Hotel California Needs To Be More Hospitable

“I hate the [expletive] Eagles,” declares Jeff Bridges as the stoner-turned-detective hero of “The Big Lebowski,” the classic Coen brothers film study of Los Angeles.

But even if you aren’t a fan of the best-selling band of the ’70s, you’ve gotta give the Eagles this: Their most famous song was so dead-on that it now explains our state’s economic, geographic and demographic realities.

You’re a Hotel, California.

As Californians pick up the pieces from the Great Recession, the trend is clear. The parts of our state’s regional economies that involve Californians serving other Californians – construction, real estate, government – have been hit hard. But the economic sectors that involve Californians serving people from elsewhere – trade, technology and export-oriented pieces of media, entertainment, agriculture, education and health – are mostly growing. So it’s more important than ever for us put on a hospitable face for the world.

Friendliness to visitors is all the more crucial since we are producing fewer new California residents (because of big declines in California’s birth rate and in immigration) and since some of our fundamentals – relatively high taxes, heavy regulation and decaying infrastructure – are unattractive. Any hotelier knows that when you’re overpriced and a little ragged around the edges, like, say, the Hotel Del, you must make up for it with good hospitality.

Especially when it comes to travel and tourism. The amount spent by visitors to California can seem small – it’s a little more than $100 billion, equal to the size of the state’s general fund, which is less than 10 percent of the economy – but its impact is outsized.

While famous attractions like Disneyland and the Golden Gate Bridge are important pieces of their local economies, tourism packs an even bigger punch in smaller inland communities with undiversified economies, where one or two steady attractions can be a lifeline. A report from Dean Runyon Associates finds that Sierra counties like Mariposa (Yosemite Valley) and Mono (Mammoth Lakes) get more than half of their local taxes via tourism.

Tourism is California’s Great Unifier, connecting all our diverse regional economies and equalizing the disparities between the places we live. Which is why we all must understand the first rule of living in the Hotel California: bringing the state together starts not with how we treat each other but how we treat our guests.

From this perspective, state officials made a big mistake by letting California’s national parks close during the government shutdown instead of finding the money to keep places like Yosemite open. And it’s one more reason that the new law to grant drivers’ licenses to undocumented immigrants makes sense: It sends a welcoming message to the world.

That means we need a greater sense of urgency about expanding our seaports and airports. For infrastructure, we must prioritize projects at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles and other places that support global trade. To make us better hosts to outsiders arriving in the state, our schools should require children to gain fluency in multiple languages – Spanish and at least one Asian language, plus whatever language it is they speak in the United Kingdom (the No. 1 source of visitors to California) and Australia (the No. 3 source). State bureaucracies should offerconcierge service to people who come to California to start businesses, and each of our municipal governments should offer its residents free, public courses in their particular civic history, so more of us can serve as impromptu tour guides when out-of-town visitors stop us on the streets.

In a conversation with Margie Ferree Jones, a professor at Cal Poly Pomona’s world-class Collins College of Hospitality Management, I learned there are at least three lessons you hear in hospitality class that might apply to us Californians.

1. Seize the moment. In the hospitality business you’re selling perishable products, like that night’s hotel room and restaurant dinner, so don’t wait to engage your customers.

2. Work with intangibility. You’re not selling an object that someone can take home – you’re helping people create great experiences and memories.

3. Make human connections in the service of repeat guests. Learn and remember people’s names and what they like.

We’d all be better at our jobs if we learned those lessons. And the relationships we build with visitors via hospitality can make a lasting impact. The members of the Eagles, for example, weren’t from California, but they learned about the state, and ultimately fell in love with it, through their lodgings.

“Hotels were a big part of our lives,” Don Henley told the director-screenwriter Cameron Crowe in 2003. “The Beverly Hills Hotel had become something of a focal point, literally and symbolically.” Henley and Glenn Frey went and saw Neil Simon’s “California Suite,” a play and later a movie, as they put the song together. Said Henley: “We saw it as our homework and research.”

Californians can do their hospitality homework, too. The next time you find yourself with a free moment, find a mirror and practice your smile. Also try out a few key phrases to use with visitors.

Such as: “What else can we do to make your stay in California more comfortable?”

And: “We’d be happy to help you check out anytime you like, but we hope you never leave.”

Jason Atherton Backs New Hospitality Traineeship

The programme, which aims to give 16-23-year-olds their first step into employment, combines work preparation and employment skills, functional skills in maths and English with specific industry training, and valuable ‘on the job’ practical work experience.It has been created in response to the Government’s new traineeship initiative, which was introduced following employer feedback that many young people lack the basic skills for employment.Atherton, who started his own career through the Youth Training Scheme in the 1980’s, was on-hand at last week’s launch to oversee a kitchen staffed by HIT apprentices and their trainer-assessors.  “The great thing about the hospitality industry is that if you can show some passion and flair, you can go far,” said the chef. “It’s crucial that young people are given the opportunity to get into this amazing industry.

Traineeships like this enable people like me to take young people into the kitchen and give them a chance to grow.”Direct pathwayJill Whittaker, managing director of HIT, added: “Traineeships are part of the same family as apprenticeships but they are aimed at those young people who are having difficulty getting into work because they don’t have sufficient qualifications or any work experience.“The new traineeships are a genuine opportunity to get people who are currently on benefits, into work and into jobs. The programme aims to improve their personal skills set and either provide the learner with a direct pathway into an apprenticeship or employment, or equip them with better Maths and English skills, practical experience, a reference and equally importantly, proof on their CV of their willingness to learn and work.

“There is real value in giving young people a set of transferable skills which they can then take through their whole lifetime.”Quick progressionOther guests at the launch included Martine Pullen, head of pre-employment and apprenticeships at People 1st; Nick Dugard, City & Guilds territory business manager; and a range of employers including Cath Young, Youth Hostel Association Learning and Development Business Partner. Representatives of the first four employers to commit to HIT traineeships – the West Cornwall Pasty Company, Genuine Dining, the Bailbrook House Hotel and Harrison Catering – were also in attendance.The core content of all traineeships, the duration of which will be a maximum of six months, will be a high-quality work placement and training plus English and Maths if trainees have not already achieved a minimum GCSE Grade C in those subjects. Available for those aged 16-23 and for young people with Learning Difficulty Assessments aged up to 25, the aim of traineeships is to secure young people’s progression to an apprenticeship or sustainable employment as quickly as possible. On Monday BigHospitality reported that Your Future in Hospitality, a new Isle of Wight-based initiative from HTP Training which looks to attract more young people into the hospitality industry, was welcomed by Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur Chris

Source: http://www.bighospitality.co.uk

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Mismatch Between Expectations of Tourism Industry And New Joiners

A poll has found a mismatch between the expectations of the hospitality and tourism industry and that of new entrants to the industry.

Nanyang Polytechnic’ School of Business Management surveyed 140 NYP students and alumni of their hospitality and tourism course, as well as 50 industry players from hotels, restaurants and the MICE industry.

The survey found that students prefer companies that provide career paths and job stability while the industry assumes that pay factors as the main attraction for graduates. Students also said that they apply for hospitality and tourism jobs based on information from peers while the industry assumes they use online and social media resources.

“The industry could consider using peer word-of-mouth and existing staff to promote jobs,” said senior lecturer Kevin Wee who conducted the poll. Mr Wee was presenting the survey findings at the Nanyang Hospitality and Tourism Industry Seminar 2013, which saw 200 NYP students, 60 industry players and several representatives from the Singapore Tourism Board attending. Separately, NYP also announced a new specialisation in culinary arts parked under its existing diploma in food and beverage business. The specialisation will start next year.

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com

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Le Joint Adds More European Flair to Melbourne

David Yu, the man behind Melbourne’s Touche Hombre Mexican eatery, has crossed over into bar the bar scene with his latest venue Le Joint.

Le Joint, which slyly sits next to Yu’s Touche Hombre, is a European-style bar inspired by the nightlife of Amsterdam, bringing patrons a brothel-esque, smoky world where they can sit back and enjoy some bar food and drinks.

“It’s a place where you can let your hair down, get a bit loose, have amazing burgers and fried chicken and immerse yourself in Melbourne’s carefree night life,” Yu said. “We wanted it hidden, so when you step in, you’re really in a different pocket of Melbourne altogether.”

Le Joint offers shared booths, tables and bar seating for its patrons.

Rich Hands from London’s Milk and Honey takes the reigns on the beverage offerings, giving a strong focus to cocktails, milk punches and vintage tributes.

“I wanted classics done damn well, large hand chipped ice and a good balance of flavours,” Habds said.

Among some of the more popular drinks is a Calridge 1930 with westwinds sabre gin, apry and cointreau or a Cherry Rob Roy with with lagavulin, cherry foam and noily pratt.

The cocktail menu is divided into a variety of sections and features a cocktail flight section, which offers a taster of house specialities and is designed for sharing.

The bar food is simple yet quality bar food with items like chicken dim sims from the chef’s family recipe, a David Blackmore wagyu beef burger and friend chicken with corn aioli dip.

The bar will also play host to fortune tellers six days a week as well as DJ’s Thursday through Saturday nights.

Source: http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au

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Oriens to Instate Engineering Team to Leverage Technology for Increased Revenue

Oriens Travel & Hotel Management Corp. (OTC Pink: OTHM), the Next Generation International Hotel Brand Operator, operating its Hotel PURE brand, announced that the Company is making provisions to organize and instate a new engineering team, to launch a standalone, online hotel search and reservation booking engine, to capitalize on the ongoing developments in Central America.

“There is a large and immediate financial opportunity for us in Central America,” stated Ken Chua, President of Oriens Travel & Hotel Management. “We are committed to be in-line with the rising trends in tourism to specific areas within a region. We now have ‘on the ground’ relationships, affording us economical marketing and sales access to the growing number of hotels in the region. This includes properties requiring a back-end reservation booking service, or access to a complete on-line marketing hotel search and reservation service.”

Management has taken steps to facilitate and launch a standalone hotel search and reservation booking engine. The service is undergoing design, to initially focus on Central America — although Oriens executives indicate the Company will likely accept all hotels signing up within the Americas (North, U.S. Central and South). At present, the Company’s technology is purely a back-end booking engine service much like HotelProxy and/or Open Hospitality. Like these booking engine service companies, Oriens’ FROL provides independent hoteliers with online booking solutions; the primary difference being the Company’s bilateral business model. This model affords Oriens the ability to implement and deploy its services to a larger number of properties with greater revenue potential.

However, as things are quickly unfolding for the Company and financing appears imminent, Ken Chua says it is imperative that “Oriens must begin to generate real quantifiable revenues that investment bankers and the markets can get behind.”

Chua continues, “Over the past years, we have practically given our branded flags and technological services away; almost at a detriment to our financial health. Luckily, sacrifice and persistence has won and now we are equipped with good management, five flag brands, case studies, an easily integrated booking technology, merger opportunities and investment considerations. Launching a standalone online hotel search and reservation booking engine to better position real revenue generation in 2014 and significant investment and acquisition interest is key to building a strong company in this sector.”

Management indicates that the development and launch of a standalone online hotel search and reservation booking engine is affordable and in close reach. The Company has begun to make the required provisions, along with considerations toward the appropriate engineering team to lead the effort.

Chua concluded, “We expect 2014 to be an extraordinary year for us, so early preparation is necessary. We have already formulated a name and see a roll out plan coming into fruition. Revenues and quantifiable value is what we are after to ensure that our future endeavors conclude in excellence.”

Source: http://online.wsj.com

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Crowne Plaza Times Square Manhattan Receives Top Industry Prize at 2013 WebAwards

Crowne Plaza Times Square Manhattan took home the top hospitality industry prize for the 2013 WebAwards, which celebrates digital innovation, functionality, and creativity in today’s fast evolving age. The NYC midtown hotel’s website has unique design across mobile, tablet, and desktop, offering ease of use and stunning visuals.

The new site was designed by HeBS Digital, a full-service digital hotel marketing firm in New York City. The website uses responsive design on the server side (RESS) to enable a robust three-screen presence on desktop, tablet, and mobile platforms, as well as the industry’s leading Content Management System, the CMS Premium, providing innovative website architecture and ultra-fast download speeds.

Visuals on the site showcase the hotel’s beautifully appointed accommodations and sharp public spaces, as well as the vivid experience of staying in Times Square. The image-leaning design allows the hotel to highlight its assets while also underscoring these components with informative and contextual copy.

“This website is an accurate reflection of our guest experience,” said Geoffrey Mills, Managing Director. “The photos and copy tell visitors what to expect, while the functionality of the site promises a seamless process from browsing to booking. The onsite stay at Crowne Plaza Times Square is just as seamless.”

The WebAwards are hosted annually by the Web Marketing Association, founded in 1997 to help set a high standard for Internet marketing and development of the best websites on the World Wide Web. Now in its 17th year, the WebAward program is the longest running annual website award competition dedicated to naming the best websites in 96 industries while setting the standard of excellence for all website development. Entries are judged for their design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, copywriting, and ease of use.

Source: http://www.prweb.com

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First Oceanfront Hyatt Place Hotel Opens in Daytona Beach

Hyatt Hotels Corporation  and Avista Hotels & Resorts today announce the opening of Hyatt Place Daytona Beach-Oceanfront, the first oceanfront Hyatt Place hotel.

“Hyatt Place Daytona Beach-Oceanfront is located right on the world-famous Daytona Beach, and we are looking forward to creating a positive travel experience for beachgoers and business travelers alike,” said Don Terzieff, general manager, Hyatt Place Daytona Beach-Oceanfront. “The Hyatt Place brand was designed for a lifestyle, not a demographic, and as a result, we are confident that whether guests are relaxing by the oceanfront pool or making use of the meeting facilities, all will appreciate the modern design, casual atmosphere and practical amenities.”

This new 10-story location in Daytona Beach marks the 19th Hyatt Place hotel in the state and joins other leisure destinations for the brand such as Honolulu, Hawaii; Scottsdale, Arizona; Carlsbad, California; Dewey Beach, Delaware; and Coconut Point, West Palm Beach and Delray Beach in Florida.

Situated directly on the beautiful Daytona Beach Shores, Hyatt Place Daytona Beach-Oceanfront is only 10 minutes from Interstate 95 and provides easy access to the Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach Pier and Boardwalk, Daytona Lagoon Waterpark, Jackie Robinson Ballpark, the Halifax Historical Museum and the Ocean Walk Shoppes and Movies.

Hyatt Place Daytona Beach-Oceanfront offers:

• 143 spacious guestrooms, all of which feature a private balcony, a 42-inch HDTV, a plush Hyatt Grand Bed® and a Cozy Corner sectional sofa
• Direct beach access
• Oceanfront pool and pool bar featuring specialty cocktails, premium beers and wines
• Free Wi-Fi access throughout the hotel
• Complimentary a.m. Kitchen Skillet^TM, featuring freshly prepared breakfast sandwiches, a variety of fresh fruits, hot and cold cereal, yogurt, breads, premium coffee and an assortment of juices
• 800 square feet of flexible, high-tech meeting and function space
• 24/7 Gallery Menu serving made-to-order entrees and appetizers around the clock
• An indoor Coffee to Cocktails bar featuring coffee, specialty cocktails, premium beers, and wines

Hyatt Place Daytona Beach-Oceanfront is under the leadership of General Manager Don Terzieff and Director of Sales Andrew Wright. In his role, Terzieff is directly responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the hotel, including overseeing the hotel’s associates and ensuring guests encounter the purposeful service for which Hyatt Place is known. Wright is responsible for providing sales service and support to travelers and meeting planners frequenting the Daytona Beach area.

Source: http://www.4-traders.com

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Hospitality Skills Shortage Predicted To Continue Until 2020, Say Industry Experts

That was one of the predictions made in The Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI) UK & Ireland and Allegra Strategies’ Taste of the Future 2020 report, which forecasts the key issues and consumer trends that will be affecting the foodservice and hospitality industry by 2020. According to the report, the majority of the 100 industry experts surveyed, believe a skills shortage will be one of the biggest challenges the industry will face, especially as the industry is expected to get busier as the frequency of eating out is predicted to be ‘significantly higher’ by 2020. An increasingly ageing population, an increase in consumer quality expectations and the rising popularity of niche cuisines and unique dining experiences are also expected to impact the sector. Other predictions made include: An increase in consumer expectations around quality with 90 per cent of respondents saying the quality of product will be more important to consumers when eating out in 2020 than it is today.Value will still be important with 65 per cent of respondents saying saying consumers will be even more value-conscious than they are today.Serving locally-sourced food will remain important with 60 per cent believing that consumers will demand more locally-sourced menu choices.A rise in the number of ‘unique concepts’ with new fast food (59 per cent), street food (55 per cent) and pop-up restaurants (51 per cent) being identified as the fastest growing businesses to watch.The rise of healthy eating, South East Asian, British, premium chicken and global fusion categories in popularity to replace today’s top five choices (Italian, burgers, Indian, Chinese and fried chicken).

Chairman of FCSI UK & Ireland, Niccola Boyd-Stevenson said: “Over the next seven years we will see a reshaping of the market with the frequency of eating out becoming significantly higher, new areas of demand including greater emphasis on healthier eating and new, global cuisines. Our ageing population will also have a dramatic influence on the industry. “However, it’s not all plain sailing. Operators and suppliers will face substantial challenges with greater market consolidation and higher food prices putting even more pressure on operating costs. Skill shortages will become even more of an issue for our industry.” Simon Stenning, foodservice strategy director, Allegra Strategies added: “This report has given us, as an industry, a unique look at what the future holds and will help operators, manufacturers and executives across the board prepare for some challenging but rewarding times ahead. To succeed in 2020, operators will have to offer something special, with experiences that excite and deliver first class product quality and service.”

Source: http://www.bighospitality.co.uk

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Biffa To Pick Up Shanks’ UK Soild Waste Business In £9.5m Deal

Biffa has agreed to acquire the majority of Shanks’ UK solid waste business in a £9.5m deal.

The purchase, subject to regulatory approval, is set to be completed by the end of the year and marks Shanks’ effective exit from its loss making UK solid waste business, which collects, sorts, and processes industrial waste.

The company said work is also underway to sell its Blochaim and Kettering materials recycling plants for a combined £6m, although it will keep the profitable Elstow facility that serves municipal customers in Bedfordshire.

In a statement, Shanks said its operations in the sector were “sub-scale” and not positioned to return to profit, prompting the sale. It said expected a £3m profit before tax and around £14m in net cash proceeds from the deals.

Following the transactions, Shanks said it will concentrate on growing its profitable municipal waste business, which provides recycling and waste management services to local authorities and is underpinned by long-term contracts, as well as its organics and hazardous waste businesses. Its Benelux solid waste operations will also be retained.

Peter Dilnot, group chief executive of Shanks, said: “These transactions deliver on our strategy of focusing on markets where we have sustainable competitive advantage and can generate attractive returns. Shanks is well positioned for future growth, with a portfolio of strong businesses in attractive target markets.”

As part of the transaction with Biffa, around 300 employees will transfer to Biffa.

Biffa said Shanks UK solid waste business would enable it to grow its energy and processing operations by consolidating more waste into recycling and energy-from-waste facilities.

Ian Wakelin, Biffa chief executive, said: “This acquisition will enable us to leverage our national infrastructure, grow our market share and enhance our leading industrial and commercial services. It is a progressive move for Biffa in line with industry trends towards consolidation to match waste volume levels.”

In related news, a new report has found food waste management costs could be cut by 30 per cent across the hospitality sector while sending much less food to landfill.

The study, commissioned by the Hospitality Carbon Reduction Forum (HCRF), whose 40 members include Whitbread, J D Wetherspoons, Mitchells and Butlers, Nandos, and Hammerson, said that despite forum members spending over £46m a year on waste management, half of all food waste – around 150,000 tonnes – still goes to landfill.

It concluded greater collaboration between companies on waste collection and efficient backhauling by logistics operators could transform the UK’s waste industry, sending more food waste to anaerobic digestion and energy production facilities, improving efficiency, and cutting overall waste costs.

Without action, many smaller businesses may find their profits eroded as regulations become stricter and landfill costs spiral, the report warned.

Peter Charlesworth of Carbon Statement, which was comissioned to produce the report, said that with utility costs expected to rise by at least 30 per cent in the next three years, hospitality sector companies will have to increase their turnover by more than 10 per cent just to maintain current margins.

“The hospitality sector is up against it – Scottish legislation due in 2014 will largely end the dumping of food waste to landfill, landfill costs are rising, and fuel prices are continuing to drive up delivery and collection costs,” he added.

“A change in distribution and pricing brought about by the collaboration of the hospitality industry could lead a wholesale change in the way that companies manage their waste streams. This has the potential to create a ‘linked-up waste strategy’ that would work for the overall benefit of hospitality forum members and possibly be adopted by other sectors.”

Source: http://www.businessgreen.com

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Hotel Formule1 India Launches Its Website

Formule1 Hotels in India has launched its brand website called www.hotelformule1india.com. The website is one-stop shop for all information one needs on Hotel Formule1. The new website will feature offers, information on hotels, city info assistance, booking engine to book your stay, section on services and facilities. There is also a dedicated section on Formule1 Hotel’s payback reward program.  The website also includes sections on career and newsroom for media.

According to Philip Logan, Vice President, Formule1 Hotels, Accor, India, “Our guests will now be updated with all latest information on Formule1 India and also avail of some great offers, book their hotel stay read about our hotel reviews, participate in contests and  much more.”

Source: http://www.hospitalitybizindia.com

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