One of the best hotel blogs out there is Bill Marriott’s blog at www.blogs.marriott.com and I enjoyed reading this post . Hopefully he wont mind if I repeat it here .
“There’s an awful lot of conversation today about the difficulties we’re all having to understand what’s going on with our economy. None of us really know how long this downturn is going to take or how severe it’s going to be. The only thing we’re certain of is that we need to all learn to think outside the box. We need to be creative, we need to be innovative, we need to find ways to tackle our problems and really think about what we can do to do better.I was impressed with a story I heard a little while ago about an old man who lived alone in the country. He was worried about digging his tomato garden because it was such hard work and the ground was hard. His only son Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:
Dear Vincent,
I’m really feeling bad because it looks like I won’t be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I’m just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over. I know you would be happy to dig the plot for me.
Love,
Dad
A few days later, he received a letter from his son:
Dear Dad,
Don’t dig up that garden, that’s where I buried the bodies.
Love,
Vinny
At 4:00 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left. That same day the old man received another letter from his son:
Dear Dad,
Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That’s the best I could do under the circumstances.
Let’s all work hard at thinking outside the box, being creative and solving problems.”
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- Hotels.com Hotel Price Index (H.P.I.) is a regular survey of hotel prices in major destinations across the world. The HPI tracks the real prices paid per room for a wide basket of hotels, weighted to represent hotels in every star category in major destinations. Approximately 60,000 hotels in over 6,500 locations make up the sample of hotels from which prices are taken. The prices shown are those actually paid by customers (rather than advertised rates) and therefore give an accurate reflection of hotel prices for the period.
As you would expect there are some interesting results for 2007.
- Average hotel rates were generally flat for the world as a whole in 2007. Prices in Europe and Asia rose by 4.5% and 3.3% respectively, while prices in the US and the rest of the world fell.
- Room rates in Ireland remained the same last year as in 2006; probably reflecting increased capacity and competition.
- Within Europe, the UK tops the list of most expensive destinations ahead of Norway, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Austria, Greece, Finland and France, in that descending order.
- Next in 12th place is Ireland, just ahead of Spain, Belgium, Slovakia, Germany and Portugal.
- The UK posted year-on-year (2006 vs. 2007) price rises of 12%, according to Hotels.com. This drove average room rates to £106 per night, making it the most expensive country to stay in for travellers in 2007, and the only one where the AVERAGE cost of a room is over £100 per night.
- At the other end of the scale, Orlando was the cheapest of the major cities used in the survey with room prices averaging £55 (the rate of exchange would have something to do with that). Other “bargains” were Bangkok at £58, Shanghai at £61, Beijing at £66 and Buenos Aires at £70.
- The most expensive cities were Moscow at £194 followed by New York at £143, Dubai and Venice were next at £125, while London was the 5th most expensive at £115.
- Dublin came in 34th position at an attractive average room price of £78, behind such cities as Edinburgh, Rome, Paris, Boston, Sydney, Madrid, Hong Kong and many other.
- Coming closer to home the survey finds that while London was 5th highest of the major world cities, it was only in second place in the UK, coming in behind beautiful but expensive Bath at £117. Oxford was in 3rd position at £113 while surprisingly (perhaps) next was Aberdeen at £109.
- Coventry became the cheapest city in the UK during 2007 at an average of just £57 per night. Now do you think the Munster fans will get rates like that when they travel to the semi-final in the Ricoh Stadium to do the business with Saracens at the end of this month? Dream on…..
- The report also finds that prices in Ireland in 2007 were flat year-on-year, and that Limerick saw the biggest drop, achieving an average room rate of £56, which was down 22% on 2006. It suggests the reason being that the city has seen a number of new hotels open up creating opportunities for bargain hunters.
- Galway on the other hand topped the Irish league at £94 per night on average, followed by Cork at £85. You might find it surprising that both were ahead of Dublin at £79.
- Hotel.com looked at what different nationalities spend on their hotel rooms, and here you are in for a surprise. Irish travellers were Europe’s biggest spenders, prepared to spend £99 on hotel rooms on average when travelling overseas. They topped UK travellers who spent on average £93.
- The Irish also spent the highest amount in some of the most popular destinations – they were the biggest spenders when visiting Paris, Barcelona and Madrid.
- Germans are rather unsympathetically described as Europe’s cheapest visitors willing to part with just £82 per night on average when travelling abroad. Of course what that proves is that they are better bargain hunters, something we could well learn from.
- On balance it seems fair to conclude that Irish hotels offer good value, something that has been correctly highlighted by the Irish Hotels Federation for some time.
April 10th 2008
Irish Tourist Industry Confederation
Over the last three months we have been bombarded with information on the slowdown in the US economy and the impact that it would have on the economy’s around the world . I don’t know about you but I am beginning to find the information overload and analysis in the business pages a bit tedious . Who really knows what the next few months has in store ? In Ireland the American market is critical to the success of our tourist industry . After a pretty poor first quarter we are all hoping for a pick up in the coming months as the season gets into its stride . Given the weakness in the dollar ( and more recently sterling ) you would wonder why anyone in America would even consider venturing outside of the United States for there hard earned vacation . Yet you have to remain optimistic and try and search for some positives among all the doom and gloom . Therefore it was somewhat reassuring to get the following a opinion on the American situation from the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation . Lets hope this analysis is correct .
- This week the International Air Transport Association (IATA) downgraded its industry profit expectations for 2008 to $4.5 billion, based on global economic growth slowing to 2.6% and an average annualised oil price of $85 per barrel. That’s the second downgrading since September last when IATA predicted $7.8 billion profit for this year, and that figure was revised downwards again in December to $5 billion.(IATA represents some 240 airlines comprising 94% of scheduled international air traffic).
- At an average annual price of $86 per barrel, fuel represents 32% of airline operating costs and a total bill of $156 billion, according to IATA
- Nonetheless passenger demand increased in February by 4 to 5%, though this was well down from the demand growth of 7.4% in February of last year. Things are slowing down according to IATA boss Giovanni Bisignoni.
- The full introduction of Open Skies on March 31st complicates forecasting too. For instance there are 25% more weekly flights scheduled to serve the US market out of Heathrow. It is reasonable to assume that consumers will benefit from greater choice and lower fares due to intensified competition.
- Although there is only a marginal increase in capacity on Irish transatlantic routes, we should also benefit from greater choice and lower fares. Aer Lingus have direct services from 3 new gateways, San Francisco, Washington DC and Orlando (these new routes were introduced last Autumn).
- The US credit crunch has clearly dented consumer confidence.
- According to a New York Times/CBS poll, Americans are more dissatisfied with the country’s direction than at any time since this poll started in the early 1990’s.
- 81% of respondents believe “things have pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track”, up from 69% a year ago and 35% in early 2002. There is now, it appears, nearly a national consensus that the country faces significant problems.
- 78% of respondents said the country was worse off now than 5 years ago, just 4% said it was better off. Only 21% of respondents said the overall economy was in good condition.
- Interestingly the poll found that Americans blame Government more than banks or borrowers, with 40% blaming the Regulators, 28% blaming the lenders and 14% blaming the borrowers.
- Also interestingly a clear majority favoured Government help for individuals but not for financial institutions, even if the measures would help limit the depth of a recession.
- Perhaps somewhat reassuringly, more than 70% said their financial situation was fairly good or very good, which is only slightly down on 2006.
- Curiously the poll found that 43% of those surveyed said they would prefer a larger Government that provided more services, while an identical 43% said they wanted a smaller Government that provided fewer services.
- As for the longer term, only 46% of parents said they expected their children to enjoy a better standard of living than they themselves do, down from 56% in 2005. In more general terms about the next generation, only a third believe it would live better than people do today. That suggests a current lack of confidence and natural parental concerns. It is very probable that every generation of parents believed similarly from time to time, but the reality has always been different.
- The nationwide New York Times/CBS poll was carried out by phone between March 28th and April 2nd and the margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.
- But consumers are resilient, none more so than US consumers, and many many millions will vacation as always this year. Europe and Ireland will get their share thanks to competitive access costs, though we will probably see fewer than we would have predicted 6 months ago. Lower fuel costs, a stronger dollar and a pick up in US consumer confidence are what is needed.
- And perhaps that’s on the way. At a recent forum called A Wall Street Look at the Business of Business Travel, Ken McGill, Executive Vice-President and Managing Director, travel and tourism, for the economic analysis firm Global Insight, said that the US is currently in a recession. He added it was “mild”, and that the negative growth will last only two consecutive quarters, which is generally described as the minimum time frame of a recession.”The global economy is both robust and broadly distributed, and the interplay between growing and slowing economies around the world will help the US economy recover quickly”, he added.
He also predicted that both increases in fuel prices and decreases in the value of the dollar would moderate in the medium term, contributing to recovery. “The global economy is a good-news story: slowing growth, then getting back on track.”
Let’s hope Ken is right.
by Anne O’Regan
March 07th 2008 marked ‘Daffodil Day’ which is a fund raising day in aid of the ‘Irish Cancer Society’.
The University of Delaware recently teamed up with Courtyard by Marriott to develop a room concept for the hotel of the future . The following video is the result . A lot of the ideas are technology based as you would expect ,yet some make a lot of sense such as the water efficient shower . I wonder how long the alarm clock would last before it is slipped into someones suitcase . There is no talk of the most important item in any hotel bedroom and that is the bed . I recently stayed in a new 5 star hotel in Ireland and I have to say that it was the worst bed I have ever slept in . Surely when a hotel is being designed a top class bed should be standard regardless whether it is a budget or 5 star hotel . When we are designing the hotel room of the future we should at least get the bed right . Click on the following link to see the video of the hotel room of the future.
newsletter-prem-group-270807.pdf
Every day is a struggle for children diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. For them, it is usually more difficult to experience the joy that should be part of their daily life. Therefore, the objective of BEYOND THE MOON is to give some days filled with laughter and joyful experiences to as many of these children as possible, together with their families. Our MOON brightens up the dark and painful days of those children and will shine forever. For more info, visit our website www.beyondthemoon.org
Corporate Lesson 1
A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to
lunch when they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie comes
out. The Genie says, “I’ll give each of you just one wish.”
“Me first! Me first!” says the administration clerk.
“I want to be in the
the world.” Poof! She’s gone.
“Me next! Me next!” says the sales rep.
“I want to be
masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.”
Poof! He’s gone.“OK, you’re up,” the Genie says to the manager.
The manager says, “I want those two back in the office after lunch.”
Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say.
Corporate Lesson 2
A crow was sitting on a tree, doing nothing all day.
A rabbit asked him, “Can I also sit like you and do nothing all day long?”
The crow answered: “Sure, why not.” So, the rabbit sat on the ground
below the crow, and
A fox jumped on the rabbit and ate it.
Moral of the story: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be
sitting very high up.
Corporate Lesson 3
the top of that tree,” the turkey sighed, but I haven’t got the energy.”“Well, why don’t you nibble on my droppings?” replied the bull.”
They’re packed with nutrients.”
The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and found that it gave him enough
strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree.
The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch.
Finally after a fourth night, there he was proudly perched at the top of the tree.He was soon spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.
Moral of the story: Bullsh*t might get you to the top, but it won’t
keep you there.
I came across this article recently and while it may come across a bit cheesy and a bit ‘American’ I still think that Ms Abernathy has hit on the the essence of what Hotel Management is all about and I am sure she will not mind if I share her thoughts on my blog. I wonder at times if ,as managers ,we are losing touch with our customers ,spending to much time in our offices producing and analysing reports .What do you think ?
”
By Gina Abernathy
I began my hotel career as a front desk clerk. I subsequently worked as a reservations manager, a director of sales, and then as a multiple property sales manager. While working my way up the ladder, I noted the closed doors and watch-dog secretaries of many general managers. Those managers rarely took tours of their properties, never said good morning to guests, and had their secretaries screen all calls. I vowed that someday I would be a very different kind of general manager-the kind that I never had.
I mentioned my determination during my interview for a general management position with Hamister Hospitality. When asked for clarification, I responded: “I want to be the kind of general manager that puts all people-customers, co-workers, vendors, community members-first.” I got the job. Here is how I transformed my ideals into action:
Team Spirit Originates from the General Manager
I believe that the demonstration of team spirit and a willingness to get your hands dirty must be high priorities. There is no more meaningful way to prove that you and your staff are on the same team. If we are short-staffed, I clean rooms with my housekeeping staff. On one occasion, I had my own cart until 7pm; my little boy played with his toys in the rooms I was cleaning. The act earned the respect of my staff and it showed that I did not feel that I was above them or their work.
My co-workers know that if a difficult issue or customer problem arises, they can call me anytime, day or night. I never show annoyance when these calls occur: if I do not maintain a helpful attitude, my staff will not feel that they can rely on me the next time they find themselves in a tight situation.
Embrace the People Coming into your Office and into your Life
An open door policy should not be a just another corporate buzzword: it must be a ubiquitous and constant practice. The positive energy of an open door should attract people into our offices. Co-workers, guests, and vendors should feel free to stop in without an appointment.
Showing that We Value Others through Personal and Prompt Communications
I believe in answering every phone call and returning every message. I use email when I feel that my correspondent prefers this method of communication, but I pick up the phone whenever I feel that a more touch would be more effective.
I was so blessed one day after responding to an email from a guest. After I had emailed him an answer to his question, he responded: “Thank you so much for your reply. I am impressed that you, as a General Manager, answer questions like mine by yourself, meaning that you receive the inquiries from your website personally. Most managers delegate this, and become so ‘distant’. This is probably why you got the Platinum Award! Congratulations and way to go.”
Everyone’s time is valuable. I make it a point to have a two to four hour response time. This truly shows people that they are my priority.
Listening is so different from hearing. I remind myself to stop typing or reading when someone is trying to talk with me. I focus my eyes, put everything else aside, and, for that moment, I pretend that the person with whom I am speaking is the most important individual in the whole world.
The Importance of Gratitude and Celebration
Saying thank you is one of the best ways to show people that they matter. We do not hear or speak these words as often as we should. My sales manager and I send hand-written notes to our clients and vendors. On one occasion I sent a letter to the owner of a food vending company. One of his representatives went above and beyond in his job and I thought the owner should know about it. The representative received praise from his boss and our relationship was strengthened as a result.
Saying thank you to co-workers is equally important. I give literal pats on the back and tell people that they are doing a good job as often as possible. When co-workers receive a good customer comment, I reward them with a special certificate. We hold a Thanksgiving potluck dinner each year, give small gifts at holidays, and celebrate birthdays. I bake for my staff regularly and bring them treats. Such gestures are constant reminders that I truly care for them.
People are our Purpose
During my years in the service industry, I have become keenly aware of how vital people are to me both personally and professionally. General managers have to balance many priorities: driving revenue; controlling expenses, labor, AR/AP, and inventory; ensuring profitability and a return to the investors, and so on. We should never forget, however, that people are most important. We depend on them. They are not an interruption of our work; they are the purpose of it. Without co-workers, guests, and business partners, we would have no business to run.
About the author
Gina Abernathy is a Hamister Hospitality General Manager. For more information on Hamister Hospitality, visit www.hamisterhospitality.com. Feedback and comments can be sent to Gina at news@hamistergroup.com“
I recently came across the following article courtesy of the Daily Mail . You got to hand it to Travelodge ,they certainly know how to get publicity ,as for the pyjamas , I am not so sure !
Sci-fi suit? Actually, it’s my Travelodge pyjamas
Feb 06, 08 | 1:54 am
By Nick McDermott
Snuggling up in your pyjamas doesn’t usually look like this.
But check into a Travelodge and you could find yourself slipping into what the motel chain calls the “ultimate sleepwear.”
Its sleepsuits, which look more scifi-than snoozy, are being tested by the firm in the hope of helping its guests have a more restful stay.
They are made from a type of natural knitted silk said to allow the skin to breathe, reducing the risk of itching or irritation.
Leigh McCarron, Travelodge’s “sleep director,” said yesterday: “We are constantly investigating innovative ways of how we can help our customers attain a good night’s sleep.
“Something as simple as changing your bed attire can dramatically affect your quality of sleep.”
Something white at night: The Travelodge sleepsuit
The company came up with the futuristic design after questioning 3,000 adults about sleepwear.
Almost one in four said their night clothes made them itchy, while two thirds complained of feeling too hot or cold as they tried to sleep.
Travelodge said guests would be allowed to keep the sleepsuits, which look disarmingly like the costume Woody Allen wore playing a sperm in the spoof 1972 movie Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask.
The company believes the accompanying hood, gloves and socks will combat the loss of body heat during sleep. But Professor Jim Horne, director of Loughborough University’s Sleep Research Centre, dismissed the suits as little more than a gimmick.
“I think it’s a great bedtime story,” he said. “To be honest, I’m sceptical about the company’s claims.
Sleep tight: The motel chain thinks the hood, gloves and socks will combat the loss of body heat
“Tight clothes and a hood could, if anything, make sleeping worse. The body needs to cool down slightly when you go to bed. Allowing your face and neck to be exposed is quite a good way of cooling down because the rest of the body is covered by the bedclothes.
“I would recommend people stick with what they are comfortable with. A pair of loose cotton PJs are more than adequate.”
Five hotels are taking part in the trial. They will contact customers before their arrival to offer them a sleepsuit.
A Travelodge spokesman said: “The pyjamas are currently free of charge. Once customers have worn them, we are more than happy for them to take them home and continue to enjoy them.”
Some of my colleagues have quite rightly pointed out that I have ignored the