Hotel Operations

🍲 Bret Thorn is the Senior Food & Beverage Editor at Nation’s Restaurant News since 1999 and has been with Restaurant Hospitality since 2016. He is a podcast host and award-winning columnist. Thorn wrote for the New York Sun (2005-2008) and Asia Times (1995-1997). A Tufts University alumnus, he studied at Le Cordon Bleu and was involved in the 1989 Tiananmen Square events. Inducted into Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014, Thorn resides in Brooklyn.

💬 Nah-Dja Tien discusses empathy's power with Danica Smith in a Hospitality Daily episode. The podcast encourages engagement through subscriptions, comments, and social media interaction on platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Listeners are invited to contact the podcast with questions or guest suggestions. The show features music by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound.

🏨 LBA Hospitality, a Dothan, Ala.-based company managing over 100 hotels, has enhanced its operations with Quore's preventive maintenance solutions since 2017. Quore's platform standardizes processes and improves accountability and data capture across Hilton, IHG, Marriott, Best Western, and Hyatt properties. Director Steven Steelfox noted improved guest satisfaction linked to Quore's ease of use. LBA partners with Quore on various projects, including Marriott's GXP integration, leveraging technology for better asset management and guest experiences.

💰 Independent hotels face pricing challenges due to smaller teams and budgets. Static pricing models miss revenue opportunities during demand spikes. Forward-looking data, instead of relying solely on historical trends, enables better preparation. Using varied pricing across channels builds direct relationships. Considering total guest value over room rates improves profitability. Modern revenue management systems, like Duetto, simplify pricing without needing large teams, helping hotels compete effectively. These strategies can significantly impact revenue without requiring extensive resources.

📚 June 4, 2025, Josiah Mackenzie shared insights at the NYU International Hotel Investment Forum in New York. The discussion emphasized thinking like an owner and acting like a general manager in the hospitality industry, aiming to transform ideas into actionable strategies to enhance business operations and service delivery.

🏨 In the hotel industry, debunking outdated beliefs is vital for success. Approximately 2% of guests return to the same hotel, challenging the notion of high loyalty. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) should evolve beyond room metrics like Occupancy, ADR, and RevPAR to include TRevPAR and ROI. Hotels primarily capture existing demand rather than generate it, suggesting a focus on differentiation and realistic demand forecasting. Emphasizing guest satisfaction and holistic KPIs ensures long-term profitability.

💬 June 2, 2025: Nancy Mendelson interviews Dr. Lalia Rach on the Hospitality Daily Podcast. The discussion focuses on leadership in hospitality, emphasizing the importance of experience, learning from failures, and defining success. Dr. Rach shares insights into how leadership qualities are cultivated within the hospitality industry, providing valuable advice and perspectives for aspiring leaders. This episode highlights essential strategies for developing effective leadership skills.

🏨 International tourism is set to reach 1.4 billion travelers in 2024, marking an 11% increase from the previous year. Baltivia Sea Resort uses a countdown clock and promo code to boost direct bookings. One&Only Resorts targets locals with geo-location offers for staycations, while Hotels Baverez aligns summer campaigns with its aesthetic. Penta Hotels offers up to a 35% discount to drive bookings and sign-ups. These strategies enhance guest engagement and maximize revenue during peak travel season.

🍴 Bret Thorn is a senior food & beverage editor for Nation’s Restaurant News since 1999, spotting trends nationwide. From 2005-2008, he wrote for The New York Sun. Bret's career includes time in Thailand (1992-1997) and winning a 2006 journalism award. Educated at Tufts University, Le Cordon Bleu, and Chinese universities, he worked with ABC News during Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. He lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., focusing on restaurant trends and Asian and French cuisines.

📈 Sage Hospitality's CEO Walter Isenberg emphasizes the company's purpose of "enriching lives one experience at a time," starting with employees like housekeepers and executives. Sage conducts a cultural immersion program for new leaders, held quarterly at their corporate office. This program focuses on the company's history, core values, and leadership, crucial for understanding their people-first culture. Isenberg often participates unless he's out of town, such as for a meeting in Portland.