Sales & Marketing USA & Canada Opinion Articles

January 15, 2020

Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 225: Hotel History: The Grand Hotel, Point Clear, Alabama

The site on which The Grand Hotel sits today has seen two earlier hotels so named and the area surrounding the hotel and grounds has had a long and exciting history. It begins in 1847, when a Mr. Chamberlain built a rambling, 100-foot long, two-story hotel with lumber brought down from Mobile by sailboats. There were forty guest rooms and a shaded front gallery with outside stairs at each end.

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

Point Clear, Alabama, United States

Opinion Article

December 12, 2019

Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 223: Hotel History: The Wales Hotel (1902)

One of the most charming historic hotels in New York, the Wales Hotel is closing its doors in 2020. It opened in 1902 as the 92-room Hotel Chastaignery on 92nd Street and Madison Avenue in the neighborhood called Carnegie Hill. After four name changes over one hundred years it became the Hotel Wales in 2000. Its earlier names after Chastaignery were Hotel Bibo, Hotel Bon Ray, the Carnegie Hill Hotel and the Wales Hotel.

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

New York, United States

Opinion Article

November 19, 2019

What Happens When Government Per Diems Change?

Because federal government employees purchase a significant quantity of hotel rooms, the General Services Administration (GSA) has partnered with Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) compliant accommodations to provide federal travelers with per diem hotel room rates for select high-volume travel destinations in and outside of the Continental United States. These federal guidelines frequently serve to determine the hotel per diem allowances for state and local government travelers as well.

By Bram Gallagher and Aman Patel

United States

Opinion Article

November 12, 2019

Give Me Some Relief

We in hospitality have a critical directive - provide succor and comfort to an American guest landscape which is suffering. The marketplace is in arrears; it is tired, unappreciated, fractured and downright scared. The next twelve months will be instructive, no matter the political party. But, make no mistake, people are nervous and worn out already. What a great opportunity for hospitality professionals to show their stripes and dedication to the craft.

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

United States

Opinion Article

October 25, 2019

Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 221: Hotel History: Hotel Florence

Hotel History: Hotel Florence. The Hotel Florence is a former operating hotel located in the Pullman Historic District on the far south side of Chicago, Illinois. In 1880, the railroad pioneer George Pullman purchased a site of 3,500 acres near Lake Calumet on the Illinois Central Railroad. With demand exploding for his sleeping railroad cars. Pullman decided to build the largest factory to produce them and a company town to house his employees and their families.

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

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Opinion Article

October 4, 2019

Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 220: Hotel History: The Heathman Hotel

Hotel History: The Heathman Hotel - The original Heathman Hotel was built in 1926 one block from the current structure by George Heathman for $1 million. Because of the success of the original hotel, Heathman immediately started construction of a new 10-story concrete structure designed by the architectural firm of DeYoung and Raold. The New Heathman Hotel was designed in the Jacobean Revival style and was Portland’s largest construction project to that date.

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

Portland, Oregon, United States

Opinion Article

September 16, 2019

Modern-Day Travel Journey Changed By Marketing Automation – Forever!

The modern-day travel journey doesn't involve a short and predictable path to purchase. It commonly involves interactions with numerous digital touchpoints, each of which has the potential to sway a traveler's final choice of accommodation.

By John Smallwood

United States

Ad Be seen. Be trusted.

Why Hospitality Net Leads B2B in Hospitality

Learn what makes us the industry-leader in what we do.

Hospitality Net

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

September 16, 2019

Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 219: Hotel History: Josh Billings on Hotels One Hundred and Forty-Eight Years Ago

Josh Billings was the pen name of the 19th century American humorist Henry Wheeler Shaw (1818-1885). He was a famous humor writer and lecturer in the United States during the latter half of the 19th century. He is often compared to Mark Twain. Shaw was born in Lanesborough, Massachusetts. His father, Henry Shaw, served in the United States House of Representatives from 1817 and his grandfather, Samuel Shaw, also served in the Congress from 1808-1813.

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

United States

Opinion Article

August 16, 2019

Las Vegas: Reinventing the Sin in The City

Venture - or zip line - down the Vegas strip and behold the bustle surrounding its extravagant attractions. As the destination Las Vegas transcends its image of a gambler's paradise, casino resorts and hotels are having to reinvent themselves. EHL's Master in Global Hospitality Business students visit Las Vegas as a part of their cross-continent studies to delve into these local industry dynamics.

By Achim Schmitt and Samrah AlShawi

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Opinion Article

August 1, 2019

Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 217, Hotel History: Catskill Mountain Resort Hotels

Hotel History: Catskill Mountain Resort HotelsThis is the story of an area of 250 square miles, approximately an hour and a half drive northwest of New York City, which over the course of last century became a resort phenomenon unlike any other. The area had attracted tourists since the post-Civil War years because of its visual appeal and accessibility via two railroad lines, the Ontario & Western and the Ulster & Delaware. The new arrivals came up to the Catskill Mountains to settle, to farm, and to escape the unhealthy environment of urban tenement life.

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

Catskill Mountain, New York, United States

Opinion Article

July 12, 2019

Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 216: Hotel History: Ellsworth M. Statler

Hotel History: Ellsworth M. Statler. In 1950, the hotel industry named Ellsworth Milton Statler “Hotel Man of the Half Century”, even though he had been dead for 22 years. Statler’s impact on inn-keeping was so great, no one else even came close. While many considered Statler the premier hotel figure, he was not a typical executive. A plain, rugged man who started to work at the age of nine, he continued to wear twenty dollar suits and four dollar shoes even after he became successful, and resembled Will Rogers more than Rudolph Valentino.

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

United States

Opinion Article

July 2, 2019

Generation Z: What Do They Want from their Hotel Stay Experience?

"The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority, they show disrespect to their elders. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and are tyrants over their teachers." Attributed to Socrates in 470 BC, this popular quote sums up how humanity has felt about its younger generation since the beginning of time. Generation Z is no exception. Born between 1995 and 2010, these digital natives have become an important influence on people of all ages and incomes, according to a McKinsey report.In particular, they are changing the way we consume and relate to brands. This has far-reaching consequences for hospitality, making it essential for hotels to take notice of what Gen Z wants from a hotel stay experience—and to ensure they provide it.

By Court Williams, Chief Executive Officer of HVS Executive Search, HVS

United States

Opinion Article

June 26, 2019

Hotel News: At NYU Conference, It’s The Same Song, Just A Different Chord

If you're like me, then you live for the next hospitality industry conference. Am I right? A chance to catch up with friends, pontificate on the health of the space, pound coffee with reckless abandon, chow down on conference chicken, and stay out way too late carousing so that you look like an extra from "Night of the Living Dead" on the morning of the second conference day. Yeah, it's the best!

By David Eisen, Content Director, Media, Questex

New York, New York, United States

Opinion Article

June 25, 2019

Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 215: Hotel History: The TWA Hotel

On May 15, 2019, New York’s spectacular new TWA Hotel opened at John F. Kennedy International Airport. At a cost of more than $250 million, two new hotel wings containing 512 guestrooms were built behind the landmark Trans World Airlines Flight Center designed by famed architect, Eero Saarinen which first opened in 1962.

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

New York, New York, United States

Opinion Article

May 27, 2019

Pin pricks and …..crickets…..?

Have you had that work nightmare where you have to work the entire place by yourself and three busloads of guests just poured in? How about the one where you show up to work but you forgot to wear pants? Good gosh, that's a scary one. But what if, one day, you opened the door to your establishment and no one - not a single soul - walked in to spend money? Whether you're fully clothed or not, how does that feel? Worst nightmare ever!

By Matt Stolba, Restaurant Leader, Six Figure Waiter

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 22, 2019

Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 213: Hotel History: Sheraton’s Classic Advertising Campaigns

Hotel History: "Keyed-Up Executives Unwind at Sheraton". In 1965, the Sheraton Corporation of America, under the leadership of President Ernest Henderson, created a brilliant advertising campaign: “Keyed-up Executives Unwind at Sheraton”. It was broadly promoted all over the U.S. in print media, TV advertising and locally by individual Sheraton Hotels. Among my collection of Sheraton artifacts is a translucent plexiglass paperweight which has a small figure of a businessman with a wind-up key in his back which says “Keyed-Up Executives Unwind at Sheraton”.

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

United States

Opinion Article

May 15, 2019

Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 212: Hotel History: Hotel del Coronado, Coronado, California (1888)

Hotel History: Hotel del Coronado, Coronado, California*. The renowned Hotel del Coronado is a grand example of elegant Victorian architecture providing one of the most beautiful and popular beach resorts in the United States. The Del was conceived by two mid-western businessmen, Elisha Babcock, Jr. and Hampton L. Story who bought the entire undeveloped 4,100 acres on the peninsula of Coronado for $110,000. Babcock was a retired railroad executive from Evansville, Indiana and Story the owner of the Story & Clark Piano Company in Chicago.

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

Coronado, California, United States

Opinion Article

March 22, 2019

5 Things Local Businesses Need to Know About Google Reviews

It's no secret that reviews and ratings on Google are important for local businesses: for a while now they've been prominently featured across desktop and mobile search results, as well as on other Google products, such as Maps.

By Michael Del Gigante, Chief Executive Officer, MDG Advertising

United States

Opinion Article

January 17, 2019

The Digital Habits of US Hispanics: What Brands Need to Know

It's no secret that the US Hispanic market is increasingly vital to brands. Hispanics now account for 18% of the population, are the second-fastest growing ethnic group, and control more than $1.7 trillion in annual purchasing power.

By Michael Del Gigante, Chief Executive Officer, MDG Advertising

United States

Opinion Article

January 15, 2019

Fixing Las Vegas’ Millennial Problem

Last month I was an invited instructor for the Casino Resort Management course within the University of Houston's Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. This was one of many experiential courses offered by the college and gave me the opportunity to visit Las Vegas for five days, getting a behind-the-scenes look at high-roller suites, gaming floors, and high-tech security systems. While each casino resort had a different feel, and our hosts gave different insights, one problem was mentioned consistently across the properties: Millennials were not gaming at high levels and, although the casinos were trying, no one knew how to fix it.

By Tucker Johnson, Instructional Assistant Professor, University of Houston

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States