The Top 7 Pain Points in Hospitality Procurement and How to Overcome Them
Johannes Vocke | July 24, 2024
Navigating the Complex World of Conversational AI – Part 2
Travel Outlook, the premier hotel call center™ | July 16, 2024
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Maestro PMS Upcoming Users’ Conference Draws Record Attendance for Education Workshops, One-on-One Labs, Innovation Roadmap and Networking
Maestro PMS | August 8, 2019
Conference Theme “Building Tomorrow Together” Focuses on Centralized Data Mining, Mobile Operations, Digital Guest Journey; Maestro Gives Back Full Conference Fees for Training Services August 8, 2019 – Maestro announced its 2019 Users Conference will have record attendance and a stellar event lineup. This year’s conference, themed “Building Tomorrow Together,” features four days of education sessions, 1-on-1 training labs, the latest hotel software product and service innovation announcements, loads of networking opportunities at the all-inclusive events. It takes place August 19 – 22 at the Ritz Carlton Toronto, a world cl...
Applying the Art of Storytelling to How You Sell Rooms
Larry Mogelonsky | August 7, 2019
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Emotions underpin all travel purchases, so it's a given that to enhance sales you should seek out ways to elicit greater positive sentiments for your property. For this, consider deploying the storytelling technique of revealing specific details about your product, particularly for your guestrooms which, as your primary revenue source, need a personalization boost through how you depict their attributes. Specificity Is the Story Vague language doesn’t excite our imaginations. It doesn’t give us a morsel to latch on to and connect with past memories. In other words, it la...
RevPAR Jump Can’t Prevent GOPPAR Slip Across Europe
HotStats | August 7, 2019
In a clear example that revenue and profit aren’t always aligned, RevPAR at mainland European hotels attained a high for the year in June, but GOPPAR fell. Falling ancillary revenues and rising costs stymied gains made in rooms from flowing through to the bottom line, according to the latest data tracking full-service hotels from HotStats. At €158.82, RevPAR was a high for 2019 and also exceeded the previous peak of €157.09 from June 2018. The spike was led by a 1.4-percentage-point year-on-year increase in room occupancy to 82.5%, and was in spite of a 0.5% decline in achieved average room rate, which fell to €192.61. How...
Cendyn Announces Acquisition of The Rainmaker Group
Cendyn | August 1, 2019
Boca Raton, Florida, USA, Thursday, August 1, 2019 - Cendyn, the leading innovator in hotel CRM and hotel sales platforms for the hospitality industry, today announces the acquisition of The Rainmaker Group, a leading revenue and profit optimization platform for hotels, resorts and casinos. The acquisition of The Rainmaker Group’s integrated solutions will enable Cendyn to drive performance across all aspects of the hotel business. Aligning operations, marketing, sales, and now, revenue will provide hoteliers with the means to optimize their strategies and drive performance and loyalty across their businesses. As part of the acquisition,...
Why Select Service Hotels Are Coming to the City Center
JLL | July 29, 2019
July 29, 2019 -- It used to be that guests at every downtown hotel expected bell staff, a concierge, extensive meeting spaces and spacious rooms. But these days, guests are getting comfortable with a lot less. Select service hotels with fewer amenities and smaller rooms — once confined to suburbs, small towns and the areas surrounding airports — are growing in city centers. This industry sector has seen double-digit percentage change growth in terms of the number of rooms that exist in major U.S. markets from 2015 to 2019, according to JLL research. Hotel brands like Hilton Garden Inn, Tru by Hilton, Courtyard by Marriott and Hyatt ...
NexGen Hotels & Genuine Hospitality Break Ground on New TownePlace Suites by Marriott in Waukegan, Illinois
Genuine Hospitality LLC. | July 29, 2019
SAINT LOUIS, IL, July 29, 2019 – Chicago, IL based hotel developer, NexGen Hotels & St. Louis-based hotel operator, Genuine Hospitality, LLC announces the groundbreaking of a new 96-room TownePlace Suites by Marriott – Waukegan, IL. Located at 402 Lakehurst Rd. Waukegan, IL, the hotel is ideally located at the Southeast corner of I-94 and Route 120, 4-miles southwest of downtown Waukegan, IL. The TownePlace Suites by Marriott – Waukegan will open Q3, 2020 and will be operated by Genuine Hospitality, LLC. The TownePlace Suites by Marriott – Waukegan, IL will make the third Marriott asset within the 7-hotel Genuine Hospitality...
In Search of Performance Perfection
Larry Mogelonsky | July 24, 2019
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Can a hotel ever truly achieve flawless performance? And, if so, how would one measure this accomplishment? These questions were on my mind when I was invited as a guest for a quality assurance meeting held at the Boston Harbor Hotel (BHH) in mid-March. The purpose of this meeting is simple – to examine every aspect of the property’s product and service offering in pursuit of perfection. Being a Forbes Travel Guide five-star property borders on impossible. Think for a moment about your own hotel with hundreds of check-ins and check-outs daily, housekeeping, dining, pool, spa,...
Penn State School of Hospitality Management Receives $4 Million From Marriott Foundation
Penn State School of Hospitality Management | July 23, 2019
University Park, PA—In recognition of a $4 million gift by The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, University leaders have approved renaming the Oak Building in the Foundation’s honor. The Marriott Foundation’s commitment, part of a broader, ongoing fundraising effort to renovate the building and support future programing, is creating a dedicated space to encourage innovation and inclusion within Penn State’s School of Hospitality Management. The Penn State Board of Trustees approved naming The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation Building at its meeting on Friday, July 19. Renovations to The J. Willard and Alice S....
The Tipping Point for Innovations in Vacation Rental and Timeshare Technology
Karen O'Neill | July 22, 2019
By Karen O'Neill As Malcolm Gladwell points out, “Look at the world around you. It may seem like an immovable, implacable place. It is not. With the slightest push—in just the right place—it can be tipped.” This rings especially true for the vacation rental and timeshare market which simply isn’t what it used to be. With the emergence of the sharing economy came the subsequent digitization of rental processes and later, the creation of the original vacation rental listing site, VRBO, in the late 90s. Fast forward to today, and the digital rental marketplace is not only alive and well — but utterly transformed. Airbnb and Hom...
Hospitality Management: What Are Millennials Looking for in Their First Job?
Alexandra Marinova | July 18, 2019
What should millennials' ideal employer offer to attract them: more money, great reputation or a good working environment? A survey of graduating students from four Swiss hotel schools provides valuable insights. By Alexandra Marinova My thesis set out to answer these questions, based on a sample of 525 graduating students from four Swiss hotel management schools: EHL, Les Roches, Glion and SHL (Schweizerische Hotelfachschule Luzern). Specific emphasis was placed on the Employer Branding aspects which employers can offer in order to appeal to the young graduates. What is Employer Branding? This concept has been gaining popular...
8 Must Follow Rules for Perfect Hotel Wifi
Kacey Bradley | July 18, 2019
For many hotel guests, Wi-Fi is a necessary amenity. It allows people to stay connected while traveling the globe with devices like smartphones, watches, tablets and laptops. A 2016 survey revealed 40 percent of people think Wi-Fi is more important than sex, chocolate and alcohol. And 72 percent of people have made a hotel reservation based on the wireless internet experience. If you want to be known as the hotel with perfect Wi-Fi — the one that brings all the tech-savvy travelers through the front doors — follow the eight golden rules below. 1. Consider Your Guests A quick, reliable Wi-Fi network is done wholly for the guest experie...
Human Trafficking and the Hotel Industry: How to Combat This Crime Against Women
Dr Sowon Kim | July 17, 2019
Why hotels are vulnerable to human trafficking, how to identify the critical signs of trafficking and what can be done to prevent it? By Dr. Sowon Kim The EHL Women in Leadership (WIL) Expert Series had the privilege to welcome Prof. Dr. Maureen Brookes of the Oxford School of Hospitality Management (Oxford Brookes University) to share her expertise on the topic of human trafficking. Drawing on her research, which has been funded by the European Commission, she helped our audience to understand why hotels are vulnerable to human trafficking and how to identify the critical intervention points within hotels where signs of trafficking ca...
From Green Screens to The Cloud: Maestro PMS’ Continued Commitment to Innovation Powers Success for Independents for More Than 40 Years
Maestro PMS | July 16, 2019
Maestro’s Leading-Edge System Development and Expanding Support Services Provides Long-Term Investment Security for Today’s Hoteliers July 16, 2019 – When Maestro PMS started more than 40 years ago, hotel systems had green screens and ran on computers the size of chest freezers. Today Maestro operates from tablets and mobile devices that access information in the Cloud to support single properties and entire hotel groups. Maestro PMS continues to flourish as a trusted partner to the independent property operator and leverages the latest mobile and Cloud tech innovations in its hotel software systems to power both guests and staff wit...
Global Hospitality CEO Survey: What Trends Are Shaping the Hospitality and Leisure Industry?
Kimberly Yoong | July 16, 2019
Hospitality businesses must find ways to differentiate themselves to remain competitive against ever growing industry disruption, the PwC’s 22nd CEO Survey unveils. By Kimberly Yoong According to the 22nd Annual Global CEO Survey by PwC, the Hospitality and Leisure industry's success continues to rest on its ability to cater to individual consumers’ preferences and desires. As the 3,200 global CEOs interviewed for the survey put it: “People eat, sleep, play games, cement friendships and seek cures in hospitality facilities.” However, recent trends suggest that the industry has been losing that connection with their customers as...
Coast Hotels Selects IDeaS’ Automated Technology to Evolve Its Revenue Strategy
IDeaS | July 11, 2019
North American hotel chain chooses the industry’s leading revenue management solution to remove manual processes, provide greater connectivity and enhance overall efficiency Tweet This: @CoastHotels selects @IDeaS_RevOpt to enhance its revenue strategy and overall efficiency with IDeaS G3 RMS www.ideas.com/news MINNEAPOLIS—July 11, 2019—IDeaS announced today that after a thorough review of revenue management system (RMS) providers and products, Coast Hotels has selected them as its trusted technology partner and is implementing IDeaS G3 RMS at 20 of its Canadian properties. Coast Hotels’ selection process involved a full team o...
Rare Opportunity to Acquire an Inner Harbor Hotel
RealINSIGHT Marketplace | July 11, 2019
BALTIMORE—July 11th, 2019—RealINSIGHT Marketplace and Berkadia are pleased to offer the opportunity to acquire the Brookshire Suites Inner Harbor Hotel. This 97-room, full-service and recently renovated hotel offers 77 spacious one-bedroom suites and 20 studio suites. The sale will take place on RealINSIGHT Marketplace, the online commercial real estate sales platform, on July 29th – July 31st. This Property is in the desirable heart of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor neighborhood surrounded by billions of dollars of new development juxtaposed with the city’s historic district. This location also offers incredible walking access to seve...
Opportunity to Acquire Value-Add Hampton Inn Mobile
RealINSIGHT Marketplace | July 10, 2019
MOBILE, AL—July 10th, 2019—>RealINSIGHT Marketplace and Berkadia are pleased to offer the opportunity to acquire the Hampton Inn Mobile. This 80-room three-story midrise hotel is ideally located within ten miles of downtown Mobile. The auction will take place on RealINSIGHT Marketplace, an online commercial real estate sales platform, on July 30th – August 1st. This Property is ideally located off Interstate 10, the southernmost cross-country interstate highway which connects major cities such as, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Antonio, New Orleans, and Jacksonville. The Hampton Inn’s stellar historical performance demonstrates its s...
Are Social Influencers A Hotel Marketing Sham?
Larry Mogelonsky | July 10, 2019
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Miss Jane Doe has a hundred thousand followers on Instagram. She approaches your public relations or marketing manager looking for a full comp – a suite for three nights with her hubby/photographer in addition to all meals, some serious spa vouchers and transportation from the nearest airport. Boasting about her following, do you acquiesce and authorize this straightforward yet expensive, request? Sure, someone may argue that the room caused no displacement because it may have been midweek while the meal was merely food cost and so on. But there is a lot of staff time involved ...
OTO Development Appoints Leadership Team for Hyatt Centric Mountain View Opening July
Hyatt Centric Mountain View | July 2, 2019
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIF. (July 2, 2019) – Hyatt Centric Mountain View, slated to open mid-July, announces an executive leadership team with more than eight decades of combined hospitality experience. OTO Development, part of The Johnson Group, is developing and will manage the new hotel. Rich Higdon has been appointed as general manager of the 167-room lifestyle hotel in the heart of Silicon Valley and Keith Battaglia as director of sales. Bryan Showalter has been named executive chef of Fairchilds Public House, the hotel’s restaurant and bar. “It’s a privilege to bring the first Hyatt Centric hotel to Silicon Valley,” says Higdo...
Generation Z: What Do They Want From Their Hotel Stay Experience?
Court Williams | July 1, 2019
By Court Williams "The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority, they show disrespect to their elders. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and are tyrants over their teachers." Attributed to Socrates in 470 BC, this popular quote sums up how humanity has felt about its younger generation since the beginning of time. Generation Z is no exception. Born between 1995 and 2010, these digital natives have become an important influence on people of all ages and incomes, according to a McKinsey report...
Hotel News: At NYU Conference, It’s the Same Song, Just a Different Chord
David Eisen | July 1, 2019
By David Eisen If you’re like me, then you live for the next hospitality industry conference. Am I right? A chance to catch up with friends, pontificate on the health of the space, pound coffee with reckless abandon, chow down on conference chicken, and stay out way too late carousing so that you look like an extra from “Night of the Living Dead” on the morning of the second conference day. Yeah, it’s the best! In our industry, you could throw a ball blindfolded and hit a conference on practically any day of the week. Still, one of the more eagerly anticipated is the NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference h...
Why Historic Buildings Make Great Hotels
JLL Real Views | June 27, 2019
The UK’s rich history is a major draw for visitors – and the chance to stay in castles where former kings resided, or country homes fit for a Jane Austin novel, is the type of experience that resonates with many. Growing numbers of historic buildings in the UK are now enjoying a second life as high-end and mid-range hotels. Former mansion Cliveden House, near Windsor, was once home to royalty while Roch Castle, in Wales, has been given a boutique-style makeover and Solent Forts, near Portsmouth, offers an off-shore stay with a difference at former sea-based defences. For visitors, it’s all about the prestige of staying at a destin...
Hotel Industry Unites on New Campaign to Fight Human Trafficking
AHLA | June 26, 2019
AHLA President & CEO Chip Rogers is Joined by Dozens of Key Stakeholders and Industry Partners to Launch the No Room for Trafficking Campaign ‘No Room for Trafficking’ Aims to Train Every Employee in the Industry WASHINGTON (June 26, 2019) – The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) today launched a new national campaign to unite the industry around a single, comprehensive approach to fight human trafficking. The No Room for Trafficking campaign builds on the hotel industry’s long-standing legacy and commitment to combat human trafficking. Already each year, thousands of hotel employees are trained. With this campaign...
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 ...