The hotel franchise market is incredibly competitive. Similar branded hotels are saturating markets, causing dilution of revenue. Margins are being squeezed and owners are looking for solutions to increase returns. It has become more important than ever to stand out in the crowd, and a...
How can hoteliers incorporate technology without losing the personal touch? As we all know, hotels have been using kiosks to help facilitate check in for years with little success. While a novel idea, what is convenient to some is a frustrating and more limited experience for...
What advice do you have for working with management companies? Management companies fill a variety of roles on behalf of hotel owners. With proprietary systems, carefully sculpted operating policies and procedures, asset management responsibilities, and financial reporting, these companies ensure owner, company, and brand standards are...
Be consistent. Your personal brand encompasses everything from your values to your motto, your personality, and your aesthetic. It is the authentic you. It’s how you dress, it’s how you speak, it’s how you show up, it’s the promises you make, and the business you’re...
I’m constantly dealing with either being short staffed or managing under-performing employees. Good employees are hard to find. What should I do? If you’re seeking a hand-holding, motivational response, you’ve come to the wrong person. Good employees are not hard to find. Good humans are hard...
How can a hotel company—whether it develops, operates, or manages properties—create a good mission statement? People often talk about mission statements, which are emblazoned in handbooks and policy manuals, but, once read, are often forgotten. Ask line-level staff at a company what their mission statement is,...
Why don’t I get a response when I send out resumes for jobs I’m qualified for? The days of sending in resumes by email are over. Actually, they were over before they began. Back when you physically put a letter in the mailbox, it was something...
What hidden operations issues should GMs be aware of? There are a lot of moving parts that come with running a hotel, but the one constant that is always in need of ongoing attention and investment is a hotel’s team. And there are issues on the...
How can hotels better serve guests with mobility needs? The U.N. Standard Rules of 1993 focus on equalizing opportunities for persons with disabilities worldwide. In the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act established equal opportunity and non-discrimination requirements with strict compliance standards. To this day,...
My owners want me to grow profits, but my hotel is already over-performing. If I’m already at the top, what can I do? In 1955, Fortune magazine debuted its list of the top 500 companies. Sixty-two years later, most of those companies are gone. While the...
