Hotel Operations

🏨 On December 28, 2024, an article titled "The Evolution of Luxury Hospitality From Comfort to Connection" by Guillaume Benezech was featured on the Hospitality Daily Podcast website. The podcast, hosted by Josiah Mackenzie, aims to educate listeners on how to delight customers, earn revenue, and succeed daily with insights from the industry's top professionals. The article included an image, presumably related to the podcast episode or the guest. The podcast is accessible on platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The website also highlighted various categories like "Featured Episodes" and "Most Popular Episodes" for users to explore more content.

📅 On December 25, 2024, a global hospitality leader and former CEO of The Viceroy Hotel Group, Bill Walshe, shared a tradition in hospitality leadership. The episode, part of "Hospitality Daily Podcast" hosted by Josiah Mackenzie, aimed to provide insights and actionable business ideas. The show also featured a State of Hotel Industry Survey for current hospitality challenges and opportunities. Music for the show was by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound.

🏖️ Hotel Equities (HE) will manage Postcard Cabins for Marriott International, expanding Marriott's outdoor hospitality footprint in the U.S. Postcard Cabins, offering immersive nature-driven experiences, will launch in Marriott's collection in 2025. The cabins, within two-hour drives from major cities, offer modern amenities and privacy. Marriott's 219 million Bonvoy members will gain access through Marriott.com and the Bonvoy app. HE was Marriott’s top-performing management company for three quarters in 2024 based on Intent to Recommend Scores.

🎊 Nobu Hotel Barcelona presents a New Year's Eve package for 2025, offering a nine-course Omakase tasting menu on the 23rd floor, panoramic city views, cocktails, and DJ entertainment. The package includes a breakfast, access to Nobu Spa, and festive menus with local wines. The hotel’s Christmas tree, designed by Belén Salinas with Indissoluble, features natural materials and LED lights. Priced from €890 for two adults in a Premium Room, the package emphasizes luxury and celebration.

📰 98% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses, 76% find them important for travel choices (BrightLocal, 2024). 59% won't use a business with under 20 reviews (BrightLocal, 2024). Responding to reviews increases the likelihood of business use by 41% (BrightLocal). 69% of consumers wrote a review when prompted by the business. Utilize high-season reviews to improve SEO, service, and online reputation. 94% avoid businesses after reading negative reviews, emphasizing the importance of addressing criticism.

📈 Planday, a shift scheduling software from Xero, has announced the addition of Sasha Bilton as interim CTO, Pushpa Reddy as CPO, and Marc Stewart as VP of Operations and Strategy. Key statistics include 85% of hospitality employees suffering poor mental health in the past year and 67% believing more shift notice would improve their lives. Reddy's prior work at the BBC led to a 10% annual increase in weekly users. Stewart comes from Xero, having expanded operations across the UK, Canada, and the US. These leaders aim to enhance workplace flexibility and mental wellbeing.

📌 An Airbnb operator, Gary, predicts that 80% of accommodations will maintain a "commodity-style" while 20% will offer unique experiential stays. The article emphasizes the importance of creating an emotional connection with guests and suggests enhancing even transactional stays, such as Gary's check-ins that involve only an address and a code, by adding personalized touches like a welcome kit with a handwritten postcard, local snacks, and a brochure with local tips. It argues that care and customization can transform a basic service into an experience, underscoring that true hospitality is about making people feel special and cared for.

🍴 Tim Meyers, formerly of NYC culinary giants like Eleven Madison Park, opened Field Guide in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on November 1. Partnered with wine director Mackenzie Khosla, the 60-seat restaurant showcases central New York flavors with complimentary sourdough rolls and cultured butter from Meyers’ hometown in Chenango County. The opening menu features four main courses, such as rainbow trout and beef filet, accompanied by a selection of global wines and creative cocktails. Field Guide aims to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere with a distinctive approach to dining in a competitive neighborhood.

🍽 The Women’s Foodservice Forum’s annual Leadership Development Workshop concluded last week at Coca-Cola’s HQ in Atlanta. Key speakers included Courtney Ramsey and Candace Doby. The event, largest in this year's series, emphasized professional growth, courage, and leveraging one's "superpower" for collaboration and productivity. Panelists, like CFO Kate Jaspon and VP Tanika Cabral, advised on overcoming imposter syndrome and embracing risk and change for women in the workplace.

🛡 Hotel security teams face challenges in balancing guest experience with tight security measures to prevent theft and loss, which impact profit margins. Electronic key control systems help manage people, assets, and protect data. They ensure keys are released only to authorized users, track key usage with instant audit reports, and secure valuable assets and sensitive data. These systems are part of comprehensive security plans that enhance profitability by reducing insider and outsider security breaches. Sponsored by Morse Watchmans.