Tag Archives: Hospitality

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “Reviews Increasingly Drive Booking Decisions”

The next step for the industry is taking those positive and negative reviews into account when setting rates. ratesreviews_featureMolinari said Las Vegas Sands isn’t quite there yet but noticed software developers are innovating in the space…Davis said she has developed her own metrics and is taking ratings and reviews into account when determining her price positioning, although she admits her process is a bit subjective and does not rely on a specific algorithm, such as a software program might.

Online reviews increasingly are affecting booking decisions, although not all traveler segments behave the same way, according to research and various industry sources.

Multiple studies recently have highlighted the importance of guest reviews and ratings in the booking funnel.

A study conducted by TrustYou and Donna Quadri-Felitti, clinical associate professor at New York University’s Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism, concluded that guest reviews have a significant impact on hotel conversion rates as well as the rates that travelers are willing to pay. Given equal prices, travelers are 3.9 times more likely to choose a hotel with higher review scores, the study showed. And when hotel prices are increased for hotels with better review scores, travelers are more likely to book the hotel with the higher score despite the higher rate.

For more: http://bit.ly/1wHkOuy

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Filed under Guest Issues, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Social Media, Technology

Hospitality Industry Social Media Update: “Modern Hospitality: Social Media With A Smile”

Change is not always a good thing, but for the hospitality industry, it has proven to be great! Those companies, who are adapting to social media and developing a strategic plan, are experiencing a return on investment. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Foursquare are among those mentioned as outlets used to: engage customers, handle requests and inquiries, offer direct promotions, and gauge customer experience. Check out the infographic presented by besthospitalitydegrees.com, to learn more about the impact of online reviews and mobile devices within the hospitality industry.

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For more: http://bit.ly/1o6Eqn4

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Filed under Guest Issues, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Social Media

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Don’t be Alarmed by That Robot Delivering a Toothbrush to Your Hotel Room”

“We think this is such a huge opportunity to deliver better service to our customer.Botlr-in-Hallway-lr  The mundane task of running a razor behind the scenes goes away, you’ll see our associates more because they’ll be more front and center than they’ve ever been,” McGuinness said. “This is by no means replacing the human element of hospitality.”

The situation usually plays out like this. You’re unpacking in a hotel room and realize you forgot something. Rather than trek to whatever store might be near, you call the front desk and ask for a razor, toothpaste or whatever you need. The hotel then sends someone up with the delivery.

Except for the Aloft Hotel in Cupertino, Calif, which will begin using an R2D2-esque robot for such trips. Fittingly, Aloft’s parent company, Starwood Hotels, tests the latest technology at the Silicon Valley hotel. Guests can enter their rooms with a smartphone app and bypass the traditional check-in process at the front desk.

For more: http://wapo.st/1o63HNa

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Filed under Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Technology

Hospitality Industry Guest Services Update: “Empowering Employees to Improve Guest Services”

“…By providing employees with the right tools, hotels can meet these needs while gaining customer loyalty. ‘By empowering employees with the right productivity and collaborative tools and using technology to collect, Image access and optimise data about individuals, hotels can not only strengthen their business model, but also provide an enhanced guest experience,’ concludes Jones…”

From the moment a guest enquires about a hotel, to the moment they leave the property, staff strive to offer patrons a seamless experience that differentiates their brand and fosters loyalty. In the past, this experience arose from the hotel’s ability to provide efficient and personalised interactions between guests and its staff.

But in today’s world, where mobile and online applications are increasingly replacing traditional face-to-face interactions, is it really possible for hospitality organisations to deliver a compelling personalised service?

For more: http://bit.ly/1uvktvU

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Filed under Guest Issues, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Technology

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: “Boone Hotel Executive Charged in Best Western Deaths “

“…Investigators have determined that carbon monoxide from the swimming pool water heater seeped up from a corroded exhaust pipe into the room, Imagekilling Daryl and Shirley Jenkins of Washington state in April and 11-year-old Jeffrey Williams of York County in June. Jeffrey’s mother, Jeannie, suffered serious injuries…”

“…“It doesn’t require evil intent,” said John Barylick, a lawyer in the Rhode Island case. ‘It just requires that you were stunningly careless.’…”

A business executive who managed the Best Western was indicted Wednesday on charges of involuntary manslaughter in the deaths last year of three hotel guests poisoned by carbon monoxide.A grand jury returned the three counts against Damon Mallatere, president of Appalachian Hospitality Management. The jury also indicted Mallatere on one additional count of assault inflicting serious bodily injury on another hotel guest who was poisoned.Police and prosecutors ended a news briefing without discussing the indictments, leaving many unanswered questions. Though Mallatere is the only person charged, an Observer investigation uncovered multiple missteps that contributed to the tragedies in the hotel’s Room 225.

For more: http://www.thestate.com/2014/01/08/3196549/boone-hotel-executive-charged.html

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Filed under Guest Issues, Liability, Maintenance, Pool And Spa, Risk Management