People who have been fully vaccinated against coronavirus -- right now that means with two doses of either the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine -- can skip quarantine if they are exposed to someone infected with the virus, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.
"We're at 501 West Olympic," explained my caller. "Come up to the seventeenth floor."
The final U.S. lodging industry numbers for 2020 came out and RevPAR literally finished at half of where it finished in 2019—that's right, half! Occupancy was 66.1% at $131.17 average rate and RevPAR of $86.76. 2020 finished at 42% at a rate of $103.00, RevPAR was $43.26. The impact to the bottom line is easy to see in our bank accounts as breakeven has always been thought to be close to 60% occupancy but many forget the importance of rate to that equation.
A guest wanted a doctor who spoke French. "I don't speak French, and it's midnight," I pointed out. "You won't find a bilingual doctor to make a housecall at this hour."
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world's largest hotel franchising company with approximately 9,000 hotels across 90 countries, today announced plans for further growth with seven new hotel franchise agreements for its namesake, upscale, Wyndham® brand in the U.S. The hotels are owned by national hotel development company, The Thrash Group, and managed by Charlestowne Hotels. The properties include The Thrash Group's Origin Hotel Collection, consisting of five lifestyle hotels as well as one historic hotel and a brand new construction hotel all of which will operate under the Wyndham umbrella.
The phone rang at 5 a.m. but I am an early riser. April Travel Insurance told me of a lady with a cough at the Residence Inn in Manhattan Beach. Vacationers hate to get sick, so even a bad cold produces wee-hour calls.
Several times per year, a hotel guest suffers a bloody nose. I don't make housecalls for nosebleeds because there's nothing I can do. Treatment is to pinch the nose, releasing pressure every five minutes to check if bleeding has stopped. I tell guests to repeat until they get bored. If bleeding persists, the next step is cautery or nasal packing, both of which require expertise.
The HVS U.S. Hotel Franchise Fee Guide provides a comparative review of various hotel franchises based on their applicable franchise fees. The selection of an appropriate franchise affiliation affects a property's ability to compete in its local market, generate profits, and achieve a distinguished image and market orientation. Because the success of a hotel is based primarily on the cash flow generated, owners and lenders must weigh the benefits of a brand affiliation against the total cost of such a commitment.
"My flight leaves tonight" is a phrase I like to hear because it means the guest will return to the care of the family doctor. Until then he or she is my responsibility. Now and then, I don't like to hear it.
Walt Meyer is afraid of getting sick when he travels. Too many people aren't taking COVID-19 seriously, he says.
Aimbridge Hospitality, the leading, global, third-party hotel management company, announced it has added 25 Extended Stay America properties to its growing portfolio. With the addition of these new properties, all situated in prime locations throughout Texas and the Midwestern region, Aimbridge has become the largest third-party manager of Extended Stay America hotels.
The phone rang at 3:30 a.m. An airline pilot at the Costa Mesa Hilton needed a doctor, explained the caller. Could I go?
Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) has awarded franchise agreements to Gulf Coast Hotel Management, Inc. to convert 15 MainStay Suites hotels in major markets across the U.S., the largest multi-unit transaction in the brand's history. These properties, which have already begun welcoming guests, significantly increase the brand's foothold in the midscale extended stay segment.
2020 was a bizarre year, to say the least. We rode the waves of a pandemic, a U.S. presidential election, protests, wildfires, social change marches, travel bans, and more. And while it's easy to remember all the hardships that came with 2020 (and the noticeable lack of travel), the past year was also full of truly good news.
I hear this now and then when a guest learns my fee, more often in the form of a hint ("I'll talk to my husband and call you back…").
This column gives the impression that I'm a skilled, caring physician.
Only half my callers require one. I'm happy to phone a pharmacy when guests forget legitimate medication: blood pressure pills, heart pills, contraceptives, etc. I don't do this for guests who tell me "I had the same thing last year, and my doctor prescribed……".
"A guest at the Century Plaza wants his Adderall refilled. Can you go?" asked someone from the office of a local concierge doctor.
The coronavirus will fundamentally alter the way people travel for and conduct business, even after the pandemic is over, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said Tuesday.
People often ask what sort of contract I had with hotels. The answer is none. Staff called because I was easy to reach and quick to respond. Once they called a few times, they were not inclined to change.