Sales & Marketing USA & Canada Opinion Articles

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

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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

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

Opinion Article

September 25, 2018

Key Takeaways: AHLA & AAHOA’s – Legislative Action Summit 2018

This year's Legislative Action Summit (LAS), held every year by the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) and the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), took place September 12-13 in Washington, D.C. Year after year, this event brings together a strong showing of hotel owners, operators, developers, investors, managers, and employees, as well as experts in government affairs and others interested in the lodging industry. Hurricane Florence did not deter the many industry professionals from traveling to D.C. to meet with their congressional representatives on "The Hill." The event included remarks from the respective organizations' Presidents and CEOs, as well as briefings from political influencers and members of congress. A very approachable event, as the agenda is set to inform, educate, and guide all attendees, new and tenured, on how to effectively lobby Congress to discuss issues affecting the industry.

By Chelsey Leffet, Managing Director, Northeast Leader, HVS

United States

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All you need is one.

Some call it a website with a booking engine built in. Some call it a booking engine with a website built in. We call it One.

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Opinion Article

July 27, 2018

Every second counts: How using e-signatures can help you close a sale

As any salesperson will tell you, there's no substitute for good old-fashioned human interaction when it comes to making a sale.

By Joe Floyd, Founder & CEO, InsureSign

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Opinion Article

April 24, 2018

How to Create a Competitive Advantage with Guest Experience Management

The wide range of technologies that hotels rely on means there's now more data collected about guests than ever. From the time of booking to long after the guest has left the property, customer experience data is being gathered.

By Lindsay Sykes, Director of Marketing, Intouch Insight

United States

Opinion Article

March 29, 2018

Easter 2018: Top Ideas for Hoteliers to Celebrate the Spring in Style

Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus from the tomb on the third day after his crucifixion, this festival is celebrated differently across the Globe. In the United States, 80% of people celebrate Easter by distributing painted eggs and baskets of sweets. Kids in the United Kingdom go on hunts for the chocolate eggs that are left by Easter Bunny, while many central & eastern Europeans decorate painted eggs.

By Harvey Norman, Owner, HospitalityTechGuru

United States

Opinion Article

March 22, 2018

3 Things Keeping Hoteliers Up at Night

From the CEO of a large chain to the owner of a smaller independent property, today's hoteliers are confronted with common, pressing issues. Here are three things keeping hoteliers up at night.

By Keith Clark

Scottsdale, Arizona, United States

Opinion Article

January 24, 2018

Data, Data Everywhere

Albert Einstein once said, "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." While that revelation may not be new, it applies to hospitality's data landscape now more than ever before. Why? Because we are drowning in data. And with powerful, complex data sitting within reach, it's hard to know what to identify, what to simplify, and what to apply. With modern day business intelligence (BI) software, every guest or traveler behavior is constantly recorded. How can hotels analyze, act, and add value to their service offering by understanding it well enough? The question is, which data really matters – and how do we act upon it?

By Glenn Wirick

Scottsdale, Arizona, United States

Opinion Article

November 20, 2017

Shifts In Revenue and Expenses Improve Hotel Food And Beverage Profits

Consumer dining trends tend to be more volatile than lodging trends. Recognizing this, hotel managers have made some significant changes in the way they offer food and beverage service to their guests. The traditional three-meal, all-purpose restaurants and room service are disappearing. Taking their place are self-service kiosks and grab-and-go concepts that provide quick-service for in-house guests. These changes help explain recent changes in hotel food and beverage department revenues, expenses, and profits.

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

United States