mark lewis-brown
4 Tips to Attract & Retain Gen Z Employees
Mark Lewis-Brown | April 9, 2024
By Mark Lewis-Brown The hospitality industry is no stranger to evolution, and after surviving the chaos of the COVID pandemic and the aftermath, hoteliers are much more adept at pivoting as new trends and developments push the hospitality industry in new directions. 2024 has already ushered in a great deal of change, as consumer booking trends change and many of the top global economies experience contractions, but as always, there will be many other shifts that will impact the hospitality industry over the coming years; one of the most significant changes that we are currently experiencing comes with the entry of Gen Z into the workforce, w...
Closing the Deal With Gen Zs
Mark Lewis-Brown | June 1, 2023
Mark Lewis-Brown Although they would like to deny it, Gen Zs and Millennials do have one very important thing (for you!) in common: just like the Millennials before them, Gen Zs are highly motivated by travel and will spend as much of their disposable income on it as possible. Don’t believe me? Check out these stats from a recent article by Morning Consult: "52% of Gen Z adults are frequent travelers, taking at least three leisure trips in the past year. That share is significantly larger than it is for higher-earning Gen Xs and Baby Boomers, and it’s on par with Millennials... As Gen Zs age and grow in spending power, they will lik...
MythBusters: Delta Edition
MARK LEWIS-BROWN | September 2, 2021
By Mark Lewis-Brown As I mentioned in Part One and Part Two of this article, there are many mixed messages floating around in the hospitality industry about how/what hoteliers need to do to become profitable in the “new normal” that we’re all facing. Unfortunately, things just got EVEN more confusing… With the wide spread of the Delta Variant, around most US states – and most of the world – the recovery phase of the COVID-19 pandemic is again changing, and hotels must update their operational strategies accordingly, to ensure their guests remain as safe as possible. But to make sure that you’re taking the best, ...
Mythbusters: Recovery Edition – Part Two
Vertical Booking USA | July 14, 2021
By Mark Lewis-Brown As I mentioned in Part One of this article, there are many mixed messages floating around in the hospitality industry today about how/what hoteliers need to do/buy in order to be profitable in the “new normal” that we’re all facing. (If you missed Part One, stop reading immediately – no, seriously… immediately! – and read it first.) Lucky for you, I’m here to help bust three more common myths that hoteliers are being told/believing about the industry, as we move into the recovery phase of the pandemic: Myth #1 - Guests do still want their rooms cleaned, maybe even more so than normal. Given how ...
Mythbusters: Recovery Edition – Part One
Mark Lewis-Brown | June 25, 2021
By Mark Lewis-Brown There are lots of messages out there, in the hospitality industry now, about what hotels need to do, or what technology they need to buy, to reach recovery more quickly. Some of these messages are accurate and others… questionable. But don’t you worry… I’ve got you covered. Get ready for a thorough debunking of three common “myths” related to COVID recovery strategies. MYTH #1: Business and/or city-center hotels are dead. Truth: There is no type of hotel that can’t reach profitability, even if corporate travel and MICE business doesn’t pick back up again for years. Full stop. The road to s...
Millennial Marketing Woes: SOLVED
Vertical Booking USA | July 23, 2019
By Mark Lewis-Brown, CEO & President at Vertical Booking USA As we all now know, the Millennials are the largest generation in history (92 million potential guests!) AND have an overwhelming desire to travel so they are a (potentially) hugely profitable demographic for all hotels – if they can get their bookings. As you also know (and probably struggle with on a daily basis) Millennials + the Internet has changed the travel industry significantly (especially when it comes to booking), leaving many hoteliers – especially those who haven’t jumped onboard the operational technology bandwagon - wondering: “How can I increase ...
Hotel Expiration Dates: Fact or Fiction?
Vertical Booking USA | May 22, 2019
By Mark Lewis-Brown, CEO & President at Vertical Booking USA Expiration dates: they're super common in some industries – they are regularly seen on consumer-packaged goods, food and drinks, medicine, etc. – but the idea of an expiration date isn't often applied to the hotel industry. But, in my opinion, it should be. Here's a little known/rarely considered fact: an empty room is an expired one. Just like with milk or medication, hotels' rooms also have expiration dates, after which the empty room becomes a liability, rather than an asset. Think about it… like milk, a hotel room is a perishable product; unfortunately for ...
Give Yourself a Round of Applause…
Vertical Booking | April 18, 2019
By Mark Lewis-Brown, CEO & President of Vertical Booking USA It's an exciting time for you, as a hotelier. Why, you ask? Because hotels are making huge leaps in taking back bookings from the OTAs. According to Phocuswright, "direct bookings accounted for around 49% of U.S. hotel and lodging online gross bookings, versus OTAs at 51%" last year. And here's some even better news… Phocuswright predicts that direct bookings will increase to a 50% share by 2022! Can you imagine that?! For the first time, possibly ever (since the invention of the Internet), hotels will have greater control over their own bookings and revenues. And h...
