Hotel Business Review: Week of May 14, 2012

Gary Cardono
  • Performance-Based Programs: Do they work for hotels?
  • By Gary Cardono, Director of Hospitality Sales, Globe Union Group, Inc.

  • What are performance–based programs and what is right for your hotel? As we all know, utility costs – especially water – are rising faster than any other costs and most budgets already have built-in escalators of 5% - 10% to account for the predicted increase in utility rates. Following the method of performance contractors, hotel owners can now obtain loans based on the “value of future savings.” This strategy is gaining traction and is now being implemented with great regularity in the public sector. This article will look at the return for your hotel to implement a performance-based program.

Michelle Millar
  • Eco-Friendly Practices
  • Green Hotel Amenities on the Rise
  • By Michelle Millar, Assistant Professor Hospitality Management, University of San Francisco

  • As hotels continue to add green services and practices to their operations, hotels guests are taking note. In fact, more than ever, travelers consider themselves environmentally conscious and are seeking hotel products that meet their personal values about protecting the environment. A hotel that provides green services to guests is in line with those same values. Green services may include linen re-use practices, eco-friendly activities, or extensive recycling policies, to name a few. Another growing part of that equation, however, is green amenities in the guest bathroom. Green amenities are now on the top of many hotels’ green to-do list.

Leslie Glover
  • Spas, Health & Fitness
  • Hotel Spa: The Pros & Cons of Sub-Contracting Spa Operations
  • By Leslie Glover, Owner & CEO, Aspen Spa Management

  • To subcontract or to manage hotel spa operations in-house is a question that most hoteliers will ask themselves. Knowledgeable hoteliers realize that in order to be competitive their hotel must have a spa and offer spa services, but unfortunately many often look for the easy way out. For the most part, hoteliers do not fully understand spas or their management which in many cases leads to their choosing to subcontract. There are primarily two types of subcontracting for spas today. Both types will be identified and the positives and negatives outlined.

Cindy Woudenberg
  • Social Media & PR
  • Link Building is a Necessary Four Letter Word for Positioning on the Internet
  • By Cindy Woudenberg, Founder, LuCorp Marketing

  • Establishing a powerful online presence is a must for every business today, especially in the hotel industry. Developing even the most incredible website is not enough to generate or increase your business. Using a well thought out link building strategy can provide the necessary visibility for your site by providing more places for searchers to find your hotel property across the web, and boosting your search engine rankings so your prospective customers find you. Relevancy is the key to establishing a good link building strategy and establishing positioning in the Internet.

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Topic:

Hotel Newswire Top Pick

Engineering a New Lifestyle Hotel Brand: Defining its Identity, Enriching and Engaging its Customers
Tuckey Devlin, President, Hemingway Hotels & Resorts

Tuckley Devlin delves into the Hemingway Hotels & Resorts lifestyle concept, sharing the meaning of a name and establishing an identity in today’s landscape of launching a new brand. Tuckey Devlin is a seasoned real estate and business development professional with 25 years in the industry. He founded Hemingway Hotels & Resorts in 2011 with partner Matthew Weld, an attorney and visionary literary expert. The properties of Hemingway Hotels & Resorts will provide a travel adventure experience through a combination of unique accommodations, urban and outdoor activities, and a level of service consistent with luxury branded hotels. Read more.

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MAY: Hotel Wi-Fi : The Biggest Challenges

Peter Engel

In addition to enabling guests with fast and easy access to Wi-Fi, hoteliers are now using this same technology to improve how they provide other services to these same customers. Emerging wireless technology solutions can enable hotels to improve staff communication and operational efficiency, leading to a boost in overall guest satisfaction. Through enhancing Wi-Fi access points and providing wireless technology devices to associates, hotels can improve the check-in process, decrease the time it takes to respond to customer requests and reduce staffing requirements, while obtaining operational data for performance measurement and continuous improvement. READ MORE

Alan Lindquist

Hotels are overlooking the revenue opportunity of Wi-Fi. Yesterday's Wi-Fi was about minimum bandwidth for limited data devices. But today’s companies need to book employee groups into hotels with sufficient bandwidth as access to data is now mission-critical. Hotels have an opportunity to charge these guests for premium speed offerings for added revenue. Additionally, current technology allows hotels to scale their bandwidth up when needed. Fast data speeds provide hotels with a compelling reason for groups to book at their hotel, and these groups are willing to pay a premium for this premium speed. Wi-Fi – it’s the new revenue stream. READ MORE

Larry Mogelonsky

I recently stayed at one of Beverly Hills finest properties. Nothing could be finer. The service levels were exceptional and the décor flawless. At six hundred bucks a night for their standard type room (their lowest price), you would expect a high degree of perfection. So, what do you think the WiFi performance would be like? The answer: two-tier. Management’s approach in acquiescing to the free WiFi demand is to offer a low-level complimentary service and real WiFi at $19.95 per day. Certainly the free WiFI offered enough bandwidth to undertake text email, but any web site was rendered in slow motion. Upon reflection, I felt this compromise to be inconsistent with 5-star/5-diamond service level. If the true test of service is anticipating guest needs and ensuring that these needs are fulfilled, this stop-gap effort leaves a negative impression. READ MORE

David Heckaman

As you're reading this article Apple will have just released their 3rd generation of iPad tablets. This device will be offered, for the first time, with an option for mobile wireless utilizing 4G LTE service from the major North American cellular providers. The reason that this product release is so important is that it will be the first major product in a new wave of devices that may dramatically impact your ability to deliver the same level of service that the guest receives outside your building within the walls of your hotel. Later in 2012 the iPhone 5 will be released also with LTE and the impact will be hard to forecast. This is just the beginning... READ MORE

Coming Up In The June Online Hotel Business Review

"Hotel Business Review offers weekly articles for hotel management and operation and discussion on emerging growth markets."
Feature Focus
Hotel Sustainable Development: Principles and Best Practices
Sustainability is now a daily topic that affects every facet of hotel development and operations. As hotelier Hervé Houdré recently noted "The goal of Sustainable Development is clearly to secure economic development, social equity, and environmental protection. As much as they could work in harmony, these goals sometimes work against each other". In the June Hotel Business Review, some of the industry's most recognized sustainable development experts come together to identify emerging trends and discuss how sustainability is currently affecting the hotel industry. Each author presents the most important aspects of sustainable development of much interest to hotel owners, operators, investors and developers. We include perspectives and case studies on best practices from leading hotel groups and other industry players.
INSIGHTS FOR INDUSTRY LEADERS BY INDUSTRY LEADERS
"300,000 Rooms Complete, 15,700,000 to Go"
By Larry Mogelonsky, President and Founder, LMA Communications
"Destination Earth: A Customized Approach to Sustainability"
By Mark Hickey, Senior Vice President of U.S. Hotel Operations, Destination Hotels
"Why This New Standard is Going to change Hotel Energy Management Forever?"
By Robert Allender, Managing Director, Energy Resources Management
"How Two Major Hotel Companies are Turning Sustainability into Tangible Business Advantage"
By Christopher Wood, Director of Social Responsibility, ASAE Convene Green Alliance
PLUS: Green Certification - Development & Investment Outlook - Case Studies - Green Design – Sustainable Development Strategies - Green Luxury - CSR Programs - Green Facility Management