The Game-Changing Rules Around Revenue Optimization
Travel Outlook Hotel Reservations Call Center Services | July 15, 2020
Train Your Hotel Staff to Show Hospitality When Enforcing Mask Requirements
Doug Kennedy | July 14, 2020
Operations
How COVID-19 Can Stimulate Healthier Hospitality Leadership
Petra Deuter | May 28, 2020
By Petra Deuter Much has already been written about how travel and tourism will be irrevocably changed by the coronavirus pandemic. Optimists and realists alike are focusing on more environmentally friendly ways of reaching our chosen destinations, more sensitive ways of considering local culture and more sustainable, ethical methods of sharing and distributing the financial benefits of tourism. But what about the hospitality and in particular the hotel industry itself? If there was ever a time for us to engage in honest, unflinching self-reflection, this is it. As travelers and vacationers are ready and willing to change their habits, ...
Utility Players as a Way to Save Hotels on Staffing
Larry Mogelonsky | May 27, 2020
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) The post-Covid recovery will not mirror the initial reactions to the global lockdown for the hospitality industry. Namely, with hotels shutting down and laying employees off in droves, most properties will be reluctant to rehire all those previously let go because occupancies will take a long time to get to their pre-pandemic levels, thus not necessitating full staffing and recruitment. This can have a harmful impact on service delivery where much more is required from a leaner team, especially with the upgraded cleaning and sanitization protocols mandated by the new normal to make ...
The Myth of ‘Crisis Leadership’
Keith Kefgen | May 27, 2020
By: Keith Kefgen Google the phrase “crisis leadership,” and you get over half a billion (yes, with a “b”) entries. It is one of the hot topics on social media now, with new entries appearing daily. Everyone in the business world is talking about it, and they all seem to characterize it the same way: that crisis leadership reflects a highly specialized skill set or psychometric profile that is significantly different than “everyday” leadership. The spirit or intent of these articles is certainly commendable. Indeed, leadership development remains as much an art as a science, and so data-driven guidance is critically important...
Beekeeper COVID-19 Global Webinar to Tackle ‘The Hotelier’s Guide to Mastering the Next Normal’
Beekeeper | May 27, 2020
Hospitality experts will discuss policy and procedure changes and their implications in the days ahead as hoteliers globally prepare for reopening San Francisco and Zurich, May 27, 2020 — As the global hospitality industry prepares for reopening, hotel employees will be required to follow new policies and procedures and assume expanded roles that will necessitate significant communication and training. To help prepare these valued workers for what lies ahead, Beekeeper is hosting the fourth event in its COVID-19 Webinar Series titled "The Hotelier’s Guide to Mastering the Next Normal." During this 60-minute on-line forum, a panel of wo...
Welcome Back Your Guests With Contactless Experiences and Antimicrobial TV Remotes
MCOMS | May 27, 2020
New York, US, May 27, 2020 - MCOMS, acknowledging the recent COVID-19 challenges that have come to shape again the hospitality industry, has designed some innovative solutions to enable hoteliers to provide tailor made guest interactive services to mobile devices, and communicate directly with their guests. With the recent Corona virus global outbreak, the public has become increasingly concerned with public health, hotel room cleanliness and sanitation. Hoteliers are now called to adapt their offerings and standards and provide peace of mind to the guests. Through MCOMS HOTstream Mobile solution, guests have access to multiple features an...
React Mobile Receives $6 Million Investment Via Strategic Partnership With Brady Corp.
React Mobile | May 26, 2020
Funding solidifies React Mobile’s financial stability and extends its safety solutions to more hospitality and education businesses, making the world a safer place SEATTLE, MAY 26, 2020 — React Mobile, a robust, open, cost effective and flexible panic button safety platform, today announces it has raised $6 million through a new strategic partnership with publicly traded Brady Corporation (NYSE:BRC). Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisc., and founded in 1914, Brady is one of the oldest and most successful privately controlled family businesses in the U.S. The company manufactures solutions that identify and protect people, products and pla...
ProfitSword Wins Prestigious American Business Award for Next Generation ProfitAbility Business Intelligence Solution
ProfitSword, LLC | May 26, 2020
Premier US business awards program bestows bronze “Stevie Award” to cutting edge platform designed to detect business performance anomalies using artificial intelligence and machine-learning abilities. ORLANDO, Fla. – (May 26, 2020) – ProfitSword, the leading developer of business intelligence and data integration software for the hospitality industry, has been awarded the Bronze “Stevie Award” during the 18th Annual American Business Awards for its recently launched ProfitAbility business performance dashboarding and reporting platform. Competing with multiple organizations across the country within the Artificial Intelligence...
Have You Taken Your Team’s Temperature Lately?
Dr. Stefano Borzillo | May 22, 2020
Effective evaluation to ensure a well-functioning team in the workplace. By Dr. Stefano Borzillo Hospitality is typically founded on teams of individuals working together, not only for the high performance of their function but also for creating a positive experience for guests. We can see that F&B, front desk and housekeeping teams all have an effect on guests’ impressions of their hotel stay. Similarly, back office teams such as marketing, finance and revenue management contribute to the performance of the organization through smooth operations and raising brand awareness. Research has identified that the more effective the team...
Break the “Unwritten Rules of Upselling”
Jos Schaap | May 21, 2020
By Jos Schaap – CEO at ROOMDEX We are now in the midst of a pandemic, the likes of which few alive today have ever experienced. COVID-19 has spread to every corner of the globe, causing health care and economic devastation. The hospitality ecosystem has been particularly hobbled, with hotels being one of the hardest-hit sectors. Due to travel and social distancing restrictions, the movement of people has come to a standstill in much of the world as countries close their borders to visitors. A recent Pew study found that by April, over 90% of the world's population – a staggering 7.1 billion people - lived in countries with some meas...
Hospitality Ventures Management Group (HVMG) to Manage 506-Suite Embassy Suites Nashville Downtown Convention Center
Hospitality Ventures Management Group (HVMG) | May 19, 2020
NASHVILLE, (May 19, 2020)—Hospitality Ventures Management Group (HVMG), an Atlanta-based, private hotel investment, ownership and management company, today announced it has been selected to manage the 506-suite Embassy Suites by Hilton Nashville Downtown Convention Center. Scheduled to open during the fourth quarter of 2021, the Embassy Suites is part of a two-tower development project on 1.3 acres of land owned by Crescent Real Estate LLC, a high-end real estate acquisition, development and management company; Starwood Capital Group, a private global investment firm focused on real estate; and High Street Real Estate Partners, a privatel...
Will COVID-19 Force Digitalization in the Hotel Workplace?
Andrada Paraschiv | May 19, 2020
Physical distancing, frequently changing information, and a need to manage costs will accelerate the digitalization trend and foster better interactions with guests and employees By Andrada Paraschiv The world is changing, and so is the global hospitality environment. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a new safety culture is emerging that requires the hotel workforce to engage with guests, management, and each other digitally to honor social distancing mandates and help stop virus spread. It’s hard to imagine that we once had limited options for exchanging information. Try explaining to a Millennial that before the Internet and smartph...
Uncompromised Customer Service
Travel Outlook Hotel Reservations Call Center Services | May 12, 2020
What Role Will Call Centers Play in the New Norm? The travel industry is facing a challenge unlike any other right now including immense distress and financial uncertainty, leaving hoteliers wondering what the future holds. Now, more than ever, the industry needs to pull together, stay strong, and find ways to support one another. What lies ahead remains unclear. But what we can safely assume is that customer service, procedures, policies, and restrictions will change in ways we never imagined. Therefore, we must start planning now for the day when travel resumes. John Smallwood, CEO at Travel Outlook, says, “While call volume ...
As You Re-Open Your Hotels, Clear Sky Software’s Housekeeping Inventory System Can Help
Clear Sky Software | May 12, 2020
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – May 12, 2020 – Clear Sky Software, Inc. – The Hotel Industry is experiencing the most difficult business environment in our lifetime so keeping a watch on your bottom line will be important like never before. As you prepare to re-open your hotels, an increased dedication to safety and cleanliness is going to be your focus. Hotels who fail to do this will not give guests the confidence they need to return to your properties. The housekeeping department is going to be front-and-center in this objective. Without a good housekeeping inventory system, you risk running out of cleaning products you need or ordering...
The Carver Companies Provide Task Force Teams to Help Hotels With Re-Opening
the Carver Companies | May 6, 2020
ATLANTA, GA – May 6, 2020 – The Carver Companies, the hospitality infrastructure powerhouse, announced that their Carver Hotel Group division has re-opening teams ready to assist hotels preparing for business after being closed due to the pandemic. As the world of hospitality works towards re-opening, the hotel industry is anticipating the demand for Task Force consultants to be greater than ever. “At The Carver Companies, we want to let the hospitality arena know that we've spent the past six weeks preparing for the increased demand,” said The Carver Companies’ Chief Development Officer Charlene "Charley" Carter. “If your h...
IHG Signs With Asia Pacific Hotels for Management of Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan
IHG | May 4, 2020
IHG has signed a long-term agreement with Asia Pacific Hotels Inc to take on management of Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan, in the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, from May 20201. The impressive 416-room hotel will rebrand as Crowne Plaza® Resort Saipan in 2022 following a refurbishment, before adding a 116-room extension by 2025. Alongside IHG’s October announcement that it has taken on management of the 318-room Fiesta Resort Guam, a hotel that will rebrand as a Crowne Plaza in 2021, the combined 850 room count makes the biggest ever conversion signing for IHG’s Australasia, Japan and Pacific Islands region. Saipan is t...
AHLA Releases Industry-Wide Hotel Cleaning Standards Through “Safe Stay” Initiative
AHLA | May 4, 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 4, 2020 –The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) today introduced Safe Stay, an industry-wide, enhanced standard of health and safety protocols designed to prepare America’s hotels to safely welcome back guests and employees as the economy reopens. Safe Stay represents the top priority for the industry, the health and safety of guests and employees. The standards of Safe Stay were developed under the guidance of an Advisory Council, comprised of industry leaders representing all segments of the hotel industry, and in conjunction with public health experts to advance best practices for protecting a...
Davidson Hotels & Resorts Selected to Operate Margaritaville Orlando Resort
Davidson Hotels & Resorts | May 1, 2020
Resort marks third Margaritaville property in current management portfolio ATLANTA (May 1, 2020) – Davidson Hotels & Resorts, one of the nation’s leading full-service hospitality management companies, has been tapped by Encore Capital Management to assume management of Margaritaville Resort Orlando. A destination in and of itself, the 186-room casual-luxe resort features four on-site distinctive dining and lounge experiences; lagoon-style pools; signature St. Somewhere Spa; teen and kids’ clubs; Sunset Walk Entertainment District; Island H2O Live! Water Park, and more than 40,000 sq. ft of flexible meeting and event space. “...
PurpleCloud Donates Free Covid Response (CR) Task Platform to Provide Hotels With Enhanced Cleaning and Safety Protocols
PurpleCloud | May 1, 2020
Atlanta, May 1, 2020 - PurpleCloud today announced the release of PurpleCloud CR (Covid Response), a streamlined free version of its hotel task optimization platform, designed to help hospitality organizations meet today’s enhanced cleaning and safety protocols. PurpleCloud Technologies CEO and Co-Founder Adria Levtchenko made the announcement. PurpleCloud CR is pre-loaded with expert materials to help hospitality teams jumpstart housekeeping programs, which will be especially useful as hotels ramp up occupancy or reopen in the future. The platform includes comprehensive training materials that operate on tablets, smartphones or computer...
Making Painful Chargebacks a Thing of the Past
Larry Mogelonsky | April 22, 2020
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) In a socially distanced world, one thing we are already seeing is far fewer in-person credit card transactions because people aren’t out and about nearly as much. A lot of that traffic has moved online while some of it has shifted towards other types of less secure, card-not-present dealings like taking down a guest’s information over the phone. During this downtime we all find ourselves in, now is your chance to implement the necessary updates to ensure your payment channels are as secure as possible, while also reducing chargebacks wherein the credit card companies usually don...
Assisting Hotels in Regaining Stability, Travel Outlook Gets Armed With Effective Sales Tactics Developed by Kennedy Training Network
Travel Outlook Hotel Reservations Call Center Services | April 21, 2020
Santa Fe, NM – Travel Outlook premium reservation call center, a virtual hospitality company specializing in voice reservations and guest service, uses down-time to upskill with Kennedy Training Network. Like all other hotel reservations and call center teams, during the first 10 days of the COVID-19 crisis, Travel Outlook’s certified call center agents were inundated with calls to cancel or postpone. Now that the call volume has temporarily softened, rather than laying off staff, Travel Outlook is using this quiet phase to upskill its call center team by scheduling additional private, live webcam training with Kennedy Training Ne...
Credit Card Processing Best Practices During COVID-19 and Other Challenging Times
POST Integrations | April 20, 2020
By Juli Barter As the world continues to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, the hotel industry continues to feel its effects. As a trusted hospitality payments provider, POST Integrations is providing the following credit card acceptance best practices to help guide you and your properties through these uncertain times. Below are the key areas to understand and be aware of during this time. CANCELLATIONS/PREPAID RESERVATION AND ADVANCE DEPOSIT CREDITS If your property requires an advance deposit or offers prepaid reservations for guest stays, no doubt your team is dealing with an increased request for cancellations during this time...
HTNG and Hospitality Upgrade Launch New Career Center Portal to Serve the Rapidly Evolving Hospitality Job Market
HTNG | April 14, 2020
CHICAGO (April 14, 2020) - Hospitality Technology Next Generation (HTNG) and Hospitality Upgrade today jointly announce the launch of the HTNG Career Center, a premier, industry-exclusive job portal designed to connect qualified hospitality professionals with potential employers, and provide a wide range of helpful career and recruiting resources to the hospitality market. The HTNG Career Center is being launched at a critical point in the history of hospitality, as the industry reacts to dramatic new market conditions brought on by the global Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has produced widespread employee layoffs, furloughs and ot...
Marcus Hotels & Resorts Announces Updates to Current Operations
Marcus Hotels | April 9, 2020
MILWAUKEE - Marcus Hotels & Resorts®, a division of The Marcus Corporation (NYSE:MCS), is temporarily closing additional properties across its portfolio. This decision includes all of the following hotels owned by the Company that are currently still open, The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee; The Platinum Hotel in Las Vegas; Hilton Madison Monona Terrace in Wisconsin; and the AC Hotel Chicago Downtown in Chicago. Additionally, with respect to the hotels that we manage for third-parties, we are working with the owners of those properties to temporarily close the hotels or transition management. “Our top priority in this unprecedented t...
AHLA Supports Plan to Add Funds For Small Business Loans, Seeks Additional Action to Protect Hotel Jobs
AHLA | April 9, 2020
AHLA CEO says additional funding and further action needed by the Administration and Congress to save millions of hotel jobs and tens of thousands of small business hotels at risk WASHINGTON (April 8, 2020) – The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) today expressed support for plans by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker Nancy Pelosi to provide an additional $250 billion in loans for small businesses. In a letter sent to Congressional leadership today, AHLA urged Congress to make several updates to the CARES Act in addition to increasing the funding. AHLA also sent an urgent letter to the Federal Reserve and ...
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