The Tricycle of Guest Service Excellence: A Perfect Model For Remarkable Experiences
Doug Kennedy | October 4, 2024
Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino Partners With Travel Outlook to Elevate Guest Service Experience
Travel Outlook, The Premier Hotel Call Center™ | October 2, 2024
Top Read
HSMAI to Honor GCommerce Solutions With Bronze Adrian Award for Outstanding Travel Marketing
GCommerce | March 10, 2022
Adrian Award winners will be celebrated at an in-person event on Wednesday, March 30, 2022 Park City, UT, (March 10, 2022) – The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) will honor GCommerce Solutions with a Bronze Adrian Award for travel marketing excellence for its winning entry in the 65th annual Adrian Awards, the largest and most prestigious global travel marketing competition. For 2021, HSMAI designed the Adrian Awards to reflect the current travel landscape, with Focus Categories of Recovery Marketing, Recovery Campaign Evolution, Technology Innovation, and Corporate Social Responsibility, in addition ...
Rethinking the Gift Shop as a Part of a TRevPAR Strategy
Larry and Adam Mogelonsky | March 9, 2022
By Larry and Adam Mogelonsky The gift shop is for many hoteliers an afterthought. But a win is a win, and as travel recovery gets underway for a gangbusters summer of 2022 (our hope at least), it’s time for all hotels to consider operating under the model of optimizing revenue on a per guest basis (otherwise called TRevPAR) rather than simply trying to maximize occupancy. By doing so, you can drive a better topline and healthier margin without having to rely on those 100% occ summer weekends (which may not be possible due to labor shortages) or the full-fledged return of corporate guests to buoy midweek occ. Hence, there’s a strong ...
Language Barriers in the Hospitality Industry
Travel Outlook | March 8, 2022
How to translate the labor shortage The hospitality industry is obviously a global industry. Hotels connect people from all over the world and bring them together under one roof. Industry insiders understand the importance of having a multilingual staff at all hours. Given recent labor shortages, it is becoming increasingly difficult for hotels to find adequate staffing. Finding a bi or multi-lingual staff member can seem next to impossible. Even before the complications of the last two years, language barriers have plagued hotels for the duration of their existence. For customers, nothing is more frustrating than trying to reserve a r...
Hotel Industry Says Automation & Integration Vital to Recovery
Duetto | March 8, 2022
The latest survey from Duetto reveals nearly 78% of hoteliers will increase their investment in hotel tech in the next three years San Francisco, March 8, 2022 - The digitization of the hospitality industry has been underway for decades, but the past two years have accelerated tech adoption in hotels across the globe. Duetto surveyed hoteliers worldwide to gauge the hotel industry's sentiment and priorities regarding revenue management, revenue tools, and technology innovations. The overwhelming response was that automation and integration are seen as key to future success by the majority of those working in a hotel revenue function...
Four Trends for Beyond Revenge Travel 2.0
Larry and Adam Mogelonsky | March 2, 2022
By Larry and Adam Mogelonsky Last week we looked at some immediate trends that hoteliers should consider for the rest of 2022 as each property contends with the reopening and the huge swell of incoming travel encapsulated by the buzzy term ‘Revenge Travel 2.0’. All operators have to be ready to pivot on a dime, especially with the headache of labor shortages, but that doesn’t mean you can ignore what the years ahead will bring. In fact, if you don’t then you may find your business left behind by all the forces at play. What we stress from firsthand experience through our hotel asset management consultancy is that all the long-te...
Above and Beyond Standard Hotel FAQ Chatbots
Travel Outlook Premium Hotel Call Center | March 2, 2022
How Annette™, The Virtual Hotel Agent™, Solves the Hospitality Industry’s FAQ Chatbot Problems No one enjoys speaking to IVR (Interactive Voice Response) systems, but we do so when it’s necessary. In today's digital world, interacting with IVR systems seems to be an increasingly necessary evil. But what if there was a next-generation voice bot that did away with the common frustrations associated with IVR systems? What if a voice bot could be as functional as an FAQ chatbot? That’s where Annette comes in. Annette is a virtual call center agent powered by artificial intelligence that is designed specifically for the hospitality i...
Cloud5 Launches “Flip to SIP” Program to Provide Simple, Cost-Effective Path to FCC Telecommunications Compliance
Cloud5 Communications | March 1, 2022
New program offers hoteliers a solution to avoiding rate increases as FCC works to sunset copper-based telephone service lines. Chicago, IL. — March 1, 2022, Cloud5 Communications, a leading provider of communications solutions and Managed IT Services for more than 5,000 hotels, MDUs, and commercial facilities across the Americas, has today announced the unveiling of its “Flip to SIP” program in response to the FCC mandate requiring the termination of POTs-based telecommunication lines. The program is specifically designed to provide businesses with a streamlined, cost-effective solution to transition to more modern telepho...
A Warm Reception From the Hospitality Industry for Annette, the Virtual Hotel Agent
Travel Outlook | February 24, 2022
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO (February 24, 2022): Travel Outlook Premium Hotel Call Center® continues its introduction of Annette TM, the hotel industry’s first AI-powered voice assistant. The difference between Annette and other voice bots such as Siri or Alexa lies in her power to more accurately understand the question being asked by a hotel guest. Annette has been programmed with a new model of Natural Language Understanding software based on human conversations, resulting in a powerful new way for her to understand what guests are requesting, and for her to provide the correct answer. “We are encouraged by the reception Annette ha...
Four Trends for Revenge Travel 2.0 Right Now
Larry and Adam Mogelonsky | February 23, 2022
By Larry and Adam Mogelonsky The zeitgeist of February/March 2022 has deemed the upcoming spring and summer to be named ‘Revenge Travel 2.0’ because it will resemble the past two summer surges in erratic volume increases but also likely be substantially larger. Without getting too far into the news cycle and current public sentiment, there are some very strong signals pointing to an official end of the pandemic coming soon, and that will undoubtedly translate into a tsunami of fresh booking inquiries. Lots of new guests is, of course, great, but it can also become a ‘good problem to have’, especially in the face of the ongoing l...
Knowland Announces Expanded Partnership With Aimbridge Hospitality
Knowland | February 23, 2022
Best-in-class management company turns to data analytics to ramp up group sales and gain a competitive advantage ARLINGTON, Va./PLANO, Texas — Feb. 23, 2022 — Knowland, the world’s leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, announced today that Aimbridge Hospitality, a leading global hospitality company, has expanded its partnership with Knowland to provide access to meetings and events data for sales teams at the property level. Management companies such as Aimbridge Hospitality are turning to Knowland to increase group revenue, improve sales team productivity, and better understand ma...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 261: Hotel History: The Homestead, Hot Springs, Virginia
Stanley Turkel | February 15, 2022
By Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: The Homestead, Hot Springs, Virginia The Homestead is a famous luxury resort that opened a decade before the American revolutionary war. Located in the middle of the Allegheny Mountains, the area has the largest hot springs in Virginia. Native Americans used the waters to rejuvenate themselves during their many excursions through the area. Captain Thomas Bullett and Charles and Andrew Lewis were part of the militia and surveyors during the French and Indian War. They were told of the many healing qualities of the waters in the area. In 1764, at the end of the war, Capt. Bullett received Gold and...
Get Ready for The Next Intelligent AI-Powered Voice Bot
Travel Outlook | February 15, 2022
An Advanced Technology System Providing Instant Guest Service While Reducing Fixed Labor Expense In 2022, industries across the country are facing critical staff shortages that threaten to cripple their day-to-day operations. Despite the hospitality industry recovering from the disastrous events of the past two years, staff shortages still plague many hotels. Staffing shortages can negatively impact guests’ experiences, deter future reservations, and lead to a significant loss in business. If you’re looking for a way to reduce your fixed labor expenses without falling victim to typical problems associated with staff shortages, conside...
Wyndham Teams Up With Amadeus for Business Intelligence Insights
Amadeus | February 9, 2022
The world’s largest hotel franchising company leverages Amadeus’ Demand360® to enhance demand generation strategies. Increasingly, hoteliers are turning to data to build more informed business strategies that take into account shifting traveler demographics, booking behaviors, and preferred channels for their properties. To gain a broader view of market performance across its organization and in turn, enhance its demand generation strategies, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has selected Amadeus Demand360®. Demand360 provides the industry’s most comprehensive, forward-looking on-the-books data, enabling hoteliers to measure their mark...
Knowland Meetings Recovery Forecast Identifies Top U.S. Markets to Recover in 2022
Knowland | February 9, 2022
New market forecast capability provides insights to help hospitality industry improve sales and investment decision making ARLINGTON, Va. — Feb. 9, 2022 — Knowland, the world’s leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, announced it has added the ability to filter its U.S. Meetings Recovery Forecast by market, now known as the Top 25 U.S. Meetings Recovery Forecast (MRF25). Access to the data is complimentary and provides the industry with predictive insights into event recovery over the next three years. Click here to view the MRF25. Jeff Bzdawka, CEO, Knowland, said: “The additional da...
Beekeeper Partners With EduMe to Bring Digital Training Tools to Frontline Workers in One Seamless Platform
Beekeeper | February 1, 2022
The Integration Enables Frontline Employers to Deliver Mobile-Friendly, Full-Scale Training Courses to Improve Productivity, Retention, and Upskilling Zurich - February 1, 2022 -Beekeeper, the leading mobile workforce collaboration platform designed specifically for frontline workers, today announced a full-scale integration with EduMe, the market-leading mobile-based training platform for the deskless workforce, to improve organizational productivity and boost employee retention. With the EduMe integration, Beekeeper introduces a suite of, in-app training functionalities designed for non-desk workers, signaling a paradigm shift in the w...
Kennedy Training Network Announces Online (Self-Study) Version of Reservations Sales QUEST
Doug Kennedy | February 1, 2022
First In A Series: Hotel Sales and Hospitality/Guest Services Topics To Follow Later This Year Ft. Lauderdale, FL - February 1, 2022 - KTN, the lodging industry’s best source for training in the topic areas of reservations sales, hospitality and guest service excellence, and hotel sales team training, announced the first in a series of online, (self-study) versions of its menu of training programs. “Finally, the learning platforms have evolved to the point where we created a truly engaging, multimodal learner experience,” said KTN President Doug Kennedy. While most online courses are still limited to a series of narrated slide decks...
Leisure Hotels & Resorts Selects Stayntouch to Deploy Its Flexible Cloud-Native PMS Across 4 Upscale Independent Properties
Stayntouch | February 1, 2022
As its Digital Welcome and Operations Solutions Continue to Gain Traction Across the Industry, Stayntouch Partners with Leading Management Company February 2nd, 2022 [Bethesda, Maryland] Stayntouch, a global leader in guest-centric cloud hotel property management systems (PMS) and contactless technology, today announced a partnership with Leisure Hotels & Resorts, a leading comprehensive hospitality management company that specializes in upscale destination markets and unique independent brands. Stayntouch will now deliver their flexible PMS solution to four of Leisure Hotels’ Midwest and Mountain properties, totaling 469 rooms. ...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 260: Hotel History: Terminal City, The Roosevelt Hotel and The Postum Building, New York
Stanley Turkel | January 25, 2022
By Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: Terminal City (1911) Terminal City originated as an idea during the reconstruction of Grand Central Terminal from the old Grand Central Station from 1903 to 1913. The railroad owner, the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad, wished to increase capacity of the station’s train shed and rail yards, and so it devised a plan to bury the tracks and platforms and create two levels to its new train shed, more than doubling the station’s capacity. At the same time, chief engineer William J. Wilgus was the first to realize the potential of selling air rights, the right to build atop the now-undergr...
Keeping Your Data Safe: Ransomware, Crashes, and Backups, Oh My!
Warren Dehan | January 25, 2022
Hoteliers should talk to their PMS provider about implementing an automated back-up plan with an on-premises deployment, or about options to get hosted in the cloud with managed backups; Being prepared and diligent is key to protection By Warren Dehan Is your hotel’s data protected? What if your hotel lost access to its data overnight? A situation like this would be more than an inconvenience, it would threaten your hotel’s operations and negatively impact your business in a myriad of ways. Loss of access to data could be the result of an on-premises system crash, which will be inconvenient, but which can be brought back into operatio...
5 Sales Strategies to Win More Business in 2022
Amadeus | January 20, 2022
Many questions are on the minds of hospitality leaders as they think about 2022 and strategize new, creative ways to generate revenue. While COVID-19 recovery has largely been driven by domestic, leisure travelers, groups and corporate bookings are starting to return. In the US alone, group meeting volume increased 30% in October 2021 over the previous month. Additionally, the average number of attendees and event space used surpassed pre-pandemic levels. This has sales and event professionals asking, “What’s driving the latest group business trends?” and, “Will this be the year corporate travel returns?” As events bounce back...
Salamander Hotels & Resorts Sees Record Portfolio Performance With IDeaS
IDeaS | January 20, 2022
Founded by entrepreneur Sheila Johnson in 2005, Salamander Hotels & Resorts delivers comfortable luxury through signature, immersive guest experiences. The company is based in Middleburg, VA, and has a small-but-mighty destination-resort portfolio featuring the flagship Forbes Five-Star Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg; Half Moon, an iconic luxury resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica; the grand Hotel Bennett in Charleston, SC; Innisbrook Resort in Tampa Bay, an annual PGA TOUR stop; and The Henderson, a sweeping beach resort in Destin, FL. When he was hired, Brian Covington, Salamander’s Vice President of Revenue Optimization, had...
All This Tech Can Overload Your IT Teams
Larry and Adam Mogelonsky | January 19, 2022
By Larry and Adam Mogelonsky Slowly emerging from the pandemic, one aspect of hotel operations is becoming exceedingly clear: our reliance on tech to automate repetitive tasks, cut costs and improve guest service will only increase. While this can mean bigger technology expenses but even bigger savings elsewhere, there is a weak point in this ‘great tech reset’ that each hotel must address. That is, each new platform or integration puts an additive amount of stress on the IT team to maintain the integrity of these systems and not allow any data breaches. Typically, the IT director or manager falls into the room division or engineeri...
Stayntouch and Pace Revenue Partner to Deliver Mobile Access and Dynamic Automation to Hotel Revenue Management
Stayntouch | January 18, 2022
Bethesda, MD – January 18, 2022 – Stayntouch, a global leader in guest-centric cloud hotel property management systems (PMS) and contactless technology, today announced a new partnership and integration with Pace Revenue, an industry-leading provider of the Pace Revenue Platform that includes innovative decision intelligence, business intelligence and revenue optimization. Pace is the latest platform to join the hundreds of integration partners and over 1100+ integrations that are currently accessible to Stayntouch customers. Pace leverages Stayntouch’s open APIs and webhooks to pull reservation, rate, and group data, while seamlessl...
Travel Outlook Introduces Annette, The Virtual Hotel Agent, Providing Instant Guest Service While Reducing Fixed Labor Expense
Travel Outlook Premium Hotel Call Center | January 13, 2022
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO (January 13, 2022): Travel Outlook Premium Hotel Call Center (“Travel Outlook®”) announces the launch of the hotel industry’s first AI-powered voice bot, purpose-built to reduce fixed labor costs with a distinct human touch: AnnetteTM, The Virtual Hotel AgentTM. Annette can help hotels immediately address staffing issues and reduce fixed labor expense. Personalized in a human voice the hotel chooses, Annette can answer most of the calls now being handled by the front desk. To estimate the labor cost savings Annette can achieve, Travel Outlook has created a Annette Savings Tool on its website. Annette has ...
