A Case Study in Optimizing Length of Stay From Wellness Capex
Adam and Larry Mogelonsky | April 17, 2024
IDeaS Releases 2024 Hotel Technology Predictions
IDeaS | November 15, 2023
Smart Strategies
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 123; Hotel History: Boone Tavern Hotel, Berea, Kentucky
Stanley Turkel, CMHS | April 1, 2014
Quote of the Month; My New Book By Stanley Turkel, CMHS 1. Hotel History: Boone Tavern Hotel* Built on the old Dixie Highway and named after Kentucky explorer Daniel Boone, the historic Boone Tavern Hotel is located on College Square in Berea, Kentucky. The hotel is owned by Berea College and operated with student workers from the College Labor Program. Students earn money for books, room and board but pay no tuition (valued at $25,500 per year), thanks to the generosity of donors who support Berea College's mission of providing a free high quality education for students primarily from Appalachia who have high academic potential and li...
Avoiding Tourism Marketing Disasters – Part I by Dr. Peter Tarlow
Dr. Peter E. Tarlow | April 1, 2014
(The May Edition will focus on the Recovery) All too often tourism professionals have taken the position that if I do not talk about a potential disaster then it will not occur. Although prayer is good for the soul, tourism is too big a business and too important to the wellbeing of too many people to leave it only to prayer. The old adage that God helps those who help themselves is not only theological but also should be the foundation for any tourism industry's disaster avoidance plan. It is essential then that tourism professionals realize that it is their responsibility to think about all possible problems and have not only a plan t...
How to Supercharge Your Hotel Revenue After Rebranding
Vikram Singh | March 21, 2014
By Vikram Singh A Tale of Two Brands (based on a true story) Once upon a time in December 2012, there was a hotel asset. It lived in a spectacular location, right on the shore of the Pacific Ocean. But alas, it was caught in the middle of an epic battle between The Brand (who managed the hotel) and The Bank (who owned the hotel). This 500+ room hotel was located in one of the fastest-growing cities in the US. The Brand had a strong presence in this location, and in other metropolitan cities. It was a regular haunt of A-list to D-list stars. The Brand was strong, but The Bank was stronger. Someone had to intervene. There are very few pri...
Panelists Discuss Lodging Industry Forecast; 6% RevPAR Increase Predicted for 2014 & 2015
R.A. Rauch & Associates | March 18, 2014
March 18, 2014 - San Diego, CA - R.A. Rauch & Associates (RAR) hosted Onward & Upward: A Lodging Industry Forecast for 2014 on Friday, March 14, 2014 at the company's owned and managed Hilton Garden Inn San Diego/Del Mar. RAR president and renowned "hotel guru" Robert Rauch co-moderated the event with San Diego economist Gary London, president of The London Group Realty Advisors. The distinguished panel also included leading hospitality attorney Guy Maisnik, Partner, Vice Chair, Global Hospitality Group at JMBM; market leading hotel broker Alan Reay, President, Atlas Hospitality Group; and digital media and sales specialist Sand...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 122; Hotel History: The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
Stanley Turkel, CMHS | March 11, 2014
Quote of the Month; My New Book By Stanley Turkel, CMHS 1. Hotel History: The Greenbrier The original hotel, the Grand Central Hotel, was built on this site in 1858. It was known as "The White" and later "The Old White". Beginning in 1778, people came to follow the local Native American tradition to "take the waters" to restore their health. In the 19th century, visitors drank and bathed in the sulphur water to cure everything from rheumatism to an upset stomach. In the 1830s, the resort became well known as judges, lawyers, diplomats, ministers, planters and merchants from southern states visited the Old White resort in the summer for ...
Protecting Our Most Important Asset: Our Children: Tourism’s Fight Against Child Sexual Exploitation
Dr. Peter E. Tarlow | March 3, 2014
by Dr. Peter Tarlow Tourism security has traditionally been about protecting visitors from themselves, from other tourists and from locals who seek to rob and or steal from them, commit fraud against them or in one way or another verbally or physically assault the visitor. Unfortunately not all visitors are angles of perfection, and at least in some nations around the world children are sold into sexual slavery to be used by and at the visitor's pleasure. Despite what most people want to believe there are people who travel for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with a minor. There are many reasons for this sickness, ranging from the...
Nobody Asked Me, But…No. 121; Hotel History: Ponce de Leon Hotel (1888), St. Augustine, Florida
Stanley Turkel, CMHS | February 19, 2014
Quote of the Month; My New Book By Stanley Turkel, CMHS 1. Hotel History: Ponce de Leon Hotel, St. Augustine, Florida* The Ponce de Leon Hotel was built by millionaire Henry Morrison Flagler, Standard Oil co-founder (with John D. Rockefeller) and opened in 1888. Flagler had taken his second wife on a honeymoon to Jacksonville and further south to the seaside village of St. Augustine (the oldest permanent European settlement in the United States). Flagler loved the breathtaking expanse of sea and shore, and enjoyed the clear skies and balmy weather when most of the rest of the country's residents (then concentrated in the northeast) were...
The Key to Consistent Service by Bryan Williams
B.Williams Enterprise | February 12, 2014
Do all customers deserve great service? What about those who always find something to complain about? How about those who never tip...or never say "thank you"...or never seem to smile, ever? Up to this point, most of my writing, consulting, and training have always been based on the premise that all customers deserve the best we have to offer. After a recent encounter, however, my eyes are now open and I understand a very important truth that I never fully grasped before. At some point, we have to realize that our motivation to provide exceptional service cannot be based on the customer or whether he or she deserves it or not. Grocery s...
Hotel Marketing Cannibalization: Is Your Hotel Website Traffic Eating Itself?
Vikram Singh, co-founder, Madbooker | February 7, 2014
By Vikram Singh Hotels, bed and breakfasts, and vacation rentals are all competing for their market share of today's travelers, who are armed with multiple devices and tools to search for lodging . Even if you get their clicks, it's getting harder to keep their attention. Add to the mix Airbnb, deep pocket OTA's, and meta search engines, and you are now competing in the big leagues, no matter how big or small your lodging operation is. Now there is one competitor you absolutely do not need – yourself! Cannibalization of your hotel website traffic happens when you help your visitors leave your site via external links. It takes a lo...
Tourism Tidbits: Marketing in Good and Challenging Times by Dr. Peter Tarlow
Dr. Peter E. Tarlow | February 5, 2014
Marketing is never easy, especially when we are selling a non-tangible and often considered superficial or non-essential product. Many consider tourism such a product. It is the job of the tourism marketer to convince the public that a vacation is more than a mere want; that it is also a need. In 2013 the Board of Directors of the American Marketing Association approved the following definition for marketing: Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. (Approved July 2013). The defin...
Nobody Asked Me, But…No. 120 Hotel History: Wolcott Hotel (1904); Quote of the Month; My New Book
Stanley Turkel, CMHS | January 28, 2014
By Stanley Turkel, CMHS 1. Hotel History: Wolcott Hotel (1904)* Although it opened on March 1, 1904, the Wolcott remains one of New York City's best-kept hotel bargain secrets. Centrally located on 31st Street, just 3 blocks down Fifth Avenue from the Empire State Building, the Wolcott was designed by one of the most famous architects in the United States, architect John H. Duncan (1855-1929). He came to prominence in the early 1890s when he designed the Ulysses S. Grant's Tomb and townhouses for some of New York's richest families: Otto H. Kahn, Arthur Lehman, the Goelets and Strausses. Duncan also designed one of the greatest public ...
Top 5 Resolutions Hotels Should Make to Boost Online Revenue
Vikram Singh | January 22, 2014
By Vikram Singh We have entered a new year of awesome possibilities. The hospitality and lodging business is poised for more disruption, innovation and growth. I would love to see my readers address and implement a very simple list of hotel marketing strategies this year. Doing so will help boost your online revenue and make your marketing more meaningful and self-reliant. 1. Own Your Best Revenue Channel: Your Website This is an excellent year to take ownership of your most important digital asset. Amazingly, the majority of hotels, B&B's, and vacation rentals today are still "renting" their websites. You simply cannot be doing thi...
Nobody Asked Me, But…No. 119; Is Marriott’s Edition Brand Outlook Bright? What Makes a City Great?
Stanley Turkel, CMHS | January 14, 2014
Quote of the Month; My New Book By Stanley Turkel, CMHS January 14, 2014 1. Is Marriott's Edition Brand Outlook Bright? With the recent $815 million sale of three Edition hotels by Marriott to the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, hotel analysts were bulllish over the development prospects of the Edition brand. However, I am more doubtful about the future success of this new brand for two major reasons: 1) the partnership of Marriott and Schrager is so outlandish that it has failure written all over it 2) with only two Edition-branded hotels in operation (London and Istanbul), guest reaction is unknown and unreliable. Let's wait and see w...
3 Ways to Get Heads in Beds for Your Hotel
Hotel Success Now | January 3, 2014
Hotel owners of 2 and 3 star hotels find standing out may be a challenge. Many consumers believe that there is not much of a difference in the economy to mid tier segments because they are considered "cookie cutter" hotels. The truth, is that hotels in their respective tiers have many ways to differentiate themselves. I will mention 3 ways to make your hotel standout thus presenting you with the advantage when competing for bookings increasing Average Daily Rates (ADR) and Revenue Per Available Room (RevPar). 1. Consistent Online Presence, you hear about this all the time from your brand about updating your photos, videos and descriptio...
Tourism Tidbits: The Tourism Outlook for 2014 by Dr. Peter Tarlow
Dr. Peter E. Tarlow | January 2, 2014
A New Year is a chance for new beginnings. What is true of the world in general is also true of tourism. The tourism industry does not live apart from the rest of the world. It is deeply attached to the economy's undulations, sensitive to issues of security, and can be impacted by a host of unexpected events, ranging from a health crisis to a natural disaster. Certainly 2013 had its successes and challenges and we can expect that 2014 may offer more of the same. Although no one can predict the state of the world throughout 2014, here are some trends that tourism specialists and professionals may want to watch. 1. The state of the econom...
Nobody Asked Me, But…No. 118; Hotel History: Chelsea Hotel (1884); Quote of the Month
Stanley Turkel, CMHS, ISHC | December 20, 2013
By Stanley Turkel, CMHS, ISHC 1. Hotel History: Chelsea Hotel (1884)* The Chelsea Hotel is world-renowned as a residence for artists, writers, actors, and other characters who live on the cutting edge of society. The Chelsea has always been a center of artistic, cultural and bohemian activity. Built as one of the city's first cooperative apartment houses in 1884, the Chelsea became a hotel in 1905. The Chelsea's architect was Philip Hubert of Hubert and Pirsson. This was no ordinary architectural firm. Philip Gengembre Hubert, a French-American, used his mother's maiden name upon emigrating to the United States. He was a broad-based, cr...
Global Hotel Investment Sentiment Survey Shows Positive Trading Expectations for EMEA Hotels
Jones Lang LaSalle | December 18, 2013
Focused on Core German Cities, London & Paris December 18, 2013 - Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels & Hospitality Group (JLL H&H) has released the results of their Global Hotel Investment Sentiment Survey and its good news for hotels in the EMEA region with trading expectations remaining positive both for the short term (six months) and medium term (two years) with investors feeling more confident than they did earlier this year. Of the 31 cities tracked, 21 are expected to show growth in performance over the next six months, rising to 28 when looking to the medium term. Investor sentiment is highest for cities in Germany (Munich, F...
Tourism Tidbits: Traveling Safely in a Turbulent World by Dr. Peter Tarlow
Dr. Peter E. Tarlow | December 10, 2013
The year 2013 may be known as a year of travel insecurity. From airline crashes to cruise ships, international events and alerts around the world, along with terrorism threats should serve to remind all of us, that travel is never without risks. Although no one can guarantee total safety, and the tourism industry continually works to improve its security, there is and there will always be an element of risk. Furthermore, no matter how much security is provided, it is still the traveler's personal responsibility to do everything possible to insure his/her own level of safety. Assuring personal safety and security is not always an easy ta...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 117; Hotel History: InterContinental Hotels Company; Quote of the Month
Stanley Turkel, CMHS, ISHC | December 9, 2013
By Stanley Turkel, CMHS, ISHC 1. Hotel History: InterContinental Hotels Company A recent story on the Hotels website stated "IHG's history in Latin America dates back to 1946, when the first InterContinental Hotel opened in Brazil. Today, the Company has more than 200 hotels in 22 countries, not to mention a pipeline of more than 50 properties." In my book "Great American Hoteliers: Pioneers of the Hotel Industry" (AuthorHouse 2009), I wrote about Juan Terry Trippe, the founder of Pan American World Airways, the InterContinental Hotels Company, Charles Lindbergh and Raymond Orteig, an unknown New York City hotel owner. In the history of...
Top 10 Hospitality Industry Trends in 2014
Robert Rauch | December 6, 2013
By Robert Rauch, CHA 1. Millennials will become the core customer within the hospitality and travel industries over the next five to ten years. The majority of airlines, hotels and travel companies will benefit from this sector as they enter into their peak earning, spending and travel years. Within this group of GenY travelers, there are many different markets considering the fact that exploration, interaction and experience are the major focus of Millennials. Willing to pay more for a greater experience, "foodies" are a prevalent subset of this market; looking for an overall gourmet experience for a reasonable price will cause the ind...
Real Estate Implications of a Successful Bid for Dubai to host World Expo 2020
Jones Lang LaSalle MENA | November 27, 2013
Seen as the Single Most Important Influence on the UAE Real Estate Sector in 2014 November 27, 2013 - "While the Dubai real estate market is poised for growth regardless of the 2020 World Expo, the success of this bid will act as the single most important influence on the real estate sector across the UAE in 2014". Says Alan Robertson, CEO of Jones Lang LaSalle, MENA. "Expo 2020 will not benefit all sectors of the Dubai real estate market to the same degree. The hotel and logistics sectors being the biggest winners, while the residential and retail sectors will also derive significant benefits" notes Mr. Robertson The impacts on the re...
How Airbnb Is Crushing Traditional Hotel Brands
Vikram Singh | November 27, 2013
by Vikram Singh In April, I wrote one of my first ever articles about Airbnb's impact on the hotel industy. It started as a response to the Euromonitor report highlighting how little impact it was going to have. I fully disagreed. While I did not have the numbers to prove it, I have always known that Airbnb's impact was going to be HUGE based on the steps they were taking, and the rapidly changing needs of the global traveller. In the few short months since my first article, Airbnb has released some super cool stats that prove what I have always believed: they are changing the hospitality business. They created $632 million in economi...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 116: Hotel History: Lucerne Hotel; Quote of the Month; My New Book
Stanley Turkel, CMHS, ISHC | November 27, 2013
By Stanley Turkel, CMHS, ISHC 1. Hotel History: Lucerne Hotel One of the most beautiful hotels on New York's upper west side is the Lucerne Hotel which opened in 1904 on the corner of 79th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. The Lucerne was designed by architects Mulliken & Moeller with a reddish brown façade of wonderful richness. The detailing is heavy and thick making the building seem all the more like clay, but it is skillful enough so that it never feels overbearing. The entrance is one of the finest, thanks to the deeply modeled, banded entrance columns. In his Streetscapes column, "Mulliken & Moeller, Architects; Upper West Si...
So Many Options, So Much Advice: TripAdvisor & Your Hotel’s Profitability; A Best Practices Tool
Taylor Short | November 20, 2013
Building a strong online reputation on review sites like TripAdvisor has become essential to maintaining a profitable hotel. Hoteliers around the world have experimented with various tactics to generate a large quantity of positive reviews, and one has found success in achieving a strong ranking: the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin. The Four Seasons was able to jump more than 20 spots on TripAdvisor's Popularity Index to become the highest ranked hotel in the city in less than two years. To find out how the Four Seasons was able to see such significant increases in their online rankings, Taylor Short of Software Advice, a company that rese...
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