Tag Archives: Lodging Magazine

by | October 8, 2014 · 9:22 am

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “How Much Guest Data Do You Have a Right to Use?”

Pillsbury does his best to makes sure the question of data ownership is ambiguous in his contracts, Bosworth says.big data “It’s left as a, ‘Let’s leave it so that the contract is unclear on this point.’” That’s not a bad way to go. “There’s a strong motivation for the parties to play nice together,” Bennett says. “Because if a big fight breaks out over who owns the data, the answer is going to come down to, ‘None of you own this data. This is the data of the individual.’”

Using big data to gain insights about hotel guests is a relatively new development in the lodging industry. When done right, it can provide actionable intel to hoteliers that can boost room rates and drive more business to loyalty programs and marketing campaigns. And there are plenty of tech outfits stepping up to lend their expertise to hotels. “We have 18 companies now that we’ve invested in through Thayer Ventures, our venture capital arm, all in the hospitality travel technology space,” says Lee Pillsbury, co-chairman and chief executive officer of Thayer Lodging Group. “One is able to analyze the number of airline passengers overnighting in New York City in any date in the future.” If there’s a huge snowstorm coming to New York, Pillsbury says, the company will take into account the weather forecast and the 600 flights that will be canceled and determine the number of people who will now be staying overnight in Las Vegas as a result.

For more: http://bit.ly/1rX5JUQ

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by | September 17, 2014 · 9:24 am

Hospitality Industry Maintenance Update: “Focusing on Acoustics Can Improve Guests’ Comfort”

Even with thicker walls, pathways through which sound escapes can defeat construction. Unsealed recessed electrical outlets are a common example.guest accoustics “I know a hotel with walls constructed to STC-60, but they performed at only STC-42 because the outlets weren’t sealed,” Battaglia says. “Yet, the ‘fix’ was simple. Preformed acoustic seals were installed by the maintenance crew between guests. The results were nothing short of remarkable.”

Your guests’ ears never rest, not even when they’re sleeping. Throughout the night, guests are likely to hear off-and-on HVAC systems, TVs in adjacent rooms, and luggage carts in hallways.

“When humans were still sleeping in caves, we needed to hear twigs snap when predators approached,” explains Jeff Loether, founder of Electro-Media Design, which provides acoustical and audio visual guidance for various hotel flags in the United States and overseas. “When man moved from caves to hotel rooms, he brought his hearing acuity with him.” And while hungry predators are no longer a problem, sounds that go bump in the night are.

For more: http://bit.ly/ZpV7UT

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by | September 8, 2014 · 9:01 am

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “Hotel Loyalty Programs: No Longer Just About Building up Points, Status”

“Turning casual visitors into active loyalists may be easier said than done, as travelers expect services traditionally considered perks to now be a standard part of the hotel experience.Loyalty Program For example, the study revealed that for frequent traveling millennials, free WiFi ranked with cleanliness and comfort as a top three hotel attribute—not a perk, but as an expected basic.”

Two-thirds (66 percent) of millennial high-frequency travelers rate “unique rewards” as an important factor when choosing a hotel loyalty program, compared with just 43 percent of their older counterparts, according to a new Deloitte study, Winning the Race for Guest Loyalty.

“Our study indicates that customers will wait and see which program will provide them with the greatest rewards before they start to behave loyally, but they will not wait for too long,” said Guy Langford, vice chairman, Deloitte LLP and U.S. Travel, Hospitality and Leisure practice leader. “The race is on for brands to provide swift gratification, particularly for the savvy millennial travelers, who are quick to share their positive experiences or broadcast their discontent over their social networks, and who are acutely aware of the rewards that come to loyal customers. As such, the brand that locks in the customer’s loyalty first and wins that race is the brand that wins that customer, and potentially their loyalty, for life.”

For more: http://bit.ly/1qwWBY5

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by | September 4, 2014 · 9:14 am

Hospitality Industry Risk Update: “Carbon Monoxide: Protecting Your Guests, Safeguarding Your Property”

Equipment options run from simple alarms to more complex system-style detection, said Byron Briese, SVP of Rolf Jensen & Associates.Carbon-Monoxide-620x330 The simplest arrangement is single- or multiple-station alarms, which include battery-operated, plug-in, and hardwired with battery backup, or combination smoke alarm/CO, which have become a lot more popular in the last few years.

While carbon monoxide poisoning at hotels is extremely rare, hotel owners and operators should practice regular maintenance and checks on equipment and systems to ensure the highest standards of guest and employee safety. During the AH&LA webinar “Carbon Monoxide: Protecting Your Guests, Safeguarding Your Property” last Thursday, experts discussed new code requirements that impact hotels, as well as tips for installing CO alarms and detectors and implementing a response plan.

For more: http://bit.ly/1waR5ux

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by | August 1, 2014 · 8:38 am

Hospitality Industry Risk Update: “Taking Steps to Help Prevent Suicides in Hotels”

“…Whether for the purpose of industry excellence or humanitarian interest, properties must sharpen their skills at preventing and dealing with tragic events on site.Suicide In the end, it is not only a hallmark of good business and an assurance for optimum guest experience but also a strategy for preserving the most precious of commodities—life…”

On July 20, 1995, comic book writer George Caragonne checked into the Marriott Marquis in New York City intent on taking his own life. The despondent comic book writer asked a bellman if the Marquis was the highest building in the area. Assured that it was, he rode a glass elevator to the 45th floor and walked onto an atrium balcony. As he hoisted his leg over the railing, a housekeeper frantically called to him, “Get off of there!” He did.

Reports say Caragonne fell 500 feet before hitting a glass elevator shaft and landing at the base. The New York Daily News estimated Caragonne’s body traveled at 100 mph before it made landing. The report gave credit to a bellman who efficiently ushered guests away from the scene and to staffers who quickly used blankets to block the grizzly sight. “They handled this pretty professionally,” one bystander was quoted as saying.

Motels and hotels—from modest rooms to the most luxurious suites—are among the “lethal locations” described by suicide researcher Steven Stack, Ph.D., of Wayne State University, Detroit. “Lethal locations include any place, such as a hotel room, where there is no one around—like a loved one—to intervene and stop a suicide,” he explains. Even a resort full of vacationers, a high-rise bustling with business travelers, or a motel filled with weekend holiday-makers does not discourage a deadly sense of despair hidden behind a single locked door.

For more: http://bit.ly/1zDi8k7

 

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by | July 25, 2014 · 9:00 am

Hospitality Industry Security Update: “How Best to Battle Against Cybercriminals”

“…As part of the plan, properties should be aware of laws pertaining to data breach disclosure,CyberCriminal-620x330 educate staff on protocols, contact law enforcement to see who would have jurisdiction in the case of a breach, and put outside data monitoring and incident response teams on retainer…”

Hotels, the bad guys have their beady eyes on you.

“The more credit cards you have, the more interesting you are to someone,” says Suzanne Widup, senior analyst with Verizon’s RISK team. “You have data that they want.”

The hotel industry has a big target on its back, agrees Chris Pogue, director at Trustwave, an information security technology and services company, specifically because property management systems, food and beverage, and retail all reside under one roof and a central integration server consolidates all this customer data.

For more: http://bit.ly/Uy6szg

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by | July 2, 2014 · 8:28 am

Hospitality Industry Financial Update: “The New ABCs of Hotel Financing”

“…Dual branding is a mechanism that’s gaining steam and attractive to lenders.ABCs By placing two brands in one building, you’re maximizing efficiency in a number of ways: increasing the number of rooms on the land parcel; sharing a common lobby, public areas, and housekeeping staff; and employing one general manager and one salesperson…”

The fundamentals of hotel investing have never been better, and opportunities abound for getting deals done. The current funding landscape isn’t as crazy as the Wild West days of 2007, but a rebounding economy and rosy RevPAR optimism, coupled with new financing schools of thought and plenty of competition, mean opportunities are out there for buying, selling, and refinancing properties. This quick primer from hotel financing insiders tells you what’s really working now.

For more: http://bit.ly/1qy3IzU

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by | June 20, 2014 · 9:30 am

Hospitality Industry Health Update: “Food and Water Quality an Ongoing Challenge for Hotels”

“…While a wide variation of food and water quality practices exists from country to country,water it’s a misconception that safety concerns are limited to poor areas in developing regions. Many germs have no boundaries, so the NSF StaySafer program will play an important role in establishing a universal set of standards that can be used as a benchmark and complement local requirements…”

From the buffet salad bar greens to the ice clinking in drinks served poolside, hotel administrators are finding that protecting guests from food and water illness outbreaks is a continuous challenge.

It’s also a necessary undertaking to demonstrate the hotel’s commitment to its patrons’ well being. Travelers won’t soon forget the awful stomach cramps if they experience a sickness during their stay, and such episodes can cause nearly irreversible damages to a hotel’s reputation.

For more: http://bit.ly/1kVhmFd

For a brief video on some of the steps you can take to help prevent Norovirus outbreak at your hotel, check out the video below:

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/98741016 w=500&h=281]

Petra Risk Solutions’ Loss Control Manager, Matt Karp, offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Report – ‘Preventing Norovirus at Your Property’. 

P3 ( Petra Plus Process) is the Risk Management Division of Petra Risk Solutions – America ’s largest independent insurance brokerage devoted exclusively to the hospitality marketplace.

For more information on Petra and P3 visit petrarisksolutions.com or call 800.466.8951.

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by | June 16, 2014 · 9:50 am

Hospitality Industry Restaurant Update: “The Main Ingredients for a Successful Hotel Restaurant”

For many hotels, especially in the boutique and lifestyle segments, restaurants are a calling card, Morgan explained.hotel restaurant To help chefs gain notoriety, especially a local following, it’s important to invest in marketing and PR efforts as well. ‘The hard part when you’re underwriting a restaurant is to say how important marketing and PR is, because most people look at that as a money pit,’ Morgan said. ‘But if you do it right, and you’re using the right resources or firms, it can be very successful’…”

Restaurants play a bigger role than ever before in boutique and lifestyle hotels. And with the right concept, owners can make a healthy profit, said a panel of food and beverage experts at the Boutique Hotel Investment Conference in Manhattan last week, presented by the Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association.

“Today more than ever, eating is a lifestyle, so people want to go to hotels where they know they have a good restaurant, good chefs, and it’s a full experience,” said Richard Sandoval, chef and owner of Richard Sandoval Restaurants, which has about 30 self-operated restaurants around the world and 10 hotel concept developments.

For more: http://bit.ly/1pB8wUH

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by | June 10, 2014 · 8:30 am

Hospitality Industry Safety Update: “Hyper-Vigilance Helps to Keep Guests Safe”

“…If an incident does occur, whether it’s an act of violence or a minor theft,safety responsibility rests with lodging management to respond immediately, Chartier says. That may mean correcting the physical surroundings, barricading an area, having appropriate security personnel respond, or calling the authorities. Situations will be further complicated once an incident spreads via social media or a news crew shows up…”

The autopsy photos still haunt Norm Bates, Esq. “She was stabbed 96 times,” says Bates, president of Liability Consultants Inc., in Bolton, Mass. “I’ve done hundreds of murder cases, but this was the worst one I’ve ever seen.”

Roughly a year prior to the October 2007 murder of 21-year-old Layla Banks, the former Stamford Sheraton Hotel in Connecticut had cut the property’s security staff of 10 to one as a cost-saving measure, says Bates, who served as a security and liability expert for the Banks family in the case against the hotel. The security office became a storeroom, and the director of engineering doubled as the director of security, a position that he was “incompetent” to serve.

For more: http://bit.ly/1ki7zc2

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