Hotel Operations

This article was written by Lodging Magazine. Click here to read the original article ATLANTA, Georgia—Davidson Hospitality Group announced the launch of the GM Edge program, an initiative developed for leaders…

A villa serving ten guests with a team of five sounds easier to control than a hotel with two hundred rooms. That assumption holds only while everything works as expected. At a well-run villa, much has already been agreed before the guests arrive. The confirmation may name the services, the chef, the housekeepers, the villa manager and even the menu for the week. Those arrangements are straightforward until one can no longer be delivered in the usual way. A hotel can often redirect the problem to another room, another employee, an engineer on duty or a manager able to make a decision. A standalone villa has considerably less reserve. What five-star actually requires A reliable service needs a named owner, enough authority for that person to act, somebody to check the result and cover when delivery depends on one member of staff. None of this is visible to the guest, and none of it depends on the size of the property. A hotel with two hundred rooms and a villa with five staff need the same four conditions. What differs is how each of them gets there. Two ways to be available A hotel spreads availability across shifts and departments. Someone is always on duty because the schedule says so, and the guest reaches whoever is working. At a villa, availability may be concentrated in one person. The villa manager stays reachable, knows the house and has followed the same stay all week. The guest does not have to explain the situation again to a new shift. But the arrangement depends heavily on that manager being available. On the properties I know, the chef and the housekeeper both have a replacement, since their absence shows within hours. Where the model runs out The difficulty appears when the problem is not a person but a system. A hotel dealing with a failed air-conditioning unit may be able to move the guest, isolate the affected room or call engineering support already on the property. A villa usually has fewer alternatives. I know of a large property where the shared air-conditioning failed and the external contractor could not repair it straight away. Six bedrooms, a single system, and nowhere to move anyone. The stay was rescued with free nights, which was an expensive response but could not restore the comfort already lost. The practical difference between the two models is not the standard they aim for or the quality of the team. It is the number of ways out. The work moves earlier With fewer options at the moment of failure, more of the operation has to be settled before the guest arrives. In a hotel, a problem with air conditioning, water or power may be isolated to part of the inventory. On a villa, each can affect the entire property. Preventive maintenance therefore carries more of the service standard than the guest will ever see. External support creates a similar dependence. Villa operations often rely on personal relationships with trusted contractors, and

New 'Wellness Reset' package expands spa operations to accommodate individual and group bookings

This post was originally published on this site.We know that general managers usually start their weeks with the most crucial task: team scheduling. This balancing act of team requests, demand…

When we think about experience design and the guest journey, there is an unsung hero that often goes unnoticed by our guests. That hero is the arrival, a moment that every guest experiences but very few remember or write home about. Ironically, the more seamlessly our teams execute this moment of the journey, the less vividly we remember it. Its success can be nearly invisible, while its failure can steal the show. When we look at how experiences stick in our memory, the peak emotional moments and how our experience ends can play a particularly important role. Psychologists call this the Peak-End Rule. These moments can have a powerful influence on how we remember and evaluate an experience after it ends. It is rare, though not impossible, for the arrival itself to become either of those moments. For many of our guests, the arrival is a period of transition from outsider to welcomed guest, and the place where the journey and enjoyment officially begin. We can add warmth, delight, and amenities to make this moment special, and in fact, we should, but the guest journey will often provide deeper and more emotionally impactful moments along the way. If that is the case, why do I believe arrival can become our most trusted ally in creating wonderful experiences? While psychology supports the Peak-End Rule and its impact on how we remember experiences, another concept is just as worthy of our attention: the Halo Effect. The Halo Effect is a powerful tool that strengthens the case for excellence, personalization, and warmth in our guest arrivals. It tells us that when we form a wonderful initial impression of a person, experience, or business, that positive impression can influence how we view other aspects of them. Within the guest journey, that positive lens leads us to expect more good things to come and can influence how we interpret future interactions. So while the arrival may not be remembered, it is felt and carried through the remainder of the guest journey. We are not only designing experiences to be remembered for years to come, but also creating living experiences that carry deep meaning and importance in the moment. When our teams facilitate a great arrival, the Halo Effect can give our guests a pair of rose-colored glasses, making them more inclined to view us favorably. They may forgive small inconsistencies or mistakes, and that positivity may continue to compound as they move through the guest journey, with each wonderful interaction further confirming that their rose-colored glasses were right all along. When we nurture this critical guest moment, and they move through the experience with this rosy mindset, we no longer have to fight for every moment to prove to our guests that our brand and experience are great. The goal instead becomes reinforcing the positivity that they already believe exists. The arrival is also the starting point for the climb to the positive emotional peaks described by the Peak-End Rule. When a guest is already

I remember my first budget review meeting like it was yesterday. I was young, invited into the room where the corporate team picked apart the hotel's annual budget, and I was certain that the moment someone asked me a question I would be exposed as the fraud I secretly believed I was. What I saw in that room surprised me. It was theater. Pure theater. Chest-pounding, big stories, slick comparisons — everybody trying to convince everybody else they had it all figured out. And here is the kicker. The biggest impostor in the room was usually the most senior person at the table. In my case, he came from a company that made baking supplies and there he was, running a meeting with fifteen hotel people. He knew the least and he ran the show. Confidence, not detail, ran that room. Before we go any further, a quick note: on Wednesday, August 19 at 10 AM EST, I'm hosting a free webinar called How to Build a Hotel Budget Like a Leader . If hotel budgeting has ever felt overwhelming, or you've ever wondered how to build a budget you can actually defend in front of ownership or corporate, I'll show you the exact framework I use to help hotel leaders build a budget from the ground up, understand the numbers that drive it, and lead with confidence. Now, back to the biggest thing that keeps good hotel leaders out of the numbers game. I share this story because impostor syndrome is the number one thing that keeps good people out of the numbers game. Here is what I needed to hear back then and what I want you to hear today: you don't need to be the smartest person at the table. You need a budget you understand and the willingness to stand behind it. That's the whole secret, and it comes down to three habits. Habit one — build it from the ground. There are two ways to build a budget. The lazy way is last year plus three percent. Take the old numbers, add a percentage and hope. Nobody in that room can defend a single line. The leader's way is zero-based. Every meaningful line starts at zero and gets built up on purpose — room by room, shift by shift, from what you actually plan to do next year. Think of it like a grocery list. You decide what goes in the cart before you get to the register. Every line named, every month spread the way the spending will really land, not divided by twelve. And no one will do the digging for you. Pull the general ledgers, pull the invoices, check the vendor contracts for the increases already coming. That's where the real numbers live. Habit two — know your drivers. Every number in your budget has something that moves it. Occupancy drives rooms revenue. Covers drive food revenue. Volume drives labor. Understand the driver and you don't just budget the number — you

Dreamscape Hospitality has assumed management of the 240-room Hilton Garden Inn Dallas/Market Center. The property is close to downtown Dallas, the American Airlines Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center and Dallas…

Personalization is already part of good hospitality. Many lodging providers do it naturally by remembering guest preferences, sharing local tips, adjusting communication, or adding small, thoughtful details that make a stay feel more personal. The challenge is doing this consistently without adding more work or relying on complicated hotel-style systems. When it comes to personalization, it does not have to involve complex technology, large software platforms, or data-heavy processes. With the right guest experience app, lodging properties can make each stay feel more thoughtful, relevant, and easy to manage. In this article, we’ll look at simple ways to personalize the guest experience before and during the stay without creating extra operational complexity. Let’s get into it! What Personalization Really Looks Like in Independent Lodging Personalization does not have to mean fancy systems, complicated guest profiles, or advanced technology. For most inns, B&Bs, and boutique properties, it simply means paying attention to what would make a guest’s visit easier, more comfortable, or more enjoyable. That might be sharing a few local spots that match why they are visiting, pointing a family toward easy kid-friendly activities, or giving a couple ideas for a quiet dinner nearby. It could also be something as simple as a helpful “good to know” note that saves guests from having to ask later. The best personalization feels natural. It does not overwhelm guests or make the stay feel over-managed. It simply shows that the property has thought about what guests might need and made those details easier to find. Simple Ways to Personalize the Guest Experience Here are some simple yet practical tips for lodging providers to personalize the guest experience: Start With Simple Guest Context Lodging providers can begin with simple context to make personalization easy. It doesn't require a complex system to figure out what can make guests' stay better. It is frequently a matter of understanding their purpose in visiting, with whom they are travelling, and what they hope to achieve. A few helpful guest details can include: Reason for travel: A romantic getaway, family trip, business visit, wellness retreat, or weekend escape can all call for different guidance. Group type: Couples, families, solo travelers, and remote workers all require different types of support. Stay length: A one-night guest may want quick highlights, while an extended-stay guest may appreciate deeper local suggestions. Special moments: Birthdays, anniversaries, and celebrations are obvious occasions to make the stay more special and thoughtful. Personalize Local Recommendations First One of the easiest ways to make a stay feel more personal is through local recommendations. Guests do not always need a completely custom experience. Sometimes, they just need suggestions that fit the kind of trip they are already planning. For example: Families: Eating out, fun for kids, outdoor activities, and rainy-day options can all help keep parents less stressed while planning. Couples: A romantic dinner, a stroll through the woods, a wine tour, a relaxing coffee break, or a sunset view can make the experience extra special. Remote workers: Quiet

As hotel operators look for ways to control costs and drive greater value across their portfolios, many are reconsidering how talent is deployed. That effort is leading more companies to…

Munich, Germany – Therme Group, a global leader in large-scale urban wellbeing destinations, today announced a strategic alliance with Marriott International, to explore a series of targeted initiatives focused on the future of wellbeing in travel and hospitality. The alignment brings together Therme’s expertise in wellness, longevity, and social experiences at scale with Marriott’s global platform. Therme will collaborate with the Marriott Design Lab, which serves as Marriott’s research and development hub working at the leading edge of design and innovation and provides a proving ground for products and services that enhance hotel operations and travel experience. The two organisations have aligned around a series of priority areas spanning customer experience, design innovation, wellness research, and future global development opportunities. Initial efforts will focus on introducing Therme to Marriott Bonvoy members including the development of travel and lodging packages connected to Therme destinations, and enhancing the way guests experience wellbeing throughout their travel journey. Some of the most memorable travel experiences are the ones that change how you feel. Today's guests are looking for experiences that help them slow down, recharge, and reconnect, making wellbeing an increasingly important part of the journey. That's what makes this collaboration with Therme so exciting. Together, we have an opportunity to create moments of restoration, joy, and connection that elevate every stay and create experiences guests won't find anywhere else. Peggy Roe, EVP and Chief Customer Officer at Marriott International Therme will contribute its expertise in large-scale wellbeing environments to help inform the reimagining of hotel amenities, from spas and fitness to guestroom concepts. These efforts are intended to deliver near-term initiatives while informing longer-term opportunities across product innovation, service models, and destination planning. Wellbeing has become a defining dimension of the travel and hospitality experience. Over the past two decades, Therme has developed a distinctive approach that brings wellbeing, nature and social connection together at scale. This partnership with Marriott is an exciting opportunity to bring our complementary strengths together as we explore new ways to shape the intersection of hospitality and wellbeing. Dr. Robert Hanea, President and CEO of Therme Group This initiative reflects a shared ambition to continue revolutionising how wellbeing is integrated into hospitality. Together, Marriott International and Therme Group recognise that the future of travel will be shaped by more holistic, experience-driven approaches to health, longevity, and social connection. Any future collaborations would be subject to further agreement.