ADC Financing - Hoteliers Have More Financing Options Than They May Think

By Bryan J. Clark, President & CEO, Lion CFC Inc

Acquisition Development/Construction financing, or ADC financing for short, has become more difficult to secure in recent months for all the obvious reasons i.e. “credit crisis,” “700B bailout plan,” etc. With everything that is happening in the marketplace (the “sub-prime mortgage meltdown,” the “residential real estate market bubble/collapse) the effect each of these is having on real estate builders stock prices as of late, this type of loan product will only get harder to find. On the contrary, the outlook for hotel owners and developers is not quite so grim.

The Hotel Concierge: Effective Technology You Should be Using

By Leigh Anne Dolecki, Chef Concierge, Campton Place Hotel

Wow, has it really been less than 15 years since were introduced to the World Wide Web? It’s not news that modern technology has completely changed the way we live in the past ten to twenty years. At this point in my career, I can’t even imagine being a concierge without it. By nature, concierges are information junkies; many of us find this new frontier absolutely irresistible as it appeals to our sense of curiosity and problem solving. Many of us have spent late nights clicking and learning, clicking and learning…clicking and, of course, learning.

How Many Stars are Too Many? The “Star Tsar” Knows

By Rob Rush, CEO, LRA Worldwide

A system that was originally created to set some standardized expectations for the hospitality industry and inform and educate the consumer has now mutated into one that does exactly the opposite. While Mobil will proffer its Star system and AAA will offer the comfort of the Diamonds, the truth of the matter is that it’s the wild, wild west out there. Any property with an overeager public relations firm and an on-call poolside perspiration valet can stake a claim to star-driven fabulousness.

How to Renovate Your Hotel With Minimal Disruption to Guests

By Brenda Lookadoo, Senior Designer, Hatchett Hospitality

Thousands of properties are undergoing refurbishment every year, so owners are challenged to minimize the impact to operations – and to guests. Renovation is the lifeblood of the hotel business – properties must stay fresh in order to attract today’s sophisticated and demanding travelers. Lose appeal and you lose guests – lose guests and you lose revenues. In fact, today’s slowed economy provides the ideal opportunity to undertake renovation projects at a time that occupancy may be slightly lower. Projects launched now will result in less lost revenue nights and will position your hotel for the travel upturn.

Time to Maximize Energy Savings

By Steven Kiesner, Director, National Accounts, Edison Electric Institute

The U.S. lodging industry spends close to $4 billion on energy every year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). If hotels could improve their energy performance by an average of 30 percent, the hotel industry would see a savings of approximately $365 per available room night per year for every hotel room in the country. The good news is that there are many simple steps your staff can take to use energy more efficiently. And the great news is that electric utilities can help you.