During this pandemic and for many years to come, there will be significant analysis on lessons learned. And there will be innovations and new ways of thinking and doing business. The thoughtful hotelier has already determined that life is irreversibly altered and our understanding of hotels has forever changed. Deloitte Consulting has provided a leadership framework that breaks down this process: Respond. Recover. Thrive. It is how that process is managed that is the key. And one can argue that, at the heart, is marketing. READ MORE

In preparing for this story I spoke with sales and operations people including general managers from the hotel side – small and large. Some are privately owned and flagged, some are independently owned and operated, some have management companies and others are part of the larger branded organizations. I spoke with customers – those with corporate travel programs, those who book individual travel, those who organize corporate meetings and events and those who contract with hotels to then resell the rooms to the public either directly or through another company. I also spoke to guests. And one thing we can all agree on is that some big changes are coming… READ MORE

The hotel industry was hit hard by the COVID virus earlier on in 2020 and may be the last to completely recover. Cancellations have outpaced bookings by a 3 to 1 margin at third-party reservation websites and recovering lost revenue will be a serious hardship hotel companies may not be able to withstand. In the face of this monumental and unprecedented medical malaise, only those lodging companies that can adapt and adopt to providing guest-conscious safety and prevention measures will be the ones to see a light at the end of the tunnel so as to stave off catastrophic losses and/or bankruptcy. READ MORE

COVID-19 has truly exposed weaknesses in the foundation upon which our social and economic systems depend. The American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) recently reported that since the US public health issue began escalating in mid-February, hotels have already lost more than $21 billion in room revenue. As a purpose-driven hospitality company, Legacy Vacation Resorts knew they had to navigate the crisis with the utmost care for people and the planet while maintaining a values-aligned approach to business. Their commitment to employees, customers, the environment and local communities guided each decision made as well as the development of new programs to best benefit all those impacted. READ MORE

Team members who work the hardest and often are paid the least are our room attendants. While there are opportunities for them to supplement their incomes with tips, these industrious individuals more often than not leave rooms empty handed. Even though there's a well-accepted method of calculating tips for servers across the U.S., hotel guests are either unclear on what an appropriate tip for a room attendant should be or simply unaware that it's customary to tip room attendants. With that being said, should hoteliers educate their guests on proper tipping etiquette to increase the likelihood of guests tipping room attendants? READ MORE