I was attending a guest at Le Mondrian when there was a knock. The guest was not dressed, so I opened the door to find myself eye-to-eye with another doctor. I recognized him as one of the new concierge physicians eager to serve hotels, including mine.
As asset management consultants, most of our work is typically operations-oriented with financial time horizons at, or under 12 months. Though short-term performance is critical, we must keep a vigilant eye on trends that will impact demand, room rates, and commensurate asset values over the long run: the next five years to as much as two decades. Hence, the impetus for this ongoing column is to explain how the concept of ‘longevity’ will come to progressively impact hotels and importantly, what you can do to grow revenues now.
She had a fourteen hour flight to Australia, explained a woman with a thick French accent. Unfortunately, she had thrown her back out again. Would I come and give something to relax her muscles for that long journey?
A service culture is one where customers are the foundation of the business. When customers receive exceptional services, they remain with a company longer; they will also be more open to sharing your business with friends and family. For instance, 7 out of 10 customers in the US will spend more with a company if it delivers outstanding services. In another textual analysis study of more than 1300 restaurant locations, 'service' was the most mentioned word. This shows that customers care a great deal about the customer experience and the service they receive.
The man who opened the door was past sixty, short, plump, balding, and tieless, wearing a rumpled suit which I suspected he’d put on to greet me. Across the room, wearing a bathrobe, a young woman sat on the bed, staring sullenly at the floor.
Signing up a hotel operator can be a daunting task to some, while others consider it almost trivial. We believe a careful evaluation is in order to find the best match.
The global sports tourism industry, as per Industry Reports valued at US$ 458.8 billion in 2019, is one of the fastest-growing segments in tourism, with a CAGR of 16.1% expected to reach US$ 1,803.7 billion by 2030. In 2019, the US alone recorded 180 million sports-related visitors, generating 69 million room nights for hotels. The sports tourism market, like all other tourism segments, took a hit due to the COVID-19-related restrictions on travel, with the segment’s value declining to US$ 323.42 billion in 2020. Having said that, unlike corporate meetings and other events, sports events cannot be hosted online.
“I’m coughing my head off. My head is plugged. I have a fever. I’m on vacation, and I need something.” I’ve seen over 4,000 guests with respiratory infections. To the average hotel doctor, this is an easy visit. He arrives, performs the traditional exam, prescribes the traditional antibiotic, and accepts his fee and the guest’s thanks. What’s not to like?
Like it or not, when a hotel’s next Quality Assurance Inspection rolls around, Employee Safety Device (ESD) compliance will now be part of the checklist if the property is managed or franchised by one of the 60 hotel companies that made a pledge to the AHLA’s 5-Star Promise initiative. That means if the hotel has not equipped certain associates with an emergency alert device or panic button platform by the time the brand inspector shows up, chances are likely it can FAIL.
As the world opens up amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, travelers have come to expect more frequent cleaning and disinfecting in the spaces they occupy - but it does not have to come at the expense of healthy indoor air quality.
The pandemic has accelerated the growth of the alternative accommodations segment, which is disrupting the Indian hotel sector. Tired of being locked up in their homes for months, several domestic leisure travelers took road trips to motorable destinations, preferring to stay at vacation rentals, villas, or homestays instead of hotels for their first vacation after the pandemic because they provided more privacy and a private bio-bubble.
A guest had a flight in a few hours, explained the front desk manager of the Marina Marriott. His wife was ill and needed a doctor’s note to reschedule. How fast could I get there?
The first thing any hotel owner must do in today’s environment is ensure preparation for this incredibly strong summer season that is ready to explode with business and overall growth.
I am often complimented on the success of our business, the creativity of the premise and the length of time we have been in business. I also often hear the likes of “I wish I would have thought of that,” which often makes me think of why a successful company, service, product, or brand goes out of business after five, 10, 20 or 30 years. What is the difference between success and failure? If five different people or companies are doing the same thing, why does one rise to the top?
Traditionally travel and events are seen as a positive way to maintain mental balance with stimulation from meeting people, seeing new places, and experiencing new things, all having a positive impact on our general well-being. Mountains of research suggests that regular social interaction is one of the strongest predictors of happiness. Add to that the potential for contemplative downtime when actually travelling, and improvements in handling time zone changes, a refreshing experience should await.
In recent years, the Indian hotel sector has seen soft brand launches by domestic and international chains operating in the country, with the shift toward the soft brand model gaining traction post the pandemic. Soft brands typically have more flexible development guidelines that allow independent hotels to join a larger chain while retaining their distinct design and features. The rise in travelers looking for authentic, unique, local experiences and willing to seek alternative lodging to obtain them has pushed hoteliers to respond to these changes by developing unique properties.
If you get sick in a local hotel, you might google “Los Angeles hotel doctor.” My name turns up but only with links to my blog. I don’t have a web site. Nor do my long-established competitors.
I have never denied being America’s most successful hotel doctor. No one has made as many visits (passing 18,000) or works at it exclusively. All others do it as a sideline.
“Bloating and nausea,” was the reply when I asked for the patient’s symptoms. Once I arrived at the Pasadena Hilton, I learned that, besides bloating and nausea, the guest was suffering hot and cold flashes, difficulty breathing, dizziness, and blurred vision.
At the end of a visit, a guest showed me her credit card. I wrote its number at the bottom of my medical record form. Seeing this, the guest frowned