Automatic - 10 Minutes News for Hoteliers - Page 67

3 min

Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Completes Renovation

🌴 Waikiki's Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort and Spa, completed renovations of its historic Banyan Wing, originally built in 1901. The updated guest rooms feature views of Diamond Head and the Waikiki skyline, with design inspired by limu. New retail experiences include Lonohana Estate Chocolates (Nov-Dec), and Nick Kuchar's Art & Vintage Gallery. Additional programming features an exclusive spa experience and "The One Year Wave" postcard initiative. The Banyan Wing honors the hotel's 124-year heritage with modern amenities.

6 min

The Elene to Open in Napa Valley Late Summer 2026

🏨 The Elene, a new boutique resort by Mosaic Hotel Collection, is set to open in late summer 2026 in Napa Valley. Located on a 5-acre site, it will feature 50 rooms, a heated vineyard pool, and a Spa & Sauna Garden. The resort is designed by Signum Architecture and aims to integrate with the Napa Valley Vine Trail. The Elene emphasizes conscious luxury and environmental sustainability, incorporating water recycling and solar initiatives. Positioned near Yountville and downtown Napa, it offers easy access to dining and entertainment.

4 min

Sofitel Unveils Full-scale Design Transformation of Sofitel New York

📍 Sofitel New York unveils its transformation, blending Parisian elegance and New York energy. Located at 45 W 44th St, the hotel features 398 redesigned accommodations, including 52 suites, with Art Deco influences. The 28th-floor Penthouse spans 1,205 square feet. Social 45, the new bar, offers French-inspired dishes and cocktails. The Paris Ballroom and seven meeting rooms provide event spaces with city views. An outdoor café opens in Spring 2026, enhancing the guest experience.

8 min

The Friction Guests Never Tell You About but Always Punish Your Hotel

💬 In 2025, hotels face a silent crisis with guests defecting quietly due to unmet AI-driven expectations. Guests now demand instant responses, proactive service, and personalization, leading to a dangerous trend of silent dissatisfaction. Metrics like repeat booking rates and direct channel retention reveal the impact. AI is pivotal for reducing friction, empowering staff, and enhancing guest experiences. Hotels that eliminate friction before guests feel it will thrive, prioritizing emotional ease over traditional luxury.

5 min

Culture First, Not Campaign First: Inside Arlo’s Social Strategy

📷 Arlo Hotels' Instagram strategy, led by Dino Jevric, focuses on authentic storytelling over promotion. Over the past year, Arlo gained around 33,000 Instagram followers and increased engagement by 50%. Instead of using polished ads, the brand relies on user and employee-generated content, creating series like "Behind the Apron" to engage audiences. This emotional storytelling approach connects culture with digital media, translating engagement into tangible business outcomes such as increased booking-page traffic and reservations.

4 min

Reservations Reconfirmation Calls Present Opportunities To Build The Brand, Upsell, and Cross-Sell

📞 As online bookings rise, reconfirmation calls from guests continue, particularly at upscale hotels and resorts. Often, travelers who booked via OTAs call to verify their details. Training staff for inbound and outbound calls can improve guest experiences, allowing upselling of amenities. Employees should highlight special features, answer questions, and build guest connections. Proactive calls can boost revenue and enhance hospitality by personalizing interactions, even through voicemails. Key focus: guest interaction and service optimization.

7 min

More Than a Hotel Restaurant: Takeaways from Hilton Anaheim’s Culinary Reinvention

🍴 Hilton Anaheim embarked on its largest renovation since 1984, coinciding with the Los Angeles Summer Olympics. The hotel’s Executive Chef led a culinary overhaul, emphasizing locally inspired, value-driven dining experiences. The new concept, Poppy’s, serves as the anchor of this transformation, offering vibrant, all-day dining. Additional expansions include the largest Starbucks in a hotel, Saltflower for poolside dining, and Hansen’s Market for grab-and-go options. This holistic approach enhances guest experiences and fosters community loyalty.

3 min

From Reactive to Resilient: Why Best Sales People Quit and What Sales Leaders Must Learn

🛠 Three years tenure, top 10% performer quits, citing exhaustion from constant changes. Leadership's "death by a thousand transformations" causes burnout. A shift to protect essentials led to tool adoption rising from 61% to 94%, quota attainment up 22%, and turnover dropping to zero. Implementing a change calendar, stabilization sprints, and team feedback improved resilience. The focus is on protecting capacity rather than continuous transformation. Leadership must balance change with stability.

2 min

GCSTIMES Eco-Crafted Pens for a New Ritual in Sustainable Luxury

✏️ Since 2011, GCSTIMES, with operational centers in China, US, UAE, France, and Australia, and 14 subsidiaries globally, serves over 140 countries. Specializing in sustainable innovations, they offer eco-crafted pens designed for hotels, enhancing guest experiences with sustainable materials. Known for integrating sustainability with technology, GCSTIMES supports over 100,000 hospitality groups in low-carbon development. Their portfolio includes GCS, AUROkeys, Xenyra, and Glint Spot, providing sustainable smart cards and bespoke design services.

2025 in review: the new realities reshaping event venues

📅 2025 marked a turning point for event venues globally, adopting long-term norms. The IACC report showed 51% of planners now explore alternative venues, up from 33%. F&B importance rose to 9.0/10 from 7.9 in 2023, emphasizing cultural and sustainable dining. Short lead times and unpredictable RSVPs became standard, pushing workflow adaptation. Workforce strategies matured, focusing on engagement and continuous training. The industry shifted to elasticity: staffing, event formats, and planning cycles for greater resilience.

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