HOTEL BUSINESS REVIEW
FOCUS:

First Impressions: Designing The Guest Arrival Experience

By Lawrence Adams Principal, Lawrence Adams Architect | August 2024

Arrival Drive and Entrance Court, The Breakers Hotel, Palm Beach, Florida

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. - Will Rogers

In the late 1930’s a wealthy hotel guest could board Henry Flagler’s No.91 private railcar on a stylish platform on Track 61 in the basement of the Waldorf=Astoria in New York, and ride in elegant splendor non-stop directly to a special platform at Flagler’s The Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach for an exquisite guest arrival experience.

The arrival experience is a guest’s first interaction with the hotel’s architecture, its ambience and its staff and sets up expectations for the remainder of their stay. The quality of the arrival experience can create a lasting first impression that influences a guest’s perception of the essential quality level of the hospitality offering. A positive arrival experience increases the likelihood of guest satisfaction that leads to good reviews, favorable recommendations and return bookings. Conversely, a poor arrival experience may sour a guest’s perception from the start.

Great Expectations

Designing for the guest arrival requires knowing what the guests expect. Guest expectations will vary according to the type of lodging and the purpose of the booking. Here are a few variations:

The Home Sweet Home Arrival: Some guests want to be made to feel at home and be treated with safe, cozy, comfortable hospitality. The arrival might be in a warm and welcoming setting with comfy furniture, soft lighting, flowers and a fireplace.

The Queen for a Day Arrival: Some guests expect to be treated as VIPs, or even royalty, and want an elegant arrival experience in a luxurious, opulently appointed setting and to be fussed over by well-mannered, attentive staff.

Uber-Cool Arrival: Guests arriving at a boutique or lifestyle hotel want to feel that they have entered an exclusive club of fashionable people who are in-the-know and cultivate unique artistic values. Often the setting will be in a hyper-modern lobby with avant-garde furniture, dramatic mood lighting, high-fashion uniforms, and experimental music.

The Thrill-Seeker Arrival: The thrill-seeking guest will expect a super wow-factor presentation when arriving. They want a stunning architectural experience that is a prelude to an adventurous escape. Gaylord Hotels and many Vegas hotels do not usually disappoint these guests.

The Zipless Arrival: Many guests simply don’t care about the arrival setting and just want to get to their room quickly without fanfare. These guests often bypass the front desk and check in on their phone app, oblivious to design features of the lobby. They expect efficiency and good wayfinding.

The Hybrid Arrival: Some guests expect a combination of some or all of these qualities, e.g., they could expect a warm and inviting, elegantly designed yet stunning and exhilarating yet chic setting, but very efficiently laid out and operated, allowing guests to arrive and reach their rooms seamlessly at their own pace.

^{Porte-Cochere, Great Wolf Lodge, Grapevine TX}

Components of Arrival

Vehicular Arrival

Most guests arrive at their hotel entrance by private car, taxi or limo. For an urban hotel this might only be a drop-off lane or if space permits a short driveway protected by an overhanging canopy. On a larger site there could be room for an arrival court with ornamental landscaping, a fountain and a large porte-cochere. An even larger site for an upscale hotel or resort might feature a lavish landscaped entrance drive where the beautiful hotel architecture is framed and carefully unveiled as the vehicle approaches.

Upon arrival, if by private car, the first staff member who greets the guest is typically a valet who takes the car to parking or directs the guest to a self-park location. At the same time a bell desk staff member offers to assist with unloading luggage and transporting it to the front desk. The guest may be greeted again by a doorman upon entering the lobby. The process is slightly abbreviated if the guest arrives by taxi or limo. There are many variations for this process, but the protocol is usually similar. Tour bus, cruise ship and other group arrivals require a different set of procedures and consequently result in a different arrival experience for guests.

This entrance sequence is the first arrival experience for the guest and consequently frames the guest ‘s very first impression of the lodging experience. The design of the arrival court and its efficient function along with the cordiality of the staff is therefore of utmost importance in welcoming the guests and impressing them with positive expectations for their upcoming stay.

Lobby

Upon passing through the entrance of the hotel, the guest is presented with an important vista, i.e., the hotel lobby with its spatial composition and adjacencies. As we described above, for certain guests this needs to be subdued, warm, comfortable and welcoming, perhaps filled with comfortable looking seating, a fireplace and mood lighting. For others, a dramatic architectural space is called for with soaring ceilings, lavish chandeliers, a grand ornamental stair and huge windows facing the ocean or mountains. Spaces adjacent to the lobby such as the bar, restaurant, lobby lounges, retail and meeting space foyer need to be carefully considered during design as this will impact the guest’s orientation to the hotel’s features.

Front Desk

With some brands, the front desk in hotels has gone through a transition from a large heavy stone or wooden counter with a stunning backdrop of artwork, tapestry or sculptural relief, to a set of smaller kiosks or seated positions at a desk for a more personal registration. Some hotels may only have a concierge desk since the guest has already checked in on their smartphone and will check out with the same. However, many guests prefer the original arrangement since it gives a sense that someone is behind the front desk with authority and available to serve up gracious hospitality.

Many luxury hotels have a VIP registration lobby where elite guests and celebrities are greeted privately and then securely escorted to their luxury suites. These may take the form of an elegant seating arrangement where the guests are served champagne while their registration is processed and a folio of their activities is presented.

^{Lobby, New York Four Seasons}

Circulation to the Guestroom

From the front desk the guest then should easily find or be accompanied to the elevator lobby designated for their floor. This should be in view of the front desk for security so those entering the private realm of the hotel can be monitored to prevent intruders.

The destination direct elevator is a relatively new innovation, where the guest chooses the desired floor on a keypad before entering the elevator. While this may confuse some guests (there are no floor buttons in the elevator), this system is ultimately more efficient and provides a speeder trip to the guest’s assigned floor. Hotels sometimes have staff available to explain the operation to novice users.

The guest floor corridor may have many forms. Most typical is the double-loaded corridor with room doors flanking each side. A single-loaded corridor may have windows on one side offering daylight and views along the route. In an atrium hotel, a single-loaded corridor normally traces along the side of a dramatic multilevel skylit volume.

Rules of thumb for guest floor corridors:

For luxury hotels the number of guestrooms per floor is an important consideration. Ideally there will be 8 or fewer guestrooms or suites per floor so a sense of exclusivity is promoted. Sharing a floor with 20 to 30 other guestrooms does not connote luxury.
A long, bowling alley-like corridor should be avoided as feeling too institutional, but if it cannot be avoided, it should be punctuated with recesses, carpet patterns, and lighting to break up the monotony.
Curved corridors tend to be disorienting and stressful for guests since they are constantly rounding the corner.
Guestrooms too close to the elevators and ice machines are to be avoided due to acoustics and lack of privacy.
Windows with views at the elevator landing and at the ends of corridors are desirable. Some seating near the landing has value but avoid creating a mini-lobby on each floor. They typically go unused and waste real estate.

^{Gondola Landing, Hotel Danieli, Venice}

Examples

The New York Four Seasons

This five-star urban hotel was designed by I.M. Pei and Frank Williams with a strong emphasis on the arrival experience. Guests are greeted at the entrance beneath a Hector Guimard inspired canopy that adorns a massive limestone street fronted facade. Luggage is immediately taken and brought to a special service elevator at the entrance where it is brought to a lower back-of-house level, tagged and transported to the guestroom before the guest finishes checking in. Upon entering, guests are presented with a soaring marble clad colonnaded rotunda with a backlit onyx ceiling and flanked on each side by tiered seating levels. The rise to the front desk is subtle as the guests find themselves on the second level overlooking the rotunda floor.

The architects were careful to locate the cashier’s desk away from registration so that the occasional tense transaction from a departing guest is shielded from those arriving. While registering, guests have a view of a large rose window at the entrance to the 5-Diamond specialty restaurant and bar. After registration, guests are whisked by high-speed elevators up the tower to their floor with compact, elegant hallways that they share with only 3 to 7 other guestrooms. Passing through their polished Anegre-veneered door, their wide sumptuous room unfolds to an exciting city view and serves as the conclusion of a carefully choreographed guest arrival experience.

Hotel Daneli, Venice

In true Venetian style, guests may arrive to the Hotel Danieli from a private boat or gondola by way of the Grand Canal and Venetian Lagoon. Once inside, an understated carved wood registration desk sits at the base of a magnificent grand stair that climbs an ornate 3-story skylit atrium with intricate wood carvings and lush landings on each floor overlooking the 15th century colonnaded stairwell leading to the guestrooms. A lavish hotel lobby and bar sits adjacent to the atrium with Gothic arched stone framed windows, hand-carved pink marble pillars, gold-leafed ceilings and Murano glass chandeliers.

The Hyatt Atlanta

The Hyatt is the first of several atrium hotels designed by John Portman. Portman presented a perceptual ploy to arriving guests at the entrance where guests are guided through a low, dimly lit, heavy concrete tunnel that presses them down spatially before, at the end, the guest breaks out to an explosion of space as they enter the giant soaring atrium. After the astonished guests pass through the massive sky-lit volume they are pressed back down to the registration area, but then are rocketed in a glass tubular elevator on an exhilarating ride up the atrium wall to their room floor balcony. They then trail along the edge of the dramatic atrium marveling at its splendor and pageantry before being gently pressed back down to their low-ceilinged guestroom.

Wyndham Samana, Dominican Republic

Guests arrive beneath a broad wood framed porte-cochere that is the extension of a soaring wood and bamboo trussed grand lobby, open on both ends. On axis with the lobby structure are two long swimming pools fronted by a sun-drenched terrace flanked on one side by a large covered open-air restaurant and the other by a tropical landscaped lawn in front of a three-story guestroom wing with balconies. The pools are flanked by large wood and white canvas cabanas with comfortable upholstered seating.

The view from the lobby frames a lush cluster of palm trees beyond the pools that lead to the beach and the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean beyond. Simple reception desks sit within the lobby where guests are offered margaritas or lemonade and white uniformed bell staff to escort guests to their rooms. The arrival experience is distinctly tropical and sets up an exotic and relaxing beach vacation.

The Mu Fend Yue Hot Springs Hotel, Fengxi New City, China

Upon arrival at this compact six suite luxury boutique hotel, guests must find their way around a vertical earth-toned, timber-textured concrete slab to a discrete entrance doorway. Initial arrival is understated and minimal but unfolds past the reception past Zen-view portals, to a sequence of visual experiences around serene, sloped water features, a floating orange-glass pavilion and sunken courtyards that ignite the guests’ curiosity to explore more subtly exciting vistas offered around each corner. The arrival experience befits an ethereal hospitality experience that harmoniously fuses city life with nature.

^{Helipad, Burj al Arib Hotel, Dubai}

Novel Arrivals

21c Museum Hotel, Louisville

As guests approach the front desk of the 21c Hotel, they pause as they see a life-size video projection on the floor of an unmade bed with a sleeping couple. They see that the overhead view of the bed video is active when one of its sleeping occupants shifts position. The front desk attendant motions the guests to come forward so they gingerly step onto the bed feeling strangely like they are violating the couple’s privacy. Many guests try not to step on the sleepers while they check in. Some even instinctively apologize to them. Many more such artistic surprises await the arriving guests.

Hemmingway Hotels

Hospitality developer, Matthew Weld, licensed the name from the Ernest Hemmingway family for a Hemmingway Hotels and Resorts brand. West Paces CEO Horst Schulze, HBA’s Michael Bedner and Lawrence Adams brainstormed to develop the concept where the style and ambiance of the brand would be infused with the lifestyle, literary works and character of Earnest Hemmingway. This led to the idea that arriving guests should check in at a gutsy bar styled as one of Hemmingway’s Key West haunts. Here the arrival experience would set up expectations for a literary adventure that would unfold throughout the hotel.

Burj al Aribe - Helicopter Arrival

Upon landing on the cantilevered helipad on the top floor of the dramatic 56-story mast-shaped structure that sits on a small artificial island off the coast of Dubai, arriving guests are met by a personal butler and escorted inside the luxurious hotel to elevators that transport them down an extravagantly ornate atrium to the arrival desk or, if the guest prefers, brought directly to their luxury suite.

Creating the Arrival With AI

Throughout history, a memorable arrival experience has long been the goal of hoteliers and architects as they have sought to affect the important impact of first impressions on their guests, both by delivering superbly courteous and welcoming service and by creating architectural settings that deliver spatial delight and joyful ambience.

As hoteliers and architects continue to embrace the importance of the guest arrival experience, they look to new and innovative tools to inspire their creation. For operations, AI provides hotels with customized algorithms to predict guests’ preferences, needs and desires which facilitates a smooth uncomplicated arrival. For architects and designers, Generative AI is a new tool that has the capacity to inspire and choreograph the guest journey with platforms like Midjourney, Krea.ai and Neural Frames.

As I wrote in my recent article for Hotel Business Review, Generative AI and Design Process for Hotels , architects are beginning to tailor the data sets that train GenAI algorithms in producing inspired outcomes with intentionally controlled results. Science is only scratching the surface of what GenA will eventually do for inspiring architectural design in choreographing amazing guest arrival experiences.

"A stunning first impression was not the same thing as love at first sight. But surely it was an invitation to consider the matter". - Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold, 2003.

Terms & Conditions

The following are terms of a legal agreement ("Agreement") between you and HotelExecutive. By accessing, browsing and/or otherwise using this web site, HotelExecutive, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and agreed to be bound by these terms and conditions, and to comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including U.S. export and re-export control laws and regulations. If you do not agree to all of these terms and conditions, you may not access, browse and/or use HotelExecutive. The material provided on HotelExecutive is protected by law, including, but not limited to, United States copyright law and international treaties.

These terms of access apply to your access to and use of HotelExecutive and do not alter in any way the terms and conditions of any other agreement you may have with HotelExecutive for products, software, services or otherwise, unless otherwise directed by HotelExecutive. If you breach any of these terms and conditions, your authorization to use HotelExecutive automatically terminates and you must immediately destroy any downloaded or printed materials and discontinue use of any hyperlinks to HotelExecutive.

1. USE RESTRICTIONS

Copyright. All Site materials, including, without limitation, text, pictures, graphics and other files and the selection and arrangement thereof are copyrighted materials of HotelExecutive © 1996-2016, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, or by the original creator of the material. Permission is granted to display and use the materials on HotelExecutive for private individual, educational and noncommercial use only, provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright and other proprietary notices contained in the materials. You may not, however, distribute, copy, reproduce, display, republish, download, or transmit any material on HotelExecutive for commercial use without prior written approval from HotelExecutive. You may not "mirror" any material contained on HotelExecutive on any other server without prior written permission from HotelExecutive. Any unauthorized use of any material contained on HotelExecutive may violate copyright laws, trademark laws, the laws of privacy and publicity and communications regulations and statutes.

Trademarks

The trademarks, service marks, trade names and logos (the "Trademarks") used and displayed on HotelExecutive are registered and unregistered Trademarks of HotelExecutive. In addition, all page headers, custom graphics, icons and scripts are service marks, trademarks and/or trade dress of HotelExecutive, and may not be copied, imitated or used, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of HotelExecutive. You acknowledge that the Trademarks used and displayed on HotelExecutive are and shall remain the sole property of HotelExecutive or the Trademark owner. Nothing in this Agreement shall confer any right of ownership of any of the Trademarks in you. Further, nothing in HotelExecutive shall be construed as granting, by implication, estoppel or otherwise any license or right to use any Trademark used or displayed on HotelExecutive, without the express written permission of HotelExecutive or the Trademark owner. The misuse of the trademarks displayed on HotelExecutive, or any other Content on HotelExecutive, is strictly prohibited.

Hyperlinks

You are granted a limited, nonexclusive right to create a hypertext link to HotelExecutive provided that such link is to the entry page of HotelExecutive and does not portray HotelExecutive or any of its products or services in a false, misleading, derogatory, or otherwise defamatory manner. This limited right may be revoked at any time for any reason whatsoever. You may not use framing techniques to enclose any Company trademark, logo or trade name or other proprietary information including the images found at HotelExecutive, the Content of any text or the layout/design of any page or any form contained on a page without HotelExecutive's express written consent. Links to third party sites on HotelExecutive are provided solely as convenience to you. If you use these links, you will leave HotelExecutive. HotelExecutive has not reviewed all of these third party sites and does not control and is not responsible for any of these sites, their Content or their policies, including, without limitation, privacy policies or lack thereof. HotelExecutive does not endorse or make any representations about third party sites or any information, software or other products or materials found there, or any results that may be obtained from using them. If you decide to access any of the third party sites linked to HotelExecutive, you do so entirely at your own risk. You acknowledge and agree that HotelExecutive shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by, or in connection with the use of or reliance on any such third party sites.

Downloadable Materials

Any software, including codes or other materials that are made available to download from HotelExecutive, is the copyrighted work of HotelExecutive and/or its suppliers and affiliates. If you download software from HotelExecutive, use of the software is subject to the license terms in the software license agreement that accompanies or is provided with the software. You may not download or install the software until you have read and accepted the terms of the applicable software license agreement. Without limiting the foregoing, copying or reproduction of the software to any other server or location for further reproduction or redistribution is expressly prohibited unless otherwise provided for in the applicable software license agreement in the case of software, or the express written consent of HotelExecutive in the case of codes or other downloadable materials.

Limited Access

Except as otherwise expressly permitted by HotelExecutive, any access or attempt to access other areas of HotelExecutive computer system or other information contained on the system for any purposes is strictly prohibited. You agree that you will not use any robot, spider, other automatic device, or manual process to "screen scrape," monitor, "mine," or copy the Web pages on HotelExecutive or the Content contained therein without HotelExecutive's prior, express, and written permission. You will not spam or send unsolicited e-mail to any other user of HotelExecutive for any reason. You agree that you will not use any device, software or routine to interfere or attempt to interfere with the proper working of HotelExecutive. You agree that you will not take any action that imposes an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on HotelExecutive's infrastructure.

Additional Use Restrictions

You shall not post, transmit, e-mail, re-transmit or store material on or through any of the services provided by HotelExecutive (the "Services") which, in the sole judgment of HotelExecutive: (i) is in violation of any local, state, federal or non-United States law or regulation, (ii) is threatening, obscene, indecent, defamatory or that otherwise could adversely affect any individual, group or entity (collectively, "Persons") or (iii) violates the rights of any person, including rights protected by copyright, trade secret, patent or other intellectual property or similar laws or regulations including, but not limited to, the installation or distribution of "pirated" or other unauthorized photos or software products that are not appropriately licensed for use by you. You shall be responsible for determining what laws or regulations are applicable to its use of the Services. In addition, you may only use the Services in a manner that, in HotelExecutive's sole judgment, is consistent with the purposes of such Services. If you are unsure of whether any contemplated use or action is permitted, please contact HotelExecutive at editor@HotelExecutive By way of example, and not limitation, the following uses described below of the Services are expressly prohibited:

A. upload, post, e-mail or otherwise transmit any information, data, text, software, music, sound, photographs, graphics, video, messages or other materials (collectively, "Content") that is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, tortious, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, libelous, invasive of another's privacy, hateful, sexually intolerant or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable;

B. impersonate any person or entity, including, but not limited to, a Company official, forum leader, guide or host, or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity;

C. forge headers or otherwise manipulate identifiers in order to disguise the origin of any Content transmitted through the Services or develop restricted or password-only access pages, or hidden pages or images (those not linked to from another accessible page);

D. upload, post, e-mail or otherwise transmit any Content that you do not have a right to transmit under any law or under contractual or fiduciary relationships such as inside information, proprietary and confidential information learned or disclosed as part of employment relationships or under nondisclosure agreements;

E. upload, post, e-mail or otherwise transmit any Content that infringes any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other proprietary rights of any party;

F. upload, post, e-mail or otherwise transmit any unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional materials, "junk mail," "spam," "chain letters," "pyramid schemes" or any other form of solicitation;

G. upload, post, e-mail or otherwise transmit any material that contains software viruses, worms or any other computer code, files or programs designed to interrupt, destroy or limit the functionality of any computer software or hardware or telecommunications equipment;

H. interfere with or disrupt the Services or servers or networks connected to the Services, or disobey any requirements, procedures, policies or regulations of networks connected to the Services;

I. intentionally or unintentionally violate any applicable local, state, national or international law, including, but not limited to, regulations promulgated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, any rules of any national or other securities exchange, including, without limitation, the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ, and any regulations having the force of law;

J. 'stalk' or otherwise harass another user of HotelExecutive or Company employee or official;

K. promote or provide instructional information about illegal activities, promote physical harm or injury against any group or individual, or promote any act of cruelty to animals. This may include, but is not limited to, providing instructions on how to assemble bombs, grenades and other weapons, and creating "Crush" sites; and

L. effecting security breaches or disruptions of Internet communication. Security breaches include, but are not limited to, accessing data of which you are not an intended recipient or logging into a server or account that you are not expressly authorized to access.

M. advertising to, or soliciting any user of HotelExecutive to buy or sell any products or services through the unauthorized or impermissible use of the Services. You may not transmit any junk email or chain letters to other users. If you breach this Agreement and send unsolicited bulk email, instant messages or other unauthorized commercial communications of any kind through the Services, you acknowledge that you will have caused substantial harm to HotelExecutive, but that the amount of such harm would be extremely difficult to ascertain. As a reasonable estimation of such harm, you agree to pay HotelExecutive $500 for each such unsolicited email or other unauthorized commercial communication you send to each user through the Services.

2. DISCLAIMER WARRANTY

HotelExecutive, including all software, functions, materials, and information is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. HotelExecutive disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including, but not limited to, warranties of non-infringement and implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, title, merchantability of computer programs, data accuracy, system integration, and informational Content. HotelExecutive does not warrant or make any representations regarding the operation of HotelExecutive, the use, validity, accuracy or reliability of, or the results of the use of the materials on HotelExecutive or any other sites linked to HotelExecutive. The materials of HotelExecutive may be out of date, and HotelExecutive makes no commitment to update the materials at HotelExecutive. HotelExecutive does not and cannot guarantee or warrant that the files available for downloading from HotelExecutive, if any, will be free from infection, viruses, worms, Trojan horses, or other code that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. HotelExecutive does not warrant that HotelExecutive, software, materials, products, or services will be uninterrupted or error-free or that any defects in HotelExecutive, software, materials, products, or services will be corrected.

3. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

In no event will HotelExecutive, its suppliers or other third parties mentioned at or in HotelExecutive be liable for any damages, including, without limitation direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages, damages resulting from lost profits, lost data or business interruption arising out of relating to the use, inability to use, or resulting from the use of HotelExecutive, any web sites linked to HotelExecutive, the materials, software or other information contained in any or all such sites, whether based on warranty, contracts, statutes, regulations, tort (including but not limited to, negligence) or any other legal theory and whether or not advised of the possibility of such damages. If your use of the materials or information from HotelExecutive results in the need for servicing, repair or correction of equipment or data, you assume all costs thereof.

4. REVISIONS TO THIS AGREEMENT

HotelExecutive may revise this Agreement at any time without notice by updating this posting. By using HotelExecutive you agree to be bound by any such revisions and should therefore periodically visit HotelExecutive and page to determine the then current Terms of Access and Use conditions of use to which you are bound.

5. TRANSMISSIONS

Any idea you transmit to or post on HotelExecutive by any means will be treated as non-confidential and non-proprietary and may be disseminated or used by HotelExecutive or its affiliates for any purpose whatsoever, including, but not limited to, developing and marketing products. You are prohibited from posting or transmitting to or from HotelExecutive any unlawful, threatening, libelous, defamatory, obscene, scandalous, inflammatory, pornographic, profane material or any other material, including but not limited to any material that could give rise to any civil or criminal liability under both domestic and international law.

6. YOUR WARRANTIES

You warrant to HotelExecutive that:

You are the sole owner of all rights in the materials posted or uploaded by you (including all related copyrights) or that you have the absolute right to license their use as provided in this section. While you will retain ownership of the copyright in the materials posted or uploaded by you, you agree that all materials posted or uploaded by you shall become part of a database, and that HotelExecutive will own the compilation copyright in that database. In addition, you hereby grant HotelExecutive a perpetual, worldwide, irrevocable license to use, reproduce, modify, publish, publicly perform, publically display and distribute such materials, and portions of such materials and any derivative works created from such materials, in print, electronic and other media, by any means now known or developed in the future. We may sublicense all of our rights and licenses or assign them to third parties. Neither HotelExecutive nor any third party using the materials in accordance with this section will be obligated to pay you any royalties or other compensation for use of the materials.

You will comply with these Terms of Access and Use including, without limitation, the USE RESTRICTIONS set out in Section 3 above;

You agree to indemnify and hold HotelExecutive harmless from any claim or damages (including any legal fees in relation to same) made by a third party in respect of any matter in relation to or arising from your use and/or membership arising from any breach or suspected breach of these Terms of Access and Use by you or your violation of any law or the rights of any third party.

7. ACTIONS WE MAY TAKE AT OUR SOLE DISCRETION

HotelExecutive may take any or all of the following actions at our sole discretion:

Remove any member profile (including photographs) or other material that, in our sole discretion may be inappropriate or we suspect to be illegal, subject us to liability or which may violate these Terms of Access and Use or where required to do so by law;

Issue members with verbal or written warnings and may take such further action as we deem appropriate if such warnings are not heeded;

Suspend or terminate a member's access to the members's area of HotelExecutive or a member's account without notice at any time;

Inform the appropriate authorities and provide them with information regarding any suspected illegal activity; or bring legal action against a member or other user of HotelExecutive in relation to any breach of these Terms of Access and Use or any illegal or suspected illegal activity.

8. GOOD SAMARITAN CONTENT AND COMPLAINT PROCEDURES POLICY

A. Policy

We have provided opportunities for you to contribute Content to our Site. It is our policy, however, not to allow any Content which may constitute intellectual property infringement; violations of federal, state, or local law; obscene or defamatory material, or may otherwise be unacceptable or inappropriate. Upon learning of such Content, we will attempt, and you hereby give HotelExecutive the right, to delete, edit, remove, disable, change, or restrict access to or the availability of the Content, which in our sole discretion, is otherwise unacceptable or objectionable. We may or may not notify you about what action we take with respect to the disputed Content. The provisions of this section are intended to implement this policy but are not in any way intended to impose a contractual obligation upon us to undertake, or refrain from undertaking, any particular course of conduct.

B. Complaint Procedures

If you believe that another user or other third party has posted Content which violates this policy or specifically the USE RESTRICTIONS in Section 3 above, you may notify HotelExecutive via e-mail at editor@HotelExecutive . In order to allow HotelExecutive to respond effectively, please provide HotelExecutive with as much information as possible in your correspondence, including: (1) the nature of the right infringed or violated (including any applicable registration numbers of the federally-registered intellectual property allegedly infringed), if applicable, or the unacceptable or inappropriate Content; (2) all facts which lead you to believe that a right has been violated or infringed, if applicable; (3) the precise location where the offending Content is located; (4) any grounds to believe that the party or user which posted the Content was not authorized to do so or did not have a valid defense (including the defense of fair use), if applicable; (5) if known, the identity of the party or user who posted the infringing, offending, or inappropriate Content; and (6) in the case of alleged copyright infringement claims, information sufficient to identify the work and your claims to ownership.

C. Indemnification/Waiver of Certain Rights

By contacting HotelExecutive and complaining of an alleged violation, you agree that the substance of your complaint shall constitute a representation made under the pains and penalties of perjury pursuant to the laws of the State of California. In addition, you agree, at your own expense, to defend and indemnify HotelExecutive and hold HotelExecutive harmless against all claims which may be asserted against HotelExecutive, and all losses incurred, as a result of your complaint and/or our response to it.

D. Waiver of Claims and Remedies

We expect all users of our Site to take responsibility for their own actions and cannot and do not assume liability for any acts of third parties which take place at our Site. By utilizing the Good Samaritan procedures set forth herein, you waive any and all claims or remedies which you might otherwise be able to assert against hotelexecutive under any theory of law (including, but not limited to, intellectual property laws) that arise out of or relate in any way to the content at hotelexecutive or our response, or failure to respond, to a complaint.

E. Investigation/Liability Limitation

You agree that we have the right, but not the obligation, to investigate any complaint received. By reserving this right, we do not undertake any responsibility in fact to investigate complaints or to remove, edit, disable or restrict access to or the availability of Content. We will not act on complaints that we believe, in our sole discretion, to be deficient, incomplete, or otherwise questionable. If you believe that Content remains on HotelExecutive which violates your rights, Your sole and exclusive remedy shall be against the user or other party responsible for said content, not against HotelExecutive. your sole and exclusive remedy against HotelExecutive shall be to terminate your use of HotelExecutive and service.

Digital Millennium Copyright Act Compliance. As set forth in Subsection (b), you must contact our agent if you believe that a work protected by a U.S. Copyright which you own has been posted on our Site without authorization or that our Site, in some material way, contributes to its infringement. It is our policy in appropriate circumstances, if possible, to terminate the access rights of repeat infringers and other users who use HotelExecutive in an inappropriate or objectionable manner.

9. COOPERATION WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT

HotelExecutive reserves the right to fully cooperate with any law enforcement authorities or court order requesting or directing HotelExecutive to disclose the identity or other information regarding any user or member alleged by any governmental entity to be using HotelExecutive or any Content or materials available in, at, through or in association with HotelExecutive in violation of any law or regulation, or in violation of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the posting of e-mail messages, or publishing or otherwise making available any such materials. By accepting this agreement you waive and hold harmless HotelExecutive from any claims resulting from any action by HotelExecutive during, or as a result of, its investigations, and from any actions taken as a consequence of investigations by either HotelExecutive or law enforcement authorities

10. APPLICABLE LAWS, VENUE, JURISDICTION & MANDATORY ARBITRATION

If any provision(s) of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be contrary to law, then such provision(s) shall be construed, as nearly as possible, to reflect the intentions of the parties with the other provisions remaining in full force and effect. HotelExecutive's failure to exercise or enforce any right or provision of this Agreement shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision unless acknowledged and agreed to by HotelExecutive in writing. The section titles in this Agreement are solely used for the convenience of the parties and have no legal or contractual significance. This Agreement may be assigned in whole or in part by HotelExecutive. This Agreement may not be assigned in any manner by you without the express, prior written permission of HotelExecutive.

Any and all disputes or controversies of any kind, including but not limited to any performance, duty, obligation or liability arising under or related to this Agreement which are not first resolved informally, shall be determined by binding arbitration in San Francisco, California, in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association. The final award in any such arbitration proceeding shall be subject to entry as a judgment by any court or competent jurisdiction, provided that such judgment does not conflict with the terms and provisions hereof. The jurisdiction of the arbiter (or arbiters) with respect to legal matters shall be limited only by the statutory and common law of the State of California and the United States.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, any and all disputes, which the parties cannot informally resolve, regarding the scope of issues or matter with the jurisdiction of the arbitrator, shall be resolved by a separate dispute resolution process whereby HotelExecutive, in its sole discretion shall elect the dispute to be resolved by either (1) a court of competent jurisdiction in the State of California or (2) a panel of three new arbitrators.

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California notwithstanding any conflict of laws provisions. You and HotelExecutive agree that the venue for all legal disputes, controversies, actions of any kind arising under or related to this Agreement shall be San Francisco, California. You and HotelExecutive further agree that in case of any litigation regarding this Agreement, you irrevocably and unconditionally (i) consent to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts in the County of San Francisco, California for any litigation or dispute arising out of or relating to this Agreement, (ii) agree not to commence any litigation arising out of or relating to this Agreement except in the California Courts, (iii) agree not to plead or claim that such litigation brought therein has been brought in an inconvenient forum, and (iv) agree the California Courts represent the exclusive jurisdiction for all litigation relating to this Agreement.

11. MEMBERSHIP FEES

Hotel Business Review Subscriptions

If you choose to purchase a subscription, member subscription payments can be made in U.S. Dollars, as well as a variety of international currencies. Membership terms are Annual Recurring, and Monthly Recurring. The Annual Recurring subscription is an annual commitment and subscribers will be charged each consecutive billing cycle. Annual Recurring subscriptions can be cancelled after the first billing cycle and within 30-days of the billing date for a full refund. Monthly Recurring subscriptions are ongoing and subscribers will be charged each consecutive monthly billing cycle. Monthly Recurring subscriptions can be cancelled after the first month and within 7 days of the monthly billing cycle for a full refund.

12. PAYMENT AUTHORIZATION

Payment for the services provided to you in, at, through or in association with HotelExecutive may be made by automatic credit card, debit card, direct debit, bankwire or Paypal and other approved payment means offered in, at, through or in association with HotelExecutive, and you hereby authorize HotelExecutive and its agents to transact such payments on your behalf.

You hereby authorize HotelExecutive's Internet Payment Service Provider to charge your credit card to pay for your membership to HotelExecutive. You further authorize HotelExecutive's Internet Payment Service Provider to charge your credit card for any and all purchases of products, services in association with HotelExecutive. You agree to be personally liable for all charges incurred by you in association with your access or other use of any content provided by HotelExecutive or any third party in association with HotelExecutive. You acknowledge and agree that your liability for all such charges shall continue after termination of your access or any type of membership arrangement with HotelExecutive.

In the event that you have chosen to have your membership automatically rebilled, unless and until you notify HotelExecutive that you wish to cancel or terminate your membership to HotelExecutive, you hereby agree and authorize HotelExecutive's Internet Payment Service Provider to automatically renew your membership to HotelExecutive on a continuing basis and to charge your credit card (or other payment means you have selected) to pay for the ongoing cost of your membership. You hereby further authorize HotelExecutive's Internet Payment Service Provider to charge your credit card (or other approved payment means you have selected) for any and all purchases of products, services and entertainment provided to in, at, through or in association with HotelExecutive.

13. PRIVACY POLICY

The following is the Privacy Policy for HotelExecutive

We can be reached via telephone, email, or online at our contact page. When you visit our site we do not log any information regarding your domain or email address. Information Sharing: We do not share user information with any third parties other than via press release distribution as described below.

Hotel Newswire is a newswire service that distributes press releases on behalf of our users. If you decide to submit a press release for distribution through our system we will transmit your entire press release including any personal information therein contained to our media contacts and online distribution points including search engines. This is the only redistribution of your information that we engage in. Your submission of press releases through our system indicates consent with this policy. The information we collect during your registration process is used to notify users about updates to our service and inform users of any special events hosted by Hotel Newswire. This information is not shared with other organizations for commercial or non-commercial purposes.

Cookies: Our system requires the use of cookies to enable the user to log back into our website to access information from the newswire, without having to log in each time using the required username and password.

If you do not want to receive email from us in the future, please let us know by following instructions included in our communication with you. Users who supply us with telephone numbers online may receive telephone contact from us regarding their account, or informing them of new products and services available on the HotelExecutive website. If you do not wish to receive such telephone calls, please edit your account and remove your phone number from your account profile. This can be done from your user account menu.

Ad Servers: We do not partner with or have any relationship with any ad server companies. From time to time, we may use customer information for new uses not previously disclosed in our privacy notice. If our information practices change at any time, we will post the policy changes to our website to notify you of these changes and provide you with the ability to opt out of these new uses. If you are concerned about how your information is used, you should check back at our website periodically.

Upon request we provide site visitors with access to all information (including proprietary information) that we maintain about them. Users can access this information by logging in to their account.

Security: We always use industry-standard encryption technologies while transferring and receiving user data exchanged with our site. We have appropriate security measures in place in our physical facilities to protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of information that we have collected from you on our site. We do not store credit card information in our systems.

If you feel that this site is not following its stated information policy, you may contact us.

Receive our Newsletter

The Holistic Journey: How Wellness Travel Boosts Revenue in Hospitality

By Haley Payne, Head of Commercial, Pure Wellness

Wellness travel is one of the fastest-growing segments in the hospitality industry. From the pandemic’s impact on travelers to a heightened focus on mental health and increased attention to preventive care, many individuals are prioritizing self-care practices that promote holistic wellness — both in their everyday lives and while traveling. So much so that the wellness tourism market is forecasted to more than double between 2022 and 2027, with spending dramatically increasing from $651 billion in 2022 to $868 billion in 2023 with an expected spend to reach $1 trillion by the end of 2024. As a result, hotels...

Do You Know How Double-Entry Accounting Works?

By James Downey, Professor Emeritus, Lynn University

The concept of double-entry accounting has been around for over five centuries. In 1494 an Italian monk named Luca Pacioli who was also an accomplished mathematician devised a process for keeping buying and selling among fifth century merchants equitable who did business with each other. He wrote a book on mathematics which included the double-entry postulation section which has provided the basis for all modern-day businesses who run their financial affairs. Key to this system was that all business transactions maintain a balance that must be verified throughout the day or night regardless of how many transactions were recorded. It...

Caring for At-Risk Guests: Increasing Awareness and Going Beyond The Legal Duty

By Robert Schnitz, Head of Hospitality Practice & Partner, Kabat Chapman & Ozmer LLP

Hotels are unique places of business. They not only invite the public on the premises to purchase and enjoy their services like many other commercial retail establishments, but they operate a 24/7 business that provides a wide array of personal services similar to a home or business or that provide a respite or retreat from everyday life. Hotels are also unique in that they can attract certain “at-risk” guests that create operational challenges with legal and reputational risk. Hotel owners and operators have an elevated duty of care for their guests to provide a safe and secure environment, and...

What Can Hoteliers Do to Combat Rising Insurance Costs?

By Josh Cavallin, Principal, Oakbridge Insurance

The hunt for affordable property and liability coverage for hotel operators requires dedication, accountability, awareness, creativity and an agent well versed in the hotel industry. The insurance industry is amid a hard market, which has crippled the industry. A hard market occurs when insurance companies are no longer profitable after paying out more in claims than they receive in revenue. Property insurance has been the biggest heartburn for most hotel operators over the last two years. Daily conversations with brokers and agents all end with the same thing: It is a tough property market, something the market...

Experimental Travel, Remote Work, and Travel-Related Health and Wellness Services

By Bendegul Okumus, Professor, University of South Carolina School of Hospitality & Tourism Management

Experimental travel is all about taking unusual routes and challenging traditional norms to create memorable experiences and innovative approaches to travel. Mindful travel for example, focuses on engaging with the environment and culture through sensory experiences like local music, food, and traditions. Reverse travel involves starting with a random location and letting that determine the itinerary, while Theme travel centers around specific interests such as cuisine, festivals, or street art. Distance travel, on the other hand, involves exploring local areas. To immerse themselves in a different culture, travelers can stay with locals through platforms like Couchsurfing or...

Data-Driven Decision-Making in Hotel Revenue Management

By Nicholas Tsabourakis, Founder & Managing Director, Bespoke Revenue Management

In today's fiercely competitive hospitality landscape, where guest preferences evolve rapidly and market dynamics fluctuate unpredictably, revenue management stands as an indispensable cornerstone for hotels seeking to thrive. Revenue management transcends mere price adjustments; it embodies a strategic orchestration of pricing, inventory, and distribution channels to optimise revenue and profitability while meeting guest demand. Within this intricate balancing act lies the pivotal role of data-an unparalleled asset empowering modern hotels to make informed, proactive decisions that surpass the traditional paradigms of revenue optimisation. The hospitality industry's reliance on revenue management isn't merely a choice; it's a necessity...

What Should Be Included in Your Hotel's E-Marketing Messages: A Comprehensive Guide

By Kara Freedman, Complex Director of Marketing, Conrad New York Downtown & Conrad New York Midtown

Email marketing remains one of the most powerful tools in a hotel’s marketing arsenal, and continues to outperform other digital channels. Effective e-marketing is crucial for hotels to stand out and attract potential and past guests. However, success lies not just in sending emails, but in crafting messages that resonate with guests and drive bookings. With the rise of digital platforms and evolving customer expectations, hotels must craft e-marketing messages that are engaging, informative, and tailored to meet the needs of their target audience. This article explores the essential elements that should be included in your hotel’s e-marketing messages...

HOTEL BUSINESS REVIEW FOCUS:

First Impressions: Designing The Guest Arrival Experience

By Lawrence Adams Principal, Lawrence Adams Architect | August 2024

Terms & Conditions

Receive our Newsletter

HOTEL BUSINESS REVIEW
FOCUS: