opinion
Mind the Generation Gap! Generational Differences in Hospitality
Kimberly Yoong | November 18, 2020
By Kimberly Yoong A look at how to navigate the generational stereotype minefield that has some hospitality brands scratching their heads. With all the age-related differences and particularities that exist among Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials and Gen Z-ers, it would be tempting, but ultimately a mistake, to focus primarily one generation based solely on demographics. Instead, developing a clear brand mindset that includes more behavioral themes such as authenticity, community, transparency and life experience could be more beneficial and attractive in the long run. Who are the real big spenders? A Gen X-er and a Gen Z-er wal...
Can Leisure and Work-From-Home Demand Stimulate Extended-Stay Hotel Growth Beyond Covid-19?
Linchi Kwok | November 4, 2020
By Linchi Kwok The lodging industry is struggling to fill the empty rooms in 2020. For months, U.S. hotels are running at an occupancy of 50% or lower. Not every segment suffers the same impact from the pandemic, however. Demand for home-sharing facilities had already bounced back over the summer. Airbnb reported a higher booking than last year. Marriott’s home-sharing arm is also doing well, seeing a sevenfold increase in booking over last summer. Similar to what a residential rental or home-sharing facility offers, guestrooms in extended-stay hotels also feature a full-size kitchen or a kitchenette. Extended-stay hotels are desi...
Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner!
Shep Hyken | November 4, 2020
By Shep Hyken This is a crazy idea, but hear me out. When I was a kid, we had home-cooked meals almost every night. I thought my mom was the greatest cook in the world. She could make the best chicken. As a matter of fact, she made chicken almost every night. It turns out she could follow a recipe and had bought a book that had 365 chicken recipes—one for each day of the year. I remember the day she came home with the cookbook. As a kid, I never tired of the taste of chicken. Can’t say my adult pallet would enjoy such monotony, but I digress. I started thinking about all those chicken recipes. There were so many: fried chicken,...
Dynamic Pricing, Perishability, Decoupling in India’s Service Industry
Ajay Mehtani | October 20, 2020
By Ajay Mehtani We have heard these words often enough while discussing pricing, revenue management and demand management in our industry. We try and analyze our current approach and what the future may entail in case we wish our hotels to improve yields. In some of our previous articles we discussed the need for the hotels sector to measure revenues per square foot as an industry benchmark for total revenue management. In this article we are initiating a discussion about pricing power & revenue management. Airlines have been leading on dynamic pricing in the services sector The aviation industry has the most advanced dynamic p...
Ritualizing The Customer Experience
Shep Hyken | October 15, 2020
By Shep Hyken I love hanging around smart people, and my friend Todd Hartley is one of the very smartest. He runs WireBuzz, an agency that uses videos to help their clients sell and service their customers, clients, guests, etc. He was interviewing me for his podcast and used the phrase, “ritualize the experience.” He used it in passing, but I realized this is a rock-solid concept that is appropriate for everyone in any company and any industry. I wrote those three words down so I wouldn’t forget them and then thought about them for the next few hours. Ritualizing the experience starts by understanding the process around y...
10 Reasons Why Panic Buttons Are a Must-Have Hotel Technology for 2021 and Beyond
Robb Monkman | October 13, 2020
As hoteliers complete their budgets for the new year, it’s critical that they add industry safety standard technology to their priority list By Robb Monkman With the sweeping implementation of new safety standards and legislations, hoteliers are quickly shifting focus towards employee protection. Recent world events have led to a notable development of a new employee safety culture in hotels and protecting those working alone in guestrooms or other remote areas who frequently find themselves in vulnerable, risk-oriented situations needs to take precedence. Hospitality is an industry focused on the guest experience, but more attent...
Passwords: Will They Soon Be a Thing of the Past?
ROOMDEX | October 13, 2020
By Denis Bajet When used correctly, passwords are an extremely simple and effective way to protect data and IT systems from unauthorized access. However, creating a complex password, never mind remembering it, is difficult. How many times have you clicked on the "forgotten password" link? Or worse still, come back from annual leave and have to email the help desk at work to get a new password. We all use passwords constantly and hate having to remember them all. The password struggle is real And there are a lot of them to remember. According to the research by the password manager NordPass, an average person has 70-80 passwords. 80 p...
Will Amazon’s New Palm Recognition Become the Next Popular Biometric Technology?
Linchi Kwok | October 8, 2020
By Linchi Kwok Amazon recently introduced a new biometric payment device, Amazon One, in two of its Go stores in Seattle. Shoppers can now enter and pay at cashier-free Amazon Go stores by scanning their palms. The company opened its first Amazon Go store in Seattle to the public in January 2018. Currently, Amazon operates 21 Go stores in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle, with five temporarily closed. Unlike a typical grocery store, Amazon Go offers grab-and-go, ready-to-eat snacks, breakfast, and lunch options for shoppers. Shopping at Amazon Go can be as easy as walking in and out of the store. After consumers ...
