Expert’s Voice: Top ten F&B revenue-management tips for hotel restaurants

Silvie Cohen and David Israel of hotelAVE suggest practical measures that hotel restaurants can adopt to boost their top lines and minimise the impact of spiralling costs.

As restaurants emerge from the Covid19 pandemic, operators remain challenged by nationwide labour shortages, the rising cost of wages and the increasing cost of goods.

To mitigate these bottom-line issues, just like hotels and airlines deploy revenue-management techniques to push sales, there are strategies F&B teams can deploy to optimise their top line as well. This article takes you through F&B revenue-management tips to help restauranteurs improve profitability.

Top ten F&B revenue-management tips for hotel restaurants:

• Prix-Fixe menus: Explore offering a fixed three-course menu for a set price, which will help drive average check. This is a popular option for weekday lunch as well as weekend brunch (bottomless brunch) or family / holiday meals.
• Dynamic pricing: Evaluate surge pricing based on demand levels or meal period to drive incremental revenue (weekday versus weekend, lunch versus dinner). Given the increased use of digital / mobile menus (eg utilising QR codes), this strategy can be implemented with minimal cost.
• Entrée additions: Highlight certain additions to entrées on the menu. For example, provide the option to get bacon added to a burger, a fourth taco (if the dish serves three) or egg-white substitutions amongst other combinations for an additional upcharge. If it is highlighted on the menu, guests are likely to order it.
• Time management: Consider the length of time customers sit at their table to maximise the amount of turns during service. Set table limits or provide express meal options (eg one-hour power lunch) to optimise the number of covers the restaurant does during certain meal periods. Offer additional points or incentives via reservation systems (OpenTable, Resy, etc) to motivate guests to book at off-peak hours. Allow guests to pay via mobile QR code to expedite the checkout process.
• Hotel cross-collaboration: Incentivise hotel guests to come to the restaurant via offering different benefits. Destination fees: If the hotel has a destination fee, include F&B offerings within the fee to encourage guests to come to the restaurant. Data suggests a modest discount or free drink / appetiser generates substantial incremental revenue from hotel guests when offered. Prioritise hotel guests: Offer guests priority seating and reservation access to drive covers.
• Competitive price shop: Complete a quarterly shop of comparable food, beverage and event prices within the competitive set. Be sure to evaluate if menu prices are too low or too high and adjust, as necessary.
• Find menu ‘stars’: Evaluate product mix (PMIX) and menu costing to understand which menu items are highly profitable and sell (eg French fries). Train servers to understand which items they should be selling in real time based on inventory and pricing (eg avoid guacamole if there is an avocado shortage). Eliminate loss-leaders during high-demand periods and eliminate menu items that take a long time to cook or require additional culinary / front-of-house resources to execute.
• Lucrative happy hours: Provide enticing happy-hour offerings to increase foot traffic in the early hours post-work. Another creative option includes offering a ‘reverse happy hour’, which is reduced pricing during later evening hours (starting at 9pm versus 4pm). Utilise limited menus with enticing offers (US$1 oysters, half-off cocktails, etc).
• Ancillary spend: Give guests the option to purchase their favourite restaurant items to take home (eg homemade cookies, make-it-yourself pasta kits, Bloody Mary mix, etc).
• Flexible seating: Evaluate flexible seating options to ensure four-tops can be turned into two-tops to mitigate lost revenue due to differences between party size and available seating.

Source: https://tophotel.news/experts-voice-top-ten-fb-revenue-management-tips-for-hotel-restaurants/

‘A hotel without linen is not a hotel’

Lilliput Services in Belfast is one of the unsung companies without which the UK’s hotel industry could not exist.

The fresh bed linen you’re used to seeing in your hotel room is not owned by the hotels themselves, but by laundry firms like Lilliput.

They collect it when it’s dirty and bring it back nice and clean. As boss David Griffiths puts it: “A hotel without linen is not a hotel.”

But Covid, Brexit and other factors have combined to make life extremely difficult for laundry companies – and that is having a knock-on effect for accommodation providers everywhere.

Sources in the hotel industry have reported difficulties in getting rooms ready for guests because they don’t have enough bedclothes.

Kate Nicholls, head of the UK Hospitality industry body, has said the problems are “across the sector”.

‘We have had general managers taking laundry home in order to get towels turned around because the commercial laundry providers haven’t been able to guarantee the delivery,” she told the BBC.

Part of this is down to the national shortage of lorry drivers that is holding up linen deliveries, just as it is leading to gaps on supermarket shelves.

But the problems go deeper. Weather-related disasters and India’s Covid crisis have caused a global shortage of cotton, so that laundry firms are finding it hard to replace worn-out sheets with new ones.

“I’ve been in this game 40 years and I’ve never, never not been able to buy a pillowcase,” says Mr Griffiths.

• Staff shortages could last two years, say firms
• Food price rise fears amid staff shortages
• UK recovery slows as staff shortages plague firms

For the past five weeks, Lilliput has been working 24 hours a day, five days a week in an effort to clear the backlog of deliveries. That has meant paying staff extra to work the unsocial hours.

In order to keep going during the pandemic, the firm took out a coronavirus business interruption loan of £1.3m. Although interest rates are low, Mr Griffiths says that planned investments in the business will now have to wait.

“About 80% of our staff were Eastern European and a lot of them went home during furlough,” he adds. Brexit has also made it difficult to get materials into Northern Ireland from elsewhere in the UK.

“It’s absolutely astonishing, it’s devastating,” he says. “This will impact on the marketplace unless we can find solutions.”

Back to the floor

Across the Irish Sea in Blackpool, another laundry firm is finding the going tough as well.

Like Lilliput, Blackpool Laundry makes its living from providing linen to hotels, NHS hospitals and ferry services.

Having started as a local firm in the seaside resort, it now has clients all over north-western England.

But boss Mark Oldroyd is more often found on the shop floor than in his office right now, pitching in to help mitigate a shortage of workers.

“We’re struggling to get staff. It’s getting quite bad,” he told the BBC.

Unlike his counterpart in Northern Ireland, Mr Oldroyd is suffering less from the lorry driver shortage: “Drivers are not too bad, it’s getting labour.”

David Stevens, chief executive of the Textile Services Association, says the laundry industry is facing “massive recruitment issues”.

There are currently 4,000 vacancies out of a workforce of 24,000, he says.

“The industry was overlooked during the pandemic – it wasn’t hospitality, it wasn’t retail and it wasn’t leisure,” he told the BBC.

“Firms had a tough time and had to make a lot of commercial decisions. It’s very difficult to kickstart the industry in just three weeks.”

With the “unprecedented bounce-back” of the hotel industry and a return to 90% occupancy rates, “we just haven’t been able to get adequate staff”, he says.

Mr Griffiths of Lilliput Services says that whatever happens, change is coming to the industry.

“We have to pay more money and we have to charge more for our services,” he says. “It’s the only way forward.”

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-58465953

Radisson Hotel Group announces a record year in Africa, with 13 hotels and 2,500 rooms signed to date

Radisson Hotel Group (www.RadissonHotels.com), one of the world’s leading hotel groups, is proud to announce a hotel expansion record in Africa with 13 signings to date, translating to a new hotel signed every 20 days. The Group’s expansion drive, adding 2,500 rooms to its African portfolio, includes the announcement of nine hotels in Morocco, the Group’s debut in Djibouti and the introduction of the Radisson Individuals brand in Africa. Adding to this expansion milestone, the Group has also opened five hotels to date this year, including Africa’s second Radisson RED in South Africa and four Radisson Blu resort offerings in Morocco.

With additional hotel signings and a further three openings in Africa expected before year end, Radisson Hotel Group remains prudently optimistic regarding the business recovery within the last quarter of 2021. The Group’s aggressive expansion places them firmly on track to boost the current African portfolio of almost 100 hotels currently in operation and under development to its ambition of 150 hotels by 2025. As part of the expansion strategy, the Group has put forward growth priorities across key markets such as Morocco, Egypt and South Africa.

From a single hotel in Africa 20 years ago, Radisson Hotel Group’s current African portfolio of almost 100 hotels in operation and under development is located in more than 30 countries across the continent, cementing the Group’s leading position as the hotel company with the largest active presence in the most countries across Africa.

The 13 signings, reinforcing the Group’s expansion strategy, have secured a record growth in Morocco with an additional nine hotels, comprising of two hotels in Casablanca, including the debut of the Radisson brand with the Radisson Hotel Casablanca Gauthier La Citadelle and the recent partnership established with Madaëf which translates to seven additional hotels across key leisure destinations in the country. The group has also announced the launch of their first project, the Earl Heights Suite Hotel, a member of Radisson Individuals in Accra, Ghana joining their new affiliation brand; their market entry in Victory Falls with the introduction of Radisson Blu Resort Mosi-Oa-Tunya Livingstone as well as another new entry with Radisson Hotel Djibouti. The most recent announcement was the Radisson Hotel Middleburg which further complements the Group’s presence across South Africa.

These hotel signings equate to almost 2,500 rooms, most of which are in the Group’s core focus countries, especially across Morocco, with the remainder reinforcing their presence in cluster markets or entering into new territories.

Ramsay Rankoussi, Vice President, Development, Africa & Turkey at Radisson Hotel Group, said: “For the remainder of the year, we will continue to build on the success and momentum we’ve had thus far, with a continued focus on our identified key markets, specifically Morocco, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa. We aim to further accelerate our presence across the continent through both new build and conversions, especially post-pandemic, as there is less liquidity for newer developments. We therefore seek to form wider partnerships and strategic ventures with local or regional chains and forge ahead with our city scale and critical mass strategy. The execution of our strategy with clear priorities will equally support in achieving positive economic efficiencies and synergies operationally across all our existing and future hotels, further unlocking value to our owners. We have also demonstrated the relevant flexibility in addressing the current investment climate by providing not only tailored solutions to every project but also rationalizing our relationships with our investors to assess the best timings in terms of openings and the right budget allocation in terms of segment, space program and development cost.

“Africa is mainly led by business hotels, but with the recent signings, we have expanded our leisure offerings and serviced apartments which has not only proven resilient during COVID-19 but is also fueling a faster recovery. Our ambitions are driven by creating critical mass in each of our identified focus markets but also ensuring market proximity. These regions are sub divided based on priorities, focus and potential scale.”

“Despite the current situation and supporting our robust expansion strategy, our teams are working tirelessly to realize the pipeline, with eight hotel openings in Africa this year. We have already opened five hotels, consisting of four of the seven hotels we’ve just announced in Morocco, which consist of resorts and residences as well the opening of Africa’s second Radisson RED hotel in Rosebank. The remaining three hotels, all due to open before year-end, represent our debut in Madagascar with a portfolio of three hotels.”

Building on the success of the Group’s five-year expansion and transformation plan, Radisson Hotel Group is ready for the rebound of travel and remains firmly committed to becoming the brand of choice for owners, partners, and guests.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Radisson Hotel Group.

Source: https://www.africanews.com/2021/09/20/radisson-hotel-group-announces-a-record-year-in-africa-with-13-hotels-and-2-500-rooms-signed-to-date/

Weak jobs report as delta impacts travel, tourism

The unemployment rate, however, dropped to 5.2% from 5.4% in July.

America’s employers added just 235,000 jobs in August, a surprisingly weak gain after two months of robust hiring and the clearest sign to date that the delta variant’s spread has discouraged some people from flying, shopping and eating out.

The August job growth the government reported Friday fell far short of the sizable gains of roughly 1 million in each of the previous two months. The hiring jumps in June and July had followed widespread vaccinations that allowed the economy to fully reopen from pandemic restrictions. Now, with Americans buying fewer plane tickets, reducing hotel stays and filling fewer entertainment venues, some employers in those areas have slowed their hiring.

Still, the number of job openings remains at record levels, with many employers still eager for workers, and overall hiring is expected to stay solid in the coming months. Even with August’s tepid job gain, the unemployment rate dropped to 5.2% from 5.4% in July. With many consumers still willing to spend and companies to hire, the overall U.S. economy still looks healthy.

The details in Friday’s jobs report showed, though, how the delta variant held back job growth last month. The sectors of the economy where hiring was weakest were mainly those that require face-to-face contact with the public. More Americans said they were unable to work in August because their employer closed or lost business to the pandemic than said so in July.

“The delta variant has taken a bigger toll on the job market than many of us had hoped,” said Sarah House, a senior economist at Wells Fargo. “It’s going to take workers longer to come back to the labor market than we expected.”

A few months ago, many economists, as well as officials at the White House and Federal Reserve, had expected a fading pandemic to encourage more people to resume their job searches. Worries about getting sick on the job would fade, they hoped. And as schools reopened, more parents, particularly women, would return to the workforce.

So far, that hasn’t happened. As a consequence, many economists now predict that the Fed will delay an announcement that it will begin withdrawing the extraordinary support for the economy it unleashed after the pandemic erupted in March of last year.

The August jobs report “slams the door” on the prospect of the Fed announcing a pullback when it meets later this month, said House, the Wells Fargo economist. Fed Chair Jerome Powell made clear last week that the central bank would begin to reverse its ultra-low-rate policies later this year if the economy continued to improve.

Hiring in a category that includes restaurants, bars and hotels sank to zero in August after those sectors had added roughly 400,000 jobs in both June and July. Restaurant dining, after having fully recovered in late June, has declined to about 9% below pre-pandemic levels, according to reservations website OpenTable.

Some live shows, including the remaining concerts on country star Garth Brooks’ tour, for example, have been canceled. Businesses are delaying their returns to offices, threatening the survival of some downtown restaurants, coffee shops and dry cleaners.

Health care and government employers also cut jobs in August. Construction companies, which have struggled to find workers, lost 3,000 jobs despite strong demand for new homes.

Government employers shed 8,000 jobs, mostly because of a sharp declines in local education hiring after strong gains in June and July. That decline occurred mostly because the pandemic has scrambled normal hiring patterns as schools have closed and then reopened for in-person classes.

Yet many employers are still looking to hire. The job listings website Indeed says the number of available jobs grew in August, led by such sectors as information technology and finance, in which many employees can work from home. And the National Federation for Independent Business said Thursday that its surveys show that half of small businesses have jobs they cannot fill.

Walmart announced this week that it will hire 20,000 people to expand its supply chain and online shopping operations, including jobs for order fillers, drivers, and managers. Amazon said Wednesday that it is looking to fill 40,000 jobs in the U.S., mostly technology and hourly positions.

And Fidelity Investments said Tuesday that it is adding 9,000 more jobs, including in customer service and IT.

The difficulty in filling jobs is forcing more companies to offer higher pay. Hourly wages rose a robust 4.3% in August compared with a year earlier. Walmart, for one, said it was giving over 500,000 of its store employees a $1 an hour raise.

Governors in about 25 states, nearly all led by Republican governors, cut off a $300-a-week in federal supplemental unemployment benefits in June and July because, they said, the extra money was discouraging recipients from looking for work. Yet the proportion of Americans with jobs or searching for one was flat in August, Friday’s report showed, suggesting that the cutoff has had little impact so far.

Source: https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/09/03/weak-jobs-report-as-delta-impacts-travel-tourism/

These are the best hotel rewards programs of the year

If booking a hotel room this summer left your wallet significantly lighter, chances are you’re thinking about joining a hotel rewards program in hopes of saving a few bucks, or at least getting a few perks.

But with so many options, how do you choose a program to join? U.S. News & World Report today announced the 2021-22 Best Travel Rewards Programs which included ranking 15 hotel loyalty programs. 

“Wyndham Rewards takes the No. 1 spot on the Best Hotel Rewards Programs ranking thanks in part to its large network of hotels in popular vacation destinations and high award availability,” the publication said in a media release. 

“Additionally, any member of the program can book a free night with as few as 7,500 points. World of Hyatt, No. 2, scores well by offering low points redemption requirements and a variety of ways to earn and redeem points. Marriott Bonvoy came in at No. 3 because it offers a multitude of properties at various price points in destinations across the globe, plus ample benefits for members.”

Best Hotel Rewards Programs for 2021-22 

1. Wyndham Rewards 

2. World of Hyatt 

3. Marriott Bonvoy 

4. Choice Privileges 

5. IHG Rewards 

6. Radisson Rewards Americas 

7. Best Western Rewards 

8. Sonesta Travel Pass 

9. INVITED 

10. Leaders Club 

11. Hilton Honors 

12. ALL – Accor Live Limitless 

13. Omni Select Guest 

14. Stash Hotel Rewards 

15. I Prefer Hotel Rewards

U.S. News & World Report ranks 15 loyalty programs associated with major hotel brands that have at least 50 properties, 10 or more of which are located in the U.S. For a loyalty program to be in the list, it must allow members to join without prerequisites. “For example,” U.S. News & World Report said, “a potential member should be allowed to join a loyalty program even if he or she has never stayed at a participating hotel. All programs that appear on our Best Hotel Rewards Programs list offer members the ability to earn rewards and privileges each time they stay at a participating property.”

This year, U.S. News said it also considered each travel rewards program’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, and factored in how flexible and accommodating each airline and hotel program was for members.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/travel/best-hotel-rewards-2021-2022

Self-isolation changes: Relief for hospitality managers as ‘pingdemic’ ends, but ‘uncertainty’ not over yet

Managers at pubs and hotels, and the CBI, have warned that disruption could last for weeks to come with younger hospitality workers less likely to have had both vaccine doses.

Pub and hotel managers have hailed changes to self-isolation rules – which are set to mark the end of the ‘pingdemic‘ – but warned that uncertainty is not over for businesses yet.

From Monday, those who are fully vaccinated will no longer have to quarantine when identified as a close contact, signalling an end to temporary closures and huge staff shortages that have blighted the hospitality industry this summer.

However, managers have warned that with younger staff members – who are more likely to work in hospitality – still waiting to receive second doses, some disruption is still expected over the coming weeks.

Veryan Palmer, director of the five-star Headland Hotel in Newquay, Cornwall, welcomed the changes, but added: “It’s not quite over for us yet”.

“Generally our older staff have been fully vaccinated, but if you’re young you still often haven’t yet had your second vaccination.”

Over recent weeks, the hotel has experienced mass disruption due to self-isolation, leading to bedrooms being closed and only one of its three restaurants being able to operate.

At one point, 51 out of its 227 staff had been pinged, although only one employee has tested positive for Covid after being told to self-isolate by the NHS Covid-19 app.

“It’s been really tough and it’s been really tough for a lot of the staff. People want to work and they want to earn money,” said Ms Palmer.

She added that on top of having lots of staff under 25 who are yet to receive a second dose, there were fears that last week’s Boardmasters Festival, which was held in the town, could lead to an uptick people being told to isolate.

“I know a lot of young staff managed to get tickets. We’re hoping that it won’t have become a super-spreader event,” she said.

Disruption to the industry caused by people being asked to self-isolate after being pinged as a close contact could last for several weeks yet.

Those who are yet to receive a second dose will then have to wait two weeks until they are exempt from quarantine when contacted.

Martin Robinson, general manager at Ye Old Fighting Cocks, in St Albans – which claims to be the oldest pub in England – said the changes would make things “much easier”.

But, he added: “A lot of the staff are under 21, so it’s going to take a little while for everyone to get there.”

Amid the heatwave on 12 July, the pub was forced to close for 10 days after all 17 staff who were working that day were pinged.

“Not one of us tested positive. That was a real kick,” said Mr Robinson. “10 days, beautiful sunshine, and a bunch of healthy 20-somethings sat at home twiddling their thumbs.”

On Monday, the pub’s chef was isolating after contracting Covid, meaning there was no kitchen service.

But while Mr Robinson said it was important to keep people safe and to avoid further lockdowns, even small numbers of staff isolating caused big issues because the pub was operating on scaled-back staff numbers.

“You try to run as slim as possible because we’re coming out of financial hardship,” he said.

“When you’re running that tight, it only takes one person to say I’ve been pinged and it’s really tough to deliver a decent standard of service.”

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has said the changes would come as “a long-awaited relief to businesses” and would “ease” the impact of the pandemic.

However, a spokesperson added: “for those sectors reliant upon younger works still awaiting their second jab, including hospitality, a critical part of the workforce still face the prospect of needlessly having to self-isolate.

“A practical test and release scheme could be a sensible alternative for those who are single-dosed to ensure that self-isolation remains properly targeted at those who risk spreading the virus.”

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) also said that while the new exemptions would provide “huge relief” to small business owners, a “well-functioning testing system” was also critical.

Source: https://inews.co.uk/news/self-isolation-rule-changes-hospitality-relief-pingdemic-ends-uncertainty-not-over-1152908

Marriott Bonvoy Relaunches Moments Platform, Bringing Back Money-Can’t-Buy Experiences To Members

Members Can Create Memories with Pinch-Yourself Experiences Like Exclusive Access to NFL Kickoff, Walking the Red Carpet at the MTV VMAs or Designing a Wedding Gown with a Top Bridal Designer

Following more than a year of physical isolation and missed connections, Marriott Bonvoy – Marriott International’s award-winning travel program – is ushering in a refreshed version of the Marriott Bonvoy Moments platform to help members who want to make up for lost time. Launching today, Marriott Bonvoy’s new offering of mind-expanding, money-can’t-buy Moments with both new and long-standing collaborators aims to serve as a vehicle for travelers to discover the world around them and be forever transformed by the places, experiences and people encountered along the way.

With 66% of people saying they were inspired to create a bucket list because of the pandemic¹, the Marriott Bonvoy Moments program gives members ways to check items off their list with those closest to them. Using Marriott Bonvoy points accumulated from travel and everyday activities such as credit card spend, ride-sharing, or food delivery, members can gain VIP access to concerts, culinary experiences, premier sporting events and more all over the globe. Members may redeem their points for either fixed-price experiences or use them to bid on experiences through auctions using the revamped, easy-to-navigate platform.

“After so much time spent unable to do many of the things we enjoy, our members are eager to get back out on the road – not just to escape, but to discover all the people, places and experiences the world has to offer,” said David Flueck, Senior Vice President, Marriott Bonvoy. “We are excited to relaunch Marriott Bonvoy Moments, which has always been one of the most beloved elements of our travel program, and to give our members access to money-can’t-buy experiences where they can make memories, forge new connections and expand their minds.”

Marriott Bonvoy Moments span a wide variety of passions, from sports to culinary, and from music to professional development and more. Moments in both virtual and in-person settings are available on the platform. Examples of Moments available for bidding at launch include:

Sports

Cheer on the start of the 2021 NFL season with an exclusive NFL Kickoff Experience
For the first time ever, Marriott Bonvoy members can celebrate the start of the NFL season with exclusive access to the NFL’s Kickoff celebrations – including tickets to the NFL’s Kickoff Eve Party the night before the game, as well as the VIP Concert Viewing Party leading up to the game on Thursday, September 9^th. The experience will culminate with game tickets to watch the opening game.

Improve your tennis skills at a clinic hosted by former #1 Andy Roddick and attend the Laver Cup
The Laver Cup is an unrivaled men’s team competition that showcases six of the top players from Europe against their counterparts from the rest of the World. Join former world no. 1 Andy Roddick on the Laver Cup practice court for a tennis clinic in the morning. Learn how to dominate your opponent with Roddick’s trademark strokes, including his iconic wrist-snapping forehand and ultra-powerful serves. Then spend the afternoon watching some of the best players in the world compete at the Laver Cup. This is one of many unique Laver Cup-related packages available.

Music

Walk The Red Carpet at MTV’s Video Music Awards
Be among the A-List at MTV’s iconic Video Music Awards, with the opportunity to access the red carpet before you take your seats to the show.

Experience Firefly Music Festival Like a VIP
With Super VIP Weekend Passes, get the best views of main stage performances with access to the front row and the side viewing loft, as well as artist lounges with private bars and complimentary snacks. Relax at the end of a day in your glamping tent, with access to Camping Hubs — featuring additional artist performances, camping entertainment, activities, shopping and more.

Culinary

Secure A Table at The Hottest Spot in Town
Get a guaranteed reservation at top restaurants including Thomas Keller’s Per Se (New York, NY) & The French Laundry (Yountville, CA), Enrique Olvera’s Pujol (Mexico City, Mexico) and Stephanie Izard’s Girl & the Goat (Los Angeles, CA). Some packages also include a private dinner with the Chef.

Learn How to Grill Like a Master
Impress your guests at your next cook-out after a lesson from a Weber Culinary Grillmaster, the brand of grilling equipment for TownePlace Suites hotels.

Personal & Professional Development

Master Public Speaking with Training from TED’s Director of Speaker Coaching
Learn how to master the art of communication – whether in person or virtual – with help from TED’s Director of Speaker Coaching, Briar Goldberg, thanks to Marriott Hotels’ long-standing relationship with TED. In an online class, TED’s public speaking expert will teach valuable communication skills – along with actionable tips and takeaways – through engaging exercises that will help you identify your audience, keep them engaged and inspired and convey your message confidently.

Bring Order to Your Home with The Container Store
At most TownePlace Suites hotels, longer-stay travelers can spread out, settle in and get organized with a custom ElfaÒ closet exclusively from The Container Store. Now, you can get the chance to create the “Ultimate Closet” at home with items from The Container Store and guidance from one of their organizing and custom closet experts.

Arts & Culture

Make Your Special Day Extra-Special with a Made-To-Order Wedding Gown Designed by Justin Warshaw of Justin Alexander
No gown for your re-scheduled wedding? No problem! Come and enjoy an indulgent day helping design the wedding gown of your dreams that will be made to order from Justin Alexander.

Attend a New York Fashion Week Invite-Only Presentation
Be the first to see the fashion brand alice + olivia’s Spring 2022 Collection at an invite-only presentation during fashion week, and have the opportunity to shop the collection.

Marriott Bonvoy will continue to debut one-of-a-kind Moments in new locations around the world throughout the rest of 2021 and beyond. Members will be able to enjoy once-in-a-lifetime experiences once again as Marriott Bonvoy resumes activations under its long-standing relationships with the NFL, Manchester United, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team, the National Park Foundation and many more.

All in-person Marriott Bonvoy Moments will follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control or the equivalent in the country/region where the Moment takes place with regard to mask-wearing, testing and other COVID-19 protocols.

To explore Marriott Bonvoy Moments, please visit https://moments.marriottbonvoy.com. For more information about Marriott Bonvoy or to enroll as a member for free, visit here. Join the conversation @MarriottBonvoy and #MarriottBonvoyMoments.

Source: https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4105870.html

New coalition to fight for gender equality in hospitality

Hospitality leaders across the globe have come together to form LeadingHôtelières, a coalition working to achieve better representation for women at the highest levels.

Formed by some of the world’s top hoteliers and hospitality academics, this pioneering initiative is calling for gender equality across senior positions, in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 5.

Uniting industry leaders in a common goal

The LeadingHôtelières coalition has been founded by the CEO and president of HoteliersGuild, Frank M Pfaller, and co-founded by the CEO of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Lindsey Ueberroth. Considerate Group’s Xenia zu Hohenlohe is leading the coalition as chairwoman in its inaugural year, and the associate professor of management at EHL, Dr Sowon Kim, is joining as co-chair.

“When we looked at our HG membership roster, we realised that we had far too few women in leadership positions,” said Pfaller. “Reaching out initially to Lindsey, Xenia and Sowon, we were thrilled to realise their enthusiasm to join our cause to making a real change.”

Additional support is being provided by industry leaders like the owner and CEO of Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Valentina de Santis; sustainability architect Yasmine Mahmoudieh; the director of Red Carnation Hotels, Vicki Tollman; the director of spa at Four Seasons Hong Kong, Dr Tania Bardhan; and the CEO of hospitality consultancy WE(i) Think, Celine Vadam. Each will play an important role in establishing greater gender balance at a systemic level. The group’s communication is to be coordinated by the managing director of Mason Rose, Maria Pajares.

An advisory board is now taking shape, with founder of ESPA International, Sue Harmsworth; associate professor at Institut Paul Bocuse, Dr Henri Kuokkanen; and professor at IUBH University of Applied Sciences, Dr Willy Legrand onboard to offer support.

Working towards gender balance

Together, these figures are setting plans in motion to encourage gender equality across the industry by providing guidance, mentorship and training through its network of industry contacts.

The focus for the coming year is on addressing flexible working structures. “I’m happy to see more women CEOs in hospitality, but we are still a far cry from where I hope we can be in terms of representation,” said Ueberroth. “The biggest challenges for women looking to achieve top leadership roles were the need to travel, relocate and dedicate long hours.

“In the past, once having children and raising a family came into the equation, many women were forced to make a choice, and those challenges were hard to overcome. Given the innovations in technology and a more open attitude towards flexible working hours and home offices, many of these hurdles seem alleviated.”

“We are currently working on a framework to test whether the outcome of our goal, to improve gender equality among directorial and operational roles in the hospitality industry through updated flexible working schemes, actually works for our hotelier partners,” added Dr Sowon Kim, who is heading up research for the initiative. “We aim to create new and relevant knowledge and share these findings in a meaningful, productive way.”

Xenia zu Hohenlohe concluded: “Gender equality is a key part of the UN’s Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and any business serious about futureproofing itself will need to address this issue.

“We have an incredible collection of women with highly professional profiles paired with great brainpower in this group, all driven by the motivation to ensure the female hotelier of the future will be able to finally have the same opportunities for career development as their male peers. I am delighted to be co-chairing this chapter with the wonderful Sowon Kim and we hope to be able to make a real difference with this work.”

Source: https://tophotel.news/new-coalition-to-fight-for-gender-equality-in-hospitality/

New CEO for Institute of Hospitality

The Institute of Hospitality, the professional body for current and aspiring managers working in hospitality, has appointed Robert Richardson as CEO.

Robert Richardson is to become CEO of the organisation as of 19 April 2021, succeeding Peter Ducker, who spent eight years in the role.  

A new chapter for the Institute of Hospitality

  Now taking the helm of this international professional body, Richardson will endeavour to build on Ducker’s legacy. Richardson was previously general manager of Cave Hotel in Kent and, prior to that, held the same post at The Grand in Folkestone, and was an active member of the institute’s advisory board.   The new CEO received the Institute of Hospitality Judges’ Award in 2018 for his commitment to the professional body, before in September 2020 being named Institute of Hospitality vice-chairman.  

Leading the industry forward

  In this influential role, Richardson will work closely with the Institute of Hospitality chair, Kellie Rixon, to lead the body in a post-pandemic world and help realise its aspiration to achieve chartered status.   “We could not be more thrilled to welcome Robert as our new CEO,” said Rixon. “We know he brings with him not only a wealth of hospitality industry experience and connections, but the respect of his peers in education and the wider community where he has dedicated so much of his time to raising the standards and stature of our amazing profession.”   “As hospitality returns to the forefront of our economy and our daily lives after a year of unprecedented disruption and challenge, there has never been a more important time for our industry to cultivate strong leadership and management skills,” added Richardson. “We also need to attract and inspire future generations of talent, and I believe the IoH is perfectly placed to help support this. It is a huge honour to step up and lead our institute moving forward into a brave new post-lockdown world.”

Source: https://tophotel.news/new-ceo-for-institute-of-hospitality/

Marriott Execs: Don’t Expect More Hotel Mega-Mergers Even in Covid Times

Major hotel companies are massive enough. Mergers and acquisitions departments need to think more about smaller, strategic deals rather than mega-takeovers that take tens of billions of dollars and years to integrate companies.

The airline industry’s last two decades of consolidation are no longer the blueprint analysts once saw as a foregone conclusion for hotel companies.

Hotel industry analysts expected massive rounds of industry consolidation due to the pandemic. Instead, hotel companies have focused more on conversions — deals centered around organic growth that involves the owner of an existing hotel to take on a new brand affiliation.

While mergers and acquisitions aren’t entirely off the table, Marriott leaders don’t expect a repeat performance of its $13 billion Starwood Hotels & Resorts takeover in the future.

“First of all, you need a big checkbook to get one done,” Timothy Grisius, the global mergers and acquisitions and real estate officer at Marriott International, said Monday at a reporter breakfast at the 2021 Americas Lodging Investment Summit in Los Angeles. “I think people are trying to keep their house in order today and make sure that they act in a financially disciplined way. There’s not a lot of need to grow even larger for a company like us. We do that organically and don’t necessarily need to buy additional brands.”

Hotel companies may analyze and pursue larger mergers and acquisitions, but there likely won’t be much traction, Grisius added.

The consolidation, or lack thereof, forecast comes amid a faster-than-expected recovery in the leisure sector. At the worst point of the pandemic, rumors revived about a potential Accor-IHG pairing as well as predictions smaller players like Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Choice Hotels, and Extended Stay America were low-hanging fruit for global giants like Marriott and Hilton.

While Extended Stay America traded during the pandemic, its $6 billion joint takeover came from investment groups Blackstone and Starwood Capital rather than a competing hotel company.

“I think the biggest thing right now is the difference between buyer expectations and sellers,” said Leeny Oberg, Marriott’s chief financial officer. “You’ve got the reality that, depending on what kind of player you’re talking about, the bigger ones would be looking for kind of one-offs that can fill in a hole rather than needing to go and do very large kind of transformational deals.”

The buyer-seller price expectation disparity, along with various rounds of federal pandemic relief, played a major part in why there hasn’t been a massive wave of hotel transactions so far.

But smaller, regional acquisitions could complement organic brand growth. Accor has generally followed this trend in beefing up its U.S. footprint, adding brands like 21c Museum Hotels and SBE in recent years.

Smaller brands might get dissuaded from the hefty costs required to invest in technology infrastructure. That could be an added incentive that eventually drives some smaller, regional brands to consider a sale, Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano said.

Marriott already follows the trend. AC Hotels was concentrated in Spain when Marriott first partnered with the brand in 2011. Acquiring South Africa-based Protea Hotels in 2014 gave the company a significant presence in sub-Saharan Africa.

“You may see some of these smaller transactions that follow a pattern where we have a small regional player that allowed us to get a footprint in a market where we struggled to grow,” Capuano said.

But the industry shouldn’t necessarily gear up for a major wave of these deals, either.

“I think you’ll see some of that, but Leeny’s point about the gap between the bid and the ask may mute the volume of transactions,” Capuano added.

Source: https://skift.com/2021/07/27/marriott-execs-dont-expect-more-hotel-mega-mergers-even-in-covid-times/