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Lodging Interactive’s RFPAssist Generates SMERF Event Leads to Hotels
Lodging Interactive and Commingle:Engage | April 21, 2021
Lodging Interactive, a full-service digital marketing, social media engagement, and reputation management agency exclusively serving the hospitality industry, today announced that, RFPAssist, its lead generation service now delivers SMERF (Social, Military, Educational, Religious and Fraternal) event sales leads to hotel sales teams. Originally developed to capture wedding sales leads, the service has now been enhanced to capture opportunities in other SMERF markets. “Our RFPAssist event lead generation service has proven to be extremely effective in driving wedding and catering leads to our hotel clients, generating on average 50+ new w...
Meeting the New Demand for Happy Hour Dining This Spring
Larry and Adam Mogelonsky | April 14, 2021
By Larry and Adam Mogelonsky The taboo of eating indoors at a restaurant as a result of COVID-19 will persist for well into 2021. While the spring is normally considered too cold for purely alfresco dining, some people may end up altering their meal patterns now through June to chase that last morsel of sunlight and stay in the warmth. That is, in order to keep the good times rolling outside and not to risk coronavirus exposure by venturing inside (not to mention any government mandates about eating inside), dining parties may opt for an extended dinner in and around the time normally reserved for happy hour – approximately 3pm to 6pm...
Hawks Cay Resort Welcomes Robert Moore as New Resort Manager
Hawks Cay Resort | April 13, 2021
DUCK KEY, Fla. – April 12, 2021 – Hawks Cay Resort, an iconic destination resort in the Florida Keys, announces the appointment of Robert Moore as the new Resort Manager. Joining the resort from a custom destination marketing organization in Nashville, Moore brings his operational expertise to the AAA Four Diamond resort. Most recently, Moore served as General Manager of CSI DMC Nashville, where he successfully designed and serviced strategies with hotel partners. He has an extensive career in the hospitality industry, having worked with Gaylord Hotels as Hotel Manager and Vice President of Conference Management at the Gaylord Nationa...
The Importance of Training and Onboarding Staff in a Post-Pandemic World
Jeff Venza | April 8, 2021
By Jeff Venza In any industry, hiring, training, and effectively onboarding new staff is a significant undertaking that is often wrought with nuanced challenges. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, however, we find ourselves in an entirely new landscape. Over the past 12 months, rapid digital transformation has enabled organizations to reimagine how they work and manage talent completely. By 2028, 73% of all departments will have remote workers (Upwork), and internal communication and support processes across organizations have been placed under a critical lens. Workflow breakdowns and lapses in best practices have come to the fore...
COVID-19’s Impact on the San Antonio Lodging Market
David Bone | April 8, 2021
By David Bone, Shannon Sampson Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Downtown San Antonio was enjoying a decade of revitalization and growth. The year 2020 was poised to be a banner year, spurred by the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center’s $325-million renovation and expansion, which was completed in January 2016. Data provided by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts indicate that hotel revenue across the San Antonio-New Braunfels MSA declined by roughly 53% in 2020. RevPAR for the MSA remained relatively stable in 2018 and 2019, before plummeting approximately $40 in 2020 to a historical low of $37. New hotel supply increased by alm...
SLS Debuts in Middle East With Opening of SLS Dubai Hotel and Residences
Accor | April 5, 2021
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, April 5, 2021 -- Accor, a world-leading hospitality group, today announced the expansion of the international SLS Hotels & Residences brand to the Middle East with the opening of SLS Dubai. Developed in partnership with World of Wonders Real Estate – the new property is one of Dubai's tallest buildings and is set to officially welcome guests and residents on April 5, 2021. The highly anticipated opening is a testament to the SLS brand's longstanding reputation and experience in creating and delivering extraordinary, unforgettable and timeless experiences. This news comes on the heels of A...
Tourist Arrivals Down 87% in January 2021 as UNWTO Calls for Stronger Coordination to Restart Tourism
UNWTO | March 31, 2021
The devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global tourism has carried on into 2021, with new data showing an 87% fall in international tourist arrivals in January as compared to 2020. The outlook for the rest of the year remain cautious as the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) continues to call for stronger coordination on travel protocols between countries to ensure the safe restart of tourism and avoid another year of massive losses for the sector. Following a difficult end to 2020, global tourism suffered further setbacks in the beginning of the year as countries tightened travel restrictions in response to new virus outbreaks....
Ground Zero and Your Brand’s Image
Travel Outlook | March 25, 2021
John Smallwood President Travel Outlook Your Hotel’s Call Center is Your Brand’s First Impression In today’s consumer world, a brand’s image carries as much weight as the brand's service. Without branding, there would be no sure-fire way to differentiate yourself from your immediate competition. Imagine shopping for groceries in a store without branding. There would be no way to identify your favorite snacks among dozens of identical items. A brand’s image gives the company personality, relatability, and encourages brand loyalty. For hoteliers, your brand’s image can be made or broken by your reservation d...
Debating Over Housekeeping Opt-Out Reveals Revenue Building Opportunities
Larry and Adam Mogelonsky | March 24, 2021
By Larry and Adam Mogelonsky Housekeeping opt-out was as hot a topic yesterday as it will be tomorrow when travelers start surging back to hotels. The paradigm shift worth considering for housekeeping that has occurred as a result of the pandemic is that an increasing number of guests will want a totally no-touch onsite experience. In this case, giving them the ability to opt-out can save you on costs, particularly as cleaning SOPs and minutes of labor per room have gone up substantially with all the new safety guidelines to follow. While there are reasonable limits to this given the opposing security risk of letting a room go unchecked...
Shiji Group Successfully Implements Mobile Infrasys Cloud POS at Mandarin Oriental, Santiago
Shiji Group | March 24, 2021
ATLANTA, GA – March 24, 2021 – Shiji Group has recently implemented its Infrasys Cloud POS solution at Mandarin Oriental, Santiago in Santiago Chile across the property’s 10 outlets, including onsite restaurants, in-room dining, and the pool. The success of the large install during the COVID-19 pandemic, is an example of Shiji’s flexibility and character, even in times of complexity. The installation of Infrasys Cloud POS at the luxury Mandarin Oriental property in Chile has now allowed the hotel property to be more mobile than ever before with the implementation of Infrasys on 25 iPads and 12 Shiji 5900 workstations. The hotel has...
What Your Direct Bookings Can Learn From Streaming Services
Larry and Adam Mogelonsky | March 17, 2021
By Larry and Adam Mogelonsky Streaming services will be a hallmark of modern culture for the next decade. But just as important as the content on platforms like Netflix, Disney+ or Amazon Prime is the user interface through which subscribers access said content. Therein, what we advise is to learn from the best and apply some aspects of what streaming services do great to increase guest engagement on your own booking engine. Some of the elements on these streaming services that are worth investigating to see how they can be applied to your brand.com include but are not limited to: Fast load times Image-first browsing Near end...
Women in Hospitality
Olympia Hotel Management | March 16, 2021
5 Questions for Sara Masterson, President of Olympia Hotel Management March 16, 2021. Portland, ME — Women’s History Month is a reminder that more women are needed in the top echelons of the hotel industry. Women held just 12 percent of hospitality industry leadership positions in 2019, according to the “2020 Women in Hospitality Industry Leadership" report from the Castell Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the careers of women professionals in hospitality. A new generation of women hospitality leaders is emerging and among them is Sara Masterson, President of Olympia Hotel Management, one of the relative...
Nate Urbassik Named New CFO at React Mobile
React Mobile | March 11, 2021
Leading employee safety platform, React Mobile, welcomes a new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to the executive team to support the company's trajectory and growth. Seattle, WA — March 11, 2021 — Nate Urbassik has been implementing and streamlining financial processes ever since the beginning of his professional career. He has grown his expertise around forecasting and budgeting processes while teaming up with stakeholders in places like Apptio, WDS (A Xerox Company), and Tango Card. During his time at Tango Card, Nate managed the finance and accounting department and grew his team from 0 to 22 in four years while successfully closing mul...
The Battle for Direct Bookings Is Hand-to-Hand Combat, Not Aerial Strafing
Doug Kennedy | March 11, 2021
By Doug Kennedy For years now, hotels have been fighting desperately to win back market share from third parties such as Online Travel Agencies and thus reduce the cost of customer acquisition. Huge sums are spent on strategic initiatives such as ad campaigns, updating guest loyalty programs, improving organic and paid SEO, making sure the website tells the hotel’s story and ensuring a smooth journey from looking-to-booking. All of this increases the likelihood that a prospective, web-surfing guest may engage with the hotel directly. In military terms, I would say it is sort of like aerial strafing because the “ammo” has a mostl...
Dwelling on a Permanent Relaunch to the Regional Market
Larry and Adam Mogelonsky | March 10, 2021
By Larry and Adam Mogelonsky This article is aimed primarily at resorts, but there is a profound lesson in here for urban hotels as well. To summarize what will be discussed, it’s okay to only ever cater to a regional or domestic market and becoming comfortable with that fact in the wake of COVID-19 can help you to better serve the territories where the majority of your guests will be coming from while also cutting costs. Prior to the pandemic, many of our asset management assignments involved the long-term ramp up of international traveler awareness so as to make the property as prestigious as possible in a strategic vision focused o...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 245: Boone Tavern Hotel, Berea, Kentucky (1855)
Stanley Turkel | March 9, 2021
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: Boone Tavern Hotel (63 rooms) Built on the old Dixie Highway and named after Kentucky explorer Daniel Boone, the historic Boone Tavern Hotel is located on College Square in Berea, Kentucky. The hotel is owned by Berea College and operated with student workers from the College Labor Program. Students earn money for books, room and board but pay no tuition (valued at $25,500 per year), thanks to the generosity of donors who support Berea College's mission of providing a free high quality education for students primarily from Appalachia who have high academic potential and limited financial resourc...
Your Hotel Guests – Your Focus
Travel Outlook | March 9, 2021
John Smallwood President Travel Outlook Outsource Your Reservation Department to Better Serve Your Boutique Hotel Guests 2020 has turned the hospitality industry on its head, forcing many in the travel field to cut costs where they can or risk temporary or even permanent closure. Despite all that has changed in the hospitality industry in the last year, one thing remains constant, and that is the need for creating unique, guest-focused travel experiences, the kind of experiences that keep guests coming back to their favorite boutique hotels. 2021 is just underway, but the light at the end of the tunnel is visible. No...
Zoox Smart Data Continues Rapid Americas Expansion With Key Hospitality and Travel Client Wins
Zoox Smart Data | March 4, 2021
Leading innovator of guest profile technology grows regional portfolio as more hospitality and travel organizations adopt big data strategies proven to maximize experience personalization and business revenues. Alpharetta, GA — March 4, 2021 — Zoox Smart Data (“Zoox”), an international provider of technological solutions that harnesses big data to build customer profiles from existing Wi-Fi networks, continues to bolster its presence in hospitality and travel markets throughout the Americas with more major organizations seeking to deploy its industry-leading smart data solutions. Notable regional customers that have recently adopt...
Porter, a New Contact-Free Food Ordering Technology, Launches in 10 U.S. Hotels
Porter | March 4, 2021
Company Aims to Disrupt Traditional Hospitality Model with Room Service via Smartphone LOS ANGELES, March 4, 2021 – A web-based technology called Porter is powering up a new digital era of food service at hotels, starting in Los Angeles but with its sights set on growth across the United States. Porter, an award-winning business transformation platform that fundamentally changes hospitality, is now operational at the H Hotel Los Angeles from the Curio Collection by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton LAX and the Courtyard by Marriott Los Angeles LAX/Century Boulevard. Together with seven limited-service hotels near the company’s head...
AWH Partners Completes Multimillion-Dollar Renovation of Cincinnati Marriott at RiverCenter
Spire Hospitality | March 4, 2021
IRVING, TX — March 4, 2021 — Cincinnati Marriott at RiverCenter, a riverfront hotel with breathtaking views of the Ohio River and Cincinnati’s downtown skyline, and in proximity to Cincinnati’s eclectic food and beverage scene, has completed a multimillion-dollar renovation. In addition to the completed renovations of the property’s 321 guestrooms, meeting spaces, and public spaces, the new M Club and Marriot Greatroom are now available to both leisure and business travelers looking to catch up on work, grab a quick bite to eat in between meetings, or wind down at the end of an exhausting day. The property’s spacious guestro...
Viceroy Hotel Group Chooses Travel Outlook to Optimize Voice Channel
Travel Outlook Premium Hotel Call Center | March 1, 2021
Travel Outlook Premium Hotel Call Center Expands Partnership with Viceroy Hotels & Resorts to 14 Properties SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO (March 1, 2021): Travel Outlook Premium Hotel Call Center is expanding its alliance with Viceroy Hotels & Resorts, which offers personalized management of incoming voice calls for all 13 properties in the current Viceroy portfolio. Opening early 2021, Viceroy’s newest ski-in, ski-out luxury mountain resort, Viceroy Kopaonik Serbia is also set to use Travel Outlook following an immersive onboarding process. As a global luxury brand, Viceroy values a call center that can set the tone for an incredibl...
Long Live the New Business Center
Larry and Adam Mogelonsky | February 25, 2021
By Larry and Adam Mogelonsky Prior to the pandemic, many had forecasted the business center to be a dead concept for hotels. Relegated to some back corner of the lobby or hidden from the main thoroughfares by a maze of windowless corridors, this amenity has suffered a slow death in the face of laptops, smartphones and all forms of paperless documents. Amongst many other changes, COVID-19 has meant fewer corporate travelers gracing our halls and a further diminishment of utility for this facility. But as travel recovers, the business center may experience a renewed demand. That is, with so many remote workers, work-from-a-hotel (WFH) inc...
Auro Hotels Opens AC Hotel by Marriott Greenville Downtown
Auro Hotels | February 24, 2021
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Auro Hotels is pleased to announce the opening of its AC Hotel by Marriott Greenville Downtown located at the corner of Main and Broad streets in the heart of Greenville, SC. The eight-story hotel features 196 guestrooms and suites, seven distinct food and beverage concepts, nearly 29,000 square feet of meeting and event space, and a private collection of art featuring more than 100 works by 35 local artists. Auro Hotels also celebrates the opening of the first of the hotel’s seven food and beverage concepts, Paloma, a Mediterranean-inspired tapas bar located on the ground floor with indoor and outdoor dining. The sp...
Hospitality Technology and Forced Migrations: A Bad Break-Up Story
Ryan Hamilton | February 24, 2021
By Ryan Hamilton, Co-Founder, SalesAndCatering.com and Bluebuzzard Technology Group A hotelier’s decision to invest in technology is not merely a purchase; instead, it marks the beginning of a relationship between vendor and customer. One party provides the service and/or software, and the other party leverages it to enhance their offering. The engagement, if successful, is long-term in nature and represents the vendor’s ongoing commitment to that client as their business evolves and grows. Of course, in the realm of hospitality technology, there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. Hoteliers worldwide build their preferred stack of...
