The Real Cost of Housekeeping Is the Replacement
Adam and Larry Mogelonsky | March 22, 2023
Smoky Mountain Resorts and PurpleCloud Team Up to Transform Workforce Management Game
PurpleCloud Technologies | March 14, 2023
Housekeeping
The Real Cost of Housekeeping Is the Replacement
Adam and Larry Mogelonsky | March 22, 2023
By Adam Mogelonsky, Larry Mogelonsky The biggest line item for nearly every hotel’s operating costs is the housekeeping department. That isn’t going to change any time soon as rooms need to be cleaned in order for them to be resold. Yet, we strive to continuously optimize this expenditure, be it through overtime reduction, inflationary wage controls, automation or other smart labor management tools. The two of us caution, though, that there is a hidden cost here that hoteliers aren’t properly weighing within their analyses – the resources spent in finding replacement workers. There’s a lot of talk about the increasing costs of...
Smoky Mountain Resorts and PurpleCloud Team Up to Transform Workforce Management Game
PurpleCloud Technologies | March 14, 2023
Accountability for every team member has increased, contributing to improved guest review scores, and the time it takes to address work orders has decreased by 50 percent ATLANTA, March 14, 2023 — Smoky Mountain Resorts, a family-owned business known for its portfolio of three unique family-friendly hotels – the Creekstone Inn, Country Cascades Waterpark Resort, and The Resort at Governor's Crossing – is dedicated to delivering a high level of excellence even amid labor challenges and rising costs. With fewer hands on deck and a need for greater accountability among all staff members, management sought potential technology partners c...
Hotels on Hiring Spree With Better Wages, Benefits, Flexibility
AHLA | February 27, 2023
79% of surveyed hotels report staffing shortages WASHINGTON (Feb. 27, 2023) – As nearly 80% of hotels experience staffing shortages, hoteliers are offering potential hires a host of incentives to fill vacancies, according to a new survey of hoteliers conducted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). Seventy-one percent of respondents are increasing wages, 64% are offering greater flexibility with hours, and 33% are expanding benefits – but 81% say they are still unable to fill open positions. Seventy-nine percent of survey respondents indicate they are experiencing a staffing shortage, 22% severely so. The most cri...
Hotel Employees Thankful for Panic Buttons
John Stachowiak | November 23, 2022
While verbal or physical assaults of a staff member may be rare, those on the receiving end say they are grateful that management and owners care and are prepared By John Stachowiak Few people start their workday expecting an emergency to happen, but according to American Aerospace Engineer Edward Murphy Jr. who worked on safety-critical systems: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.” If you’re not a believer in “Murphy’s Law,” just ask any of the 701 hotel workers who needed help last year while on duty and survived the ordeal because they were equipped with an Employee Safety Device (ESD) or panic button. Guest D...
Fully Mobile: Visual Matrix Integrates MOP Housekeeping Management System Into PMS, Expands Platform Capabilities
Visual Matrix | November 18, 2022
First Direct Integration in the Industry Using the New HTNG Express PMS API Specification Dallas, November 17, 2022 - Visual Matrix, a leading provider of advanced technology solutions for the hospitality industry, is becoming a completely mobile-first platform. The company today announced the full mobile integration of its MOP housekeeping solution into its award-winning PMS, part of a comprehensive feature expansion that includes the first direct integration in the industry using the new HTNG Express PMS API specification and coming in early 2023, a fully device responsive enhancement of its user interface. The enhancements empower ho...
2022 Cintas S.H.I.N.E. Award Honors Housekeepers Who Go Above and Beyond
Cintas Corporation | November 17, 2022
CINCINNATI--Cintas Corporation (Nasdaq: CTAS) today announced the grand-prize winner and runners-up in the 2022 Cintas S.H.I.N.E. (Star Housekeepers in a New Era) Award. Christine Perkins, a housekeeper at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Cedar City in Cedar City, Utah won the contest’s $5,000 cash grand prize. Additionally, her property will receive a comprehensive product, training and consultation package from Cintas and its contest partners. “This year’s S.H.I.N.E. Award finalists truly embody what a strong work ethic looks like,” said Nicole Beall, Vice President - Hospitality & Gaming Strategic Markets at Cintas....
React Mobile to Showcase Hospitality’s Most Responsive, Reliable, and Self-Managing Panic Button Solution at Washington State Hospitality Conference...
React Mobile | November 8, 2022
Members of the Washington Hospitality Assn. and students at Washington State University will come together next week to learn, connect, and network with peers, identify trends, and see the latest technologies that ensure the best guest and staff experiences; Visit React Mobile at Table 13 SEATTLE, Nov. 8, 2022 — Next week members of the Washington Hospitality Assn. (WHA) will convene in Ruston, Wash., to attend the Washington State Hospitality Conference, the first co-produced event of the WHA and Washington State University. To be held November 17 at the Silver Cloud Hotel Tacoma Point Ruston Waterfront, attendees will learn from the e...
UMF Corporation Calls for Nominations for Fourth Annual National Guest Room Attendant Excellence Award
UMF Corporation | October 6, 2022
Northbrook, Ill. – Oct. 6, 2022 – Nominations are open for the fourth annual 2022 National Guest Room Attendant (GRA) Excellence Award, sponsored by UMF Corporation. The award recognizes the invaluable contributions of GRAs – hotel housekeepers – who ensure safe guest and employee environments in hotels and lodges across the country. In an industry that is still feeling the pandemic’s aftershocks, the GRA Excellence Award acknowledges the housekeeping heroes who have shown up day after day to clean and disinfect guest rooms and common areas. Nominations are open through Dec. 31, 2022. “Hotels transformed their business mode...
Clear Sky’s Housekeeping Inventory System Helping the Hilton Shreveport
Clear Sky Software | October 4, 2022
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – October 4 , 2022 – Clear Sky Software, Inc. The Hotel Industry has endured the most difficult business environment in our lifetime so keeping a watch on your bottom line will be important like never before. Without a good housekeeping inventory system, you risk running out of cleaning products and supplies you need or ordering too much of what you don’t need. Inventory control systems are proven to help reduce costs by providing critical information required to make smart decisions. Clear Sky Software is here to help with our housekeeping inventory system called Clear Sky HOUSEKEEPING. This softwa...
5 Reasons Why Employee Safety Devices Are a Must-Have Budget Item for 2023
John Stachowiak | September 29, 2022
Adding panic buttons does more than check off a requirement on the property to-do list; It has a positive impact on job retention and cultivates staff loyalty By John Stachowiak Hoteliers are knee deep preparing 2023 budgets, but until the hospitality industry is back in full swing, many will be looking for ways to short-cut spending. Employee safety, however, is one area of operations that hotel owners cannot afford to ignore. While local and state municipalities continue to impose legislative requirements for hotel employers to “provide panic buttons to all employees working in guestrooms or bathrooms without other employees pres...
React Mobile Unveiling Hospitality’s Most Responsive, Reliable, and Self-Managing Panic Button Solution to CHLA, AAHOA Members in San Diego
React Mobile | September 21, 2022
For the first time attendees of the Southern California Hotel Conference and Trade Show will experience React Mobile 2.0, an employee safety solution with pinpoint location accuracy SEATTLE, Sept. 21, 2022 — As hoteliers assemble in San Diego Oct. 6 to discuss California’s tourism recovery, hotel staffing challenges, and the guest journey during the Southern California Hotel Conference and Trade Show, React Mobile will be there to showcase its latest version 2.0 employee safety solution that delivers the fastest response times, highest panic button reliability and beacon location accuracy to hotels. With more focus being placed today ...
Are Hotels Putting People’s Lives at Risk, Just to Save Some Money?
Alan E. Young | September 20, 2022
By Alan Young Not everyone has an appetite for adrenaline, but let’s pretend you are about to jump out of a plane, ready to free-fall 10,000 feet into a sprawling field below. Just moments before you tuck and roll your way out of the plane, the skydiver beside you gives you a nudge and a wink before saying, “hopefully, we all make it down in one piece, eh?” a parting sentiment that sends a current of fear and uncertainty coursing through your body. Noticing your body language, the diver you’re paired with gives you a warm smile, “Don’t worry, he’s mostly kidding. It’s just that the parachutes we are using are old, and one m...
Nimbus® Debuts Reusable, Plant-Based Makeup Removing Towel That Reduces Laundry Costs and Contributes to ESG Efforts in the Hospitality Sector
Nimbus Eco Inc | August 22, 2022
SAN DIEGO, CA – Hotels and resorts struggling with loss of towels have a new option for their guest’s makeup removal and hygiene needs. Continuing in its spirit of innovation, Nimbus has debuted a new plant-based towel that can be used on the face, body, and even surfaces to clean away dirt and germs while also carrying a number of eco-friendly credentials including being FSC Certified, compostable, reusable, plastic-free, and flushable. These towels come in a compressed form when shipped and expand when water is added so companies looking to reduce their carbon footprint and improve their ESG ratings stand to benefit by replacing the...
Nominations Open for 2022 Cintas S.H.I.N.E. Awards Honoring Professional Housekeepers
Cintas Corporation | August 22, 2022
CINCINNATI--With staffing shortages and a spotlight on hotel cleanliness since the pandemic, housekeeping professionals experienced a challenging year. To acknowledge and honor these hardworking individuals, Cintas Corporation (Nasdaq: CTAS) today opened nominations for its 2022 Cintas S.H.I.N.E. (Star Housekeepers in a New Era) Awards. The grand prize winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize and additional prizes for their property. The awards program is open to housekeeping professionals employed at hospitality properties in the United States. Submit nominations at cintas.com/SHINEAwards/ through Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. “Clean has ...
Leading Hotels of the World Selects ALICE by Actabl as an Exclusive Provider of Guest Services, Housekeeping and Service Delivery Solutions
ALICE by Actabl | August 16, 2022
Independent luxury hotel collection to leverage advanced capabilities of award-winning hotel operations and management platform to maximize guest satisfaction and operational efficiency Tampa, FL — August 16, 2022 — Actabl, the industry’s first and only integrated hotel operations, business intelligence and labor management solution, today announced that its ALICE by Actabl platform has been selected by The Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) as one of its exclusive vendors providing housekeeping, guest services, and service delivery technology solutions to the LHW portfolio worldwide. A prestigious global hospitality organization c...
Concord Hospitality Abuzz With Beekeeper Communication & Collaboration Platform
Beekeeper | June 21, 2022
With nearly 6,000 employees from 150 countries, Concord is easily and consistently sharing employment information in real time and keeping everyone happy and engaged; Visit Beekeeper at HITEC Orlando in Booth 2718 June 28 to 30 at the Orange County Convention Center OAKLAND, CALIF., June 21, 2022 — For hotel management and development company Concord Hospitality frontline hotel workers are the heartbeat of the organization. From the front desk and sales offices to housekeeping and maintenance, these associates make up an intricate guest service and support network that is making Concord Hospitality hotels great. The key to employee eng...
Transcendent to Unveil Latest Platform Enhancements at HITEC Orlando, Including Unified Housekeeping, Maintenance and Engineering Operational Manageme...
Transcendent | June 15, 2022
Robust new functionality to provide hoteliers with streamlined operations, improved staff productivity and enhanced guest satisfaction, as well as efficient asset management and capital planning capabilities. Tampa, FL — June 15, 2022 — Transcendent, the industry’s leading enterprise asset, maintenance, and capital planning management software, today announced that a new set of feature enhancements will make their debut at HITEC Orlando. Enhancements being featured will include a housekeeping, maintenance and engineering solution that drastically improves cross-departmental collaboration, communication and task management, as well as...
ALICE to Showcase Latest Advances in Hotel Staff Productivity and Guest Service With Unveiling of New Housekeeping Solution Features at HITEC Orlando
ALICE | June 7, 2022
Award-winning hotel operations management platform adds new functionality to enable more efficient tracking of extra room items, connected guestroom management, turndown service and the ability to reprioritize assignments in real-time. New York, New York — June 7, 2022 — ALICE, the leading hospitality operations and management software platform, has today announced a range of advanced feature upgrades for its Housekeeping solution to empower hotel staff with enhanced efficiency in managing daily tasks and guest-related requests. With these new enhancements set to be demonstrated at HITEC Orlando from June 28-30, attendees who schedule ...
React Mobile to Bring In-Demand 2.0 Safety Platform to More Hotels With Help From Best Buy Geek Squad
React Mobile | June 7, 2022
To meet the rapidly-approaching 2022 deadline for implementing Employee Safety Devices at hotels, Geek Squad® will install 50% of all React Mobile 2.0 projects this year; As the industry’s most trusted provider of panic buttons to hotels, React Mobile will provide full system training and 24/7/365 customer support; Visit React Mobile in Booth 1638 at HITEC Seattle, June 7, 2022 — The pandemic has shifted the timetable for adoption of workforce safety technology from the end of 2020 to the end of 2022. To help hotel operators meet rapidly-approaching compliance deadlines – albeit AHLA’s 5-Star Promise initiative or state/local leg...
UMF Corporation Calls for Nominations for Third Annual National Guest Room Attendant Excellence Award
UMF Corporation | March 16, 2022
Northbrook, IL – March 16, 2022 – Nominations are open for the third annual 2021 Guest Room Attendant (GRA) Excellence Award, sponsored by UMF Corporation. The award recognizes the invaluable contributions of GRAs, who ensure a safe guest and employee environment in hotels and lodges across the country. During another trying year that included new variants and near-constant industry disruptions, GRAs bravely served as the first line of defense in cleaning and disinfecting guest rooms and common areas in hotels. Nominations are open through April 30, 2022. “Hospitality, already hyper-focused on cleanliness, has transform...
Maestro PMS Integration With PurpleCloud Helps Solve the “Labor Crunch” With Streamlined Housekeeping Services
PurpleCloud Technologies | September 28, 2021
MARKHAM, Ontario - September, 28 2021 - The pandemic has placed a brighter spotlight on the need for hotels to do more with less. Because the gap between the availability of human resources and increasing guest expectations has never been wider, the ability for hoteliers to meet this challenge has been severely impacted and the area of operations that has been hit hardest is housekeeping. A new full integration partnership between Maestro PMS and PurpleCloud helps to solve this problem by offering their mutual clients a Housekeeping Task Optimization Platform that focuses on efficient scheduling based on “true clean times” and dynamic,...
2021 Cintas S.H.I.N.E. Award Honoring Professional Housekeepers Seeks Nominations
Cintas Corporation | September 22, 2021
CINCINNATI – September 22, 2021 – Housekeeping professionals are the key to guest satisfaction in hotels and other hospitality properties. To recognize the hardworking individuals who keep rooms, lobbies and other areas clean, Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ: CTAS) today announced the launch of the 2021 Cintas S.H.I.N.E. (Star Housekeepers In a New Era) Award. The grand prize winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize and additional prizes for their property. The award program is open to housekeeping professionals employed at hospitality properties in the United States. Submit nominations at cintas.com/SHINEAwards/ th...
Is Daily Housekeeping in Hotels a Relic of the Past?
HotStats | September 14, 2021
Hotels struggled to remain upright in 2o2o: just breaking even was considered a monumental feat. In order to do so, many hotels were forced with the unenviable—though necessary—task of slashing services where they could. One of the most remarkable was and continues to be the suspension of daily housekeeping at many hotels. The service, once taken for granted by guests, became an on-request deliverable and typically not offered until multiple days after a check-in. Hilton was one of the first to come out with a formal stance on housekeeping, but most brands followed, either stating so in the public domain or informing customers whe...
Chatham Bars Moves Into Summer Recovery With Knowcross
Knowcross | July 7, 2021
Chatham Bars Inn opts for the Knowcross platform to manage and streamline their operations so that they can focus on what matters most, the Guests. As the summer kicks off at the Chatham Bars Inn and the Veranda tables are full, with families having lunch and admiring the view of Chatham Harbor, the far dunes and the Atlantic Ocean in the distance. Commercial fishing boats moor next to sailboats, creating an impossibly picturesque view. Just inside the hotel’s front doors, the lobby is a flurry of activity and in the beautifully appointed salon and library, all chairs and tables are occupied with families playing board games and talking....
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