Sales & Marketing USA & Canada Opinion Articles

June 21, 2009

The Reunion Business Could Probably Use Some Hospitality Professionals

Talk about the ultimate Loyalty Program, “reuning” at your old school. I just returned from such an event, celebrating an untold date last century. Others have probably ventured out this month or last to similar events at high schools, colleges, universities, vocational and professional programs. I bet we all noticed the same thing – attendance had dwindled, yet the reunion event planning had gone full-tilt. You do not need a pareto analysis to appreciate that Reunions face a challenge, and that the historical approach to that special weekend must change.

By John Hendrie, Customer Experience Facilitator, Hospitality Performance, Inc.

United States

Opinion Article

June 18, 2009

Economy chains: interior versus exterior-corridor hotels

The merits of interior versus exterior-corridor properties have been debated among economy chain hotel operators for some time. Exterior-corridor hotels offer convenience, value and a more like-home atmosphere, their proponents argue. Interior-corridor operators stress their properties’ greater guest security, value and more up-to-date product offering. Both product configurations have unique advantages. Let’s look at some facts that can provide better insights to this discussion. On average, economy chain exterior-corridor hotels are significantly older than interior-corridor properties. Seventy percent of existing exterior-corridor hotel rooms are 20 years old or older; about 40 percent of interior-corridor hotel rooms fall into this age category. Only 6 percent of exterior-corridor supply is 10 years old or newer, while 25 percent of interior-corridor rooms are in this group.

CoStar

United States

Opinion Article

June 18, 2009

Four Fundamental Practices to Help Hotel Companies Weather the Current Downturn

Look back over the multiple downturns the hospitality industry has experienced in the past 15 years and you’ll recognize two over-reaching patterns. First, recession is cyclical. Second, recession in the hospitality industry acts like evolution cubed, except the companies that survive each downturn have a lot more than natural selection going for them. “This economy holds significant opportunities and long-term rewards for hotel companies that are savvy, well-capitalized and flexible enough to act swiftly when opportunities arise,” says Gerald P. Chase, president and chief operating officer of New Castle Hotels & Resorts, a hotel owner, developer and third-party manager that grew through the last two recessions and emerged from each stronger than before the downturns.

New Castle

United States

Opinion Article

June 17, 2009

As meetings bookings slow, understanding planners is crucial

Despite concerns about negative press coverage associated with meetings and bookings, the economic environment is the primary factor driving changes in meeting, booking and rebooking, according to a recent survey of 516 professional meeting planners throughout the U.S. “It’s clear as troubling as some of the press has been, the real culprit has been the economy,” said Peter Yesawich, chairman and CEO of Ypartnership, the research firm that conducted the study, during a virtual press conference last week.

HotelNewsNow

United States

Opinion Article

June 9, 2009

What is your definition of leadership?

In consulting for clients, in preparation for personalizing workshops and in evaluating topics for this regular column series, I regularly reflect on what the measures for success are. As an avid reader and an aficionado of history, I expand beyond my own career by examining the successes and failures of others to find knowledge. Hospitality (and almost every business in this now global economy) has evolved to a blend of high tech and high touch. Technology greatly facilitates research, marketing, distribution and communication. The people-skills side of business, however remains the fundamental center of all basics that pulls everything together.

By John Hogan, CHA CHMS CHE CHO

United States

Opinion Article

June 8, 2009

Writing online hotel reviews is gaining popularity

The role of user-generated reviews is exploding. Nearly 1 of 5 travelers say they read online guest reviews of hotels before booking, and about 1 in 10 travelers will write a review after their stay. The percentage of travelers who read reviews prior to booking a hotel has remained stable for the past year, but the number of persons who are writing reviews about their hotel stay is rising.

By Jonathan Barsky

United States

Opinion Article

June 5, 2009

The New ‘Tipping Points' in the Planners Decision Process - You May be Surprised!

The decision making ‘tipping points' for meeting and corporate travel planners have changed dramatically in relation to the recessionary economy. No longer are the perks of spas, golf courses, etc. a valued differentiator. Those perks are now a negative as incentive travel has diminished following the AIG effect. Meeting and travel planners are under intense pressure to demonstrate value for any off site meetings that they plan with defined business objectives and demonstrable results. They are trying to minimize the cost of travel to any meetings that they plan so those locations close to their office, airport hotels that minimize the need for rental cars and other ground transportation expenses have benefited from this trend.

United States

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Tambourine

Ad Guide

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.

Mews

Opinion Article

June 4, 2009

Why I Hate TripAdvisor - sometimes

If you are a regular reader of HospitalityMarketingBlog.com you know I’m a raving fan of TripAdvisor. With over 20 million reviews there’s hardly any guest who enters the door of a luxury hotel who hasn’t first read about the property on TripAdvisor. The TripAdvisor Home Page proudly boasts, “more than 15,000,000 travelers from 190 countries planned trips here this week.” A astonishing statement. Adding weight to this is word-of-mouth impact. Research shows consumers believe reviews read online almost as much as they do personal recommendations from friends and relatives.

United States

Opinion Article

May 29, 2009

Meeting planners and hotel suppliers: Let's be fair

First, some good news: Meeting planners appear to be booking again. Yes, there are definite signs of increased demand in inquiries and booking activity based on a recent cross-section survey I conducted with sales directors of group-driven resorts throughout the U.S. western region. Now for the bad news: A great many meeting planners are demanding heavily discounted room rates guaranteed for 2010, 2011 and beyond. I guess it depends on your perspective as to whether or not that represents bad news. While it might appear to be good news for meeting planners, I believe that in the long run it will end up as bad news for both.

By David Brudney, ISHC, David Brudney & Associates

United States

Opinion Article

May 27, 2009

Delivering Hospitality and Pride

Several months ago, I shared my definitions of the word HOSPITALITY in a column published in this service and asked readers to contribute their definitions. Reader input came in from many different people. There were definitions from people relatively new to the industry and from seasoned veterans. Some were individual operators and others who managed companies and multiple brands. There were educators and there were those who supported the industry. A sampling of the responses from a diversity of people and places were in a follow up column titled GLOBAL READER DEFINITIONS OF HOSPITALITY.

By John Hogan, CHA CHMS CHE CHO

United States

Opinion Article

May 22, 2009

Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 52

Did you ever notice that New York’s Essex House is the only building on Central Park South with a large neon sign on its roof? This roof-top sign preceded the current zoning rules and is, therefore, grandfathered. The 43-story hotel, now the Jumeirah Essex House was opened in 1931 and is owned by the royal family in Dubai. It recently completed a $90 million renovation that highlights its classic Art Deco design. The hotel was converted to a condominium by Marriott in 1974 and now consists of 515 guestrooms and 148 residential condominium apartments, of which 139 are privately owned.

By Stanley Turkel, CMHS, Hotel consultant, Stanley Turkel, MHS, ISHC

United States

Opinion Article

May 15, 2009

Destinations and Diseases

A Review of the Impact of SARS on the Canadian Lodging Market as a Model for Managing through the Swine Flu Scare. As of the writing of this article, the Swine Flu pandemic was only a few weeks old. Yet it is clear that this event is already having a significant impact on the travel industry. In the first days following the World Health Organization’s (WHO) identification of the virus on April 24th, many travel companies – including airlines, cruise companies and hotels – saw decreases in their share prices. And while the WHO has yet to issue any travel restrictions or advisories, some governments have issued statements advising that citizens not travel to affected areas.

HVS

Canada

Opinion Article

May 12, 2009

Riding Out The Rough Seas: Some New Ideas For Success

It's an undisputed fact that we are currently experiencing one of the grandest sea changes of this century - not only in the mindset of consumers, but also in the economic, social and cultural realities. Consumers are in the process of an identity shift, and this is the time to create new models and take advantage of new opportunities, which are there for the taking. The advent of neo-tribalism... What is this? Nationalism re-emerged back in the 20th Century, where each country trumpeted itself, and citizens saw themselves in patriotic terms. With the new millennium came globalization, the disappearance of borders, one world. Now, aided by the Internet, wireless technology, satellites and more recently, the breakdown of trust in governments and institutions (remember when "you can bank on it" meant a sure thing?), we are seeing the fragmentation of societies into smaller communities - neo-tribes.

By Karen Weiner Escalera

United States

Opinion Article

May 11, 2009

Starwood’s Reinvention: Sheraton and Four Points by Sheraton Hotels

ood Hotels & Resorts’ investments in their Sheraton and Four Points brands look to stabilize these hotels during the recession and pay dividends once demand rebounds. Over the last five years, Starwood has worked to convince owners and developers that its largest brand concentrations, Sheraton and Four Points by Sheraton, would benefit from an infusion of modern design attributes, product enhancements, and innovative business practices. These themes are unfolding from property to property across the brands, and the energy behind the movement is still strong even as a recessionary economy continues to take its toll on hotel performance around the nation.

HVS

United States

Ad Guide

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.

Mews

Opinion Article

May 11, 2009

How Important is Service? By Harry Nobles

In a word, VERY! A recent and extremely gratifying experience reiterates this point. Our client, a large and recently renovated hotel and conference center had twice failed to earn the AAA Four Diamond rating. On both occasions, the inspector had lauded the property’s outstanding physical facilities. On both occasions, inconsistent service delivery had denied the higher rating. We were retained to shop the property, identify the potential for a Four Diamond rating, and recommend a plan of action. Our evaluation confirmed that the physical facilities did support a higher rating. We also concluded that guest service delivery was the problem.

Nobles Hospitality Consulting

United States

Opinion Article

April 30, 2009

Stabilize your group pricing

Examining the performance of group and transient rates through February 2009, rate interplay significantly impacts future rates because groups normally are negotiated based on the prevailing transient rate at the time of negotiation. In a market with increasing rates, negotiation circles around the factor by which that rate is increased to establish the group rate in the future. The hotel and meeting planner assume the transient rate at the future date is much higher than the current transient rate. Given group rooms are booked in advance in bulk, the future group rate should be a bit lower than the future transient rate. So, taking the current transient rate as a starting point for group-rate discussions makes sense.

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

United States

Opinion Article

April 28, 2009

Website Content Management For Hotels…Boon or Boondoggle?

Imagine having the ability to change and update the content of your hotel's website on your own; change text, add information, that would be great. At the onset, it sounds terrific. No more waiting for your site developer to make the changes and additions you requested. You can maintain information on your site, right at the property level. Simply choose someone to type in the changes. No more calls or emails to your site developer to make additions and changes; that would be a boon to your website's production as well as save time and money, right? Wrong. For most hotels, it's actually chock-full of potential problems and pitfalls; a real boondoggle.

Hotel Marketing Coach

United States

Opinion Article

April 27, 2009

Manhattan’s Luxury and First-Class Hotel Market: A Ten-Year Review

By Jonathan B. Sebbane, Vice President, Roland de Milleret, Senior Vice President and Nicolas S. Graf, Ph.D., University of Houston. For most U.S. hotel markets, 2008 represented the first year of the recession; however, the Manhattan lodging market was able to weather the economic recession during the first nine months of the year, closing 2008 with moderate growth and remaining the top-performing market in the U.S. Despite its volatile nature, the Manhattan hotel market experienced growth in demand stronger than the increase in supply during the ten years from year-end 1998 to year-end 2008, allowing the market to aggressively push average rate and occupancy to levels well above those of the other Top U.S urban hotel markets and offering less downside risk and more upside potential.

HVS

New York, New York, United States

Opinion Article

April 24, 2009

The Time Is Now To Grasp Market Share... Yours For The Taking

Now is the time to expand your market share by initially telling your Customers that they are better than sliced bread. Those who love you need to be caressed with adulation, and they will tell others. This is a simple proposition here. The light at the end of the tunnel is flickering; it is no longer pitch dark. Pop those heads out of the bunkers, take inventory and take charge. Indications are everywhere that the upside of our economic slide is in sight, and those savvy Hospitality businesses must move from survival mode into full swing, prudently tempered, of course, accentuating your positives. Market share advantage is just waiting for you, plumb fruit for the pluckin’.

By John Hendrie, Customer Experience Facilitator, Hospitality Performance, Inc.

United States

Opinion Article

April 22, 2009

Glimmers of hope

It appears there are glimmers of hope the economy is possibly starting to respond to all the efforts to stabilize it, but we’re still a long way from an upturn. So what is happening? It’s almost all the Fed and TARP. The Fed has poured what amounts to a couple trillion dollars into direct efforts or back up support to the credit markets. To start with, there are zero interest rates from Fed funds to banks. There’s also a back up to commercial paper, which was critical to allow corporations to keep funding themselves; the buying of treasuries to bring down mortgage rates, which is fueling a massive refinance of home mortgages at under 5 percent; support for SBA loans; loans to the auto finance arms to allow new car loans; and a series of similar programs.

HotelNewsNow

United States

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