Mr. Villaverde

Sales & Marketing

Do Hotel Industry Awards Really Matter?: Hotel Awards as a Sales & Marketing Tool

By Alan Villaverde, Vice President & General Manager, Peabody Orlando

This is the first in a two-part series on Hotel Industry Awards.

We are in the midst of the awards season. The Emmy's, Golden Globes, Oscars, George Foster Peabody Awards, J.D. Power, the Olympics keep us glued to our TV screens into the small hours, when good hoteliers ought to be tucked up in their hotel brand "super beds" preparing for the next day's operations.

At The Peabody Orlando, we believe hotel awards are extremely important. They are all about credibility, marketing and public perception of quality and excellence. Ignore or naysay these awards at your peril.

Each association, industry, profession, or trade has its series of awards. Each award or accolade is a coveted prize that is diligently sought after and proudly displayed. Similarly for us hoteliers there is a slate of awards to be won for which most of us are in serious, hot pursuit. Some visionary hoteliers have departments specially assigned to the pursuit of award happiness.

It's a no-brainer that show biz awards are important to actors, musicians, directors and producers. Awards are equally important to the mega companies that provide the contributing elements of expertise: lighting, music, editing, props, locations, casting, agents, et al. All of them take home kudos when their work results in an award.

Showbiz awards always boost box office receipts, and record label revenues. Actors and musicians crave the recognition of their peers. For some, the fame and glory may be short-lived, but for most, these awards represent personal marketing tools that will keep plum roles and gigs coming their way for years to come.

If the world of show biz exists to keep the world entertained, our hotel industry exists to provide lodging and safe haven to the traveler. Do hotel industry awards really matter? Who really cares if a hotel wins a silver salver, a glass goblet or a plastic plaque? Are hotel industry awards a credible measure of how our guests and meeting planners view us? Have we become blas'e about Mobil Travel Guide's Four and Five Star, or AAA's Four and Five Diamond awards? And what about the "Stars of the Industry" awards of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the meetings/conventions and trade publications awards, Conde Nast Traveler and Travel+Leisure awards and accolades? Are they actually worth striving for and winning?

Absolutely! Our industry awards are a vital recognition of our individual hotel property's ability to shine and perform on a global stage that is highly competitive, constantly evolving, raising the bar on itself, and always subject to the rigors of public scrutiny. Hotel awards represent both "psychic income" and a significant marketing tool for generating and regenerating revenue. As a hotel GM for many years, and the proud recipient of the AH&LA's "Outstanding General Manager of the Year," award, I am personally committed to the pursuit of awards for both marketing - and employee satisfaction - because I believe they are good for all of us. Seeking and earning awards, pushes us to greater service levels and operational achievements. But, don't take my word for it. I asked our Peabody Orlando director of sales and marketing, David Adelson, to comment on the importance of hotel industry awards, and here's how he responded.

"Hotel industry awards are an indispensable and worthy marketing tool for us at The Peabody Orlando. The value today of the Mobil Travel Guide Four Star and our AAA Four Diamond awards, is incalculable. These awards are more and more difficult to win, because standards and expectations are rising rapidly. They are the cornerstones of credibility, independent commentary for our customers, and provide recognition and affirmation of a hotel's outstanding service culture, guestroom comfort and equipment, public areas, food and beverage, recreation and executive business support services.

"For a hotel specializing as we do in the meetings and conventions business, awards are a realistic sales tool that can often mean the difference between winning or losing a prime piece of business. When two competing hotels have identical space and rates and have the required dates available, the only difference between the two properties may be one property's hotel industry award record.

"The annual meetings publications' awards voted upon by professional meeting planner readers from coast-to-coast are vital to any business or convention hotel. They are a further indication of a hotel's excellence in all aspects of operations, from check-in to check-out. Professional meeting planner votes result in awards such as the Gold Platter and Gold Award from Meetings & Conventions magazine, the Merit & Distinction award from Medical Meetings magazine, or the Pinnacle award from Successful Meetings magazine, are vital as sales and marketing tools. It's well worth the effort to earn and maintain these awards."

Next, I asked Joseph A. McInerny, CHA, President and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association why he believed in hotel awards. He nailed it! "In a business built on service, hospitality, and innovation, industry awards honor those who exemplify the highest standards in lodging," he said recently. "As the voice of the hotel industry, the AH&LA recognizes outstanding achievements through its Stars of the Industry Awards. These awards recognize outstanding employees, as well as hotels with exemplary community service, guest relations, special events, and other programs. This is one way AH&LA brings well-deserved recognition."

Finally, I want to share with you the comments of a true professional in the world of prestigious awards. She succinctly wraps up the answer to the question posed in the title of this piece. "In today's competitive environment, consumers are looking for credible, independent, voice-of-the-customer feedback to help them make an informed decision when it comes to selecting one hotel brand over another," said Linda Hirneise, Partner, Global Travel and Hospitality Practice, J.D. Power and Associates.

"J. D. Power and Associates is the trusted, independent gold seal of approval when it comes to recognizing outstanding hotel brand performance as measured by the voice-of-the-customer. J.D. Power and Associates' awards recognize the best of the best at a brand level as measured by actual hotel customers. We are simply the mouth piece for the consumer. We know that high levels of customer satisfaction, delivered on a consistent basis, and recognized by consumers makes good business sense. High levels of customer satisfaction are highly correlated to intended loyalty and building advocates for the brand."

So, go for the Gold, Silver and Bronze, the Crystal Glass Bowl, Plastic Plaque, Golden Key, or the Silver Spoon. Go for these awards and you will get rewards. Your P+L will reflect Profit + Lots of it!!

Alan Villaverde is VP and GM of the Peabody Orlando, and VPO for the Peabody Group. When he joined The Peabody Orlando he came from a similar position with the Stouffer Orlando Resort. Villaverde is also VPO for The Peabody Little Rock and The Peabody Memphis. He was honored as Maryland Hotelier of the Year, named Peabody Hotel Group’s Top General Manager, Central Florida Hotelier of the Year, State of Florida GM of the Year, and American Hotel & Motel Association’s Outstanding GM of the Year. In 2000, he was one of The Orlando Business Journal's 100 Most Influential People. Mr. Villaverde can be contacted at 407-345-4543 or avillaverde@peabodyorlando.com Extended Bio...

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