, as well as cancellations due to late arrivals. The practice which is perceived to be most unfair is the...
KEYPR and Dow Jones Partner to Deliver The Wall Street Journal to Hotels
KEYPR | May 10, 2018
Collaboration brings WSJ's full digital content to hotel guests via KEYPR's hospitality platform LOS ANGELES, CA (May 10, 2018) — KEYPR®, the technology company whose enterprise cloud platform is the leader in guest experience and hospitality management, announced today it has partnered with The Wall Street Journal to seamlessly deliver the company's award-winning content to hotel rooms worldwide, via KEYPR's expansive platform. "The Wall Street Journal is the premier publisher of business and finance focused news, information, commentary and analysis. We are dedicated to meeting the needs of our readers – most of whom a...
Please Use the “F” Word!!
Roberta Nedry | May 8, 2018
By Roberta Nedry Relax! Not that 'F' Word! This 'F' stands for Feelings, which are critical to any service interaction or guest experience and they must be front and center to make meaningful emotional connections. Whose feelings you might ask? Yours, theirs and ours!!! How you perceive your guests are feeling as they arrive, experience and depart can make a powerful difference in the feelings they remember. Once that perception is made, the next step is how to respond and deliver behaviors that will make those feelings positive. How can hospitality leaders orient their teams to do this and deploy an "F" word strategy for each touchpoin...
Style in Small Spaces: Japan’s Next Generation of Capsule Hotels
JLL Real Views | May 7, 2018
By Serene Lim Capsule hotels in Japan were once the domain of salarymen looking for a cheap, fuss-free spot to crash after a late night. But a new crop of guests has helped spur their resurgence, with growing numbers of novel and upmarket versions opening in the last year. The capsule hotel – also known as a pod hotel – provides simple little rooms with single size mattresses measuring around 1.2 meters wide, two meters long and one-meter high. They first became popular during the 1980s and 90s with local businessmen. The new versions have broken the mold – think communal lounges with complimentary drinks and massage c...
Hospitality Financial Leadership: Beverage Cost or Contribution Margin?
David Lund | May 7, 2018
By David Lund We all heard about it every month. The beverage cost! And it usually was not very pretty. Seemingly always too high, and it typically created lots of finger pointing and much pontificating. Beverage cost was always a slightly complex beast and often misunderstood. That was largely because this poor cousin to food cost was shrouded in a bit of mystery and mystique, like a secret lost cocktail recipe. Let's have a closer look at the black sheep of the family. Many people are simply confused by beverage cost and, while it is an important standard to maintain, the real game to understand is contribution margin. What makes the ...
Video: How Critical are Millennials for Hotel Brands?
Stuart Pallister | May 7, 2018
By Stuart Pallister The topic of millennials and hospitality was featured in a panel session during the 9th Young Hoteliers Summit at Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne. How critical are the millennials for hotel brands? Andreas Scriven - Head of Hospitality & Leisure, Deloitte. When it comes to millennials, it's about the way of doing things which may be linked to service but they're just faster. Things happen faster. Brands keep on coming again and again, so saying that millennials are different is completely wrong. However, they're born with a smartphone in their hands, so they don't have time for bullsh*t. What hotels need...
What’s the Value of Hotel Loyalty Programs?
Stuart Pallister | May 4, 2018
By Stuart Pallister While hoteliers grapple with how to win over that 'notoriously disloyal' generation, the millennials, what's the value of hotel loyalty programs? Major hotel chains such as Marriott and Hilton, with tens of millions of members, have been using such programs for decades to inspire feelings of loyalty among guests and fend off online travel agents or OTAs. However, not everyone in the industry is convinced loyalty programs work – especially in the luxury segment. At the recent Young Hoteliers Summit staged at EHL, loyalty programs came under the spotlight during a panel session focusing on the luxury sector. Dorc...
How Much of a Threat to Hotels Is Airbnb?
May 3, 2018
By Dr. Inès Blal with Co-Authors Dr. Manisha Singal and Dr. Jonathan Templin Since the entry of Airbnb into the hospitality industry in 2008, media attention has largely focused on the disruptive nature of the service. Industry reports, as well as lively debates at hotel, travel and tourism conferences, have kept the spotlight on Airbnb's growth and success. But despite all this attention, we still know little about its real impact on hotel sales. In our recent publication in the International Journal of Hospitality Management, we examined how Airbnb supply, price, and perceived quality affect the sales performance of incumbent h...
Health and Success in the Summer of 2018
Robert A. Rauch | May 2, 2018
By Robert A. Rauch, CHA I seldom write about success or health, typically favoring hotel operations, leadership, finance, marketing or forecasts. But today, I offer a summer check up on our success, health, wellness and overall fitness plan, one that I have just commenced. Because it is May, we have a full summer ahead of us. After reading Tom Brady's new book, The TB-12 Method, my colleague, Larry Broughton's book, Flashpoints for achievers and a book by Bob Burg and John David Mann, called Go-Giver, I decided this was the perfect time to set up a summer program for health and success. Brady's book is about pliability, flexibility, fi...
Much Ado About Millennials and Hospitality
Stuart Pallister | May 2, 2018
By Stuart Pallister Go to a hospitality conference or forum these days and the topic of millennials is likely to crop up, and more so at the Young Hoteliers Summit staged recently at Ecole hôteliere de Lausanne. At the heart of the issue is a fundamental question for hoteliers. Should you be thinking of changing your offering substantially to cater for this digitally-savvy generation in their early 20s to mid-30s, and, if so, what are they looking for? Are luxury hotels too stuffy and will they need to have a major re-think? In retail, leading designer labels such as Gucci are going all-out to woo these customers, even though they...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 195: Hotel History: The Elephantine Colossus Hotel
Stanley Turkel | May 2, 2018
By Stanley Turkel, CMHS When Coney Island went from a sandbar resort in Brooklyn to the city's biggest beachfront playground in the 1880s, all sorts of attractions popped up. There were beer halls, roller coasters, so called "freak shows" and a one-of-a-kind gaudy structure known as the Elephantine Colossus. It was constructed in 1884 by James V. Lafferty (1856-1898) who thought that the next great architectural step was to design buildings in the shape of animals, birds and even fish. During the twelve years before it burned down, the jumbo-size hotel in Brooklyn was known as the Colossus of Architecture and the Elephantine Colossus. A...
Exploring Niche Markets in Hospitality: Seizing Untapped Opportunities
Dr. Meng-Mei Maggie Chen | May 1, 2018
By Dr. Meng-Mei Maggie Chen Distribution challenges for the hotel industry include the rising cost of customer acquisition, the ownership of customer data, the lack of loyalty from customers, and the growing popularity of Airbnb. The hotel industry is already struggling to attract, convert, and retain customers. Without major investment in marketing, convincing customers to switch from paid channels to the hotels' own channels is simply a mission impossible. Yet, some interesting players have taken a different approach by going after niche markets. For example, nhow Hotels (part of the NH Hotel Group) offer state-of-the-art music studio...
