Marketing

💳 Merchants, including hotels, face a rising number of chargebacks. Manual card key-entering increases risks of card declines and processing penalty fees, making chargeback defense more challenging. Online card processing offers benefits like linking payment requests to contracts, enabling 3-D Secure (3DS) to shift fraud liability, requiring CVV for payments, using Address Verification Services (AVS), and enrolling in Early Fraud Warnings (EFWs). Ecommerce transactions improve guest experience, allow for credit card surcharging, and provide alternatives like ACH eCheck in the US. These measures lead to fewer chargebacks, optimized processing costs, less wasted staff time, and increased hotel revenue. Sponsored by Sertifi.

🏖️ The View Agadir in Morocco welcomes families this holiday season, offering direct flights from Paris, London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen. Agadir features a mild winter climate with 20–22°C temperatures. Michelin-starred chef Francesco Franzene oversees Le Sensya, serving Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. The resort includes family-friendly amenities, a Family Yoga and Wellness program, a Kid’s View for children's activities, and guided excursions for exploring Agadir's natural and cultural attractions.

🛡 Klaudio Simic, VP of Operations at Practice Hospitality, advocates a security culture at smaller hotels lacking dedicated teams due to rising wages and labor shortages. Training across all departments, including housekeeping and maintenance, is emphasized for incident response and guest safety. hihotels also supports this approach, utilizing resources like the AHLA's "No Reservations" video and First Responders Toolbox. Risk assessments are conducted regularly, considering local crime rates and property vulnerabilities, with solutions tailored to property scale. Basic technology investments like adequate lighting, secure door locks, and surveillance cameras are essential. Partnerships with local law enforcement facilitate a coordinated response to incidents. Guest asset protection focuses on staff training, key control, and guest communication, including in-room safe usage and secure storage options.

👤 A former concierge from the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills moved into concierge technology about 20 years ago. The tech aims to enhance, not replace, the concierge's role, providing tools for better guest service. A New York hotel concierge, initially reluctant to adopt the new technology, became an advocate after personal assistance. The article highlights the irreplaceable value of the human touch in concierge services, the anticipation of guests' needs, and the integration of AI as a complementary tool, not a replacement.

🏨 Dawna Comeaux, Spire Hospitality COO, shifted from accounting/finance to hospitality after a "magical" Marriott wedding experience. Graduating from the University of Houston's Conrad N. Hilton College, she joined Harvey Hotel Company, which became Bristol Hotels & Resorts, growing to over 140 properties. In her 30-plus-year career, Comeaux has held leadership roles in sales, operations, and catering. She transitioned to Prism Hotels, focusing on cost efficiency in foreclosure situations, and then to The Archon Group, where she helped expand from 25 to over 250 hotels. Currently, with Spire Hospitality for six years, she maintains a hands-on approach and believes in a balanced focus on team environment, guest connection, community partnership, brand representation, and investor returns.

🏨 Waldorf Astoria New York set to reopen Spring 2025 after restoration by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, interior by Pierre-Yves Rochon. It will feature 375 guestrooms, 375 residences, a 30,000 sq ft spa, fitness center, Chef Michael Anthony's restaurant, and a 43,000 sq ft event space. Other Hilton openings for 2025 include properties across the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific, such as Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique (Spring 2025), Canopy by Hilton Cape Town Longkloof (Q1 2025), and Waldorf Astoria Osaka (Q2 2025).

🏨 Discover effective hotel sales strategies to boost your revenue, as shared on Hotelogix Blog. Dive into the best practices for attracting more guests and maximizing profits today!