Hotel Operations

🍚 U.S. per capita annual consumption of lamb is less than 1 pound vs. over 13 pounds in Australia. Lamb consumers in the U.S. typically have annual incomes over $150,000, tend to be millennials, male, and white. Technomic reports a 0.5% increase in lamb menu mentions over the past year. Fine-dining restaurants (47.2%) and upscale casual-dining restaurants (31.8%) often feature lamb. Taziki’s Mediterranean Café, with its 97th location in Johns Creek, Ga., attributes 10% of sales to lamb dishes. Butchr Bar in Los Angeles offers lamb salami with macadamia nuts and Australian pepper berry.

🏡 Hospitality industry innovators seek hyper-personalization to meet elevated consumer expectations and navigate data challenges. Hotels and restaurants are leveraging first-party data and identity solutions for personalized experiences to boost summer sales. Marriott's co-branding with United Airlines highlights the potential of partnerships and privacy-enhancing technologies for growth, with only 12% of leaders capable of delivering on these strategies using current resources. Data collaboration technologies enable brands to build richer customer profiles, using events like National French Fries Day on July 12 to tailor offerings. The industry aims to intertwine various data sources for comprehensive customer insights, ensuring success in the busy season and beyond.

💰 Only 28% of Americans strongly agree that they receive relevant communications from hotel loyalty programs. In contrast, 46% of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts guests feel specially recognized by brand representatives, despite the chain not having a formal loyalty program. Human connection remains critical, with 22% of hotel program members feeling recognized by program representatives in 2024, a 1% increase from 2023. Personalization and human-centered experiences are key to fostering loyalty and retaining guests.

🌊 Costa Rica's Marina Bahia Golfito, powered 99% by hydroelectricity, demonstrates luxury and environmental stewardship coexisting, reducing carbon footprint with renewables. Guests contribute to sustainability, using fewer towels and reef-friendly sunscreen. It offers regenerative experiences like catch and release fishing, supporting local conservation. The Enjoy Group and SeaKeepers signed an MOU for sustainability efforts. An Autograph Collection hotel development will create 300 jobs, boosting Golfito's economy and promoting conservation. A Booking.com survey shows 80% of travelers value sustainability, potentially increasing RevPAR by 4%.

🍻 The Bloody Maria, a variation of the Bloody Mary with tequila instead of vodka, is becoming popular in U.S. restaurants. This over 100-year-old drink has gained traction among Hispanic consumers, flexitarians, pescatarians, and Generation X, partly due to the broader trend of global flavors and the rise of agave-based spirits. Datassential highlights its growing recognition in contemporary culture.

🚗 Many hotels, ideal for hosting EV stations, face challenges installing compatible fast chargers, often requiring a 480v input. A cost-effective solution is 208v-compatible Level 3 fast chargers, potentially offering a return on investment within four years. Some, like Wingate by Wyndham Tinley Park, have adopted L3 solutions, while Marriott Marquis San Francisco and Hilton New York City opted for Level 2 chargers. This strategic approach enhances guest experience, boosts revenue, and supports sustainability, meeting the needs of contemporary travelers.

📱 In a 2024 survey commissioned by Mews and conducted by OnePoll, 80% of travelers are open to hotels with automated front desks or self-service kiosks, with 40% preferring digital check-in methods. The poll involved 2,000 participants, split evenly between travelers and hotel workers. Key hotel features desired by travelers include in-room smart devices (43%), keyless entry (34%), and mobile room entry (27%). Additionally, 29% of employed Americans worked remotely on vacation without informing their bosses, with 52% using vacations as an opportunity to work remotely. The survey, held between January 30 and February 8, 2024, also revealed 48% of respondents extend work trips for leisure, with 83% of hotel workers finding them easy to cater to.

📊 In the restaurant and hospitality industry, a POS system must be efficient, integrated, and aligned with sector needs, emphasizes Tom Seeker, former CIO/CTO of Earl Enterprises. Small operators often prefer an all-in-one system with key functions built-in, while larger chains look for deep integration with specific solutions, notes Skip Kimpel of ConStrata Consulting. Accurate data and reliable support are vital for operational decisions, with proper setup and continuous support being essential for data integrity. Lee Holman, IHL Group, recommends a POS with microservices architecture, cloud-based updates, robust order management, and payment options, as well as user-friendly UI, multi-language support, and mobile adaptability.