Editorial Board   Guest Author

Mr. Skinker

Rick Skinker

Managing Director & Co-Founder, Indoor Water Conservation

Rick Skinker has a Master's degree in Finance from the University of Southern California and has obtained several certifications related to corporate restructuring. During a successful career as a turnaround consultant, he travelled continuously on a weekly basis for more than 25 years, staying in hotels throughout the US, Mexico and Canada. Using showers and sinks in different properties in different cities for that amount of time gave him an appreciation for good flows and bad flows in all categories of hotels.

In 2013, he had the opportunity to become an equity partner in a firm that had a patent on a device that controlled the flow of water in showers and sinks. He dove into understanding the market for these products and began to further develop the methodology used at the time to fit these devices in different applications. In 2015, together with Ken Leddon, they started Indoor Water Conservation. They developed technology that evolved into understanding what causes unbalanced flows in showers and sinks and developed a process to balance them. By working with customers before, during and after the installation of Flow Limiting technology, they have created the most advanced understanding of balanced flows and their benefits, both to hotels and their guests.

Mr. Skinker is passionate about Water Conservation and the continuous development of flow limiting technology and its impact on reducing and controlling costs while improving guest satisfaction. He lives with his wife, Elaine in San Diego and has four children and six grandchildren.

Please visit http://www.indoorwaterconservation.com for more information.

Mr. Skinker can be contacted at +1 619-392-8961 or rskinker@indoorh2o.com

Coming up in August 2020...

Food & Beverage: New Technological Innovations

In the past few years, hotel food and beverage departments have experienced significant growth. Managers are realizing just how much revenue potential this sector holds, both in terms of additional revenue and as a means to enhance the guest experience. As a result, substantial investments are being made in F&B operations as a way to satisfy hotel guests but also to keep pace with the competition. Though it has been a trend for many years, the Farm-to-Table movement shows no signs of abating. Hotel chains are abandoning corporate restaurants and are instead partnering with local chefs to create locally-influenced dining options. Local, farm-sourced ingredients paired with specialty beverages or local wine also satisfies the increasing demand from Millennial travelers who are eager to travel sustainably and contribute to a positive impact. A farm-to-table F&B program also helps to support the local economy, which builds community goodwill. Also popular are "Self-Serv" and "Grab & Go" options. These concepts stem from an awareness that a guest's time is limited and if a hotel can supply them with fast, fresh, food and beverage choices, then so much the better for them. Plus, by placing these specialty kiosks in areas that might be traditionally under-utilized (the lobby, for instance), they can become popular destination locations. Of course, there are new technological innovations as well. In-room, on-screen menus allow guests to order from any restaurant on the property, and some hotels are partnering with delivery companies that make it possible for guests to order food from any restaurant in the area. Also, many hotels are implementing in-room, voice-activated devices, so ordering food via an AI-powered assistant will soon become mainstream as well. The August issue of the Hotel Business Review will report on these developments and document what some leading hotels are doing to expand this area of their business.


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