Sales & Marketing USA & Canada Opinion Articles - Hospitality Net

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Opinion Article

July 20, 2010

Mastering Your Telephone Sales Mystery Shopping Program

With most hotels and call centers seeing an increase in inquiry calls as demand rebounds in markets, it is more important than ever for your frontline sales representatives to maximize their call conversions and total revenue sold vs. goal. Depending on the type of lodging operation or call center, and of course your targeted market segments, this might include group sales managers, reservations agents, or even front desk staff.

By Doug Kennedy, President of the Kennedy Training Network, Kennedy Training Network (KTN)

Opinion Article

July 19, 2010

Some Gulf Coast Beach Properties Still Sellout...

Many hotels around the Gulf Coast are watching their vacancies grow by the day due to the oil spill. And even if the oil isn’t nearby, the worry about where it’s going is impacting properties all the way from Louisiana to southwest Florida. Still, some of these beach properties have continued to sell out, and that’s not by accident.

Southwind Hospitality

Opinion Article

July 16, 2010

Data crunchers: Recovery chugs on

By all accounts during Tuesday’s ALIS Summer Update, things are looking up for the United States’ hotel industry. During the data-driven opening session, the news coming out of the industry was good: • “We’re seeing what I would describe as a moderate pace of recovery, but at least it’s a recovery,” said Arthur de Haast, global CEO of Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels. • “(The recovery) is better, quicker (than what had previously been thought),” said Mark Woodworth, executive VP with PKF Consulting. “It is all demand-driven.”

Opinion Article

July 14, 2010

IN-DEPTH: Interview with Ronnie Gurion, president, Orbitz Worldwide Distribution

The Orbitz Worldwide Distribution practice has developed a new method for delivering highly customised private label solutions to its customers. The online travel company is now able to build highly-scalable, fully-customised solutions, unlike legacy template based solutions – which take a rigid, one-size-fits-all approach, says Ronnie Gurion, president, Orbitz Worldwide Distribution.

By Ritesh Gupta, Reuters Events (former EyeforTravel)

Opinion Article

June 17, 2010

Let’s Go Shopping | Retail Operations Contribute To Income And Guest Service

Retail operations within the lodging industry vary greatly. In limited-service, select-service hotels, and extended-stay properties the retail operation frequently consists of a kiosk located next to the front desk that sells magazines, snacks, drinks, and microwavable food. In large convention and resort hotels, the retail offerings can cover tens of thousands of square feet of leased out newsstands, gift shops, florists, and clothing stores. For the most part, retail operations provide just a small contribution to the total income of a hotel. However, to a greater degree, they do contribute to guest satisfaction and the competitive position of a property.

By Robert Mandelbaum, Director of Research Information Services, CBRE Hotels

Opinion Article

June 15, 2010

Viewpoint: Hotels, Guests Shift to Behavioral eAdvertising

Imagine a highway billboard that automatically changes its message depending on the interests of each driver passing by. That magical process is happening online today through the latest advances in audience-targeting advertising technology.

Opinion Article

May 28, 2010

USTA program looks to kick start summer travel

The U.S Travel Association, in partnership with American Express, recently launched an ambitious, one-month pre-summer promotion called DailyGetaways.com to kick start consumer interest in travel. Hotel companies are active participants in the initiative—aiming to support the industry in general while generating incremental business for them. All money raised by the promotion is to be used by the USTA to support travel promotion.

The next-gen metrics that move hotel P&L

Hotel tech has changed what's possible – and measurable. RevPAR and ADR aren't enough; discover the metrics that really matter.

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Opinion Article

May 19, 2010

Let's Talk Tourism

Over the past decade, I have developed a passion for talking about travel and tourism. I like talking about places or destinations I’ve visited, destinations I’d like to visit, and even destinations that seem like no one would ever want to visit. But when I talk about travel and tourism, my perception of a destination is undoubtedly different from how most people perceive a destination and the experiences visitors might enjoy in the destination. I view tourism the way an architect might view a city’s skyline or the way a geologist might view the Grand Canyon – through a lens influenced by experience, education, and enlightenment.

Cayuga Hospitality Consultants

Opinion Article

May 18, 2010

Best Practices for Responding to Online Hotel Reviews, Part 2

It appears that hotels are finally waking up to the importance of monitoring and responding to online reviews. TripAdvisor reports a 203% increase in hotel responses to negative reviews last year. Unfortunately, this equates to a mere 4% response rate. As reviews become ubiquitous, playing an increasingly critical role in travel decisions, hoteliers can no longer afford to let complaints go unanswered. In the second installment of this two-part series, we share more tips for responding to negative online reviews.

By Daniel Craig, Founder & Chief Strategist, Reknown, Reknown Marketing

Opinion Article

May 18, 2010

Next Generation Hotel Revenue Management - Profit Management 3.0

Revenue management has been in the hospitality spotlight since the mid 1980's; a gift from American Airlines. American successfully created, what was then called yield management, in order to compete with the deeply discounted fares of People Express airlines. The problem was fairly simple; how can we offer lower rates, to be more competitive, without reducing our total revenue "yield"?

Hotel Marketing Coach

Opinion Article

May 11, 2010

OTAs remain in Choice’s crosshairs

The effects of online travel agencies on the hotel industry aren’t lost on executives at Choice Hotels International. After going through a prolonged and very public renegotiation of its contract with OTA giant Expedia late last year, Choice president and CEO Steve Joyce appears to be comfortable with the company’s decisions. During a media briefing last week during the company’s 52nd annual convention at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino, Joyce said the coming together of all facets of the company was the biggest lesson he learned during the negotiations with Expedia.

Opinion Article

April 29, 2010

West Paces has grand plans for Capella

He did it once and he wants to do it again. Horst Schulze, chairman and CEO of The West Paces Hotel Group LLC, who was instrumental in founding Ritz-Carlton and then overseeing its growth into one of the luxury powerhouses in the industry, is equally ambitious for Capella Hotels & Resorts, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based West Paces.

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Opinion Article

April 29, 2010

Segmentation yields dividends for revenue managers

Not all guests are created equal. In fact, almost none of them are. Travelers have their individual likes, dislikes and preferences, more and more of which are being used by revenue managers to maximize yield at thousands of hotels throughout the world.

Opinion Article

April 14, 2010

Hotel fees in Revenue Management

Airlines and hotels are the two pillars of the travel industry, and they share many characteristics. They are heavily consumer-focused industry segments, with more customer interactions than many other industries. They produce and sell two of the most perishable products in the history of economics: a seat on a flight and a night in a room, both of which ‘spoil’ immediately if not sold.

By Jean Francois Mourier, CEO of REVPAR GURU, RevPAR Guru Inc.

Opinion Article

April 13, 2010

It Takes Attitude, More Than An Economic Turnaround, For Hotels To Recover From The Recession

For many hotels, their recession has been over for quite some time now. These hoteliers realized that recovery from a bad economy is a matter of attitude, more than reality, and that it takes pro-activity to succeed in a bad economy. Determination, strong marketing, and hard work pulled these hotels back into the black, while other hoteliers are still waiting for something magical to happen with the economy.

Hotel Marketing Coach

Opinion Article

March 24, 2010

An Ultimate Customer Experience Challenge - Cruise Lines

The rest of us in Retail and the service industry have it easy. We say visit our shops, dine with us, spend a night, give us a call, enjoy a round of golf, try this on, watch your favorite team and so on. We have that moment to WOW, a specific short window to make the Experience memorable. We are oriented to the moment - orchestrate the one meal, present the goods, address a particular problem, conduct the tour, etc. We also have the chance to recover from a lapse – a lapse of attention, service, and credibility.

Hospitality Performance, Inc.

Opinion Article

March 23, 2010

Top Ten Channels Impacting A Hotelier’s Bottom Line in 2010 . . . And Leveraging Them Effectively!

For the lodging industry, 2009 was a challenging year, and forecasts indicate that the lodging industry recovery will be a slow and demanding process. The smart hotelier should keep a laser sharp focus on the channels that are driving maximum return on investment. The following are the top 10 promotion ideas, channels, and strategies that we recommend to hoteliers in the New Year.

By Benu Aggarwal, Founder and President, Milestone Inc.

Santa Clara, California, United States

Opinion Article

March 19, 2010

Economist: Worst is over, but still pain ahead

The festive nature of St. Patrick’s Day provided a perfect backdrop for economist Rajeev Dhawan on Wednesday during the opening session of the 22nd annual Hunter Hotel Investment Conference. “A simple fact of life is that all hangovers are lousy,” Dhawan said as he explained the current global financial situation to the hotel-industry executives in attendance.

Opinion Article

March 17, 2010

Hotel segments and the laws of economics

With an opportunity to examine hundreds of hotel markets and thousands of competitive sets since joining STR Analytics, I have observed that, to its detriment, the hotel industry operates somewhat counter to other sectors of the economy. During a severe economic recession, most industries find products that cater to the budget-conscious lose less or even increase demand relative to those that appeal to the luxury segment. But STR data indicates the opposite occurs in the hotel industry.

Opinion Article

March 12, 2010

Outrageous! The Cure for the Post Recession Blues!

It’s almost spring and there are green shoots sprouting in gardens and the economy! It’s time to shake off the deadly serious work attitudes we have adopted and be a little outrageous!