bob rauch

Flexing Hotel Labor Today

Robert Rauch | March 6, 2019

Bob Rauch and Sarah Anderson It's easy to say, "flex down your labor costs" when revenues drop, but is it easy to do? In a market of uncertainty and seasonal fluctuations, managing hotel property expenses is a challenging job that remains on the forefront of the minds of strategic operators. Hotels that implement a staffing strategy that adapts to these changes will keep operations running smoothly throughout the year and even throughout an economic slowdown. This can be a remarkable way to improve profits when revenues are flat or even down. With a focused attention on payroll, creative training programs, automation, and F&B stream...

Lodging Forecast 2019: Industry Threats Yet Growth

Robert A. Rauch, CHA | January 3, 2019

By Robert A. Rauch Reading forecast content from the plethora of prognosticators out there can drive one into craziness. Clearly, the current economy has strengths like consumer confidence, employment levels, low oil/gas prices, and purchasing managers sentiments as expressed by the Institute of Supply Management (ISM). Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been growing at a strong 3 percent +/- rate and most pundits expect a 2-3 percent increase in revenue per available room (RevPAR), largely attributed to average daily rates (ADR). But there are warning signs—trade, interest rates, stock market turbulence, cost increases, new supply ...

3 New Technical Strategies to Personalize Your Targeting

Robert A. Rauch, CHA | October 30, 2018

This month's blog post features a guest article written by Meredith Rauch. This article was originally posted on ScreenPilot's website. Earlier this month, we shared four key elements in personalizing ads to increase engagement and bookings. In order to do things like write compelling headlines, choose relevant images, develop enticing offers, and create user-friendly landing pages, you must first be familiar with the data in order to create advertisements that speak to your audience's current interests and needs. For those that are a bit more technical, there are additional elements you can integrate into your campaigns for better perf...

Health and Success in the Summer of 2018

Robert A. Rauch | May 2, 2018

By Robert A. Rauch, CHA I seldom write about success or health, typically favoring hotel operations, leadership, finance, marketing or forecasts. But today, I offer a summer check up on our success, health, wellness and overall fitness plan, one that I have just commenced. Because it is May, we have a full summer ahead of us. After reading Tom Brady's new book, The TB-12 Method, my colleague, Larry Broughton's book, Flashpoints for achievers and a book by Bob Burg and John David Mann, called Go-Giver, I decided this was the perfect time to set up a summer program for health and success. Brady's book is about pliability, flexibility, fi...

The Transformation of the Hotel Industry in the 2010s

Robert A. Rauch | March 1, 2018

By Robert A. Rauch, CHA We have officially been transformed into the John Naisbitt coined "hi tech, hi touch" world, 33 years after the release of his book. Led by revenue management but now including distribution, channel management, social media marketing, Web 2.0 and more. The industry has been permanently changed. Digital Marketing is required to both acquire and retain guests. Believe it or not, only a real quality revolution gives you the competitive edge, because brand loyalty is very limited in today's millennial dominant hospitality market. Since hospitality businesses do not hold customers captive, the only way we can prevent ...

Why 2018 Will Be Great: Hotel Industry Forecast

Robert A. Rauch, CHA | February 2, 2018

By Robert A. Rauch The big news in 2017 was the stock market, consumer confidence and the economy in general. Tax reform, wage growth, reduced regulations and the strength of our nation could keep this robust economy going and dramatically enhance it. Supply growth has begun to moderate somewhat, in part due to high construction costs and also due to lender restraint. Oil prices are back up, consumer confidence is solid, interest rates remain low albeit forecast to inch up and the U.S. and global economies seem stronger than last year. Gross domestic product may actually approach 3 percent in 2018, personal income growth is strong and l...

Hospitality Leadership in 2018

Robert A. Rauch, CHA | January 4, 2018

By Robert A. Rauch What will leadership look like this year? It's not always the same each year. Yes, leadership books might provide the same basics of leadership skills and yes, leading by example is a great foundation, but today I am exploring the combination of mentoring, coaching, leading and managing in 2018. I recently posted my top 10 trends in 2018. These include technology, lobby design, local food sourcing and more. Clearly, as leaders, we must be aware of trends in our industry. After all, many of us do not have someone to ask, "what's going on out there?" And it can be lonely at the top! I usually need a trigger to pen somet...

Hospitality Trends 2018 – What’s Happening in Hospitality

Robert A. Rauch, CHA | December 6, 2017

By Robert A. Rauch Each December, we come out with my trends for the following year. Last year we led with Artifical Intelligence and Robotics. In May, 2017, we hired our first robot as Employee #25 at our Fairfield Inn & Suites. Designed by Savioke, Relay the Robot (we call him Hubert) has been a big hit! This year we are leading with the lobby design side of the business—every hotel seems to be doing something to encourage the "millennial mindset" traveler to "hang out!" So, feel free to comment, here are our picks for 2018: Hotel lobbies become the center of the hotel universe akin to those found in communal work spaces s...