March 2012

It was late August of 2010. The hotel industry was still mired in a tremendous slump, trying to shake off the tumultuous economic times of 2009. But on one day, Omni Hotels & Resorts made a bang in industry news cycles with not one, but two significant announcements. On the acquisition side, Omni came out of a competitive bidding process to take over the renowned Amelia Island Plantation off the coast of Northern Florida. The property was in bankruptcy and Om

With all the excitement that spring brings—warmer weather, outdoor activities, more traffic—what excites hoteliers the most this time of year is the added revenue potential that spring travelers bring. Weary from the winter’s “cabin fever,” travelers make spring and summer one of the busiest times of year. But even with spring fever in high gear some hoteliers are still missing the mark when it comes to mobile strategy. Well here’s a bit of spring cleaning advice to get your h...

How’s your balance sheet? At 24th Annual Hunter Hotel Investment Conference at the Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, Ga., many of the executives, financial professionals, and owners were asking that question when discussing the state of financing in the current market. While some lenders, such as GE Capital, Wells Fargo, and Fidelity, are jumping back into the hotel game, executives from the lenders talked extensively about a good balance sheet and sponsorship as “must haves” for f...

The importance of social media to the travel industry is a well-known fact by now. Just as you thought you had everything under control on the social media front, Facebook unleashed a new format for brand pages last month called Timeline and brands everywhere are working hard to mak...

LEED certification isn’t only about doing enough to gain points to be able to market a hotel as environmentally friendly. In fact, the first letter of the acronym says it all—leadership. That’s something the Shore Hotel in Santa Monica, Calif., took to heart when it opened this past October, and Steve Farzam, chief operating officer of the hotel, believes it is setting a benchmark for energy efficiency. “We are the only new build LEED ...

General Manager Joe Kurth says the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee had it all: a prime downtown location, a strong local following, a rooftop bar with views of Lake Michigan, a reputation for catering memorable galas and elegant weddings. But one thing was missing. “What it didn’t have was a great cup of coffee to go,” Kurth says. The property’s Café Pfister catered to the breakfast and lunch crowds, attracting 60 percent local to 40 percent hotel guest b...

From 2008 and 2009, the average U.S. hotel suffered a 13.2 percent decline in occupancy along with a 5.9 percent drop in average daily rate (ADR). During this period, hotel managers were challenged to find tactics that maximized revenue for their hotels. On the sales side, adjusting room rates and experimenting with distribution channels garnered the most attention. However, back in the accounting offices of U.S. hotels, decisions had to be made regarding the offering of credit to potential guests. More...

In his blog “Inn-Sane” last summer, Trevor Warner, president of Warner Consulting Group, said about DirecTV’s newest offering to hotels, “DirecTV is introducing the ‘home experience,’ which may change everything from technology to decision-making moving forward.” (Full disclosure: Warner’s blog is part of the LodgingMagazine.com community of blogs.) That was shortly after the satellite content provider announced the launch of its “Residential Experience,” a content system for hotels that allows them to offe...

Christian Hempell, vice president of new business development and delivery for IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), was having a busy day earlier this week, but one that he was thoroughly enjoying. “I have a really good time telling the story about EVEN Hotels,” he told Lodging on Tuesday afternoon via telephone from Las Vegas, Nev. Just hours earlier, IHG created a buzz in the lodging industry with the announcement of its newest brand, which the company believes will fill a v...

Editor’s Note: This is the seventh in a 15-part series (appearing on LodgingMagazine.com each Monday) examining the performance of various markets in the United States. The following is courtesy of Deloitte’s “Hospitality Vision US Performance Review.” According to Smith Travel Research (STR), tourism is up slightly (but still virtually flat) in Atlanta. For the first 11 months of 2011, revPAR increased slightly (3.0 percent) and occupancy expa...

The hospitality industry in Chicago continues to emerge from the recession; in fact, economic indicators and industry data appear to suggest continual, albeit mild, improvement in the market.STR metrics show that occupancy for the year-to-date through November was 65.7 percent, compared with 63.2 percent for the same period in 2010. RevPAR for the first 11 months of the year increased a modest 8.9 percent to $78.24. Tourism has always been important to Chicago’s e...

Editor’s Note: This is the eighth in a 15-part series (appearing on LodgingMagazine.com each Monday) examining the performance of various markets in the United States. The following is courtesy of Deloitte’s “Hospitality Vision US Performance Review.” Overall, the Minneapolis hospitality industry reported a good year. Metrics from STR show occupancy up 5.7 percent and RevPAR advancing a respectable 10.9 percent in the year-to-November 2011....

Editor’s Note: This is the sixth in a 15-part series (appearing on Lodgingmagazine.com each Monday) examining the performance of various markets in the United States. The following is courtesy of Deloitte’s “Hospitality Vision US Performance Review.” The past year has been a middling one for the Phoenix hospitality industry. STR metrics show that through November, occupancy in the Phoenix market was only 5 percent higher than the same period in 2010, while ...

More than 200 industry representatives are discussing issues surrounding travel and tourism, labor, the online hotel booking tax, and the Americans with Disabilities Act lift requirements on Capitol Hill today as part of the American Hotel & Lodging Association's 2012 Legislative Action Summit in Washington, D.C. In a year where election decisions will make a difference, attendees want to make their voices heard and reiterate the importance of the hotel industry. In preparation for their appo...

What do bartenders, blackjack dealers and chefs have in common? Hotel and hospitality professionals thrive on making a customer’s hotel stay, vacation or meal an unforgettable experience. From the ticket agent to the bus boy to the maid that plumps the pillows, hotel and hospitality industry workers likely occupy the front lines of your business, which is why it is so important to find the right people to help it to flourish. More...

Most of us in the lodging business today have seen hotels, motels, and B&Bs default on their mortgages due to the decline in their gross room income. About 90 percent of those properties going into default have an SBA loan, either an SBA 7a loan or a 504 loan. What makes the situation worse for these owners is that they do not know how to handle the problems with the SBA lenders. The most important thing for the owners to keep in mind is that the SBA is there to help them....

Hotels are microcosms of the retail experience. They include overnight accommodations, of course, but many also include restaurants, recreation facilities, and shopping. Thus, there is a daily struggle to meet customer safety and loss-prevention objectives without imposing security that is so intrusive that it harms the guest experience.  Much of the litigation risk posed by internal security is rooted in the need for subjective analysis and discretionary intervention (e...

How do you know what’s really going on at your hotel? If you’re a management company, it is not only your curiosity that needs to be satisfied, but also your livelihood. Are the receipts matching up to sales? Are regulations being followed rigorously? Is there theft? What’s your general manager been up too? Because the hotels a management company runs for other owners are in the hands of the onsite workers and mangers most of the time,...

For many, March, not January, is what marks the true start of the New Year as a young and uncertain spring begins to take hold. But what begins in fits and starts early in the month—a hint of a budding tree here and a bit of green there—is a full-on torrent by month’s end. A similar “ramping up” can be felt with people too. “March Madness” takes hold while gas prices begin their all-too-predictable rise in anticipation for heightened traveling demand over the summer months. More...

As reported late yesterday , the White House issued a 60-day extension that will push the compliance date for the pool lift requirement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to May 15, 2012. DOJ will also publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking with a 15-day comment period on a possible six-month extension in order to allow additional time to address misunderstandings reg...

We know that YouTube is one of the world's largest search engines, but before you broadcast your channel to the world take a few minutes to make sure it looks fabulous. Video is a powerful tool for the hospitality industry. A video tour of your hotel, an interview with your staff or a quick cooking demo from your hotel chef can really engage a potential guest and give them a taste of the great experience they’ll have at your hotel. You can even integrate YouTube's must-have ap...