Sales & Marketing USA & Canada Opinion Articles - Hospitality Net

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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!

Opinion Article

March 10, 2010

Social Media | Niches = Riches

JULIE KEYSER-SQUIRES is the CEO of SOFTSCRIBE Inc., a digital marketing and PR firm in Atlanta. Here she looks at the social media scene and explains how to stay on the leading edge of these increasingly influential – and quick-changing – marketing tools.

Opinion Article

February 23, 2010

Electronic Marketing…The Great Hotel Equalizer

For many independent hotels, electronically generated sales are the only viable tools to compete with franchised hotels. Yet, there are still many independent hoteliers who think that volume electronic sales are out of reach, too costly or too complicated to implement.

Hotel Marketing Coach

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Opinion Article

February 23, 2010

Going with GOPPAR? | Not so fast, RevPAR is still the best metric for revenue managers

There has been a ripple of interest lately in a new metric for the hotel industry, GOPPAR. (If it seems strange that an obscure ratio can spark an industry-wide debate, then you should start hanging out at the accounting department water cooler more often.) Proponents of the measure, which computes gross operating profit per available room, argue that it is a more effective benchmark for a hotel’s overall fiscal health than RevPAR is, because it incorporates all operating costs.

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

Opinion Article

February 22, 2010

The “New Normal” in 2010: five trends to watch

Following the severe drop in demand that the industry has been living through for the past year, what should we be expecting in 2010? Is recovery around the corner – and if so, what shape will it take for the US hotel business? JAN D. FREITAG, Vice President of SMITH TRAVEL RESEARCH, describes the outlook.

By Jan Freitag, National Director, Hospitality Market Analytics, HotelNewsNow

Opinion Article

February 19, 2010

Down but not out | by Chip Conley

One of California’s most successful contributions to the hotel industry is JOIE DE VIVRE, a collection of 38 boutique properties throughout the Golden State. Founded in 1987 by CHIP CONLEY, a young man still in his mid-twenties, the company’s “brand personality has a lot in common with the California lifestyle experience,” in the words of Joie de Vivre’s Web site. So what is the impact on a company like this when the state itself falls on hard times? Chip tells us about his expectations for 2010 in the California hotel market.

Opinion Article

February 18, 2010

Here’s someone all hoteliers should meet

Even during a phone interview, Jim Loyd is in complete control. It’s nothing new for him to be a leader—after all, he spent 38 years in the public service sector, including stints as an EMT and a police officer. In his roles as evening manager, night auditor and director of security for Hotel Teatro, Loyd is a multitasker who has learned to expect the unexpected. Take the night of Tuesday, 26 January 2010, for example. That’s when Loyd saved the life of a Hotel Teatro guest in distress by practicing what he preaches at the downtown Denver luxury boutique hotel.

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Opinion Article

February 11, 2010

Demand Management: An Update*

In an article published in the Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management in 2007, (Vol. 6, 4-260-263), two faculty members from the Hotel School at Cornell, Assistant Professor Chris Anderson and Senior Lecturer Bill Carroll wrote a very insightful piece on the subject of demand management as it has emerged from its more traditional antecedents of revenue or yield management. What follows is a concise updated summary on that piece.

Cayuga Hospitality Consultants

Opinion Article

February 4, 2010

What to do when things go wrong in a hotel

People often corner me at social functions to tell me about a problem they’ve had in a hotel. It doesn’t matter if I’ve never worked for the hotel or the incident occurred seventeen years ago; apparently, it’s my duty to listen. Sometimes I get the impression they think I’m somehow to blame.

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

Opinion Article

February 3, 2010

What is more important than location in selecting a hotel? | Jonathan Barsky & Lenny Nash

Are location, location, location the three most important things that determine the success of a property? The purpose of a recent Market Metrix global study of the hotel industry was to analyze the reasons why guests select a particular hotel. The results of this study offer insight into the current behavior of hotel guests and the corresponding market opportunities.

By Jonathan Barsky, Clarabridge (former Market Metrix)

Opinion Article

February 2, 2010

Managing Hotel Revenue and Everything That Drives It

I wish hoteliers would stop thinking that lowering your rates will sell more rooms and increase room revenue. That tactic may sell a few more rooms, but it rarely sells enough rooms to offset lowered rates. It’s simple economics; simply selling more rooms increases expenses, while even slightly higher or flat rates increase profit. As occupancy demand increases, ADR should increase as well.

Hotel Marketing Coach

Opinion Article

February 1, 2010

Could Apps be the New Search?

If you are researching a trip to Italy, or want to learn about wines in the region or even just keep track of calories and new recipes while you're away,"there's an App for that." It is important to acknowledge that phrase has now become common vernacular among iphone users just as "Google It" has to the entire population. With a current user base of 1.5 million iphone users and 1.2 Million Ipod Touch users in Canada alone (Mobile Fringe), 2010 just may be your "app-ortunity" to launch a mobile marketing strategy.

A Couple of Chicks

Ontario, Canada

Opinion Article

January 25, 2010

ALIS through the looking glass - what to watch for

As we get ready for another ALIS conference, here are some interesting trends to watch for in the hallways and on the panels: 1.Attendance: The number of people sitting in the opening session is always a good indicator of how the industry feels about itself. Conference organizer Jim Burba is optimistic, and I always find it interesting to estimate the ratio of people in breakout session versus doing deals in the hallways. 2.Operators’ mood: While transient demand numbers seem to have stabilized, group demand is still wanting.

Opinion Article

January 25, 2010

The Evolution Of Best Practices In Hospitality And Tourism (part 1 Of 2) | Dr. John Hogan

Recognizing that future success in hospitality and tourism will come from different practices if the industry will continue to evolve and grow in the next generation. The hospitality industry in many ways has become a mature industry, with innovations primarily in the technology side. Tourism, by contrast, can continue to evolve as the next generations embrace the traditional venues, while seeking alternative locations and interests such as volunteer tourism, environmentally related sites and humanitarian causes.

By John Hogan, CHA CHMS CHE CHO, HoganHospitality.com

Opinion Article

January 22, 2010

Applying Five Tenets of Sales and Marketing in These Tough Times

We made it through the holidays celebrating responsibly—as those alcoholic beverage commercials remind us so well—but still with that dark cloud hanging overhead, that inescapable awareness that the industry’s tough times will no doubt carry over throughout 2010 and possibly beyond.

By David Brudney, ISHC, David Brudney & Associates

Opinion Article

January 21, 2010

Market share vs. profits - an oxymoron

Webster’s Dictionary defines “oxymoron” as “a combination of contradictory or incongruous words.” And recent comments by some industry experts suggest the following two statements are mutually exclusive: 1.Hotels are more worried about revenue than revenue per available room. 2.They are more concerned about market share than profits.