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By Stanley Turkel, MHS, ISHC
February 21, 2006 1. In the New York Times (January 31, 2006 �Détente in the Hotel Bed Wars�) columnist Christopher Elliott writes, �The hotel �bed wars� are over. But are business travelers the winners?� Some believe that the bed wars have gone too far. Professor Harley R. Myler from Lamar University, Beaumont, TX said when he checked into the Marriott University Park in Tucson, �There were several pillows and bedspreads. I didn�t know what they were for� I would much prefer that they offered free high-speed internet�. Interestingly, Sue A. Brush, Westin�s senior vice president said of the Heavenly Bed, �We wanted to differentiate ourselves from the competition. It wasn�t anything that came through in the research.� [email protected] recently wrote me, �I just finished reading your 12/2005 article and noted your reference to �Amenities Rush.� As a hospitality loss control practitioner (and member of the American Hotel & Lodging Association�s Loss Prevention Committee), one area of �rush� that concerns me is the proliferation of new, high-power, super beds with numerous duvets, sheets, comforters, and pillows.2. What about trans fats and hotel food? In January 2006, a new law requires manufacturers to list on food labels how much trans fat their products contain. The New York Times (2/5/06) reports, �But for the hospitality industry, the zero-trans fat approach is just another dietary fad played out at hotels, from organic-only produce to vegan options like the bento box lunch in Soleil at the Ritz-Carlton in Palm Beach, Florida.� Other hotels are making more serious menu adjustments to provide food free of trans fats:
�Today, many franchise professional have come to the conclusion that the franchise relationship should not be compared to the equality of a marriage, but there just may be a point in which the �relationship� could be construed as a true partnership, namely when sophisticated independent franchisee associations mature to the point of being a major force in controlling the system.NFA chairman Dan Fitzpatrick wrote recently to Burger King president John Chidsey, �you should know, in the meantime, that from the perspective of NFA no door is closed, our e-mail is accessible, your calls always will be returned and your candor always will be welcome. For the sake of the Burger King System� we are hopeful that you will reach out for appropriate and vigorous dialogue immediately. We need to find a way to work together�without jeopardizing the relationship.� Ms. Sparks writes, �Now it�s a wait-and-see situation. Will the parties come together to reconcile their differences, or will the attorneys step in for the long, costly legal battle? There are no winners in a separation such as this- the entire franchise family suffers. The only real winners, outside of the lawyers, will be the competition.� 4. With the recent launch of the Waldorf-Astoria
Collection by Hilton, I am pleased to quote verbatim from an actual booklet
published in 1899 by the original Waldorf Astoria Hotel on Fifth Avenue
and 34th Street (current site of the Empire State Building):
�Patrons are invited to inspect the Hotel. A visit to the kitchens, Wine Cellars, Segar Humidars and Machinery Hall will be found interesting. Guides are provided at the office.I�ll be pleased to review the other contents of this fascinating 107 year-old booklet with Matthew Hart and/or Steve Bollenbach.
Stanley Turkel, MHS, ISHC, is a New York-based hotel consultant specializing in hotel franchising issues, asset management and litigation support services. He is a member of the International Society of Hospitality Consultants and can be reached at [email protected] and 917-628-8549. If you need a due diligence study for a proposed acquisition, a third-party audit of a marketing or operational problem, an asset manager to monitor a management contract or franchise agreement or if you have a question about any of my articles, don�t hesitate to contact me. There is no obligation for this call. |
Contact:
Stanley Turkel, MHS, ISHC
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Also See: | Nobody Asked Me, But�. / Stanley Turkel / January 2006 |
Nobody Asked Me, But�. / Stanley Turkel / December 2005 | |
Nobody Asked Me, But�. / Stanley Turkel / November 2005 | |
Nobody Asked Me, But�. / Stanley Turkel / October 2005 | |
Nobody Asked Me, But�. / Stanley Turkel / September 2005 |
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