Where Are All These Guests Who Supposedly Prefer Humanless Hotel Experiences?
Doug Kennedy | August 17, 2021
Five Ways Tech Builds the Next Stage of Local Authenticity for Hotel
Larry and Adam Mogelonsky | July 21, 2021
Guest Experience
The Future of Customer Experience Is Human, Meaningful & Transformative
Dr Andreea Antonescu | September 8, 2021
By Dr Andreea Antonescu The concept of Customer Experience has become quite popular lately and it is used in discourses, storytelling, advertisement campaigns, business strategies, and research cross-disciplines. Therefore, at Institute of Customer Experience Management (ICEM), we decided to take a closer look at the concept and try to deconstruct it in order to generate a better understanding about its composing elements and attributes. CX becomes HX: The Human Experience The questions we asked ourselves were at first of an epistemological nature and slowly shifted into more operational ones. So what is an experience...
Guest Satisfaction Declines Among Hotels Operated by Largest Third-Party Management Companies, J.D. Power Finds
J.D. Power | September 8, 2021
Throughout the pandemic, hotel operators reduced staff and services as they adjusted to reduced demand. Guests often reacted negatively to these changes as evidenced by lower stay satisfaction in branded hotels operated by the top third-party management companies, according to the J.D. Power 2021 North America Third-Party Hotel Management Guest Satisfaction Benchmark,SM released today. Driving the decline in guest satisfaction are food and beverage and staff service. “As hotel demand increases, guests are expressing not just a desire, but an expectation of a return to brand standards,” said Andrea Stokes, hospitality practice ...
Terranea Resort Shares Leisure and Group Luxury Travel and Event Insights
Terranea Resort | August 31, 2021
Southern California’s Premier Oceanfront Resort Redefines Connectivity, Wellness, and Unparalleled Experiences Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. Terranea Resort continues to evolve and redefine its leisure, group, and wedding offerings within the luxury segment to satisfy and exceed guest expectations. As Southern California’s hidden gem on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, the destination resort has invested in the evolution of its enhanced standards of safety and well-being, advancements in technology, reimagined indoor and outdoor spaces, and experiences to promote integrated wellness, reconnection, and rediscovery. “Our industry is resili...
Don’t Make Me Repeat My Story!
Shep Hyken | August 26, 2021
By Shep Hyken I’m always frustrated when I call a customer support number that I’ve called before and have to retell my story. The same goes for when I’m transferred to another person. There is no need for this. I recently posted that message to social media. My friend and fellow customer service and experience expert Jason Bradshaw responded that the same thing happens with online chat. Specifically, he wrote, “This is also why I have never advocated for online chat – I’ve yet to find a company that uses online chat and doesn’t have the customer repeat their story numerous times. The customer wants success, not pain...
Personalizing the Customer Experience Is a Competitive Differentiator
Shep Hyken | August 25, 2021
By Shep Hyken I recently released my 2021 Achieving Customer Amazement research. We surveyed 1,000 consumers in the U.S. and asked them numerous questions about topics related to customer service, customer experience, loyalty, reviews, and more. One of the questions had to do with creating a personalized experience. We asked customers to rate various customer service experiences on a scale of one to five, in which a score of one signified not important at all with five being very important. Of the experiences that customers listed as very important or important, a personalized experience was number eight on the list. ...
Volara Brings Multimedia Interactive Voice-First Solution on Google Nest Hub to Iconic LEGOLAND® Brand
Volara | August 18, 2021
Guests staying at LEGOLAND® Hotels in New York and California are speaking with LEGOLAND® characters and engaging with all aspects of the brand, hotel, and theme parks from inside their rooms using Volara’s hands-free, voice-first, guest-engagement platform with Google New York — August 18, 2021 — In every guestroom at the newly opened LEGOLAND® Hotel at LEGOLAND® New York Resort in Goshen, N.Y., as well as in each guestroom at LEGOLAND® Hotel and LEGOLAND® Castle Hotel at LEGOLAND® California Resort in Carlsbad, Calif., guests are engaging with Hotel staff and services through Google’s voice-first hote...
StayNTouch Expands to Gulf Region, Selected by Riyadh Based Hotel Management Company, IRIS Hotels
StayNTouch | August 18, 2021
IRIS Hotels, one of Saudi Arabia’s premier hotel development and management companies, selected StayNTouch, a global leader in guest-centric technology and mobile hotel property management systems (PMS), to implement their PMS technology at the collection of the boutique hotels in Jizan, Taif, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This partnership marks StayNTouch’s first hotel customer in Saudi Arabia and an expansion into the Gulf region. Founded in 2011, IRIS Hotels is a premier, full-scope hotel management, acquisition and development company headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and centered around six major brands 一 IRIS Hotel, IRIS Boutiq...
Where Are All These Guests Who Supposedly Prefer Humanless Hotel Experiences?
Doug Kennedy | August 17, 2021
By Doug Kennedy For probably a decade now, I have almost daily been reading articles and blog posts about how today’s hotel guests prefer to interact with technology rather than humans. Of course, it is not by coincidence that most of these are authored by executives who are peddling the latest “essential” guest technology. Often these articles and blogs are accompanied by survey results to supposedly support the theme. Yet when I look for details on sample size and methodology, I usually find there is no mention of these, or I find that the survey was conducted “online” with a very small, self-selected sample size. At fir...
New Booking.com Research With LGBTQ+ Travelers Reveals Both Significant Barriers and Opportunities for Everyone to #TravelProud
Booking.com | August 5, 2021
Over half (61%) of LGTBQ+ travelers report that they have experienced some form of discrimination when travelling Almost two-thirds (63%) have had less-than-welcoming or uncomfortable experiences at a property where they were staying Booking.com introduces Proud Hospitality program to support accommodation providers in delivering more inclusive and welcoming experiences for LGBTQ+ travelers NEW YORK — August 5, 2021 — Today leading digital travel platform Booking.com released new research revealing that more than half (61%) of LGBTQ+ travelers have experienced some form of discrimination when traveling. Conducted wit...
Innisfree Hotels Chooses StayNTouch to Deliver Guest-Centric Mobile PMS Across 5 Independent Properties
StayNTouch | August 5, 2021
Innisfree Hotels, an owner and operator of both full and focused service properties throughout the United States, selects StayNTouch, a global leader in guest-centric technology and mobile hotel property management systems (PMS), as the PMS provider for their 5 independent Gulf Coast Properties, totaling more than 590 rooms. Innisfree is currently the largest beachfront hotel owner-operator on the Gulf Coast, with over 3,191 hotel rooms, $800 million of assets under management, and $175 million in annual hotel revenue. Innisfree chose StayNTouch to implement an intuitive mobile PMS across their independent portfolio, facilitate more effici...
Five Ways Tech Builds the Next Stage of Local Authenticity for Hotel
Larry and Adam Mogelonsky | July 21, 2021
By Larry and Adam Mogelonsky Coming out of the pandemic, guest demands have irreversibly changed. They don’t want cookie-cutter rooms; they want experiences. This harks back to the push over the previous decade to make our properties more ‘locally authentic’. Now, with lean teams and skeleton crews, the only way to effectively meet this demand is through technology. For the post-pandemic travel landscape, local authenticity means more than just a cursory immersion in the arts, culture and heritage of one’s locale. It also equals peace of mind because, in light of the residual anxiety over COVID-19, guests need to feel as though ...
Creating the Better Hotel Guest Experience Without Breaking the Budget
CLOUD COMPLIANCE SOLUTIONS | July 21, 2021
By Greg Black Hotel businesses live and die by the satisfaction of their guests. As customer expectations rise, so does the complexity and cost of delivering an experience they'll enjoy while looking to drive more business and increasing revenues. Travel technology is growing increasingly complex and is forcing hoteliers to balance their business needs versus investment in new or updated technology. With savvier, more resourceful tech attitudes of travelers, there continues to be a natural increase in mobile travel-related technologies led by the traveler behavior and expectations. A hotel's visibility is their cornerstone of booking ...
An Old Soul With a Fresh Twist, Crystalbrook Kingsley Embraces Technology and Sustainability With Solutions From McLaren Technologies
McLaren Technologies Asia Pacific | July 20, 2021
Sophisticated and with a nod to the area’s history, the new hotel is offering a fully contactless and paperless guest experience. Sydney, Australia (July 20, 2021) - A commitment to responsible luxury by Newcastle’s first five-star hotel, Crystalbrook Kingsley, has prompted a partnership with Asia Pacific’s leading hospitality solution specialist, McLaren Technologies. The new hotel was keen to embrace mobile-first guest experience technology and environmental change to enhance, not compromise, the quality of its guest experience. The new hotel, which opened its doors on June 9, worked with McLaren to tailor its approach to techno...
Coco Collection Selects Cendyn to Power Their CRM and Loyalty Programs
Cendyn | July 20, 2021
Boca Raton, FL, United States – July 20th, 2021 – Cendyn, the leading innovator in CRM, sales, and revenue strategy for the hospitality industry, is excited to announce Coco Collection has selected Cendyn to power their CRM and loyalty program across the Collection’s portfolio of boutique luxury resorts in the Maldives. Using eInsight CRM, Coco Collection will have access to the industry’s most robust CRM solution, allowing them to learn more about the unique preferences of each guest and deliver unforgettable experiences throughout the guest journey. By collecting and organizing data from multiple sources, eIns...
UniFocus Upgrades Employee Engagement Surveys to Deliver Instant and Frequent Insights Into Hotel Performance
UniFocus | July 20, 2021
Innovator of workforce management technology provides hoteliers with real-time and actionable feedback into how to maximize staff retention and engagement. DALLAS, Texas – (July 20, 2021) – UniFocus, the leading provider of workforce management systems, has launched upgrades to employee pulse survey capabilities, providing hoteliers with an invaluable opportunity to connect to and interpret employee engagement. Sidestepping time-consuming processes associated with annual employee surveys, the new staff engagement abilities now made available through UniFocus ensure that hoteliers can continually and accurately gauge their operating env...
Travel Recovery Needs Software to Look at the Whole Guest Journey
Larry and Adam Mogelonsky | June 30, 2021
By Larry and Adam Mogelonsky Staffing up is the name of the game for the summer surge coming out of the pandemic. With that in mind, the future of hospitality will increasingly be defined by those brands that embed a seamless technological backbone to connect the entire customer journey and save time in the process. The first step is to break it down into five broad phases – look, book, pre-stay, in-stay and post-stay. For this, you want a platform that is flexible to unknown conditions, efficient to lower costs and long-lasting by being able to incorporate future operations All these integrations and analysis across the guest jour...
Cloud5 Communications Delivers High-Speed Internet Services for Element Denver International Airport
Cloud5 Communications | June 29, 2021
Chicago, IL. — June 29, 2021 — Cloud5 Communications, a leading provider of communications solutions for the world’s top hotel brands and management companies, recently completed the installation of their high speed internet access (HSIA) solution at Marriott’s Element Denver International Airport by Westin in Colorado. The advanced HSIA network by Cloud5 ensures that the property provides the highest level of connectivity for guest satisfaction and meets Marriott’s latest Global Property Network Standards (GPNS) for Internet. The eco-conscious Element Denver International Airport, managed by Lotus Management, Inc., u...
Longer Trips Look Set to Boom Post-COVID-19
GlobalData | June 24, 2021
Longer trips of more than ten nights are increasingly in demand post-COVID-19, according to a poll by GlobalData. The leading data and analytics company notes that, with accidental savers on the rise and working from home making longer trips a possibility, lengthier holidays look set to boom post-pandemic. Opting for an extended trip has become increasingly inviting. A live GlobalData poll* revealed that over one in four (26%) of respondents now prefer to take a leisure trip of ten-plus nights – the second-most popular length of trip behind stays of between four and six nights (28%). Gus Gardner, Associate Travel and Tourism Analyst a...
A True Story of an Authentic Hospitality Welcome
Doug Kennedy | June 24, 2021
By Doug Kennedy Recently while on the road conducting training for the Camelback Resort in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, I had the opportunity to experience a genuine, authentic welcome. Before that story, let me first share a few details about my expectations, as well as what happened before my arrival. As a frequent business traveler, I typically enter a hotel around 6pm, suit jacket in hand, pulling along a roll-aboard bag and a small laptop case. As I approach the front desk, obviously arriving, at least 70% of the time I am greeted with the common phrase “Checking in?” At this point, I restrain the cynical side of my pe...
As Pandemic Concerns Fade, 76% of North Americans Plan to Travel Soon
Oracle | June 22, 2021
Oracle Survey respondents are ready to spend more on hospitality perks beyond the room charges, hoteliers add new services to extend the customer experience AUSTIN, Texas – June 22, 2021 – After more than a year in lockdown, 76% of consumers in North America plan to travel within the next six months. According to a new Oracle Hospitality survey, 24% of respondents in the US and Canada plan to travel immediately, 31% in the next one to three months, and 21% by the end of the year. People are largely traveling regionally, but venturing further from home. Domestic travel will account for 61% of travel plans (vs. 44% last year), 19% of ...
The Worst Sales Call Ever / Shep Hyken
Shep Hyken | May 26, 2021
Even though this is about a sales presentation, it ties into customer service. It has to do with preparation, knowing your customer, understanding what they want, and more. This is what great salespeople do to prepare for a meeting with a customer or client. This is how anyone delivers a better experience, regardless of whether it’s during the sales process or any other interaction the customer has with people in a company. It is how relationships are built. So, maybe the story I’m about to share isn’t truly the worst sales call ever, but it was really bad. I’ll let you be the judge. I was contacted by a vendor who wanted to upg...
ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions Approves ID&C for Hotel RFID Wristbands
ID&C | May 25, 2021
ID&C, a leading supplier of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) credentials to the hospitality industry has been accredited as an Approved Vendor of RFID wristbands by hotel access solution company ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions. RFID wristbands have grown in popularity as they offer a convenient way for guests and staff to gain access to hotel rooms, amenities and in some cases pay for food and beverages. Florida-based ID&C, part of Avery Products Corporation and owned by CCL Industries Inc., makes custom wristbands fitted with RFID microchips that are programmed by hotels to open door locks and other amenities for guests and st...
The Spirit of Hospitality Flows Like Currency – Your Heart Is the Power Bank
Doug Kennedy | May 19, 2021
By Doug Kennedy Have you ever walked in to work at a hotel or hospitality company and immediately recognized that someone, somewhere has determined that today is going to be “one of THOSE days”? It’s almost like someone posted a sign at the staff entrance to make it official. When you greet your first co-worker, they mysteriously transfer the bad vibe over to you. Before you know it, you too are sending the same negative vibe on to others. Pretty soon it begins to feel like everyone on your work team is also experiencing “one of those days.” Have you ever noticed that during days like these, the guests you encounter seem to...
Tourism After Lockdown: Guest Expectations Today and Tomorrow
STR | May 17, 2021
As vaccine programs continue across the world and we see warming attitudes toward travel alongside increased accommodation bookings, it is important to take stock and assess how the pandemic, and it’s resultant impact on consumer behavior, may leave an indelible mark on hospitality. COVID-19 has forced us to see the world differently. Previously the hustle and bustle of busy destinations sparked excitement for many travelers, but during the crisis, personal safety concerns and social distancing led to radically different perceptions of these types of destinations and experiences. The extent to which traveler perceptions and behavior w...
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