News Top: October 2018
Cannabis & The Hospitality Industry
Chamberlin Public Relations | October 1, 2018
As more states ease laws on cannabis usage, hotels are finding new ways to incorporate the drug into their product offering, either catering to new demographics or offering new services for those eager to try something different and exciting. According to a Gallup poll from late last year, more than 65 percent of Americans "support legalizing marijuana for both recreational and medicinal use." So far, 31 states across the country now permit marijuana use in some form, even though the drug is still classified as "schedule 1," meaning that it has a high potential for abuse. Even so, recreational use of cannabis is now legal in nine states...
Hyatt Hotels Corporation to Acquire Two Roads Hospitality
Hyatt Hotels Corporation | October 8, 2018
CHICAGO—October 8, 2018-- Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today announced an agreement to acquire Two Roads Hospitality, an international lifestyle hotel management company with a unique collection of distinctive brands, properties and a robust development pipeline around the globe. Through the addition of Two Roads, its established lifestyle brands and the management agreements for the majority of its 85 properties in eight countries, Hyatt will expand its brand presence into 23 new markets while enhancing its offerings in lifestyle hotel experiences and wellbeing. With Two Roads and its distinctive collection of lifestyle hot...
Shiji Expands Hospitality Services Adding PMS / POS Support & Consulting Services to the Americas
Shiji Group | October 23, 2018
Atlanta, October 23, 2018 - Continuing Shiji Groups' strategy to service customers locally in region, Shiji is adding a new Professional Services team to consult on and support leading proprietary and third-party hotel and restaurant technologies in the Americas. Shiji's Professional Services team will focus on Property Solutions Support Services, Project Management and Consulting Services. Lead by a team of subject matter experts with application experience averaging more than ten years each; Shiji's Professional Services team provides critical support when needed. The team consists of 40+ trained experts in all levels of hotel softwar...
The Future of Revenue Management Is Not What It Used to Be
Dr.Gabor Forgacs | October 11, 2018
By Dr.Gabor Forgacs Not too long ago we thought the future of Revenue Management would be more data; faster processing capability; more revenue streams optimized; and more properties managed by one revenue professional. Now that the second decade of the 21st century is nearing its final year we can see that the "more" and "faster" will give way to something slightly different. How We Got Here The revenue profession in the hotel industry has grown up: there are revenue analysts, revenue managers, directors of revenue, even vice presidents and other executives – it is fair to say the revenue profession is emerging as a champion of p...
Hotels to Face New Accounting Regulations That Could Impact Bottom Line
Clark Nuber | October 10, 2018
(Bellevue, Wash., October 10, 2018): Hotels, motels and inns should prepare now for changing accounting regulations that will impact how they recognize revenue. "These new Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) may significantly impact the bottom line of hospitality businesses," said Julie Eisenhauer, a CPA and shareholder of Clark Nuber, PS, in Bellevue, Wash. "Although the new rules won't take effect for private companies until 2019 and 2020, businesses would be wise to start planning for them now." One significant change involves customer loyalty programs, which allow customers to acquire additional accommodations or service...
How Marijuana Legalization Impacts Hotels
Larry Mogelonsky | October 10, 2018
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) With national legalization of marijuana in Canada coming into effect on October 17, 2018, it raises quite a few lucrative opportunities for hotels to capitalize on this new market, as well as a few cautionary notes. Further, with numerous states already adopting similar policies and even more soon to join the fold, this trend is one you must pay attention to. For starters, you must ask whether or not there is any money to be made in marijuana tourism. While you can certainly draw affirming statistics from the likes of anomalies like Amsterdam or Copenhagen's Christiania District, a ...
Banyan Tree and Angsana Lang Co Appoints Justin Wermers as New Area Director for Food and Beverage
| October 25, 2018
LANG CO, Vietnam (Oct. 25, 2018) – With 280 hectares of prime oceanfront real estate, Laguna Lang Co offers plenty of scope for special guest experiences. And it is this potential for creativity that most excites Justin Wermers, who has just been appointed as Area Director for Food and Beverage at Banyan Tree and Angsana Lang Co – the two award winning luxury resorts currently on the books at the integrated project in Central Vietnam. Wermers, a Dutch national with more than 15-years of experience in F&B and hospitality, comes to Lang Co following stints in the Middle East with InterContinental and, most recently, at the...
Online Customer Reviews: Their Impact on Restaurants
Dr Jean-Philippe Weisskopf | October 5, 2018
By Dr Jean-Philippe Weisskopf and Philippe Masset Dining out, going for a movie, or enjoying a bottle of fine wine are all 'experience goods', that is, they have to be consumed or experienced in order for them to be assessed and evaluated. Online customer reviews are valuable as they allow potential consumers to get in-depth information from others for a relatively low cost and little effort. With one click, they can solve an information asymmetry problem in which service providers are better informed than customers. The internet allows customers to share their views and feedback cheaply and efficiently with a large audience. Why do con...
How Hotels Can Compete in the Airbnb Landscape
Mia A. Mackman | October 17, 2018
By Mia A. Mackman Airbnb came on the scene in 2008, amidst corporate scandal, economic downturn and instability. Initially people were skeptical, but Airbnb has gained remarkable momentum building its platform with transparency and trust, at a time people were greatly seeking both. In the early years, Airbnb's inclusive and diverse model provided low-cost travel options with uncommon flexibility, which became an enticing alternative to the traditional big-name hotel booking systems. The social component and owner-intimacy of Airbnb also intrigued adventurous solo travelers, seeking more local and organic destination experiences. The...
The Innovative Hotels That Are Making Travel Better in 2019
Alan Young | October 18, 2018
By Alan Young Witnessing the gradual advancement and disruption of technology and services is an exciting, and sometimes industry-altering concept, as our world continues to evolve at a seemingly rapid pace to meet modern demands. Generations today know (and love) the likes of Netflix and Crave TV, for example, but many of us also remember the popularity of Blockbuster video — a formerly successful business model which now, doesn't even exist. And those of us who used to cling enthusiastically to our flip phones whilst playing 'Brick Breaker', likely upgraded to iPhones with their robust connectivity capabilities and e...
At the Front Desk, Voice Inflection Can Change the Entire Meaning of What We Say
Cathy Cook | October 15, 2018
By Cathy Cook It has often been said that as much as 80% of communication takes place non-verbally. It is certainly true that facial expressions such as what we show with our eyebrows, our smiles (or lack thereof), and body language, which is what we show with our posture and gestures, all are essential for communicating. While communication is an important topic for all guest services departments, it is especially essential at the front desk because more often than not, they are the main point of contact for all guest requests. Although non-verbal communication is certainly essential, it is also important to focus on the subtleties of ...
Hotel Distribution: Stop Predicting, Start Diagnosing
Dori Stein | October 19, 2018
By Dori Stein, CEO at Fornova There is a fine line that separates guesswork and prediction - the quality of data and analysis. The hospitality sector is not unique in exploring for ways to take advantage of the opportunities in data-driven approaches to boost revenue and profit. Many revenue managers are already doing exactly this with revenue management systems and pricing - predicting demand, competition and optimal pricing. Modern hotel distribution, on the other hand, is a different playing field. And the advantage is going to hotels and chains adopting an agile execution and diagnosis-led data, compared to the traditional planning ...
THE SALES PROCESS: Step Three GAINING COMMITMENT
ProSolutions | October 26, 2018
By Jana Love As we wrap up the third step in the Sales Process Series, your number one goal in sales is to gain commitment from the customer. However, The Sales Board wrote a blog on the research they found stating that, "...salespeople need dramatic improvement in achieving Sales Objectives and Gaining Commitment at each milestone of the sale." Their statistics show that 62% of salespeople fail to ask for commitment. That is a lot of potential sales heading out your door. Gaining commitment is an important element of selling. It consists of closing (checking in) at each step and making conclusions about where your customer is...
Beat the OTAs: Use Your Hotel Website to Tell a Unique Brand Story
Steffan Berelowitz | October 1, 2018
By Steffan Berelowitz Competing with OTAs for direct bookings continues to represent an uphill challenge for hotels. The likes of Expedia and Booking.com have become masters at conversion, investing millions to whisk shoppers from browsing to booking in the minimum amount of steps. However, the transactional nature of this experience is far from inspiring. It also makes it hard for hotels to stand out and showcase their unique personality. Deals and limited offers therefore become the means of differentiation, which clearly isn't good for business. To stand out from the crowd and drive more direct bookings, it's important to think of yo...
Resorts in Jamaica Are Facing a ‘Historic’ Sexual Assault Problem
October 30, 2018
Oct. 30--In a dark laundry room at a Jamaican Sandals resort, pinned to the floor by a hotel lifeguard, a Michigan teenage girl lay paralyzed with fear as the man bit her lip and raped her, violently robbing her virginity. When her mother found her after the assault, trembling and holding herself in a hallway, the 17-year-old couldn't speak. She could only point to a metal door. Behind the door, her friend was being gang-raped by three resort lifeguards. This is the Jamaica that the U.S. State Department has repeatedly warned tourists about. This is the island paradise that the government says has a pervasive sexual assault problem,...
The Top 25 Most Haunted Historic Hotels for 2018 From Historic Hotels of America
Historic Hotels of America | October 23, 2018
These "spirited" guests may have checked out, but never left these historic hotels WASHINGTON, D.C.—October 23, 2018 Historic Hotels of America® has over 300 hotels with long and storied histories representing over 36 decades in American history. From a former Carmelite convent to hotels that are adjacent to battlegrounds and a hotel that was once a morgue, many of these hotels have "spirited" guests that continue to haunt the halls long after they have checked out. Here is Historic Hotels of America's Top 25 Most Haunted Historic Hotels for 2018 along with some of America's spookiest hotel ghost stories: Concord's Colonial In...
BBMK Contracting Hires Construction Management Team From CVC Hospitality Inc.
BBMK Contracting and Blue Team Restoration | October 11, 2018
BOCA RATON, Fla., October 11, 2018 - BBMK Contracting, a national general contractor - and Blue Team Restoration, the commercial property restoration arm of BBMK, has hired on the construction management team from CVC Hospitality Inc., a Florida-based hotel renovation company. Bryan Meklir, president and CEO of BBMK Contracting made the announcement. Effective September 24th, team members from CVC Hospitality joined the BBMK team, bringing the total number of construction management employees to over 100. The former CVC employees will move into the BBMK offices. "We are pleased to announce our recent joining of forces with the CVC team ...
THE SALES PROCESS:: Step Two ADVANCING THE SALE
ProSolutions | October 2, 2018
By Jana Love Are you ready to explore the next significant step of building a successful sales conversation? Knowing the steps to take to move the call along professionally will positively enhance sales closure. Remember you can't force a sale, you need to earn the sale. And to do that, some homework prior to the call is required. Let's get started. Prepare and Anticipate Your Customer ~ Some customers know exactly what they want, while others will come to you to be educated on what you have that will interest them. The key to successfully dealing with both of these customers is being present and knowledgeable. As a sales pers...
Delta Hotels by Marriott Dallas Allen & Watters Creek Convention Center Nearing Completion With Projected January 2019 Opening Date
October 17, 2018
City of Allen will welcome the first Delta new build by Marriott in the United States upon its completion ALLEN, TX –This January 2019, the City of Allen will have its first 4-star hotel and convention center--Delta Hotels by Marriott Dallas Allen & Watters Creek Convention Center (777 Watters Creek Blvd, Allen, TX 75013, 844-203-8999, Website). It will be the first Delta new build by Marriott in the United States upon its completion. Delta Hotels by Marriott Dallas Allen & Watters Creek Convention Center with 90,000 square feet of flexible and state of the art meeting space will position the City of Allen for even more gr...
The Future of Hotel Management Systems: Identifying the Prospective Role of the PMS
h2c | October 30, 2018
Introduction Some hotel chains envision the Property Management Systems (PMS) to focus on its core functionalities (e.g., check-in/out and main operations), using open APIs for connectivity, while others encourage a high level of fully integrated systems such as CRS, RMS and CRM, eliminating the need for additional interfaces. As both strategies have their justification—every chain needs to go their own way—overall system performance remains dependent on the depth of integration with related systems, localization setup (e.g., including local tax and fiscal regulations), overall system cost and available staff skills. As a r...
Adjusting to a Hotel Labor Shortage
Larry Mogelonsky | October 17, 2018
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Not necessarily specific to the hospitality industry and certainly not applicable to every geographic territory, but there appears to be a rising labor shortage that will come to affect all manner of jobs in a hotel workplace. With such a diverse array of back-of-house ranks for both university-educated individuals as well as those without a college-level diploma, we must now fight to keep every team member lest we suffer from the long-term consequences associated with increasing onboarding costs, guest service gaps and lack of proper succession planning. Especially in major Western...
Travel and Hospitality Marketing Budgets for 2019: 4 Trends to Watch
Michael Del Gigante | October 11, 2018
By Michael Del Gigante As you dive into 2019 budgeting, what trends should you be thinking about? Which approaches, platforms, and tools should be top of mind for travel and hospitality marketers? The team at MDG Advertising recently analyzed a host of recent analyst reports and industry surveys to find out. What came from that deep dive are these four key trends trends that every travel and hospitality firm should be watching closely in the year ahead: 1. The Power of Search When it comes to travel and hospitality marketing, search has become the digital workhorse. Newer channels may get more buzz, but it's search that continues to mo...
GuestTek Interactive Entertainment Increases Focus on Innovation
GuestTek | October 30, 2018
GuestTek Strengthens their Standing as Hospitality Technology Visionary For over twenty years, GuestTek Interactive Entertainment Ltd. has been a global leader in hospitality technology innovation. As hotels embrace the Internet of Things (IoT), and as more guests arrive with a variety of personal devices, the hotel technology environment grows increasingly complex. To help hoteliers meet these challenges, GuestTek is proud to announce that Peter Warrick will once again take over the research and development team at GuestTek. Over the past two years, Mr. Warrick has directed the advanced technology program for GuestTek, primarily focusi...
Two Roads Hospitality Appoints Martin Smith as Managing Director of El San Juan Hotel in Puerto Rico
El San Juan Hotel | October 16, 2018
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (October 16, 2018) – El San Juan Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton is excited to announce the appointment of Martin Smith as Managing Director of El San Juan Hotel, a premier luxury lifestyle hotel in Puerto Rico. As the new Managing Director, Smith will bring over 25 years of experience in the hospitality and tourism industry to the landmark 388-room property. Prior to joining the El San Juan Hotel team, Smith was CEO and Managing Director of the St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort and Golf Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. In this executive position, Smith oversaw all aspects of that property, including its positio...
Roxy Speech-Enabled Assistant Partners with HERE Mobility
Roxy | October 1, 2018
Roxy, the company behind the speech-enabled device built just for hotels has announced a partnership with HERE Mobility, which provides a one-stop interface for connecting guests with a variety of transportation services. Instead of looking up local public transit schedules or downloading a region-specific ridesharing app, guests will now be able to see a variety of transportation options and book them directly using Roxy. This includes public transit options, traditional taxi companies, ridesharing apps, bike rental services and more. The service is an optional addition hotels can choose to enable on their Roxy devices. "Roxy's goal ha...
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