smart strategies

How to Pull Off a PR Stunt & Create Brand WOW

Melissa DiGianfilippo | November 8, 2019

By Melissa DiGianfilippo Bill Gates once said, "If I was down to my last dollar, I'd spend it on public relations." Smart man. Public relations can be less expensive and far more effective than you might think. Still, the most significant obstacle aside from budget is tickling the fancy of media outlets and your target audience. Without the media, your story is less likely to reach the public. A well-planned and executed PR stunt can generate incredible amounts of interest and elevate your hotel, motel, B&B, or resort to a new level in the minds and hearts of the media, and more importantly, potential guests. First, you might be won...

Have You Ever Considered Using Failure as an Attribute?

Gary Hernbroth | October 22, 2019

By Gary Hernbroth Whether you are looking for a job or being considered for a new responsibility, let me twist the familiar here and suggest that failure – yes, failure – could actually be your ally. How’s that? In a conversation with hospitality sales and marketing pro Steve Lowe about interviewing and hiring many people throughout the years, he had a unique take to share with me: “I like to ask people ‘Have you ever failed? What happened and what did you do about it?’ I don’t believe that you can really be successful without having failed at some point or other in your life." I love that! I wholeheartedly concur w...

Hospitality Financial Leadership: Chapter One: Envy

David Lund | October 14, 2019

By David Lund The Stow has always been a great hotel. Sitting high on the hill overlooking the river its bones and lines are completely classic. The 505 rooms all have a view of something great. For decades, the hotel had been the home away from home for the elite of the world. Rock stars, heads of state, actors, CEOs, you name it and they came, stayed and came back. Managing the hotel was a dream job. I never thought I would have the opportunity to be the general manager of such a fine lady. We call them ladies because they are gentle and beautiful and just a little complicated. Not that I’m any easier. My name is Oliver and I have b...

Reinventing The Welcome: Finally, Self Check-In Has Been Done Right!

Doug Kennedy | October 10, 2019

By Doug Kennedy For decades now, some hoteliers and many hotel tech providers have been pushing hotel guests to embrace self check-in procedures. I first heard of this concept as a budding young entrepreneur floating my business plan for a hotel industry training company to the top minds in lodging. The year was 1989 and my proposed company name was Check-Inn Training. I remember one industry icon in particular who, upon seeing the name on my binder, said “Bad idea young man.” He proceeded to hand me a copy of an article from what was then called Hotel & Motel Management, in which a headline read “Front Desk Staffs To Be Replaced...

How to Respond Properly to Online Hotel Reviews

Kacey Bradley | September 16, 2019

By Kacey Bradley In today’s digitally-inclined world, online reviews are a significant part of the hotel booking process. According to one study, more than 50% of travelers don’t want to book until they read reviews — typically between six and 12. They want first-hand accounts of a stay on your property, whether good or bad. The newer the feedback, the more helpful. You can’t prevent bad reviews — no matter how stellar your guest experience. What you can control is how you respond. The majority of travelers — 87% — say an appropriate response to a bad review improves their impression of the hotel. On the flip-side, a...

Hospitality Financial Leadership: Creating Agreements vs. Having Expectations

David Lund | September 10, 2019

There is a popular saying in American spurned on by the slogan for a doughnut and coffee chain, "America Runs on Dunkin’." In this piece I am going to write about another thing that our western culture runs on even more than coffee and doughnuts, and that’s expectations. And just like coffee, and especially doughnuts, expectations are really bad for you. You are probably thinking I am nuts even creating the title Creating Agreements vs. Having Expectations. It sounds kind of Pollyanna. But I want to encourage you to read on. This is my second article on this topic, and I am especially passionate about showing you the distinction betwee...

The De-Evolution of a Business

Shep Hyken | September 9, 2019

By Shep Hyken Not long ago I was with my friend, Nelson Griswold. He shared with me a phenomenon he referred to as the de-evolution of a business. It can mean the beginning of the end for a business, and it usually comes as a result of not listening to the company’s customers. This pattern mirrors one found in the entertainment business—the four stages of an actor. Let’s say our actor’s name is John Smith. Four questions and statements sum up what I’m talking about: At the unknown stage of his career, the question is: “Who is John Smith?” Once he is discovered and becomes a sensation, the director makes a request: ...

Tourism Tidbits: Dealing With the Media

Dr. Peter Tarlow | September 5, 2019

By Dr. Peter Tarlow Almost all tourism businesses, be they attractions, Convention and Visitor Bureaus (CVBs), regional or national tourism offices, or travel providers have to deal with the media. Tourism businesses and offices seek positive publicity or at times react to a news story. Often these news stories are negative and if not dealt with can do great harm to a particular tourism industry. We can hypothesize that a successful tourism industry or enterprise must stand on four legs, these being: (1) it must offer a good product, (2) it must provide good service, (3) it must have good publicity, and (4) it must offer...