hospitality insights

Developing Hybrid Skills: How Tech and AI Are Reshaping the Hospitality Job Market

Julia Aymonier | July 3, 2019

Julia Aymonier, Chief Digital Officer at EHL Lausanne, writes about the need for professionals with quantitative skills and knowledge of Artificial Intelligence in the hospitality industry. Change has never been as rapid as today. The constant evolution in technology, at an ever-increasing pace, is changing our world and our working environment as never before. The impact of technology is reshaping occupations and new job categories are beginning to appear on the market requiring “hybrid” skills. Not only will staff have to know how to do their traditional job as in the past, but they will also be expected to have knowledge of th...

Three Reasons Why Training in Hospitality Matters

Jochen de Peuter | June 26, 2019

How two consecutive audits as "mystery shopper" for a hotel company unveiled striking differences in staff performance... and the need to focus on training. By Jochen de Peuter Recently I was assigned to perform quality audits “mystery shopping” for a hotel company. What struck me was how within one company, standards could be exactly similar, yet at the same time very different. If the similarities were mainly in the look and feel of the experience, the differences mainly came from how the staff performed at actually delivering that experience. The need for training in hospitality Research show numerous advantages to invest in ...

Five Food and Beverage Personalization Trends to Watch

William-Alexandre François | June 25, 2019

From DNA-based beer and wine, to 3D-printed food and coffee with high-quality images, these five trends are bringing a taste of personalization into the food and beverage industry. By William-Alexandre François There is currently a growing demand from customers for customization in various aspects of the food and beverage industry. Not only the product or service offered, but also the customer experience needs to be unique and feel personal. Personalized customer experience has always been important in the luxury world and this trend is now spreading to more common products as well. Often linked to craftsmanship, personalization mea...

Airbnb, Expedia, Google: 4 Lessons the Hotel Industry Can Learn From The Digital Giants

Meng-Mei Maggie Chen | June 24, 2019

By Meng-Mei Maggie Chen 2017 marked the 10th anniversary of Airbnb's creation and the digital giant celebrated its rapid expansion by releasing its strategy roadmap aptly dubbed "Airbnb For Everyone" with a slew of new types of accommodation topping their original offer. Among the new products unveiled were: New property types – Vacation Home, Unique, B&B, and Boutiques: these come in addition to the existing Entire Home, Private Room, and Shared Space filter options. New property tiers – Airbnb Plus and Beyond by Airbnb: the Airbnb Plus badge showcasing houses with more than 100 reviews and at least a 4.8 points r...

The Customer Is King, and Service Culture Is His Queen

André Mack | June 12, 2019

Although some companies mention "service excellence" as one of their values, they tend to solely focus on service delivery and rarely approach it as a way to reframe their business's culture. By André Mack The business environment has become a global village; traveling is easy and cheap, sharing of information happens instantly and is accessible by everybody, a new product in the US is on the market in Asia within days and vice versa, systems and procedures all look the same and innovation has become a necessity. The ubiquity of technology and the replicability of products means that service has become THE key differentiator for co...

Succession Planning in Family-Owned Hotels

Dr. Jean-Philippe Weisskopf | June 6, 2019

How can hotel successions be more appealing to the next generation and overall be more successful? By Dr. Jean-Philippe Weisskopf Succession planning plays an important role for any entrepreneur and has become a central strategic component for company owners and managers. A recent study on Swiss small and mid-sized enterprises (SME) by a large Swiss bank highlights the importance of this topic. According to this study, 3/4 of managers have spent time and effort on succession planning. This is not surprising considering that some 70'000 to 80'000 SMEs will face a generational change in the upcoming years in Switzerland alone. This step ...

Succession Planning in Family-Owned Hotels

June 6, 2019

How can hotel successions be more appealing to the next generation and overall be more successful? By Dr. Jean-Philippe Weisskopf Succession planning plays an important role for any entrepreneur and has become a central strategic component for company owners and managers. A recent study on Swiss small and mid-sized enterprises (SME) by a large Swiss bank highlights the importance of this topic. According to this study, 3/4 of managers have spent time and effort on succession planning. This is not surprising considering that some 70'000 to 80'000 SMEs will face a generational change in the upcoming years in Switzerland alone. This step...

Hotel Design Trends: Adaptation Is Key!

Jennifer Luo | May 28, 2019

From eco-consciousness to wellness and smart-rooms, design is an incredibly powerful tool hoteliers can leverage to differentiate themselves and cater to ever-evolving guest demands. By Jennifer Luo With the growth of private home bookings through a variety of digital platforms, such as Airbnb, hotels face a fierce competition to win customer demand. With a stronger focus on their overall experience, hotel guests today have higher expectations and the ever evolving landscape of travelers have brought about a slew of changes within the hospitality industry. Now, hotels are reshaping the look, feel and appeal of their properties, using ex...